Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

From:Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

English

Website
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 alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

Makelle Bistline, Part 2 - Becoming Sam Bateman’s Wife, Keeping Secrets from a “Prophet,” and Helping the FBI Take Him Down

4 days
Makelle Bistline, Part 2 - Becoming Sam Bateman’s Wife, Keeping Secrets from a “Prophet,” and Helping the FBI Take Him Down
53m

Makelle Bistline, Part 1 - The FLDS, Marrying Sam Bateman, and Resisting Control Through Taylor Swift

1 week
Makelle Bistline, Part 1 - The FLDS, Marrying Sam Bateman, and Resisting Control Through Taylor Swift
50m

Felicia Rosario - Larry Ray’s Coercive Tactics, Life After the Sarah Lawrence Cult, and Becoming an Expert Witness

2 weeks
Felicia Rosario - Larry Ray’s Coercive Tactics, Life After the Sarah Lawrence Cult, and Becoming an Expert Witness
1 h 9m

Stephen Kinzer - MKUltra, Sidney Gottlieb, and the CIA’s Hunt For Mind Control

3 weeks
Stephen Kinzer - MKUltra, Sidney Gottlieb, and the CIA’s Hunt For Mind Control
1 h 10m

Renee Spencer, Part 2 - The Jesus Christians, the “Kidney Cult,” and Suing Your Daughter’s Religious Group

1 month
Renee Spencer, Part 2 - The Jesus Christians, the “Kidney Cult,” and Suing Your Daughter’s Religious Group
57m

Renee Spencer, Part 1 - When Your Daughter Joins the “Kidney Cult”

1 month
Renee Spencer, Part 1 - When Your Daughter Joins the “Kidney Cult”
42m

Larena & Elyse Wynn, Part 2 - Leaving Mormonism, Becoming Dominatrixes, and Reclaiming Power with BDSM

1 month
Larena & Elyse Wynn, Part 2 - Leaving Mormonism, Becoming Dominatrixes, and Reclaiming Power with BDSM
1 h 0m

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

1 month
Larena & Elyse Wynn - Montana Mormons, Sex at BYU, and the “Miracle" of Forgiveness
50m

John Hunter - Manufacturing Mania in Self-Help Seminars

2 months
John Hunter - Manufacturing Mania in Self-Help Seminars
1 h 10m

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

2 months
Laci Mosley – Scams vs. Cults, and the Many Forms of Fraud
1 h 14m

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

2 months
Michele McPhee – The Polygamist, the Criminal, and Their Multibillion-Dollar Scam
1 h 5m

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

2 months
Anke Richter, Part 2 - Harem Culture, Leaving ISTA, and DeCult
43m

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

2 months
Anke Richter, Part 1 - Ecstatic Dancing, Tantric Sex, and Joining ISTA
59m

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

3 months
Sophie Fergi, Part 2 - Living with Piper, Constant Control, and Being Shunned by the Squad
1 h 0m

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

3 months
Sophie Fergi, Part 1 - Kidfluencing, Joining the Squad, and the Dark Side of YouTube
43m

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

3 months
Jasper Hoffman, Part 2 - Undercover Therapy, Leaving the Mennonites, and the Aftermath
50m

Jasper Hoffman, Part 1 - From Atheists to Mennonites

3 months
Jasper Hoffman, Part 1 - From Atheists to Mennonites
52m

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

4 months
Dr. Christine Marie - Undercover in a Cult Town: Taking Down False Prophet Sam Bateman
1 h 21m

Nikki G, Part 2 - The Seven Mountain Mandate, “Church Hurt,” and Why Cults Aren’t Just a White People Problem

4 months
Nikki G, Part 2 - The Seven Mountain Mandate, “Church Hurt,” and Why Cults Aren’t Just a White People Problem
1 h 1m

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

4 months
Nikki G, Part 1 - Down the Rabbit Hole, Cult Hopping, and Surviving the Black Church
49m

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

4 months
Maria Bamford - 12 Step Programs, OCD, and How to Join Every Group
1 h 29m

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

5 months
Sarah Edmondson, Part 2 - DOS, Disillusionment, and Leaving Keith Raniere
49m

Sarah Edmondson, Part 1 - Joining NXIVM, Meeting Keith Raniere, and Moving Up the Ranks

5 months
Sarah Edmondson, Part 1 - Joining NXIVM, Meeting Keith Raniere, and Moving Up the Ranks
51m

Nomzia Bistline, Part 2 - Raided by the FBI, Life in Prison, and Breaking Free From Sam Bateman

5 months
Nomzia Bistline, Part 2 - Raided by the FBI, Life in Prison, and Breaking Free From Sam Bateman
1 h 5m

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

5 months
Nomzia Bistline, Part 1 - The False Prophet: Growing Up FLDS & Marrying Sam Bateman
54m

Lyndsey Burr - Producing America’s Next Top Model

6 months
Lyndsey Burr - Producing America’s Next Top Model
1 h 11m

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

6 months
Matthew Remski, Part 2 - Cult Hopping, Disillusionment, and Root Causes of Cults
50m

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

6 months
Matthew Remski, Part 1 - Seizures, Spirituality, & the First Charismatic Guru
54m

Harrison Hill - The Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps

6 months
Harrison Hill - The Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps
58m

Celeste Gross - Growing Up in the Children of God

7 months
Celeste Gross - Growing Up in the Children of God
57m