This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this bonus solo episode, Rachel delves into the harrowing intersection of crime and belief, discussing the chilling case of 'God's Misfits.' She examines the tragic murder of two women by a group claiming divine justification for their actions. Rachel goes on to explore the psychology behind using spirituality to rationalize crime, the impact of cultic groups...

Returning guests, Rachel Holdt and Elizabeth Humble are sisters who were raised in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church they’ve now identified as a Cult, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1998, Rachel was the whistleblower instrumental in the eventual arrest and criminal conviction of Charles Dean Miller, the son of a pastor who would become known to be a decades-long serial pedophile. After multiple generations and dozens of victims corroborated law...

Rachel Holdt and Elizabeth Humble are sisters who were raised in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church they’ve now identified as a Cult, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1998, Rachel was the whistleblower instrumental in the eventual arrest and criminal conviction of Charles Dean Miller, the son of a pastor who would become known to be a decades-long serial pedophile. After law enforcement investigations were corroborated by multiple generations and dozens...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this solo bonus episode, Rachel shares her insights on the "Love Has Won" cult, led by Amy Carlson who is referred to within the group as "Mother God". Rachel points out the commonalities that Amy's manipulative leadership shares with other cult leaders. Thanks to all of our supporters for making this episode possible!!

Jeff Guinn is the author of the new book Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and a Legacy of Rage. He has written several other best-selling books including; The Life & Times of Charles Manson, and War on the Border. Jeff was the co-executive producer alongside Leonardo DiCaprio on the TV docuseries "Terror in the Jungle," which is based on his book, The Road to Jonestown. He currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas, where he is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame and a...

Scott M. Coley is a lecturer in philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. His research interests include philosophy of religion, moral epistemology, and political philosophy. He is the author of the upcoming book Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power, and the Ideology of the Religious Right which unravels the rhetoric and biblical proof-texting that support Christo-authoritarianism: the ideology that presses Christian theology into the service of authoritarian...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this solo bonus episode, Rachel offers her insights on the benefits, but also the dangers of survivors offering forgiveness to their abusers. She outlines scenarios where it is and where it sometimes is not healthy, so that survivors can weigh the options and be empowered to do what is best for their own healing. National Domestic Violence...

Returning guest, Cynane Shay is a nuclear engineer in South Carolina. Her childhood in White Christian Nationalism normalized conspiracy theories like Obama “Birther-ism” and the Biblical apocalypse; but 2020, with COVID and Qanon, finally made her realize something was deeply wrong. Now Cynane is writing a book, “Taking Off the Tinfoil Hat: How Lizard People and Space Lasers Dismantled my Christian Worldview,” to process the deconstruction of her fundamentalist evangelicalism and her...

Cait West is a writer and editor based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her work has been published in The Revealer, Religion Dispatches, Fourth Genre, and Hawai`i Pacific Review, among others. As an advocate and a survivor of the Christian patriarchy movement, she serves on the editorial board for Tears of Eden, a nonprofit providing resources for survivors of spiritual abuse, and cohosts the podcast Survivors Discuss. Her debut memoir, Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy is...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the episode in its entirety, by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this solo bonus episode, Rachel examines the recent controversies of "self-help guru" Jay Shetty outlined in the viral Guardian expose by John McDermott. Rachel points out how Jay's deceptions are actually very common among cult leaders and manipulative entrepreneurs of all kinds. Guardian...

Today we continue our conversation from last week with Tammy Synovec. Tammy was first introduced to Scientology in 1993 by a friend she met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. At this vulnerable time in her life, the ready-made group of friends in Scientology were of course there to welcome her with open arms....little did she know that she would become a dedicated Scientologist from that point on. Tammy became deeply immersed in the cult for 17 long years while they controlled every aspect...

Tammy Synovec was first introduced to Scientology in 1993 by a friend she met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. At this vulnerable time in her life, the ready-made group of friends in Scientology were of course there to welcome her with open arms....little did she know that she would become a dedicated Scientologist from that point on. Tammy became deeply immersed in the cult for 17 long years while they controlled every aspect of her life. In 2010, after completing 90 hours of “counseling...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the episode in its entirety, by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this solo bonus episode, Rachel describes some of the most commonly shared psychological traits of cult leaders, pointing out several defining characteristics and narcissistic tendencies. She explains how through a lack of ability to feel remorse or empathy, they can thrive without the baggage of guilt the rest of us would...

