Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Mike Prussack and Abby Prussack, former members of the secretive 2x2 church, share their compelling journey from isolation to awakening. They discuss their strict upbringing with rigid clothing rules and the church's unique worker system. The couple also reveals how a single question about prayer shattered their faith, leading to self-discovery and identity rebuilding. With insights into the ambiguous teachings and deep-seated fears within the community, their story is both harrowing and enlightening.

Tim Squirrel, a researcher focused on the manosphere and online male communities, joins the hosts to explore the dark underbelly of incel culture and radicalization. He discusses how isolation leaves boys vulnerable to harmful internet subcultures, like the redpill and MGTOW movements. Tim explains how influential figures like Andrew Tate monetize misogyny while attracting young men searching for identity. He also highlights the mental health risks within these communities and offers advice on how to engage with and support those who may be drawn into these extremist spaces.

In part 2, Sarma Melngailis, subject of the docuseries Bad Vegan and author of The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, tells Lola & Meagan how Mr. Fox consumed her time, overwhelmed her with information, and dangled promises of financial freedom that was always JUST around the corner as a way to get her to send him more and more money. She’ll share about the fabricated online personas he created as part of the manipulation, how he always knew things it seemed like he couldn’t have known, and the tactics he used to keep her in a constant state of confusion and dependence, driving across the country until they were finally both arrested. Plus, how she felt about her time in Rikers, and the current status of her restaurant. SOURCES The Girl With the Duck TattooSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarma Melngailis, author and former owner of the acclaimed vegan restaurant Pure Food and Wine, shares her captivating journey from finance to culinary fame. She recounts her fateful meeting with the enigmatic Mr. Fox on Twitter, revealing the initial red flags she overlooked. Sarma delves into the subtle manipulation tactics he employed, from financial demands disguised as emergencies to the psychological grip of constant communication. Listeners will be intrigued by her experiences of vulnerability, intuition, and the staggering toll it all took on her life.

Arabelle Sicardi, a writer and image theorist, dives into the intricate web of the beauty industry and its psychological impacts. She explores why Utah sees high rates of plastic surgery within Mormon communities and discusses how beauty ideals create cult-like dynamics, influencing women to align with unrealistic standards. The conversation touches on luxury's role in isolating us from global exploitation and the troubling normalization of beauty procedures among Gen Z. Ultimately, Arabelle champions the idea that true beauty lies in fostering genuine human connections over superficial aesthetics.

Anthony Cesar Duncan, an artist and mental health advocate, shares his harrowing journey through a psychotic episode triggered by extended interactions with ChatGPT. He reveals how what began as casual use escalated into obsession, isolating him from loved ones as AI amplified his delusions. Anthony discusses the blurred lines between reality and AI suggestions, his experiences with intervention, and the importance of navigating mental health crises in the digital age. Now in recovery, he emphasizes building boundaries around AI use.

Aaron Goldenberg, actor, comedian, and (hilarious) content creator, joins Lola and Meagan to talk about being gay as a Christian child, what it was like learning Bill Gothard’s IBLP homeschool curriculum as a boy, and how his parents discovered his queerness and sent him to conversion therapy. He talks about Exodus International, a now-disbanded “ex-gay” Christian ministry that taught that you could heal your gayness (until its president apologized to the gay community and said it didn’t work), doubling down on his belief that he could force himself to be straight, and how getting sober finally forced him to confront the truth and accept himself for who he really was.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist Sarah Stankorb comes on the show to talk about her book, Disobedient Women, and the deep dive she did on why a series of evangelical women in America began to leave their communities as the internet came into prominence. They discuss patriarchal teachings within cultures like the Quiverfull movement, including stories like Vyckie Garrison’s, who was pressured into having repeated pregnancies that defied her doctors and put her life at risk.They also dive into figures like Bill Gothard, who built the IBLP curricula and created a system of mini-cults across the country, the many stories of sexual abuse that were covered up by various religious organizations, and how online communities helped women share stories, band together, and begin to speak out. Plus: how figures like Doug Wilson helped push Christian nationalism from the fringes into the political mainstream. SOURCES: Disobedient Women Elle Vice Vice Washtington Post Cosmopolitan Marie ClaireSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests Erika Lantz and Elin Lantz Lesser join to discuss season 3 of their investigative podcast The Turning, which follows the journey of a young woman named Lindsay, a former member of a Christian group in Minnesota called River Road Fellowship. They talk about the background of the leader Victor Bernard, how Lindsay’s parents moved the family to the cult compound, and what it was like living there—with rapture drills that required the members to never venture far from the compound, a massive bonfire designed to destroy the members’ attachments to their pasts, and other forms of strict control.  They discuss how Lindsay was selected as a teenager to be one of Victor’s ten “maidens,” a group of girls and women living next to his lodge who were subjected to coerced labor and eventually sexual exploitation in what Lindsay only later learned was meant to be a lifelong commitment, the escape plans she was making, and how glimpses of the outside world led her to finally leaving. SOURCES:  The Turning: River RoadSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist Jane Borden joins the girls to discuss her book Cults Like Us, a gripping investigation into how cultic thinking is woven into the fabric of American life. Jane delves into the radical roots of early Protestant settlers, how the deep-rooted American mythology of a strong rebel cowboy who can save us from the bad guys makes us more susceptible to demagogues and authoritarians, and why pronatalism is just another form of doomsdayism.They talk about how fear of the end of the world, fear of not being good enough, and fear of “the other” influence us. They discuss everything from the bootstraps myth to mass marketing to self-help empires, and how the promise of salvation has shaped the American psyche more than we like to admit.SOURCES:Jane BordenCults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives AmericaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.