PBD Podcast “They Cut You Off From Everyone” - Cult Deprogrammer Breaks Down 764 Network, Scientology & NXIVM | PBD Podcast | Ep. 699
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Dec 11, 2025 Rick Alan Ross, a renowned cult deprogrammer and interventionist, reveals the dark strategies of modern cults like the 764 Network, Scientology, and NXIVM. He highlights how leaders exploit online platforms for recruitment and the signs of coercive control. Ross discusses the psychological toll of isolation on children and the blurring lines between self-help and totalitarian demands. He shares chilling insights from his work with NXIVM, including celebrity involvement and legal battles, emphasizing the importance of recognizing manipulative tactics to protect loved ones.
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Cults Have Migrated Online
- Modern cults recruit and operate primarily online using social media, streaming, and payment platforms.
- Rick Alan Ross calls this shift the new world of cults and recruitment.
Three Core Marks Of Destructive Cults
- Destructive cults share three core features: a dictatorial leader, coercive persuasion, and exploitation.
- Ross summarizes typical leader goals as cash, adulation, and sexual favors.
Watch For Social Isolation
- Watch for social isolation: leaders who cut followers off from family and embed them in a controlled bubble.
- Isolation removes external frames of reference and increases susceptibility to influence.
