Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation
Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.
Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.
Latest episodes
Feb 23, 2022 • 1h 15min
The Airborne Toxic Event's Mikel Jollett - My Childhood in Synanon
Episode 66: Rockstar and Hollywood Park author Mikel Jollett shares how he spent his childhood in the drug rehab cult Synanon, how it impacted his family relationships from a young age, leaving the group only to live in poverty, incidents of violence committed by Synanon, and the residual impact on his adult life. 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 9, 2022 • 44min
Jillian Lauren, Part 2 - Return to Brunei and Meeting a Serial Killer
Episode 65: Author Jillian Lauren shares what brought her back to Brunei after leaving the first time, her relationship with the Prince, meeting the Sultan, smuggling money out of the country, and how she became acquainted with the most prolific serial killer in American History. 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 2, 2022 • 58min
Jillian Lauren, Part 1 - Life in a Harem
Episode 64: You're young and struggling to make ends meet. Then you get invited to live in the lap of luxury in a place far away... with no guarantee of your safety. Writer Jillian Lauren recounts the events from her book Some Girls: My Life in a Harem as the guest of the Prince of Brunei, including how she was first recruited, how what she went through was similar to the Bachelor and the Hunger Games, the level of sadism she experienced, and the backlash received from her family for writing the book. 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 26, 2022 • 52min
Banachek, Part 2 - Critical Thinking vs Skepticism
Episode 63: Mentalist and magician Banachek shares how he exposed a scam by televangelist and debunked faither healer Peter Popoff in the 80s, why he fights against funding pseudoscience, and the difference between critical thinking and skepticism. Plus: he performs a trick on Lola and Meagan. 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 19, 2022 • 49min
Banachek, Part 1 - Mentalism vs Psychic Ability
Episode 62: World famous mentalist and magician Banachek joins Lola & Meagan to discuss the difference between mentalists, magicians and psychics, how he became involved in a parapsychology research project called Project Alpha, and how you can become emotionally invested in something that you know is an illusion! 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 12, 2022 • 51min
Drew Amstutz - Surviving Conversion Therapy
Episode 61: Lola & Meagan share a heartfelt conversation with conversion therapy survivor Drew Amstutz about growing up gay as a pastor's kid, being forced into conversion therapy, having suicidal ideations, and how he coped and found a way out. 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 5, 2022 • 1h 14min
Amanda Knox & Christopher Robinson - Understanding Cognitive Bias
Episode 60: It's Lola's favorite topic. And today she and Meagan are joined by hosts of the Labyrinths podcast Amanda Knox and Christopher Robinson as they dig into the world of cognitive bias. They discuss Amanda's wrongful conviction in 2007, spending four years in an Italian prison, all of the biases that came into play in Amanda's trial, and the public perception of what happened. 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 22, 2021 • 1h
Bob Nygaard, Part 2 - How Psychics Manipulate
Episode 59: In part two of their interview with psychic tracker Bob Nygaard, Lola & Meagan dig into what its like fighting with police and prosecutors to bring criminals to justice, how psychic fraud is organized crime, an interesting discussion of why most psychics are women, the difference between cold and hot readings, the importance of having a support network, "the psychic script", a reoccurring character named Gina Marx. 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 15, 2021 • 56min
Bob Nygaard, Part 1 - Investigating Psychic Fraud
Episode 58: The notorious private investigator and psychic tracker Bob Nygaard joins Lola & Meagan to talk about his early career as a cop, getting started in confidence crimes and psychic fraud, how psychics groom their victims, and the kinds of people who seek out psychic advice (HINT: They're smarter than you think!). 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 8, 2021 • 57min
Lauren & John Matthias – The Daybells, Part 2: Buried Bodies & the Dark Triad
Episode 57: In part two of their interview with hosts of the Hidden podcast, Lauren and Dr John Matthias, Lola and Meagan discuss the the chronology of the murders carried out by Chad & Lori Daybell, how a welfare check led to the discovery of two missing children, how Chad and Lori were living in an elaborate fiction, as well as the theories of "The Dark Triad" and "Rich Guy Syndrome." 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 @ohlalolaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
