You're a child living on a remote compound in West Texas. One day authorities show up at your front door and an exchange of gunfire breaks out. Just as you expected would happen. Survivor of the Branch Davidians and the Waco massacre, Joann Vaega, discusses her earliest memories of living on the compound, what cult leader David Koresh was like in person, why she did not feel fear when the siege began, how her mom bravely acted to save her, learning about the fire that killed 76 people, including her own parents, and how she's currently defying how people said she would turn out. Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

Can you keep a secret? Lawyer and author of Manhattan Cult Story: My Unbelievable True Story of Sex, Crimes, Chaos, and Survival discusses his attraction to esoteric philosophy, how he joined Sharon Gans' secretive group School, the strict social rules members had to follow and the similarities it shared with Fight Club, the financial and psychological abuse the members suffered, and how he finally left after being a member for 23 years.PLUS: Lola and Meagan discuss the intersection of social media and mental health, high rise jeans, death doulas, and open casket funerals.  FOR MORE INFO AND RESOURCES: https://nyc-wellness.com/  http://www.cultrevolt.com/  https://www.spencer-schneider.com/  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola 

Jesus bootcamp, anyone? Musician Luis Favela shares what it was like attending the Christian youth training camp Honor Academy, part of an evangelical youth organization called Teen Mania Ministries. Luis shares his story about growing up as a religious youth leader, attending Honor Academy only for it to turn into a military style bootcamp, the physical and mental stress the "interns" had to endure in the name of Jesus, and how cat food factored in.PLUS: Lola & Meagan discuss Young Life and climate change avoidance.  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola 

Writer and author of several books including Hazing: Destroying Young Lives, Hank Nuwer, discusses the various forms that hazing can take, why he started tracking data of deaths and injuries, a history of tragic incidents, the functions and alternatives of hazing, how it varies between fraternities and sororities, and general discussions of group dynamics.  PLUS: Lola and Meagan discuss hearing voices, a wholesome bigfoot hunting trip gone wrong, the 1997 sci-fi flick Contact, why space is Lola's new religion, and how we might be living in a simulation! Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola 

Filmmaker Evan McNary discusses his childhood in an exorcism focused church, believing in demons, helping with church exorcisms, having "possessed" people living in his home, and attending a Pentecostal church where members would laugh and scream for hours on end. PLUS: an interesting conversation about how a world with less religion is a double-edged sword, and Evan's theory on pastor's who wear sunglasses. Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola 

Casting director and former Christian G Charles Wright talks about growing up Christian and struggling with his sexuality, a natural disaster he was caught in the middle of, why he calls his mom a psychopath, and how he shed the influence of his upbringing and finally accepted himself and his sexuality. Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878?) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola 

Sara & Danny, hosts of Not Another True Crime Podcast, join Lola and Meagan to discuss the tragic cases of Matthew Coleman and Anthony Todt and delusional conspiracy theories that they believed, the recent wave of con men documentaries, the cults of Reddit and SoulCycle, the link between Mormonism and MLMs, and Meagan's family connection to the BTK Killer. Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878?) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola 

Former One Direction stan Monia Ali shares her involvement in various fandoms throughout her life, how old she was when she became a One Direction stan, the conspiracy theory she became wrapped up in, the online bullying she experienced when she left the fandom, and the role of identity and community in these groups. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola  

Want to learn how to levitate? Cult Interventionists and Founders of Cult News 101, Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly, talk about their work with ICSA (the International Cultic Studies Association), how levitation played into their experiences with Transcendental Meditation, early cult deprogramming and why it was problematic, how most people leave cults of their own volition, and why exploring someone's beliefs are better than attacking them. Learn more about Patrick and Joe's work here: cultmediation.com  cultnews101.com  If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola  

UK consultant clinical psychologist and one of the authors of the power threat meaning framework Lucy Johnstone shares how her work is meant to re-conceive how we think of mental illness, why the DSM is flawed, the position of why labels are problematic, how "ideological power" factors in, how "mental illnesses" can be adaptive, and the importance of creating your narrative. PLUS!! A bonus interview with Lola's mom Dr Christine Marie!! Learn more about Lucy's below:  https://www.bps.org.uk/power-threat-meaning-framework  https://www.pccs-books.co.uk/products/a-straight-talking-introduction-to-the-power-threat-meaning-framework-an-alternative-to-psychiatric-diagnosis  If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola