Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

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EN734 episodes

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Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.Each week, they invite these guests alongsi...

Notable Guests

CCeleste Gross1×

Episodes (734)

Larena & Elyse Wynn - Montana Mormons, Sex at BYU, and the “Miracle" of Forgiven...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Sep 9, 202650:20completed

John Hunter - Manufacturing Mania in Self-Help Seminars

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Sep 2, 20261:10:48pending

Laci Mosley – Scams vs. Cults, and the Many Forms of Fraud

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Aug 26, 20261:14:37pending

Michele McPhee – The Polygamist, the Criminal, and Their Multibillion-Dollar Sca...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Aug 19, 20261:05:20pending

Anke Richter, Part 2 - Harem Culture, Leaving ISTA, and DeCult

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Aug 12, 202643:05pending

Anke Richter, Part 1 - Ecstatic Dancing, Tantric Sex, and Joining ISTA

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Aug 5, 202659:05pending

Sophie Fergi, Part 2 - Living with Piper, Constant Control, and Being Shunned by...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jul 29, 20261:00:12pending

Sophie Fergi, Part 1 - Kidfluencing, Joining the Squad, and the Dark Side of You...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jul 22, 202643:52pending

Jasper Hoffman, Part 2 - Undercover Therapy, Leaving the Mennonites, and the Aft...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jul 15, 202650:18pending

Jasper Hoffman, Part 1 - From Atheists to Mennonites

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jul 8, 202652:26pending

Dr. Christine Marie - Undercover in a Cult Town: Taking Down False Prophet Sam B...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jul 1, 20261:21:04pending

Nikki G, Part 2 - The Seven Mountain Mandate, “Church Hurt,” and Why Cults Aren’...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jun 24, 20261:01:42pending

Nikki G, Part 1 - Down the Rabbit Hole, Cult Hopping, and Surviving the Black Ch...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jun 17, 202649:21pending

Maria Bamford - 12 Step Programs, OCD, and How to Join Every Group

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jun 10, 20261:29:39pending

Sarah Edmondson, Part 2 - DOS, Disillusionment, and Leaving Keith Raniere

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jun 3, 202649:04pending

Sarah Edmondson, Part 1 - Joining NXIVM, Meeting Keith Raniere, and Moving Up th...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

May 20, 202651:03pending

Nomzia Bistline, Part 2 - Raided by the FBI, Life in Prison, and Breaking Free F...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

May 13, 20261:05:32pending

Nomzia Bistline, Part 1 - The False Prophet: Growing Up FLDS & Marrying Sam Bate...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

May 6, 202654:49pending

Lyndsey Burr - Producing America’s Next Top Model

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Apr 29, 20261:11:00pending

Matthew Remski, Part 2 - Cult Hopping, Disillusionment, and Root Causes of Cults

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Apr 22, 202650:47pending

Matthew Remski, Part 1 - Seizures, Spirituality, & the First Charismatic Guru

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Apr 15, 202654:23pending

Harrison Hill - The Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Apr 8, 202658:19pending

Celeste Gross - Growing Up in the Children of God

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Apr 1, 202657:01pending

Dan Olson, Part 2 - Charismatic Leaders and the Cult of Crypto

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Mar 25, 202648:16pending

Dan Olson, Part 1 - Crypto, NFTs, and Tech’s War on Doubt

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Mar 18, 202652:31pending

Liz Cameron, Part 2 - Christ is on Earth, He’s in Prison, and You’re His Bride

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Mar 11, 202654:40pending

Liz Cameron, Part 1 - Jesus Morning Star aka JMS: A Bookstore, a Bible Study Gro...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Mar 4, 202654:37pending

Martina Castro, Part 2 - Allegations, Disappearances, and the Crumbling Cult of...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Feb 25, 202652:21pending

Martina Castro, Part 1 - Psychic Surgeries & John of God's Spiritual Celebrity

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Feb 18, 202649:33pending

Parvati Shallow - From Surviving a Cult to Winning Survivor

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Feb 11, 202652:58pending

Jenny Eliscu - Conservatorships & Freeing Britney Spears

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Feb 4, 20261:08:52pending

Jonathan Hirsch, Part 2 - Meditation, Getting Blessed, and Leaving Adidam

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jan 28, 20261:03:55pending

Jonathan Hirsch, Part 1 - A Guru, a Compound, and the Cult of Adi Da

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jan 21, 202659:11pending

David Farrier - Conspiracies, Cults, and Investigating Arise Church

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jan 14, 20261:12:42pending

Jess Rothschild - SoulCycle and the Cult of Spinning

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Jan 7, 20261:02:12pending

REWIND: Elana Auerbach - OneTaste (aka the Orgasm Cult)

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Dec 31, 20251:10:44pending

REWIND: Felicia Rosario and Daniel Levin - Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sara...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Dec 24, 20251:03:57pending

Theo Pratt - Blue Dresses, Smacking Ladies, and an Isolated Compound: Surviving...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Dec 17, 20251:14:32pending

Renee DiResta - Part 2: Pseudo-Events, More on Disinformation, and Telling Fact...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Dec 10, 202549:38pending

Renee DiResta - Part 1: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Bespoke Realities

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Dec 3, 202552:19pending

Mike & Abbi Prussack – Part 2: Predators in Power, Institutional Denial, and the...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Nov 19, 202543:35pending

Mike & Abbi Prussack - Part 1: A Church with No Name, Isolated Childhoods, and D...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Nov 12, 202546:36pending

Tim Squirrell - Incels, Redpill, and the Manosphere

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Nov 5, 20251:11:14pending

Sarma Melngailis - Part 2: Isolation, Deeper into the Scam, & Getting Arrested

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Oct 29, 20251:04:34pending

Sarma Melngailis - Part 1: Bad Vegan, Meeting Mr. Fox, and Early Red Flags

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Oct 22, 20251:01:58pending

Arabelle Sicardi - Plastic Surgery in Mormonism, Biohacking, and the Beauty Indu...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Oct 15, 20251:06:25pending

Anthony Cesar Duncan - ChatGPT Psychosis and the Dangers of AI

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Oct 8, 20251:03:43pending

Aaron Goldenberg - Homeschool, Conversion Therapy, and Finally Coming Out

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Oct 1, 20251:17:18pending

Sarah Stankorb - Quiverfull, Christian Nationalism, and Why Evangelical Women Ar...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Sep 24, 20251:13:38pending

Erika Lantz & Elin Lantz Lesser - Book Burnings, Rapture Drills, & the River Roa...

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Sep 17, 20251:22:30pending

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