Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

From:Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

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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 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.

Claire Hoffman - Levitation, Meditation, and a Childhood in a Transcendental Meditation Trailer Park

1 year
Claire Hoffman - Levitation, Meditation, and a Childhood in a Transcendental Meditation Trailer Park
39m

Carol Merchasin - The Cult Assassin: Suing High-Control Groups

1 year
 Carol Merchasin - The Cult Assassin: Suing High-Control Groups
1 h 11m

Akina Cox - Part 2: The Moonies, ICE, and the Cult Tactics of Trump

1 year
Akina Cox - Part 2: The Moonies, ICE, and the Cult Tactics of Trump
53m

Akina Cox - Part 1: Unification Church, Mass Weddings, and Unpaid Labor

1 year
Akina Cox - Part 1: Unification Church, Mass Weddings, and Unpaid Labor
1 h 3m

Introducing Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

1 year
Introducing Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation
1m

REWIND: Dianne Lake - The Manson Family, Part 1: Meeting Charlie

1 year
REWIND: Dianne Lake - The Manson Family, Part 1: Meeting Charlie
1 h 6m

REWIND: Glynn Washington - The Worldwide Church of God

1 year
REWIND: Glynn Washington - The Worldwide Church of God
57m

REWIND: Hoyt Richards - From Supermodel to Cult Member

1 year
REWIND: Hoyt Richards - From Supermodel to Cult Member
1 h 19m

REWIND: Lola's Mom - Mormon-Offshoot Cult

1 year
REWIND: Lola's Mom - Mormon-Offshoot Cult
1 h 13m

An Exciting Update from Lola and Meagan!

1 year
An Exciting Update from Lola and Meagan!
35s

Amanda Rae - The Kingston Clan and Escaping Polygamy

1 year
Amanda Rae - The Kingston Clan and Escaping Polygamy
1 h 19m

Maggie Rowe - Sinning Bravely and Moral Scrupulosity

1 year
Maggie Rowe - Sinning Bravely and Moral Scrupulosity
1 h 20m

Caleb Ward, Part 2 - Disneyland for Christians and Exiting the Church

1 year
Caleb Ward, Part 2 - Disneyland for Christians and Exiting the Church
54m

Caleb Ward, Part 1 - Kingdom Life Ministries and Evangelical Youth Culture

1 year
Caleb Ward, Part 1 - Kingdom Life Ministries and Evangelical Youth Culture
57m

Uriah Wesman, Part 2 - Growing Up in Three Cults (The Hearts Center and The Ideal Society)

1 year
Uriah Wesman, Part 2 - Growing Up in Three Cults (The Hearts Center and The Ideal Society)
1 h 5m

Uriah Wesman, Part 1 - The First Cult: Church Universal and Triumphant

1 year
Uriah Wesman, Part 1 - The First Cult: Church Universal and Triumphant
53m

Philip Deslippe & Stacie Stukin - 3HO,Kundalini yoga, & Yogi Bhajan

1 year
Philip Deslippe & Stacie Stukin - 3HO,Kundalini yoga, & Yogi Bhajan
1 h 42m

REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 2: Breaking Away

1 year
REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 2: Breaking Away
38m

REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 1: The Nomadic Lifestyle

1 year
REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 1: The Nomadic Lifestyle
48m

Ashlen Hilliard - The Evolution of Cult Intervention Practices

1 year
Ashlen Hilliard - The Evolution of Cult Intervention Practices
1 h 29m

REWIND: Joann Vaega: Waco Survivor and Former Branch Davidian

1 year
REWIND: Joann Vaega: Waco Survivor and Former Branch Davidian
1 h 12m

Carolyn Costin - The Link Between Cults and Eating Disorders

1 year
Carolyn Costin - The Link Between Cults and Eating Disorders
1 h 24m

Yoni Shrira, Part 2 - Hard Labor, Isolation, Running Away, and a Dark Legacy

1 year
Yoni Shrira, Part 2 - Hard Labor, Isolation, Running Away, and a Dark Legacy
1 h 6m

Yoni Shrira, Part 1 - The Family Foundation School, Troubled Teens, and Snitching Culture

1 year
Yoni Shrira, Part 1 - The Family Foundation School, Troubled Teens, and Snitching Culture
54m

Tory Hess - From Second Life to Wilderness Commune

1 year
Tory Hess - From Second Life to Wilderness Commune
1 h 26m

REWIND: Jay Van Bavel - Groupthink, Social Identity, and Cult Psychology

1 year
REWIND: Jay Van Bavel - Groupthink, Social Identity, and Cult Psychology
1 h 10m

Bethany Joy Lenz - One Tree Hill, a Secret Cult, and Living a Double Life

1 year
Bethany Joy Lenz - One Tree Hill, a Secret Cult, and Living a Double Life
1 h 22m

Anne - Psychosis, Delusions, & the Cult of Your Own Mind

2 years
Anne - Psychosis, Delusions, & the Cult of Your Own Mind
59m

REWIND: Jitarth Jadeja - Former QAnon Believer

2 years
REWIND: Jitarth Jadeja - Former QAnon Believer
1 h 22m

Gareth Gore - Opus Dei, Human Trafficking, & Project 2025

2 years
Gareth Gore - Opus Dei, Human Trafficking, & Project 2025
1 h 15m