What Happens in Cults, and Escaping From Them: A Megyn Kelly Show True Crime Special | Ep. 573
Jun 15, 2023
auto_awesome
Michelle Dowd, author of "Forager" and a cult survivor, shares her gripping journey escaping a highly controlling environment led by her grandfather. Joined by Dr. Steven Hassan, a cult expert, they discuss the psychological tactics cults use, such as "love bombing," and the personality traits that make individuals vulnerable. Dowd reflects on the trauma of her upbringing and the survival skills she developed. They also outline strategies for helping those still trapped within cults, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding in the process of escape.
Michelle Dowd shares her experience of being born into and escaping from an ultra-religious cult called The Field, highlighting the abusive and impoverished conditions she endured and the tactics used by the cult leader to maintain control.
Michelle discusses the challenges she faced upon leaving the cult, including difficulties with trust and forming healthy relationships, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the healing power of community support.
The podcast explores the deceptive tactics used by cults in their recruitment process, as well as the traits and patterns of cult influence, such as malignant narcissism and mind control techniques, highlighting the need to recognize warning signs and protect oneself from being drawn into such manipulative groups.
Deep dives
Summary of the Podcast Episode
In this podcast episode, Michelle Dowd, a former cult member, shares her story of being born into and escaping from an ultra-religious cult called The Field. Michelle describes the abusive and impoverished conditions she endured, as well as the tactics used by the cult leader to maintain control over its followers. She discusses the challenges she faced upon leaving the cult, including difficulties with trust and forming healthy relationships. Michelle emphasizes the importance of resilience and the healing power of community support. The podcast delves into the complexities of cult experiences and provides insights into the long-term effects on individuals who break free from them.
Growing Up in The Field
Michelle was born into The Field, a cult led by her maternal grandfather. She explains how her grandfather established the organization and recruited followers, particularly young boys, who were groomed to become members. Michelle shares details about her living conditions, which initially involved living near a town dump and later on a mountain property leased by her grandfather. She describes the limited access to resources and the cult's emphasis on deprivation as a means of preparing for the apocalypse.
Abuse and Coping Mechanisms
Michelle opens up about the sexual abuse she experienced as a child within The Field. She discusses the emotional aftermath of the abuse and the coping mechanisms she developed, including compartmentalization and dissociation. Michelle shares how her mother's dismissive attitude toward the abuse influenced her own perception of the trauma. She also reflects on the challenges of establishing healthy relationships and building trust following her departure from the cult.
Escaping and Rebuilding
Michelle recounts her journey of leaving The Field and starting a new life outside of the cult. She highlights the importance of her mother's teachings, which instilled in her the skills needed to navigate the outside world, including working as a house cleaner to support herself. Michelle shares her experience of attending college and raising her own children outside of the cult. She discusses the ongoing healing process, the challenges of breaking free from the cult's influence, and the significance of resilience and personal strength.
Recruitment and Deception in Cults
Cults often use deceptive tactics in their recruitment process. They employ strategies such as love bombing, where members shower potential recruits with compliments and attention, creating a sense of belonging and acceptance. In the podcast, the speaker recalls their own experience of being lured into a cult through deceptive means, despite initially having a strong belief that they couldn't be brainwashed. The speaker emphasizes that vulnerability and situational factors play a significant role in making individuals susceptible to cult recruitment. Recognizing these tactics and being aware of one's own vulnerabilities is crucial in avoiding falling into such manipulative groups.
Understanding the Patterns of Cult Influence
The podcast delves into the characteristics and patterns of cult influence. It highlights that many cult leaders possess traits of malignant narcissism, including grandiosity, certainty, and a lack of empathy. Furthermore, the podcast discusses the use of mind control techniques, such as phobia indoctrination and the manipulation of altered states of consciousness, through techniques like hypnosis. The speaker explains that cult influence operates on a continuum, from ethical influence to unethical manipulation, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the red flags and warning signs of control in order to protect oneself from being drawn into these groups.
"Hot Crime Summer" week on The Megyn Kelly Show continues with a deep dive on cults. Megyn Kelly is joined by Michelle Dowd, author of "Forager," and Dr. Steven Hassan, a cult expert, to discuss each of their experiences in cults, the survival skills Dowd learned while she was in the cult, what it was like growing up in the cult in extreme poverty, looking back on the trauma and abuse she experienced, what's happening now in the cult, raising a family after leaving, how each escaped their cults, how cults control the minds of followers, personality types that are susceptible to cults, ways to escape cults or help loved ones escape, and more.
