A podcast about cult hacking! Cracking the cult code to understand what they are, how they work, how people leave and how to make sense of the world after leaving. Father and daughter team, media graduate Celine, and former cult member now organizational psychologist Stephen, explore how cults work, why they are so dangerous and the experience of leaving and making sense of the world. They speak to cult hackers from all over the world, from ex members to academics, from writers to filmmakers, and from therapists to activists. https://pod.link/1540824671 https://www.patreon.com/culthackers https://culthackers.com/ Music is Snap by Purple Planet Music Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
Episodes
Tuesday Oct 29, 2024
Tuesday Oct 29, 2024
Introducing Challenging Leadership, a new podcast with Stephen and Jared. Check out Season 1 now - Season 2 coming soon.
https://pod.link/1712306504
Friday Aug 09, 2024
Friday Aug 09, 2024
This is our last ever Cult Hackers podcast. We say goodbye and thank you to all our listeners and supporters over the years We also explore our final topic of the podcast, that of tribes, and ask whether we are experiencing the cultification of the internet through social media platforms.
If you'd like to keep in touch you can contact us at:
https://www.culthackers.com/contact
Tuesday Aug 06, 2024
Tuesday Aug 06, 2024
The UK has seen a week of rioting and civil disorder. What is the background, why are people rioting? And reflections from the previous episode about whether culture needs defending in light of these events.
Contact us: https://www.culthackers.com/contact
Sunday Jul 21, 2024
Sunday Jul 21, 2024
Was my upbringing as a Jehovah's Witness a multicultural one? Does culture need defending? Should we accept all cultural differences? Is the UK an Islamic country as is claimed by J D Vance? Can different cultural practices live side by side? What is the link between culture and cults? Do businesses have cultures? All questions discussed in today's episode.
Links
Reach out to us an d let us know if we can read your email on the show: https://www.culthackers.com/contact
Riley's Jexit Episode about Race and Jehovah's Witnesses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zddbVGPmzc0
Ted Cantle's Report about Community Cohesion
https://tedcantle.co.uk/pdf/Parallel%20lives%20Ted%20Cantle.pdf
Denise Wise LinkTree
Friday Jul 12, 2024
Friday Jul 12, 2024
Rituals are powerful. They have been a part of our shared culture since the beginning - why? And how do cults use them?
To talk to us: https://www.culthackers.com/contact
To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts
References: The Psychology of Rituals: An Integrative Review and Process-Based Framework
Video of Speaker being dragged to the chair to take up his role.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k-BXhhCT6c
Friday Jul 05, 2024
Friday Jul 05, 2024
Today's episode explores Nudge Theory, more correctly Behavioral Economics and how too many nudges can start to make us feel pushed around.
Referenced paper
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w20007/w20007.pdf
Contact us: https://www.culthackers.com/contact
Sunday Jun 30, 2024
Sunday Jun 30, 2024
Quitting is often treated as a sign of a weak character, but for those of us who quit a toxic cultic group it was one of the best things we've ever done. In this episode Stephen looks at some of the research on quitting and why we need to get good at knowing when to do it. Stephen also uses the topic to consider the fallout from the first US Presidential Election Debate, when it's time to bow out and the risks of groupthink and gaslighting.
Contact us at: https://www.culthackers.com/
References: Steven Levitt's podcast https://pod.link/1525936566/episode/bd425d4077c944aefaaca4a4a53bde60
Steven Levitt paper: Heads or Tails: The Impact of a Coin Toss on Major Life Decisions and Subsequent
Sunday Jun 23, 2024
Sunday Jun 23, 2024
In this episode Stephen reflects upon what it's like to be prevented from voting, the psychological consequences of being a social bystander and having no stake in society, and the feeling of then being able to be part of the democratic process. Also reflections on democracy under attack.
Contact us
https://www.culthackers.com/contact
Thursday Jun 13, 2024
Thursday Jun 13, 2024
Stephen reflects upon the infected blood scandal affecting thousands of people and how it relates to his own former religious beliefs, conspiracies and questions about institutions.
Kacey's Research Questionnaire and Information
BBC Reporting into children being exposed to infected blood
Copy of letter talking about uninfected patients being exposed released as part of the enquiry
Saturday May 18, 2024
Saturday May 18, 2024
This special episode is about the Frank Herbert story, Dune, including the recent film adaptation. This story covers many of the topics we've been interested in over the years doing the podcast and we hope you enjoy this discussion about a shared favourite of ours.
More news to come soon about the future of the podcast.
Links
The latest movie directed by Denis Villeneuve
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15239678/
Mini series
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0142032/
The novel
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44767458-dune