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
Saturday Sep 24, 2022
Saturday Sep 24, 2022
Welcome to the first official episode of Cult Hackers (formerly 'What should I think about..?') For our first show we have a wonderful and knowledgeable cult hacker, former cult member Nicola Ranson.
The Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country became a worldwide hit with its fascinating story of a cultic group's strange journey from free love to bio terrorism. Nicola Ranson is now a mental health professional and author, with her memoir 'A slice of orange' coming out in 2023. She was a member of the Rajneesh group for ten years and talks about her attraction to the group, life within it, her journey out and how she made sense of her life after leaving.
To become a patron
https://www.patreon.com/culthackers
To contact us
Nicola Ranson
Sunday Sep 18, 2022
Sunday Sep 18, 2022
In the last ever episode of 'What Should I Think About...?' (soon to become Cult Hackers), Andrew Jasko, M.Div. joins us.
Andrew is a Religious Trauma Coach with an MA in Counselling Psychology. On the podcast today he talks about his own experience of being the subject of prophecy within a Pentecostal Church, his struggle with his faith, his experience of religious trauma and his journey out of the church. He also talks about his views on consciousness, spirituality and mysticism and affably responds to Stephen's skeptical challenges.
Andrew Jasko website and blog
Sunday Sep 11, 2022
Sunday Sep 11, 2022
Did Jesus have a work-life balance problem? What are the 'work' commitments for members of cults? As a former Jehovah's Witness Stephen reflects upon the work commitments of an active Jehovah's Witness? What may be the long-lasting psychological effects of being 'always on' for ex members?
These are all subjects explored in this week's episode, plus how organizational psychologists research the subject and how that might be able to help us think about getting the balance right. And Celine points out some of Stephen's possible issues in this area.
Please Note: This podcast is soon to be renamed Cult Hackers. The feed will remain the same.
References
Making Whole-Souled Sacrifices for Jehovah, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—2012
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2012045#h=10:0-17:389
Summer Reminders, Our Kingdom Ministry—1993
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/201993207?q=summer+reminders&p=par
McDowall, A., & Lindsay, A. (2014). Work–life balance in the police: The development of a self-management competency framework. Journal of Business and Psychology, 29(3), 397-411.
Sunday Sep 04, 2022
Sunday Sep 04, 2022
Taking action against cults and spiritual abuse requires changes in law and policies often at the National or State level. How is this achieved?
Today we welcome Lisa Kendall, herself a former member of a cult called 'The Move of God', and the Founder and Director of the Counter Cult Coalition. Lisa has a Masters in Public Administration from Portland State University. We also welcome Jake Giovati from the University of Buffalo School of Law.
Become a Patron
https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout
Contact Us
https://www.evilsheep.co.uk/contact
Counter Cult Coalition Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/countercultcoalition/
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Prompted by a Tweet, Celine and Stephen explore the judgement that Jehovah's Witnesses literature can cause psychological damage and that it employs NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) in order to influence people. Lots of questions follow: What is the claim? How could we scientifically research it? What is NLP?
Contact us
https://www.evilsheep.co.uk/contact
Become a patron
https://www.evilsheep.co.uk/contact
References and Reading
Forum 18 Story
https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2767
Neuro-linguistic programming: cargo cult psychology?
Sunday Aug 21, 2022
Sunday Aug 21, 2022
Darin Challacombe is a social scientist and researcher in the field of terrorism. He recently gave a talk at the ICSA conference about the synergy between cults and terror groups. Stephen grabbed the opportunity to speak to him about what the similarities and differences are. Darin also discusses some groups who morph from cult to terrorist as well as the strategies being deployed to disrupt radicalisation of vulnerable individuals.
Darin's Twitter handle is @ksresearcher
Contact us at https://www.evilsheep.co.uk/contact
Become a patron for just $1.50 per month.
https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout
Sunday Aug 14, 2022
Sunday Aug 14, 2022
Does it matter what cults believe? Or is it only what they do that matters? Should we respect beliefs that aren't true? How should we engage with beliefs? Should we challenge each others beliefs? And how should the podcast engage with cult escape stories that include finding a new set of religious or mystical beliefs?
In today's podcast Celine and Stephen explore these questions by looking at some unorthodox belief systems; The Aetherius Society, the Breatharians, Fruitarians and the Workers' Institute of Marxism–Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought, as well as 'men's movement' committed to bringing back the patriarchy!
This podcast was recorded before the attack on author Salman Rushdie.
Links
To become a patron https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout
To contact us https://www.evilsheep.co.uk/contact
References
The Aethrian Society
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/18/opinion/gods-from-space-aetherius.html
The Cult Next Door
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08c3vrx
Sunday Aug 07, 2022
Sunday Aug 07, 2022
What function do heroes serve? Why were we not allowed to have posters of our heroes on our bedroom walls? Who are our modern day heroes? What happens when our heroes disappoint us or show us they are human? What cultural differences are there between the USA and the UK around heroes?
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
On this special episode, author Ali Millar talks about the release of her wonderful new book 'The Last Days' and why she had to tell her story, growing up in, and eventually leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses. We explore with her the experience of childhood indoctrination and the lessons it teaches, Ali's leading a 'double life', her experience with an eating disorder and the harrowing experience of a judicial committee. We also discuss the question of how society should treat damaging groups.
Ali's website
Sunday Jul 31, 2022
Sunday Jul 31, 2022
How many core emotions are there? How do we understand them? How do they come into play when people leave a high control group? We also review the Pixar movie 'Inside Out', a film all about emotions.
Become a patron for just $1.50 a month.
https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout
Links
Paul Ekman's website
https://www.paulekman.com/about/paul-ekman/
Psychology Today - Modal Model of Emotion
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/dealing-emotions/202101/what-are-emotions
Psychology Today - Robert Plutchik
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/hide-and-seek/201601/what-are-basic-emotions
5 Lessons from Movie Inside Out
https://evolvetreatment.com/blog/five-lessons-inside-out/