Conversations Best of 2025: How I became a brainwashed cult bride
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Dec 18, 2025 Liz Cameron, author of *Cult Bride*, shares her harrowing story of being groomed into the JMS cult at just 18. She recounts her initial encounters with recruiters, who lured her in with attention and love-bombing. As her involvement deepened, she faced isolation, sleep deprivation, and manipulation. Liz highlights her struggle with eating disorders and the eventual medical intervention that led to her escape. Now in recovery, she emphasizes the importance of speaking out against cults and the profound impact of her journey.
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Small Steps Build A Deep Entrapment
- Richard and Liz outline the classic cult playbook: love‑bombing, isolation, sleep deprivation and sexual manipulation.
- The process works through many small decisions rather than one single dramatic choice.
The First Approach In A Bookshop
- Liz Cameron describes being approached in a bookstore by a woman posing as a student conducting a survey about Australian culture.
- That small, friendly interaction started a months-long grooming process that led Liz into the group.
Coffee, Bible Study And Feeling Seen
- Liz recounts meeting the women again for coffee, being made to feel deeply seen and prayed for, and invited back to study the Bible at their apartment.
- That warmth and personalised attention accelerated her trust and commitment to the group.