Cult Chat

This week on Cult Chat may surprise our listeners as we talk about energy healing, claims of flying, and deaths tied to a group hidden in plain sight in Te Anau, New Zealand. RNZ journalist Phil Vine joins us after his hit podcast series The Lodge, his deep dive into Phenomena Academy. We unpack the wild claims, what drew people in, and the real impact on those involved. Because this didn’t happen somewhere far away — it happened here. It’s a reminder cults can come in all shapes and sizes, and they might be lurking near you.

Caz interviewed Dr Alexandra Stein last episode about her phenomenal book “Terror, Love & Brainwashing” and it was such a powerful topic that Lindy & Liz wanted a chance to talk about it too. Join our hosts as they discuss how the themes of fear, isolation and engulfment can be applied to the cults we are familiar with in New Zealand.

In this episode of Cult Chat, Caz interviews Dr Stein, PhD,  about the hidok of the same title, they explore how leaders manipulate attachment, deliberately induce fear and dissociation, and engineer coerced disorganised attachment to bind followers to the group. A powerful discussion of how love and terror are weaponised—and how understanding these dynamics helps people break free.

In this episode of Cult Chat, we catch up with Dr Kyle Eggleton and Tristan Phipps to talk about recent developments within the 2x2 (the Truth, Church with no Name). The conversation ranges from advocacy work and unexpected fan mail to the beginnings of a thoughtful discussion on how high-control groups impact men. A relaxed catch-up that opens the door to deeper conversations still to come

Imagine your former group launching a legal challenge over your use of a cartoon mascot, just as you begin speaking out about the abuse you experienced at the hands of an elder in the same group. Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction.
In today’s episode, Cheryl Hope Bawtinheimer and Braden Simmons, former members of the PBCC (Plymouth Brethren Church/Exclusive Brethren) join us to explore what happens when whistleblowing meets litigation. We talk about courage, consequences, public voice and accountability and, in a twist few could have predicted, the unexpected role played by the PBCC Kookie mascot and our own dear co-host Lindy.