Former Scientology enforcer Mike Rinder explains how you escape a cult that doesn’t let you leave.
Before his death, Mike Rinder sat down with me to tell the full story of how he spent more than 30 years at the very top of Scientology — enforcing its rules, silencing critics, and stopping others from leaving — before secretly planning his own escape at the age of 52.
In this conversation, Mike explains why Sea Org members must escape rather than resign, how “blow drills” are used to track and retrieve defectors, and what really happens to families left behind. He also reflects on the guilt he carries for the harm he caused, the price he paid with his own children, and the moment he finally stepped into freedom with nothing but the clothes he was wearing.
We also discuss:
– Fair Game, smears, and harassment of ex-members.
– Why Scientology fears psychiatry
– The psychology of belief, thought-stopping, and cognitive dissonance
– Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and celebrity Scientology
– Why smart people stay — and how some finally leave.
This episode is both a personal reckoning and a rare inside account of how a modern cult actually works.
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