Was I In A Cult?

Imagine having to ask a group of eco-farmers for permission to have sex. And when granted permission, your options of consummation include… the back of a van or the loft of a goat barn. Well that's what happened when Helen Zuman, a spelling bee whiz looking to explore her interest in eco-farming, visited Zendik Farm in North Carolina shortly after graduating from Harvard. A two-week experience turned into years of her life. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you spell C-U-L-T. - Support Was I In A Cult? on Patreon for goodies, extra content, and a chance to win a signed copy of Helen's book: Mating in Captivity! Follow us on Instagram: @wasiinacult Contact us: Have a cult story of your own and want to share it on our show? Send us an email at info@wasiinacult.com. MORE ABOUT HELEN: https://helenzuman.com/ Find her book, Mating In Captivity, HERE.Follow Helen: Twitter - @HelenZuman // Instagram - @helenzuman See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cults can be well-known, they can be obscure, and sometimes they can be hiding in plain sight. So when poet laureate Diannely’s family joins a seemingly typical church in Haverhill, Massachusetts; how does it become a cult? Let's let her tell you. - Find Diannely and her Whiting Award-winning book of poetry, Ugly Music, at DiannelyAntigua.com. Support Was I In A Cult? on Patreon! Visit patreon.com/wasiinacult.  Follow us on Instagram @wasiinacult. Have a story to share? Email us at info@wasiinacult.com or contact us at wasiinacult.com.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The final part of Hoyt Richards' incredible journey into and out of a UFO doomsday cult. The damning Vanity Fair article throws Hoyt’s family into chaos as they attempt to intervene. And right when you think he might finally be getting out, his fellow brothers go to extreme lengths to keep their financial backer from leaving. And it works. Until it finally doesn't. Thank you again, Hoyt. He is a brave and inspirational human, and we loved having him on the show. Support us on Patreon (every little bit helps!):  patreon.com/wasiinacult Follow us: instagram.com/wasiinacult Contact us: info@wasiinacult.com & Have your own cult story and want to be on the show? Reach out with a synopsis of your story. Listen to Hoyt's cult survival podcast, "WhatheFlok?!" and follow him on Instagram @hoytrich. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The now quasi-famous group takes it to the next level. They get a name, a book, a show, a hit song, and a distant star doomsday getaway. Hoyt, meanwhile, becomes his own star, modeling for millions but returning home to sleep on the floor. All is going well (or so they think) until the group puts a well-known phrase to the test. Is there really no such thing as bad press? Support us: Patreon.com/wasiinacult Follow Hoyt: Instagram.com/hoytrich Follow us: Instagram.com/wasiinacult Have your own cult story and want to be on the show? Reach out at info@wasiinacult.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was 1978, and the effortlessly handsome Hoyt Richards was a 16-year-old football talent summering in Nantucket. Chasing girls and free beer was about all on this young boy's mind. So when he meets a man on the beach who was rumored to throw great parties, Hoyt thinks nothing of it. Little did Hoyt know & he had just come face-to-face with a budding cult leader that would take his life in a direction he never could've dreamed. Support us: Patreon.com/wasiinacult Follow Hoyt: Instagram.com/hoytrich Follow us: Instagram.com/wasiinacult Have your own cult story and want to be on the show? Reach out at info@wasiinacult.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More crazy cults, more wild stories, and more of us. Hosted by Tyler Measom and Liz Iacuzzi, Was I In A Cult? is a documentary-style podcast featuring far-out, first-hand stories of survivors who unwittingly joined, lived in, and escaped cults. Using levity and infotainment, the show humanizes the cultic experience and may leave some of our listeners asking themselves, "Wait...was I in a cult?" You can support Was I In A Cult? through Patreon at patreon.com/wasiinacult and follow along with us on Instagram @wasiinacult. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Liz and Tyler pop by to update you on their lives, and to reassure you that they will be back! Please support Was I In A Cult? Through Patreon  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Arianna was a recent college graduate with dreams of one day opening her own marketing company. So when a LinkedIn opportunity for a social media marketing assistant fell into her lap, it felt too good to be true.    Soon, she would be brushing shoulders with millionaires, in hopes that some of their mojo would rub off. After all, she had big plans for her future and a self-made father to prove herself to.    But, you know what they say about things being too good to be true...   They usually are.    This brave, inspiring woman is here to share her very important story of what exactly happened when she got involved with this Nashville "Millionaire's Club."   ____   Arianna on Instagram: @ariannasprabary   Arianna on TikTok: Aristrawberry0   Follow us on Instagram @wasiinacult   Have your own story? Email us: info@wasiinacult.com   Please support Was I In A Cult? Through Patreon  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A humble upbringing is an understatement for Dan McIntrye. Canada born and bred, Dan's cult journey took him from guitar god, to free desserts to cult escape, only to land him right in the arms of... another one?     A double survivor. A triple thriver. And one extremely nice guy. Damn, Canadians, you really are as kind as they say.   --------   Link to Dan's song "Any Given Sunday"   Listen to Tyler guest on the "Latter-Day Lesbian" podcast!   Think you were in a cult? Contact us to be on the show: info@wasiinacult.com   Follow us: Instagram @wasiinacult Please support Was I In A Cult? Through PatreonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

She's a hustler, baby. And she just wants you to know.  Roberta Blevins was taught to be a self-starter. Inspired by her self-made father, she knew that if you put your mind to it, anything can happen. And it's true. Anything can happen. But that's the problem with anything. Anything sometimes includes MLM's. Multi-level marketing (schemes).  This is a story of a dynamite go-getter and how she crawled her way into a box of fart leggings and eventually... crawled her way out.    --   Follow Roberta's Anti-MLM Movement:    Instagram - @therealrobertablevins @lifeaftermlmpodcast   Listen to her podcast "Life After MLM": Spotify Apple   --   Contact us with your stories to be featured on the show: info@wasiinacult.com   Follow us: Instagram  Please support Was I In A Cult? Through Patreon --   Michael Scott tried his hand at a "new company idea"  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.