survivors

The Assemblies of God; Secrets of a High-Demand Church with Paul Jensen 

I had the opportunity to meet Paul Jensen at the 2023 International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) annual conference, where he delivered a captivating presentation titled Discovering the Worst-Kept Secrets of My High Demand Church. He shared his journey of discovery after growing up in the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest denomination of the Pentecostal and Charismatic “Spirit Led” movement. In his talk, he revealed the little-known authoritarian cult roots of the Assemblies of God and how the church has created an official narrative that conceals its true history.  

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Utilizing Creative Therapies for Healing and Empowerment with Esther Friedman 

Esther Friedman’s excellent new book is The Gentle Souls Revolution: A Secret Cult, an Open Rebellion, and Lessons in Protecting and Honoring Your Gentle Soul. This memoir and guide offers valuable insights and guidance for survivors of narcissistic abuse through creative therapy. It serves as a roadmap for those seeking to heal and rebuild their lives after leaving a cult. Through her personal experiences and professional expertise, Esther provides practical tools and strategies for navigating the complex emotions and challenges that arise after undue influence. The Gentle Souls Revolution also emphasizes the importance of self-expression and creativity in healing. Esther encourages survivors to explore their artistic side through writing, painting, music, or other creative expression. By engaging in these activities, survivors can tap into their inner strength, process their experiences, and find a sense of empowerment. 

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Finding Her Way Out of Scientology’s Infamous Sea Org with Katherine Spallino  

Katherine Spallino, the author of a new book, The Bad Cadet: Growing Up in the Church of Scientology’s Sea Organization, has had quite a life journey. Katherine grew up on a secluded ranch within the cadet org, Scientology’s Sea Org school for children. At a young age, Katherine began to journal about her day-to-day life, capturing the thoughts and experiences of a child coming of age in a cult. Katherine’s background offers the rare opportunity to tell the story of the hundreds of children who rarely saw their parents and were indoctrinated to become future Sea Org members.  

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Surviving our Catastrophes: Celebrating the Resilience and Renewal of Survivors with Robert Jay Lifton, M.D.  

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the acclaimed psychiatrist and my mentor, Robert Jay Lifton, M.D., about his new book, Surviving Our Catastrophes: Resilience and Renewal from Hiroshima to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Lifton is a pioneer in the field of psychohistory, especially his studies on the psychological causes and effects of war and political violence. Renowned cult experts and scholars use his theory of thought reform and cult behavior worldwide. As the title of his book suggests, he believes that those of us who have experienced the trauma of mind control have a crucial role to play in the coming years. We have overcome our past and found resiliency and can be role models to help teach others.

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Sins of my Father: Growing up with America’s Most Dangerous White Supremacist with Kelvin Pierce 

Neo-Nazi sentiment, racism, and white supremacy have seen a recent resurgence globally, fueled by political polarization, economic disparities, and social grievances. The internet and social media have played a significant role in spreading extremist propaganda, while some politicians’ normalization of hate speech has emboldened these groups. Combating this rise requires a multifaceted approach, including education, countering online extremism, promoting social cohesion, and addressing underlying grievances. My guest for this episode of The Influence Continuum was Kelvin Pierce, author of the memoir Sins of my Father: Growing up with America’s Most Dangerous White Supremacist. Kelvin was born into a highly racist and abusive household but was able to shed his indoctrination, create the charitable organization “Divine Child Foundation” to help orphans in Georgia, publish his memoir, and live a life of activism and inspiration fighting racism and extremism.

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Forager: Field Notes on Surviving a Family Cult with Michelle Dowd  

In the modern era, many of us spend most of our time at home, subsisting on what we can get through tech and grocery chains. But in her new book, Forager: Field Notes on Surviving a Family Cult, Michelle Dowd proposes that we are all still foraging internally. Instead of gathering food, we gather what we need emotionally and intellectually. Following our dual appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, she joined me on the Influence Continuum podcast to discuss how she reframed her harsh experiences to find joy and fulfillment.  

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Former ICOC Leader Michele Roland and Attorney Bobby Samini Discuss their Lawsuits on Behalf of Former Members of this Bible cult

Many cults are the subjects of lawsuits by former members, and the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) are now joining that group as former members seek the justice they deserve. 

Michele Roland is a survivor of the ICOC, having spent 17 years as a leader. She is now an entrepreneur, author, producer, brand developer, and founder of the bWell Network. She is writing a memoir about her indoctrination and trauma recovery experiences, which should be published next year. A streaming scripted series inspired by her experience in the cult is also in the works.

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Watchtower Society: Understanding the Jehovah’s Witnesses with Isaac Carmignani 

Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) are well-known for their door-to-door solicitation and distributing literature, such as their Watchtower and AWAKE! magazines. However, most people do not know of the authoritarian BITE Model policies that affect JWs. Consequently, former JW elder Isaac Carmignani, a friend and colleague, shares critically important facts about this religious organization.  

Carmignani was raised a Jehovah’s Witness (JW) and was baptized at age 11. As a child, he experienced severe corporal punishment, a well-known cult practice. From 1995 to 2006, he was an elder in the JW organization; however, in 2007, Carmignani formally disassociated himself. He disagreed with their interpretation of the Bible and the belief that only JWs were good Christians while all other Christians were evil. In fact, a member was not allowed to enter any church other than a Kingdom Hall; the name JWs call their meeting places.

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Mormonism, Mental Health, And Whistleblowing With Dr. John Dehlin 

Whistleblowers often suffer consequences for speaking out, and our guest Dr. John Dehlin knows that first-hand. A 6th generation member, he was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) for speaking up about gay rights and the suicide problem within the LDS church and for hosting a podcast that discussed problems with LDS Church history, truth claims, etc. They didn’t like him raising those issues, but he persevered and is now helping provide support for Mormons experiencing religious faith crises.   

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Recruited at Sarah Lawrence College Into The Larry Ray Cult With Daniel Barban Levin 

On January 20th, 2023, Larry Ray was sentenced to 60 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy, violent crime in aid of racketeering, extortion, sex trafficking, forced labor, tax evasion, and money laundering offenses. Daniel Barban Levin escaped the cult and used writing to process his mind control experience. He also wanted to do something to help his friends, who were still psychologically imprisoned. His memoir, Slonim Woods 9, published in 2021, was a revealing and poetic description of his time in a mind control cult. Former members sometimes utilize writing as a device to release painful experiences through journaling, poetry, and novels. I loved listening to this book.

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From Growing Up in the Jehovah’s Witnesses to Counseling People Who Wish to Exit it with Frances Peters

When we think of cults, we think of being recruited into them. It’s easy to forget some people are born into them like my guest today, Frances Peters, who was born and raised in the Jehovah’s Witnesses before leaving in 2004 with her husband and two children. As soon as she realized how controlling and harmful the group was, she decided to leave. Since then, she’s been researching the workings of undue influence and what people can do to (re)gain their identity.  She experienced how challenging it is to become a thriver instead of remaining a victim of institutionalized undue influence. 

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