Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan

As we near the end of 2025, Trump has implemented Opus Dei’s Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 to fundamentally gut America’s core values and checks and balances. The depth of harm is incalculable and Americans are 70% against Trump’s handling of the economy. Threats to free speech, ignoring Constitutional guarantees, unprecedented corruption and violence undermine people’s feelings of safety and security. So we are resharing this vital interview in the hopes of educating and motivating millions of Americans and people worldwide to stand up for democracy and rule of law. In this discussion with historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, we discuss the subtle and often sinister ways authoritarianism intertwines with the psychological mechanisms of control. We connect the dots from my experiences with cults and coercive persuasion. Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a historian, as an NYU professor and expert on fascism and authoritarianism. She is also a celebrated author,  Her book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present explores the tactics of illiberal rulers and the history of resistance against them. With a focus on unraveling the complex tapestry of undue influence in modern politics, my discussion with historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat sheds light on the intricate relationship between authoritarianism and its psychological underpinnings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most troubling aspects of cult dynamics is the way they generate self‑reinforcing histories that can become chaotic and fragmented, leaving individuals disoriented within the broader narrative. We need knowledgeable guides who can help us navigate these stories while providing a grounding in their historical context. I wrote Chapter Three of my book, The Cult of Trump, about the parallels with Jones, Moon, and Hubbard. Don Lattin, this week’s podcast guest, concurred, though he personally likened Trump more closely in his mind to Jim Jones, whose leadership culminated in the historic tragedy at Jonestown. Lattin is a long-established and award-winning religion reporter. His work has been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The San Francisco Chronicle. Both of us agreed that Trump exhibits traits of malignant narcissism and appears to be steering the United States toward escalating threats and harms.   The MAGA movement itself is a cult, is led by cults, and has demented authoritarian leadership written all over it. Don Lattin is a journalist who has specialized in writing about religions, cults, psychedelic history, cultural norms, and other fascinating topics since the 1970s. He’s written seven books, including Jesus Freaks – a True Story of Murder and Madness on the Evangelical Edge and Changing Our Minds: Psychedelic Sacraments and the New Psychotherapy. He is also the author of The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America. I had the great pleasure of listening to his Substack channel recently and am honored to bring him on for an episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it feel like when an entire room seems to turn to shimmering gold, and you are certain you have just witnessed a miracle, only to later discover it was a hypnotic illusion? On this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I sit down with my longtime friend, former client, and now colleague, filmmaker Jim Picariello. Thirty years ago, Jim was a devoted follower of Zen Master Rama (Frederick Lenz). His family hired me to help him leave the group, and together we unpacked how hypnotic suggestion, phobia indoctrination, and social pressure created those “supernatural” experiences and kept him trapped in a high-control cult.In this conversation, Jim walks us through his recruitment as an anxious college student, the engineered “golden light” experiences that convinced him Rama was enlightened, and the fears that cut him off from friends and family. We also talk about how his parents and I worked together to reach him ethically, how a single powerful hypnotic demonstration helped break the spell, and what it took for him to rebuild his identity and life on the outside.Today, Jim is a multi-award-winning filmmaker turning his story and decades of cult education into a dark romantic comedy feature called The Cult of Us, about two young people in different cults who fall in love and try to “rescue” each other. Along the way, we explore how fiction can teach people to recognize undue influence, authoritarian leaders, and coercive relationships in a way that is funny, moving, and truly life-saving. If you care about freedom of mind, rising authoritarianism, and how people actually wake up from destructive groups, this is an interview you will want to listen to and share. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quick question. You’re born with your sexuality, and it stays the same your whole life... right? Well, no. This may be much further from the truth than initially thought. When I first watched Dr. Lisa Diamond’s TEDx talk on sexual fluidity, which began with a question very similar to mine, I immediately knew I wanted to interview her. Diamond is a psychologist and professor at the University of Utah whose groundbreaking research challenges the “born this way” narrative that has dominated LGBTQ rights discourse for decades. It might surprise you, as it surprised me, to learn that the “born that way” argument is outdated and scientifically inaccurate. However, Diamond’s research on sexual fluidity offers us a more sophisticated understanding of human sexual development. As a graduate student, Diamond had unearthed something that surprised many people when her book, Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire, was published in 2008. This is an utterly fascintating discussion that invited us to step out of the black & white, all or nothing ideology to embrace the neuroscience of neuroplasticity. We also discuss Folks on the Autism Spectrum who many naturally identify as bi-sexual, non-binary, or asexual. Diamond is brilliant and knows her social psychology research as well. Lots of more nuanced and related topics in this interview! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I sat down with one of my most trusted colleagues and best friends, Jon Atack—author, artist, poet, musician, and the recognized world expert on Scientology. Jon’s latest book, If Scientology Ruled the World: Nazi Occultists, Sex Magick, Space Aliens, and the Second Coming, begins with a chilling thought experiment: what if Scientology actually took power? To be clear: Jon does not believe that Scientology — which is facing serious challenges in maintaining current members and recruiting new ones — could ever gain enough popularity to control any government, let alone all the world’s governments. Still, with its extreme beliefs and ruthless disregard for human rights, Scientology could serve as a stand-in for any authoritarian movement. And there are many active Scientology offshoots. As I argue in my book The Cult of Trump, authoritarianism exists worldwide, and harmful groups influence politics through lobbyists, cash, and manufactured populism. Maybe a Scientology group won’t take over, but the idea that a destructive movement could dominate a nation, or even the world, isn’t far-fetched. In this book, Jon connects the dots with Nazi occultism and Hubbard, destroys eugenics, Nazi Aryan race theory, and so much more. With Nazism on the rise worldwide, this is a really important book—easy to read yet fastidious in its research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are many reasons why parents or guardians choose to homeschool their children for some portion or all of their educational years. This can range from a child having a disability or neurodiversity, concerns about the quality of education, to other topics like moral or religious conflict with traditional schools. Ryan Stollar shared the story of his experiences as a homeschooled child of an Evangelical family upbringing. He also talks about some of the trauma that he has experienced or witnessed from homeschooling ideologies, including sexual and/or physical abuse. Ryan’s childhood included physical punishments from his parents, consistent with church doctrine. “There were teachers in evangelicalism who promoted how to raise and train children. And they always include corporal punishment,” he said. Ryan included that these punishments drove a wedge between him and his parents. He also noted that as he grew older and began speaking with other homeschooled children, he began to realize how bad some others had it concerning inadequate education, misogyny towards women’s roles, and other forms of abuse. This was when he decided to act in the name of future homeschool children to prevent their abuse. Ryan is the author of the book The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology. He co-founded the website Homeschoolers Anonymous, where many people who have been homeschooled share their stories of experiences and trauma. If you care about children, and worry about what is happening in America, this is an interview you will want to listen to and share. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Clayton, known on Instagram as #officialempathytour, is running for North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District in the 2026 elections. The district is currently represented by Virginia Foxx, a Republican who has held the seat since 2005. David Clayton is the antithesis of the cult of Trump. He believes in women’s rights. As far as religion goes, he thinks everyone is free to believe in something or not believe in anything. He also believes that empathy is not a sin, but rather a necessary element of a functioning society, one in which people move away from the narrow confines and towards a more open, supportive, and accepting society. Fear-mongering online and on the news is its own form of coercive control. And, with the rise of Artificial Intelligence and social media conglomerates controlling so many people’s minds and lives, we need to see change led by people like David Clayton, who will put people over profits and power. David is running as an Independent and promises to call out the legalized corruption that plagues our current political system. David spent several years of his life passing out survival gear to homeless veterans. He has also drafted proposed legislation to house homeless veterans. This proposed legislation is called the Character by Integrity Act. David is currently building a following among both Democrats and Republicans by speaking plainly and simply about what is happening in America today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Diane Kaufman, a retired child psychiatrist, poet, and suicide attempt survivor, shares her profound journey toward suicide prevention. She discusses the power of art through her Hold On Campaign, aimed at educating and healing. Dr. Kaufman highlights the risks of social media on mental health and explains how to approach someone in distress. She emphasizes the importance of small acts of connection and introduces the 988 Crisis Lifeline for immediate support. With a focus on empathy, she encourages listeners to hold on and seek help.

James Scaminaci III, PhD, a political sociologist and former U.S. naval intelligence officer, dives into the notion of a ‘crisis of legitimacy’ in the U.S. He highlights how fourth-generation warfare (4GW) psychologically undermines state credibility. Scaminaci discusses the role of the Christian Right, anti-intellectualism, and donor networks in shaping current political dynamics. He also traces the historical roots of delegitimization efforts, linking contemporary tactics to past movements like McCarthyism. The conversation urges a reevaluation of moral values to combat these trends.

Tory Christman, a former Scientologist who spent 30 years in the organization, shares her journey from compliance to activism. She reveals how Scientology manipulated her critical thinking and highlights her encounters with celebrity members like John Travolta. Tory discusses the church’s internet tactics and how online resources helped her see the truth. She also emphasizes her commitment to outreach, particularly within Spanish-speaking communities, aiming to warn others about recruitment strategies and offering support for those wanting to leave.