Sochil Martin is a Mexican American woman born and raised in the religious high control group La Luz del Mundo. She was groomed from a young age to be a "concubine" for the leader of the organization, becoming a slave to the leadership. After escaping at 30 years old, Sochil, with the help of her husband Martin and family, began seeking justice and founded the WithYou Foundation in 2020. The foundation works to change legislation to help survivors of human trafficking in high control groups....

Emma Lehman is the host and producer of Gooned, a limited-series investigative podcast now available on all platforms. Gooned is a podcast about the Troubled Teen Industry (TTI), a network of profit-incentivized behavior modification facilities for youth ranging from wilderness programs to therapeutic boarding schools. ​​ ​​​​Gooned is Emma’s second investigative podcast. Her first podcast, Texas Twiggy, explores the life and career of actress and producer Shelley Duvall. Both Gooned and...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the episode in its entirety, by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this special bonus episode, Rachel offers advice on how ex-cult members can safely communicate with current devotees of the groups they left. She outlines healthy ways to protect yourself from re-traumatization and maintain autonomy when devoted followers attempt to pull you back through in-person confrontation. Thanks to...

Angela J Herrington is a faith deconstruction coach and host of The Deconstructing Faith Summit who helps people break free from toxic religious culture & empowers them to recover from #churchhurt. She has led online ministries for a decade, enjoys working with clients 1:1, in groups, and is a dynamic conference speaker. She holds a BA from Indiana Wesleyan and a Masters in Leadership from Wesley Seminary. Her graduate research project focused on leadership development and opportunities...

Mike Rinder was raised as a Scientologist from early childhood. He went on to serve as Scientology’s international spokesperson and as the head of its Office of Special Affairs and was a member of the Board of Directors of Church of Scientology International from its creation in 1983 until he left in 2007. Since renouncing Scientology, Rinder has become a prominent whistleblower against its abuses. He appeared in the HBO documentary Going Clear and cohosted all three seasons of the Emmy...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the episode in its entirety, by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this solo bonus episode, Rachel examines the often problematic language popularized in self-help circles and explains its origins in Large Group Awareness Training organizations such as Landmark. Throughout her monologue, she points out the many red flags inherent in victim-blaming culture. Thanks to all of our Patrons...

Matt and Tawni Browning are the authors of the new book "The Hate Next Door: Undercover within the New Face of White Supremacy" Matt is an internationally recognized authority on the inner workings of white supremacy groups. As an undercover detective for more than two decades in Arizona, Browning has been infiltrating, documenting, and disrupting White supremacy movements from the inside, gaining an intimate vantage point to the KKK, border militias, Proud Boys, and other White power groups,...

Cynane Shay is a nuclear engineer in South Carolina. Her childhood in White Christian Nationalism normalized conspiracy theories like Obama “Birther-ism” and the Biblical apocalypse; but 2020, with COVID and Qanon, finally made her realize something was deeply wrong. Now Cynane is writing a book, “Taking Off the Tinfoil Hat: How Lizard People and Space Lasers Dismantled my Christian Worldview,” to process the deconstruction of her fundamentalist evangelicalism and her propagandistic...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can listen to the full episode by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this special bonus episode, Rachel explains how survivors of high-control groups or relationships can sometimes lose their natural emotional warmth and sensitivity. She explains why they often struggle to regain those empathetic feelings after leaving and offers advice on how to remedy it. Thanks to all of our Patreon supporters for...

Dr. Clint Heacock is an ex-evangelical pastor and Bible college teacher of over 20 years and the host of the MindShift podcast. Clint grew up in the Church of Christ with parents who followed the Bill Gothard method of child-rearing. After deconstructing his former Christian faith and leaving it behind more than a decade ago, he’s used his podcast platform to educate and help those who have left religion to rebuild their lives. Recently Clint has been dedicated to speaking out about the...

Jon Atack is a leading expert on authoritarian cult groups as well as a best-selling author. He has worked with hundreds of former members and has lectured and written extensively in a career spanning four decades. Jon wrote the book, “Scientology: The Cult of Greed” as a simple introduction to the subject, while his influential book, “Let’s Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky” is the only comprehensive history of the bizarre group known as Scientology. Through his popular YouTube...