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.

Josh Lobo - What Happens When You Troll a Cult

3 years
Josh Lobo - What Happens When You Troll a Cult
1 h 9m

Jan Broberg, Part 2: Seduction, Secrecy, and Realizing the Lie

3 years
Jan Broberg, Part 2: Seduction, Secrecy, and Realizing the Lie
50m

Jan Broberg, Part 1: Family Grooming, Aliens, and the First Kidnapping

3 years
Jan Broberg, Part 1: Family Grooming, Aliens, and the First Kidnapping
57m

Trust Me 100!

3 years
Trust Me 100!
1 h 13m

Elishaba Doerksen, Part 2 - Escaping Alaska and the Road to Recovery

4 years
Elishaba Doerksen, Part 2 - Escaping Alaska and the Road to Recovery
1 h 8m

Elishaba Doerksen, Part 1 - My Family Cult in the Wilderness

4 years
Elishaba Doerksen, Part 1 - My Family Cult in the Wilderness
56m

Abigail Kochunas - The Gloria Gifford Conservatory for the Performing Arts

4 years
Abigail Kochunas - The Gloria Gifford Conservatory for the Performing Arts
1 h 27m

Sari Crawford - Synanon: Rehab Program Turned Cult

4 years
Sari Crawford - Synanon: Rehab Program Turned Cult
1 h 1m

Charlotte Laws - IsAnyoneUp.com, Revenge Porn, and the Most Hated Man on the Internet

4 years
Charlotte Laws - IsAnyoneUp.com, Revenge Porn, and the Most Hated Man on the Internet
1 h 4m

Listener Stories - Financial Abuse, Mormon Missions, and Coming Out

4 years
Listener Stories - Financial Abuse, Mormon Missions, and Coming Out
1 h 27m

Chris Bail - Online Extremism, Trolls, & the Myth of the Echo Chamber

4 years
Chris Bail - Online Extremism, Trolls, & the Myth of the Echo Chamber
1 h 28m

Cheryl Nichols - High School Teacher Grooming, Patriarchy, and "Passing the Trash"

4 years
Cheryl Nichols - High School Teacher Grooming, Patriarchy, and "Passing the Trash"
1 h 4m

Camille & Trillium - A Pagan Coven and a Southern Fried Narcissist

4 years
Camille & Trillium - A Pagan Coven and a Southern Fried Narcissist
0m

Strictly Stalking's Jaimie Beebe & Jake Deptula

4 years
Strictly Stalking's Jaimie Beebe & Jake Deptula
1 h 21m

Welcome To The Sunshine Place

4 years
Welcome To The Sunshine Place
4m

Virginia Heffernan: Edge, Jeffrey Epstein, & the Intellectual Dark Web

4 years
Virginia Heffernan: Edge, Jeffrey Epstein, & the Intellectual Dark Web
1 h 19m

Joann Vaega: Waco Survivor and Former Branch Davidian

4 years
Joann Vaega: Waco Survivor and Former Branch Davidian
1 h 7m

Spencer Schneider: Sharon Gans, School, & a Manhattan Cult Story

4 years
Spencer Schneider: Sharon Gans, School, & a Manhattan Cult Story
59m

Luis Favela & Honor Academy

4 years
Luis Favela & Honor Academy
1 h 25m

Hank Nuwer & Hazing Culture

4 years
Hank Nuwer & Hazing Culture
1 h 3m

Evan McNary: Assisting Exorcisms, Speaking in Tongues & Pastors in Sunglasses

4 years
Evan McNary: Assisting Exorcisms, Speaking in Tongues & Pastors in Sunglasses
1 h 2m

G Charles Wright: Growing up Bisexual, Natural Disasters & Abusive Parenting

4 years
G Charles Wright: Growing up Bisexual, Natural Disasters & Abusive Parenting
1 h 12m

Sara Levine & Danny Murphy of Not Another True Crime Podcast

4 years
Sara Levine & Danny Murphy of Not Another True Crime Podcast
58m

Monia Ali: One Direction & Toxic Fandom

4 years
Monia Ali: One Direction & Toxic Fandom
1 h 22m

Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly - Transcendental Meditation & Cult Intervention

4 years
Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly - Transcendental Meditation & Cult Intervention
1 h 18m

Rethinking Trauma: The Power Threat Meaning Framework with Lucy Johnstone

4 years
Rethinking Trauma: The Power Threat Meaning Framework with Lucy Johnstone
1 h 18m

Rethinking Trauma: Post-Traumatic Growth with Richard Tedeschi

4 years
Rethinking Trauma: Post-Traumatic Growth with Richard Tedeschi
59m

Rethinking Trauma: Self-Regulation and Healing Trauma with Robert Rhoton

4 years
Rethinking Trauma: Self-Regulation and Healing Trauma with Robert Rhoton
1 h 22m

Rethinking Trauma: Resilience with George Bonanno

4 years
Rethinking Trauma: Resilience with George Bonanno
1 h 0m

Jordan Harbinger: Scams, Influence, & The Law of Attraction

4 years
Jordan Harbinger: Scams, Influence, & The Law of Attraction
1 h 4m