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.

Katelyn Jade Hlavaty, Part 2 - Satanic Ritual Abuse & Becoming a Spokesperson

2 years
Katelyn Jade Hlavaty, Part 2 - Satanic Ritual Abuse & Becoming a Spokesperson
1 h 20m

Katelyn Jade Hlavaty, Part 1 - Joining Operation Light Force

2 years
Katelyn Jade Hlavaty, Part 1 - Joining Operation Light Force
1 h 7m

Sara Gorman - Science, Healthcare, and Why We Ignore Facts

2 years
Sara Gorman - Science, Healthcare, and Why We Ignore Facts
1 h 25m

Jenna Miscavige, Part 2 - Escaping Scientology

2 years
Jenna Miscavige, Part 2 - Escaping Scientology
51m

Jenna Miscavige, Part 1 - Growing up in Scientology's Sea Organization

2 years
Jenna Miscavige, Part 1 - Growing up in Scientology's Sea Organization
1 h 1m

Crystal Hefner - Surviving The Playboy Mansion

2 years
Crystal Hefner - Surviving The Playboy Mansion
1 h 14m

Michelle Dowd, Part 2 - From the Mountain to the Hospital to Forging Her Own Path

2 years
Michelle Dowd, Part 2 - From the Mountain to the Hospital to Forging Her Own Path
1 h 9m

Michelle Dowd, Part 1 - Becoming a Forager in The Field

2 years
Michelle Dowd, Part 1 - Becoming a Forager in The Field
57m

Thomas & Micah, Part 2 - Mormon Mission, Scientology, & Disney Adults

2 years
Thomas & Micah, Part 2 - Mormon Mission, Scientology, & Disney Adults
1 h 8m

Thomas & Micah, Part 1 - God, Goofy, and Growing Up Gay in Religion

2 years
Thomas & Micah, Part 1 - God, Goofy, and Growing Up Gay in Religion
48m

Marji Mozart, Part 2 - Life After the FLDS

2 years
Marji Mozart, Part 2 - Life After the FLDS
1 h 10m

Marji Mozart, Part 1 - Growing up in the FLDS

2 years
Marji Mozart, Part 1 - Growing up in the FLDS
1 h 21m

Barak Hardley - Where Belief Intersects Creativity

2 years
Barak Hardley - Where Belief Intersects Creativity
1 h 6m

Annie Taylor - The Garden: Commune or Cult

2 years
Annie Taylor - The Garden: Commune or Cult
1 h 14m

Alice Hines & Lorraine - Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe

2 years
Alice Hines & Lorraine - Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe
1 h 19m

Jill Duggar Dillard & Derick Dillard

3 years
Jill Duggar Dillard & Derick Dillard
1 h 10m

Marlene Winell - Leaving The Fold, Religious Trauma, and Emotional Recovery

3 years
Marlene Winell - Leaving The Fold, Religious Trauma, and Emotional Recovery
1 h 7m

Listener Stories - Independent Baptist Movement & Capoeira Teacher

3 years
Listener Stories - Independent Baptist Movement & Capoeira Teacher
56m

Daniella Mestyanek Young, Part 2 - Military Life & Parallels to The Children of God

3 years
Daniella Mestyanek Young, Part 2 - Military Life & Parallels to The Children of God
1 h 11m

Daniella Mestyanek Young, Part 1 - Children of God, 9/11, & Escaping the Cult

3 years
Daniella Mestyanek Young, Part 1 - Children of God, 9/11, & Escaping the Cult
57m

Andrew Seidel - Christian Nationalism & Information Warfare

3 years
Andrew Seidel - Christian Nationalism & Information Warfare
1 h 11m

THROWBACK: Post-Traumatic Growth with Richard Tedeschi

3 years
THROWBACK: Post-Traumatic Growth with Richard Tedeschi
1 h 1m

Simon Kent Fung - Dear Alana & Conversion Therapy

3 years
Simon Kent Fung - Dear Alana & Conversion Therapy
1 h 8m

Dr. Marc Feldman & Jordyn Hope - Munchausen by Proxy aka Medical Child Abuse

3 years
Dr. Marc Feldman & Jordyn Hope - Munchausen by Proxy aka Medical Child Abuse
1 h 36m

Kyle & Kari, Part 2 - The 2x2s: Uncovering Widespread Sexual Abuse

3 years
Kyle & Kari, Part 2 - The 2x2s: Uncovering Widespread Sexual Abuse
1 h 1m

Kyle & Kari, Part 1 - Deconstructing The 2x2s

3 years
Kyle & Kari, Part 1 - Deconstructing The 2x2s
1 h 5m

Martin - Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, & The I.D.W.

3 years
Martin - Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, & The I.D.W.
1 h 15m

Guinevere Turner, Part 2 - Group Exile, Culture Shock, & Recovery

3 years
Guinevere Turner, Part 2 - Group Exile, Culture Shock, & Recovery
1 h 4m

Guinevere Turner, Part 1 - The Lyman Family, Compound Life, and Queen Jessie

3 years
Guinevere Turner, Part 1 - The Lyman Family, Compound Life, and Queen Jessie
1 h 0m

Emily Lynn Paulson - Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing

3 years
Emily Lynn Paulson - Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing
1 h 11m