What happens when a newborn is handed—by his own mother—into the arms of a cult?

On today’s episode of Was I In A Cult?, we peel back the celebrity sheen and expose the shadowy depths of one of the world’s most controversial organizations: Scientology. 

But this time, it’s not about celebrities—it’s about the kids.

Jamie Mustard was born into Scientology’s inner sanctum, the Sea Org. Raised without parents, he spent his childhood in filth-ridden tenements, watched over by untrained and often abusive caretakers, and wrote heartbreaking letters to L. Ron Hubbard begging to see his mom again.

This isn’t the Scientology you’ve heard about. And this is just the beginning. Part one of a rare survival story—of someone who didn’t just escape, but managed to build an aweinspiring life far beyond the trauma.

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Come See Us LIVE!

Join us in Los Angeles on July 10th at Dynasty Typewriter for our first-ever Was I In A Cult? live show—featuring special guest Moses Storm! GET YOUR TICKET HERE! 

Pre-Order Jamie’s Book:

Jamie Mustard’s powerful memoir Child X drops July 30th. Pre-order now and support his story of survival, resistance, and hard-won freedom.

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**This episode originally aired in May 2023**

Fresh to the workforce, Amber answered a job posting for a dental assitant: “No experience needed!” Looking for something reliable to support her new life as a single mother, she was thrilled when she got hired. Little did she know, her new job would be more than just dental work…

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Support the Show:

Was I In A Cult? is listener-powered. If the show has moved you, made you laugh, or made you question your group chat - please rate, review, and share.

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Have a cultic experience to share? We’re listening.

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When your mother is a self-proclaimed prophet claiming to channel the ascended master that is your deceased father as she prepares hundreds of followers for the end of the world, mother/son time isn’t baking cookies - it’s begging her not to summon nuclear holy fire so you can maybe live another day.

In Part 2 of Sean Prophet’s quite literally unbelievable story, we enter the “end times” phase of CUT (Church Universal and Triumphant) - a group that, at its peak, had thousands of members, global spiritual centers, and over $50 million in real estate. We’ve got multi-million dollar underground bunkers, military-grade weapons, mass doomsday drills, and a mother decreeing her way out of a failed apocalypse that - spoiler - never came.

Sean walks us through the harrowing logistics of leading hundreds of followers into bomb shelters, his mother’s unshakable belief in prophecy, and the moment he finally walked away - for good.

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Sean’s new memoir, My Cult, Your Cult, is out now. Order here.

Follow Us for More Culty Content:

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Support the Show:

Was I In A Cult? is listener-powered. If the show has moved you, made you laugh, or made you question your group chat - please rate, review, and share.

Want ad-free episodes + bonus content? Join our Patreon!

Share Your Story:

Have a cultic experience to share? We’re listening.

Email us at [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join hosts Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore as they take you deep into the world of the most notorious crimes ever — where a single clue can crack a case wide open.

From shocking murders to serial killers, Clues dives into all the forensic details and brilliant sleuthing of the world's most infamous cases. CLUES is a Crime House Original, powered by PAVE Studios. Follow and listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He didn’t just join a cult. He was born a "prince" in one.

In this two-part mind-bender, we welcome Sean Prophet, son of Mark Prophet and Elizabeth Clare Prophet—founders of the Church Universal and Triumphant (aka CUT). At its height, this doomsday spiritual empire commanded tens of millions in real estate, a global following, and enough freeze-dried food and ammo to survive a nuclear winter.

In Part 1, Sean takes us from his early days living in a 17,000-square-foot mansion filled with unpaid devotees, to being groomed as the next “Messenger” of God…

…until a $1.5 million lawsuit shifted everything.

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Instagram & TikTok: @wasiinacult

Sean’s new memoir, My Cult, Your Cult, is out now. Order here.

Support the Show:

If Was I In A Cult? has impacted you, moved you, or made you laugh-uncomfortably-in-public, please rate & review—it helps new listeners find us.

Want ad-free episodes + bonus content? Join our Patreon!

Share Your Story:

Have a cultic experience you want to share on the show? 

Email us at [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s guest, Sara, didn’t just wear a cult uniform—she sewed it. Raised in a conservative faith that slowly morphed into a cult, Sara’s life went from dairy cows and barefoot summers to head coverings, spiritual “consequences,” and Levitical purity laws enforced with spray bottles and shame.

What started as a desire to live a devout and simple life spiraled into isolation, abuse, and an absurd set of rules that dictated everything from her hair part to her menstrual cycle. Her story—equal parts heartbreaking, enraging, and at times darkly hilarious—includes butchering chickens in the dark, scraping cowhides in the cold, and somehow finding her way to freedom, laughter, and ice cream cones.

Follow Us for More Culty Content:

Instagram & TikTok: @wasiinacult

Support the Show:

If Was I In A Cult? has impacted you, moved you, or made you laugh-uncomfortably-in-public, please rate & review—it helps new listeners find us.

