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 Jan 28, 2023
Saturday Jan 28, 2023
Claire Alison Hams was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and was a full time pioneer. She is now a mental health professional and is doing a PhD. It was so interesting to listen to Claire's journey out of the group and to talk about her insights into helping people recover from religious trauma as well as future research.
Links
Claire's website
Ex JW Support Website
Ex JW Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/780904166280567/?ref=share
Scott Homan and Witness Underground
https://www.witnessunderground.com/
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Saturday Jan 21, 2023
Saturday Jan 21, 2023
Today Stephen and Celine are joined by Elgen Strait ex Moonie - Falling Out Podcast, Frankie Tease ex Morningland Church - Frankie Files and Clint Heacock ex Evangelical - The Mindshift Podcast to talk about cults, coercive control, cult research, cult education and much more.
Thank you to Frankie, Elgen and Clint. If you've not already, check out their shows.
If you'd like to support the podcast you can for just $1.50
https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts
The Guest's Podcasts
The Frankie Files
Falling Out
Mindshift
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Today's episode explores the 2012 classic The Master, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. The writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson admitted that the themes in the movie had been inspired by L Ron Hubbard the founder of Scientology and it’s clear that there are many recognisable elements in the film. But although it may have been a starting point Anderson has created something new that draws from cults and cultic groups in general. In today's episode Stephen explored the psychological manipulation cults use on their followers.
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Contact us at
As referenced, Chris Shelton's YouTube Review of The Master
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1rQGVEKOFI&t=1074s
Saturday Jan 14, 2023
Saturday Jan 14, 2023
In her memoir, 'Uncultured' Daniella Mestyanek Young tells her story of being raised in the Children of God, her escape at just 15, finding herself in a world she didn't understand, getting an education and then joining the US army and becoming an intelligence officer. It's a compelling story and Daniella talks about her book, her life and her research into both healthy organizations and toxic ones as well as her reflections on effective leadership.
Daniella's Website
https://www.uncultureyourself.com/
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Saturday Jan 07, 2023
Saturday Jan 07, 2023
Today's guest is Joy Cranham from the Family Survival Trust, a charity that specialises in helping victims of cults and supports the families of those impacted. Joy's own background is as a born-in member of the Exclusive Brethren (also known as the Plymouth Brethren) so we talk about her childhood, and reflect on the hundreds of thousands of children raised in highly controlling groups with frightening beliefs. Joy also talks about the work of the Family Survival Trust and more generally how to educate society to understand damaging cults and what to do about them.
Just Giving Page to contribute to Stephen's fund-raising page for the Family Survival Trust.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cult-hackers
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Reach out to us
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
The Invisible Man - it's not about invisibility!
Coercive control is a signature tactic of cults and a sign of toxic relationships. The 2020 movie, 'The Invisible Man' explores the methods used and the red flags to look out for. Contains spoilers.
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Contact us
Saturday Dec 31, 2022
Saturday Dec 31, 2022
The final Cult Hackers podcast for the year with Celine and Stephen as they review their favourite episodes, talk about some of the amazing guests they've spoken to, as well as give a nod to some of the big news stories of 2022. Also did you get the pun?
Get in touch
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Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
In this bonus episode from the Cults on Film series, Stephen explores cult tactics employed by the Jedi and the Sith. Cult recruitment 101 by Alex Guinness and Ian McDiarmid.
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Saturday Dec 24, 2022
Saturday Dec 24, 2022
For cult leavers raised in groups like Jehovah's Witnesses who don't celebrate Christmas, the holidays can create mixed feelings. Celine and Stephen explore this and talk about their own experience of learning to embrace cultural celebrations and holidays. Also, is it hypocritical for atheists to celebrate Christmas? The second segment is more personal and Celine and Stephen talk about why they do the podcast even though it has come at a cost neither expected.
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Nonna's Natale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzLLH13O61U&t=21s
Animation, My First Christmas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6_beKvu5uI
Saturday Dec 17, 2022
Saturday Dec 17, 2022
Dr Darrel Ray is a well known author, psychologist and speaker about the difficulties of making sense of the world after leaving problematic religious experiences and groups. This week Stephen talks to Darrel about his book 'The God Virus' and the work he does as the founder of 'Recovering From Religion', a non profit that supports people after leaving.
Useful Links
Become a patron for just $1.50
https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts
The God Virus, Darrel Ray
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/6115911-the-god-virus
Recovering From Religion
https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/