Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan

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.

Join Alisa Daniels, a former member of Il Chi Lee's Dahn Yoga/Body & Mind organization, as she reveals her family's harrowing journey through a high-control cult. She shares how a simple desire to help her son led them into a web of financial exploitation and emotional manipulation. From love bombing to identity shifts, Alisa discusses the pressures to recruit family members and the staggering costs involved. Now, as a survivor, she reflects on recovery and provides crucial advice for recognizing red flags and evading similar traps.

One of the most powerful tools in healing from childhood sexual abuse is for a survivor to have the opportunity to share their story and truly be heard. Many survivors of early trauma at the hands of Catholic Church Priests went unheard or unbelieved for decades. Several Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigations and media discussions surrounding the findings were one of the first opportunities for many local survivors to recognize the extent of their own abuse fully. It also served to help survivors realize that they were not alone. Jay Sefton was one of these individuals. He experienced childhood sexual abuse by his family’s parish priest, and he is now working to share his story while also empowering others to heal from theirs. Sefton is an actor, playwright, and Licensed Mental Health Counselor living in Easthampton, Massachusetts. He is the co-author and performer of UNRECONCILED, an autobiographical story of an adolescent actor cast as Jesus in a school play directed by a parish priest. I had the opportunity to see the play performed live. I listened to the discussion afterward, which included the former Boston Globe Editor Marty Baron, who empowered his Spotlight team to pursue the story of the church’s conspiracy to cover up the abuse. The play was amazing and there is a project to help bring it to a much bigger audience. Jay is a licensed mental health counselor and I believe his journey will be an inspiration for many. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book, Sarma tells her story of how a successful businesswoman, co-founder and owner of the acclaimed NYC restaurant Pure Food and Wine and the brand One Lucky Duck, could fall for a con artist using a fictitious name, a covert backstory, and fantastical promises. Humans are social beings, and it’s that social aspect that manipulative and abusive characters can learn to exploit for their self-interest. With an increase in online dating and social media, individuals can be exploited relatively easily without knowing who they are really speaking to. Predators can create false identities. They can also buy profile data on a potential victim they wish to exploit. In addition, some unethical people earn money by teaching men how to manipulate women online using neurolinguistic programming (NLP) / hypnosis. With behind-the-times laws on recognizing and prosecuting coercive control in relationships, often victims like Sarma are blamed for criminal actions occurring as a result of abuse. Sarma Melngailis recounts her side of this traumatic story, ultimately culminating in her imprisonment on Rikers Island. She hopes that people who read her book will gain a better understanding of what happened to her and use it to warn others of their own vulnerability to online predators. She wanted to correct the story told in the Netflix documentary “Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.” Exploitative documentaries are often inaccurate, leading to media distortion and public shaming of the survivor.Yes, folks- There ARE one on one cults! Fascinating story.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I had the pleasure of speaking with Irene of Irene’s Entropy. Irene is a mechanical engineer turned musician, storyteller, pilot, and entrepreneur. Raised in a strict Mormon household where she underwent the experience of a recruitment mission, she left in her early 20s. She began documenting the honest rebuild of her identity as Irene’s Entropy.Her work blends songs, narrative, and a recurring symbol, a red door, through which she “walks” whenever she’s ready to learn and change. She calls her audience Door Walkers, and even launched Door Walker Coffee, a liberating nod to the Mormons’ coffee prohibition. Her ongoing experience as an ex-Mormon informs her work today, and Irene’s most vivid description of undue influence comes from her time as a missionary. She explains that the Missionary Training Center (MTC) is where scripts are drilled and identity is re-molded. Irene felt a strong need to reinvent herself after feeling the Mormon church had superimposed an identity onto her. After an intense reevaluation period, Irene decided to walk through the red door. Challenging herself to a new field of study, she pursued an engineering degree and worked up to an aerospace career to prove she could. Other critical personal changes followed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Matthew D. Skinta, an expert in LGBTQ+ mental health, dives into the pressing challenges faced by queer and transgender communities amidst political upheaval. He sheds light on the harmful practices of conversion therapy and discusses recent political interference leading to the cancellation of crucial research. Throughout the conversation, Matthew emphasizes the importance of social safeness and compassion-based interventions for mental well-being. The discussion also highlights innovative approaches like psychedelic-assisted therapy and mindfulness practices for trauma recovery.

John Andrew Collins, a former third-generation member of William Branham's 'Message' movement, shares his transformative journey from cult life to research and healing. He discusses the radicalization linked to Branham's doctrines, including troubling connections to recent Minnesota murder cases. The conversation spans topics like Branhamism’s influence on modern ministries, the intertwining of Christian Identity and racism, and how militant rhetoric can lead to violence. Collins emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and returning to a message of love and compassion.