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#361 - NXIVM Cult Victim on Hollywood Elite, 17,000 “Slaves” & being a “Good Girl” | Sarah Edmondson

Dec 2, 2025

Guest

Sarah Edmondson

In this engaging conversation, Sarah Edmondson, a former NXIVM member and whistleblower, shares her intriguing journey from a hopeful recruit to exposing the dark side of the cult. She highlights the manipulative tactics used to draw people in, drawing parallels to other organizations like Scientology. Sarah reflects on her vulnerabilities that made her susceptible and recounts the disturbing practices within NXIVM, including the controversial DOS and the scandal surrounding its elite members. Her story sheds light on the psychological impact of cult dynamics and the importance of awareness.

03:14:55

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Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

Appealing Self-Improvement Framing

Sarah Edmondson joined NXIVM seeking meaning and tools to improve her life and career as an actress.
The group presented as therapy-like seminars promising belief-system upgrades and success.

insights

INSIGHT

Situational Vulnerability Explains Recruitment

Situational vulnerability makes otherwise rational people susceptible to cult recruitment.
Life transitions (career crossroads, relationship stress, new city) create that vulnerability, not innate weakness.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Recruitment On A Film Festival Cruise

Sarah met Mark Vicente at a spiritual film festival cruise and was drawn by his film What the Bleep.
That connection led directly to her being recruited into ESP/NXIVM.

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How Sarah First Joined NXIVM

01:19 • 3min

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Parallels with Scientology and LGATs

04:00 • 3min

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Vanguard, Library Footage and Keith's Image

06:43 • 28sec

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Filming, The Vow and Evidence

07:10 • 3min

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Early Positives and Later Dark Turns

Recruitment Mechanics and DOS Introduction

13:30 • 2min

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Sarah's Acting Background & Vulnerability

15:51 • 6min

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Meeting Mark Vicente on a Film Cruise

21:25 • 7min

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Psychology, Family Background & Wounds

First Contact: Tacoma Holiday Inn Training

34:24 • 5min

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Situational Vulnerability and Recruitment Tactics

39:24 • 11min

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Sashes, Hierarchy and Normalizing Weirdness

50:27 • 9min

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Escalation to 16-Day Trainings and Mission Framing

59:16 • 13min

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Good Results, Testimonials, and Recruitment

01:12:00 • 5min

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Mark Vicente, Film Ambitions, and What Drew People

01:17:00 • 7min

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Nancy Salzman and NLP Influence

01:23:41 • 8min

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Vanguard Week & Festival Rituals

01:31:56 • 9min

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Allegations About Poisoning and Inner-Circle Deaths

01:41:20 • 8min

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DOS, Harem Building and Fawn Response

01:49:11 • 7min

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Tourette's Claims, Pseudoscience & Ultima

01:56:31 • 3min

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Bronfmans, Funding and Elite Connections

02:00:00 • 10min

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Role of Heirs and the Appeal of Purpose

02:10:26 • 7min

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Sarah's Rise: Proctor, Centers, and Income

02:17:20 • 7min

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Marriage, Vows and Personal Life in NXIVM

02:24:20 • 10min

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Growing Doubts, Mismanagement and Exploitation

02:34:11 • 8min

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Leaving, Whistleblowing and Making The Vow

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****TIMESTAMPS in description below**** Sarah Edmondson is a Canadian actress and podcaster. Edmondson is a former member of NXIVM, a now-defunct s3x cult and pyramid scheme founded by Keith Raniere.

PRE-ORDER SARAH's BOOK: https://www.sarahedmondson.com/book

SARAH's LINKS:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahedmondson/?hl=en

X: https://x.com/sarahjedmondson

YT: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=a+little+bit+culty

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****TIMESTAMPS****

0:00 - Intro

1:28 – Many People Can Fall Into Cults…NXIVM, Scientology, HBO’s The Vow

12:54 – Good Until It Got Dark, Keith, DOS, Sarah’s Acting Background

23:34 – Returning to Vancouver, Sarma, Being Ripe for a Cult

33:02 – What The Bleep, Shifting Consciousness, Situational Vulnerability

44:57 – Open-Minded but Angst, L5D, Micro-dosing, Curriculum, Meeting Mark

54:47 – Rose McGowan, Weinstein, Hollywood Cults, Epstein Parallels

01:04:42 – Sarah Avoiding LA, NXIVM Structure, Tacoma WA, Suzanne

01:15:14 – Suzanne’s Manipulation, Holiday Inn Trainings, Nancy & Gaslighting

01:26:15 – Gaslit Expression, Day 3 Switch, Coaching Pyramid, Actors at the Top

01:36:44 – Nancy’s Hypnotism, Keith’s Manipulation, Spiritual Wives, A-List Trainings

01:54:45 – Vanguard Week, Christ Imagery, Festival of Flowers, Moral Weaponizing

02:04:54 – Dark Turn, Harem Building, Fawn Response, Sarah’s Close Calls

02:15:18 – Acting in NXIVM, MLM vs Pyramid, Dalai Lama Endorsement, Tourette Claims

02:24:54 – Tourette Cases, Pseudoscience, Bronfmans, Wild Wild Country, Baskin Robbins Heiress

02:35:50 – Reaching Proctor, Giving Up Acting, Mexican President’s Son, Belonging

02:45:30 – Orange Level, Meeting Nippy, Keith’s Lip Kissing, Dating in NXIVM

02:55:16 – The Final Quarter, Suspicions Rising

03:04:29 – Real Improvement or Cult Illusion?, 20k Members, Commitment Patterns

03:08:37 – New episode coming...

CREDITS:

- Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey

- COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ

- In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/

Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 361 - Sarah Edmondson

Music by Artlist.io

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