The Megyn Kelly Show

What Happens in Cults, and Escaping From Them: A Megyn Kelly Show True Crime Special | Ep. 573

Jun 15, 2023

Michelle Dowd, author of 'Forager', and Dr. Steven Hassan, a cult expert, join Megyn Kelly to discuss their experiences in cults, surviving in extreme poverty, raising a family after leaving, and ways to escape or help loved ones escape. The podcast explores the control tactics of cults, vulnerability to joining, and even dives into a chilling story about the missing plane MH370.

01:33:09

Creator website

Episode guests

Michelle Dowd

Steven Hassan

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Quick takeaways

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.

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01:20

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01:20

Introduction

1min

Growing Up in a Religious Cult: Abuse, Survival, and Escape

9min

From Foraging to Deprivation: Life in the Cult

22min

Blaming the Calendar

5min

Life After Leaving a Cult

13min

Exploring Personal Boundaries and Family Relationships

4min

The Evolution of the Organization

9min

The allure of cults and the importance of understanding deception and control

2min

From Normal Childhood to Cult Fanatic

16min

10.

Understanding Vulnerability to Cults

17min

11.

The missing plane MH370: A deep dive into a chilling story

2min

"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.

Dowd: https://www.amazon.com/Forager-Field-Surviving-Family-Memoir/dp/1643751859/

Hassan: https://freedomofmind.com

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