Want ad-free episodes + bonus content? Join our Patreon!

Share Your Story:

Have a cultic experience you want to share on the show? 

Email us at [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In our first-ever live episode, your favorite mediocre cult leaders take the stage in Napa, California to indoctrinate the masses—err, entertain a crowd. Tyler and Liz welcome comedian and actor Moses Storm (HBO’s Trash White) to tell his jaw-dropping story of growing up in a failed (as he puts it) doomsday cult… started by his great uncle. A live audience, Tyler showed off an old pair of magic underwear, Liz recruited a willing participant into a fake cult, and Moses brought the house down. This is Was I In A Cult? like you’ve never heard it before.

Follow Us for More Culty Content:

Instagram & TikTok: @wasiinacult

Follow our guest Moses Storm: @mosesstorm

Need an acting coach? Tyler recommends @mikeostroski / mikeostroski.com

Support the Show:

If Was I In A Cult? has impacted you, moved you, or made you laugh-uncomfortably-in-public, please rate & review—it helps new listeners find us.

Want ad-free episodes + bonus content? Join our Patreon!

Share Your Story:

Have a cultic experience you want to share on the show? 

Email us at [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're diving into the cultish side of wellness culture. Liz sits down with Dr. Laura Erlich, DTCM, LAc, FABORM — a licensed acupuncturist and fertility specialist who spent decades bridging Eastern and Western medicine… until the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the dangerous cracks beneath the surface.

Laura shares her deeply personal story: growing up with health-conscious "hippie" parents, enduring the trauma of losing both parents young, and building a career dedicated to healing and helping. But when misinformation about vaccines and COVID exploded within her professional circles, Laura found herself isolated from a community she once considered home.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Find Dr. Laura:

 www.mothernurturela.com

Follow Dr. Laura:

 Instagram/Facebook: @mothernurturewellness

Dr. Laura’s Recommendations:

Books:

 Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism by Peter Hotez

 Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure by Paul Offit, MD

Podcasts:

 Conspirituality (an unbiased science podcast)

 Maintenance Phase (debunking wellness and diet culture myths)

Science Influencers to Follow:

• @drnoc
• @niniandthebrain
• @epidemiologistkat
• @unbiasedscipod
• @your_local_epidemiologist

Unbiased Vaccine Resources:

 Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP Vaccine Education Center)

 Skeptical Raptor

 Vaxopedia

Follow Us for More Culty Content:

 Instagram/TikTok: @wasiinacult

Support the Show:

 If Was I In A Cult? has impacted you, please take a moment to rate and review — it helps new listeners find us!

 Want ad-free episodes and bonus content? Join our Patreon

Share Your Story:

 Have a cultic experience you want to share? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out at [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s guest thought she was just signing up for a summer job. And then, years later, she thought she was just joining a church. What she got instead? 

Cults. TWO OF THEM.

Meet Aydrea — writer, stepmom, and lover of rules. In college, she joined a company that promised purpose, leadership, and a paycheck. Instead, she got cold showers, commission-only “training,” and a summer knocking on strangers' doors… while carrying 40 pounds of encyclopedias.

But plot twist: just when she thought she’d moved on, community came calling again. This time through a church weight loss group, …where Diet Mountain Dew became her spiritual practice, and hunger was a sign of holiness.

Funny, sharp, and disarmingly honest, Aydrea shares what it’s like to look back and realize oh, cool cool… I joined TWO cults. And maybe more importantly, how the craving for belonging can sneak us into places we never meant to be.

LINKS:

LIVE SHOW! April 25th at Napa Valley Streaming Fest — with special guest Moses Storm. Info & tickets: napavalleystreamingfest.com

Follow Aydrea: Tiktok @disappointingmyancestors

Follow us for more culty content: insta/tiktok — @wasiinacult

Support the show: If Was I in a Cult? has impacted you, please rate and review—it really helps more people find us! And consider joining our Patreon for ad-free episodes and more.

Have a story of your own? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to: [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse, exploitation, and trauma. Please listen with care.

Frankie thought she was chosen. That she was being trained to be a healer, a mystic, a disciple of spiritual truth. But the truth was far more harrowing.

In Part 2 of her story, we follow Frankie deeper into Morningland—where obedience meant servitude, sexual violence was disguised as divine initiation, and isolation was absolute. What began as New Age mysticism spiraled into total control, lasting trauma, and the systematic dismantling of a family.

But through pain, there is power. And Frankie’s voice, now, is stronger than ever.

LINKS:

LIVE SHOW! April 25th at Napa Valley Streaming Fest — with special guest Moses Storm. Info & tickets: napavalleystreamingfest.com

Follow us for more culty content: @wasiinacult

Support the show: If Was I in a Cult? has impacted you, please rate and review—it really helps more people find us! And consider joining our Patreon for ad-free episodes and more.

Have a story of your own? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to: [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.