Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

In this discussion, Min Zhou, a distinguished professor at UCLA who experienced the Cultural Revolution, shares her childhood memories of China under Mao Zedong's regime. She vividly describes the rise of Mao's cult of personality and the violent purges targeting dissenters. Min recounts the initially vibrant Red Guards, who morphed into tools of chaos. She also reveals the personal trauma inflicted on families, including her own, highlighting the heartbreaking betrayals children faced. Prepare for an eye-opening account of propaganda and fanaticism that shaped a generation.

Tia Levings, an author who escaped Christian patriarchy, shares her transformative journey in this insightful discussion. She reflects on how motherhood challenged her zealous beliefs, particularly during her time in a children's hospital. Tia delves into her experiences within authoritarian churches, the dangers of Christian nationalism, and her ongoing recovery process. She emphasizes the power of sisterhood and the complexity of faith, revealing how personal narratives intertwine with broader societal issues. Her candid storytelling inspires a reevaluation of community and personal identity.

In this engaging discussion, Tia Levings, an author known for her experiences depicted in the Amazon docuseries Shiny Happy People, shares her journey of escaping the Christian patriarchy. She reveals the chilling realities of domestic abuse within fundamentalist communities, including practices like wife spanking. Tia also explores the harmful influence of Bill Gothard's teachings and the lasting trauma experienced by members of such insular churches. Her courageous narrative highlights the complex struggle for autonomy and identity amidst oppressive beliefs.

In part two of our interview with Andrew Dunlop, sister of a perpetrator of Medical Child Abuse (aka Munchausen by Proxy) AND host of the podcast No One Should Believe Me, we discuss the red flags that made her family realize what was going on, why CPS showed up at her sister's door, the 73,000 pages of medical records she found for her five year old niece, and why it's extremely common for victims to NOT be separated from perpetrators. We also talk about the documenatry Take Care of Maya, why she believes the storytelling is misleading, how there are certain figures who claim that medical child abuse is NOT real, and the thing that still gives her hope. Check out our great sponsors! Shopify: Run a business? Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  ZocDoc: Find and book a top-rated doctor at Zocdoc.com/trustme and download the Zocdoc app for FREE! Need a place? Check out Apartments.com - THE place to find a place!  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch 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 TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today our guest is Andrea Dunlop, novelist and host of the podcast Nobody Should Believe Me, which is all about Munchausen by Proxy. She talks about Munchausen by Proxy, or medical child abuse, from a new point of view: what it’s like being related to the perpetrator. She’ll tell us about what her sister was like growing up, how she had exhibited Munchausen behaviors from a very young age, making herself seem to be sick before she had children, and how common that and other forms of deception are among people who later develop Munchausen by Proxy. We discuss how her sister faked a pregnancy and miscarriage, how the discovery of that messed with Andrea’s reality, the overlap of characteristics with people who exhibit signs of narcissism and psychopathy, and how actual medical misogyny complicates the whole thing. Check out our amazing sponsors!!! Prose: Need better haircare? Get an exclusive trial offer of 50% off your first subscription at Prose.com/trust  CBDistillery: Reset your health! Visit CBDistillery.com and use code TRUST for 20% off! BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch   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 TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

J. Wesley Boyd, director of education at the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, discusses the dark side of Physician Health Programs. He reveals how doctors are coerced into costly treatments, risking their licenses. The profit motives behind PHPs, the impact on mental health and careers, and the lack of belief in victims are highlighted, urging for more accountability.

Today is part two with R. Derek Black, former white supremacist turned anti-racism advocate, and author of The Klansman's Son: My Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism. Today we discuss how and when Derek’s identity became exposed to their friend group, including drastically different reactions from fellow students, how they were invited to Shabbat dinner by some Jewish friends, and how over time the cognitive dissonance of believing in ideology that was dangerous to people they care about began to wear on them, eventually leading them to denounce white nationalism. BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  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 TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today our guest is R. Derek Black, former poster child for white supremacy (now turned antiracist advocate) and author of the new memoir The Klansman’s Son. Derek, who came out as trans in this book, walks us through the white supremacist movement, where it stands now, what it was like growing up in a white nationalist family, being close to prominent neo-Nazi David Duke, how they were taught that the whole world misunderstood their "scientifically correct" ideology, and speaking to the press and becoming a public-facing figure of racism as a child. They’ll tell us about hosting a white nationalist radio show, going off to college, and how they began hanging out with a Jewish girl there who had no idea about this double life they’d been leading. Check out our great sponsors!! Babbel: Want to learn a new language? Get up to 60% off your Babbel subscription at Babbel.com/trustme Shopify: Run a business? Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme Get new episodes of Murder: True Crime Stories every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts! BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch 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 TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part two with Ian Rafalko, we go deeper into how he left Scientology, what that meant for his family life, and how his dad's lucrative online presence and supplement company tows the line of multi-level marketing. Ian will talk about the viral TikTok video he posted in which he said he was going to end his own life, why he decided not to, how his family reacted, and the paranoia he felt after going public. Get new episodes of Murder: True Crime Stories every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts! BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  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 TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is part one Ian Rafalko, a former scientologist from a prominent scientologist family AND son of a prominent YouTube health guru. We explore how his family joined Scientology, what it was like growing up in a group where children are treated as adult spirits in small bodies, whether Scientology creates little sociopaths, and some of the more detailed ins and outs of the system and beliefs. We’ll also talk about Ian’s experience as an auditor, how his rebellious nature started getting him in trouble, the ubiquitous culture of snitching, and how he started to deconstruct his upbringing. Check out our great sponsors!! Pretty Litter: Go to PrettyLitter.com/trustme and use code "trustme" to save 20% on your first order AND get a free cat toy! Quince: Need quality essentials? Go to Quince.com/trust for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns! Shopify: Run a business? Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  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 TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.