Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

In Part 1 of our interview with journalist Claire Hoffman, Claire shares what it was like growing up in an Iowa trailer park community built around the Transcendental Meditation (or TM) movement and its charismatic leader, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi–whose followers included The Beatles. Claire shares what the daily routine was like in the TM community, how it felt believing every adult she knew could levitate, and the powerful mystique of Maharishi.Plus, she tells how the fall of the Berlin Wall and her subscription to Cosmopolitan magazine helped lead to her eventual awakening about the guru being a mere mortal, and the book she wrote about that experience, Greetings From Utopia Park.SOURCES:Greetings From Utopia ParkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Attorney Carol Merchasin didn’t set out to expose cults, but after investigating allegations about a high-control Buddhist organization and discovering that the abuse had run more rampant than she’d imagined, she became a lawyer and focused her practice on getting justice for survivors of cults and abusive groups. Carol discusses the legal ins and outs of suing cults and spiritual leaders, where American law stands in recognizing coercion and human trafficking, and why the differences in ideologies between high-control groups really don’t matter. Plus: the patterns and red flags she’s learned to spot, why spiritual language is often used to disguise harm, and what to do if you get sued by your group for speaking out.   SOURCES: BITE MODEL of Authoritarian Control  Heartwood Center McAllister Olivarius Law For pro bono legal help, look up your state bar association for a directory of pro bono attorneys.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artist and writer Akina Cox returns to share more about her experience growing up in the Unification Church (also known as the Moonies), its physical punishment rituals, and where the church stands now. The girls then transition from the topic of her particular cult to a discussion on the cult-like patterns of the current American political landscape, and how to approach political disagreements with loved ones. Akina also reflects on her article for Salon, where she explores how the Trump administration employs many of the same tactics used by Reverend Moon, and how high-control groups tend to choose a group to scapegoat for their problems. They discuss the demonization of immigrants and trans folks, the realities of ICE kidnappings, and how the failures of political leadership effectively addressing income inequality created an opening for demagogues to thrive.   SOURCES: Akina Cox Salon How to Talk to Your Republican Uncle The Atlantic   ORGANIZATIONS FOR OUTREACH AND RESISTANCE: Ktown For All CHIRLA Unión del Barrio LA Tenants Union National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Akina Cox, an artist and writer who grew up in the Unification Church, shares her intriguing journey from devoted follower to critical thinker. She vividly recounts her experience of participating in mass weddings and contrasts the lavish lifestyle of Reverend Moon with the unpaid labor of members. As she delves into her childhood, she reflects on the emotional complexities of cult life and its ties to contemporary political issues. Akina also sheds light on how her college years sparked her doubts about the church's teachings and practices.

Trust Me is the podcast that pulls back the curtain on cults, high-control groups and the psychology of belief. Hosted by cult survivors Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features raw, first-hand accounts from people who’ve been manipulated, love-bombed and pulled into systems of control—and lived to tell the tale. Each week, Lola and Meagan talk to people who’ve escaped, those still inside and the experts to unpack how extreme belief works. Listen to voices from inside the illusion and the truth that waited on the other side. Trust Me joins the Exactly Right network on Wednesday, July 30. Follow the show now on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trust Me has joined Exactly Right Media. Hosts Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth will be back with new episodes on Wednesday, July 30th. You’re a teenage girl in the late 60s, bouncing between communes, when a charismatic man and his group of young women welcome you with open arms. You were looking for a family, and now you’ve found one. In part one of an incredible interview, Dianne Lake, aka “Snake,” and her co-author Deborah Herman discuss growing up in 1960s counter-culture, the dark side of the sexual revolution, and what it was like becoming the youngest member of Charles Manson’s family. Stay tuned next week for part two, in which she tells Lola & Meagan how she learned about the murders! Original Airdate: 05/12/2021 Continue listening to Dianne Lake - The Manson Family, Part 2: The Tate-LaBianca Murders. (Original Airdate: 05/19/2021) Subscribe on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trust Me has joined Exactly Right Media. Hosts Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth will be back with new episodes on Wednesday, July 30th. End time prophecies? Memorizing the bible? Required church vacations your family can't afford? Snap Judgment host and creator Glynn Washington shares his experiences growing up in the apocalyptic religion the Worldwide Church of God. He tells the girls about believing the end of the world was imminent, the white supremacist roots of the group and how he was forbidden from dating outside of his race, and the book that began to change his thinking. Original Airdate: 07/14/2021.  Subscribe on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trust Me has joined Exactly Right Media. Hosts Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth will be back with new episodes on Wednesday, July 30th. What do you model your life after? For producer, actor, and former supermodel Hoyt Richards, it was the teachings of a charming man from Nantucket who spoke about the impending apocalypse and a distant star named Arcturus. Hoyt shares how he was indoctrinated into the Eternal Values cult as his modeling career was taking off, what he describes as "cultic relationships," and how Fabio (yes, that Fabio) was involved in his recovery. Original Airdate: 07/07/2021. Subscribe on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trust Me has joined Exactly Right Media. Hosts Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth will be back with new episodes on Wednesday, July 30th. In their first ever episode, Lola and Meagan interviewed Christine Marie, Lola's mom, about her and Lola's experiences believing in a self-proclaimed Mormon prophet. They discuss how they came to believe in him, their separation from each other, Christine's harrowing trafficking experience, and Lola's childhood memories of Keith Raniere from NXIVM. Original Airdate: 10/06/2020. Subscribe on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rumors are true—Trust Me is coming back this summer on the Exactly Right podcast network! This teaser has everything you need to know about our next chapter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.