Was I In A Cult?

**NOTE: This episode originally aired in 2021**Welcome to the worst cult ever (in our humble opinions). This is a story of incredible resilience, bravery, and inspiration. Being born into a cult always comes with its challenges, but learning how to have an original thought in your mid-20s is a rare struggle that most people are fortunate enough to never have to face. This is just one of many obstacles Angel had to overcome as she ventured out of the cult and into the world.But when you've spent over 20 years of your life in a cult and it's all you know, the real world isn't always as sparkly as you hoped.FOLLOW USFor more culty content — follow us on Instagram & TikTok → @wasiinacultFIND ANGELInstagram: @whatisangeldoingYoutube: @AngelDeSantisSUPPORT THE SHOWIf you believe in what we’re doing — shining a light on manipulation, coercive control, and cultic abuse — please rate, review, and share the podcast.Want even more?Join us on Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes conversations.HAVE A CULTY STORY TO SHARE?If you’ve been part of a cult — we want to hear from you.Email us → [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A comet. A cultural fever. And a cult’s failed prophecy. In 1973, as the holidays approached and the world felt increasingly unstable, a comet named Kohoutek was predicted to light up the sky in way never seen before… right at Christmas. The media obsessed. The artists sang. And David Berg, an apocalyptic sex cult leader, saw confirmation that judgment was imminent. Christmas would be the end.In this episode, we trace how the Children of God turned a celestial event into The Christmas Monster, sending families fleeing the United States, scattering members across the globe, and quietly erasing the idea of home altogether.We speak with Perry Bulwar, who was recruited into the cult as a teenager and lived inside it for over twenty years. He takes us through belief, fear, failed prophecy, and the moment a pop song cracked the spell.It’s a holiday story - just maybe not the kind you’re used to.___________FOLLOW USFor more culty content - follow us on Instagram & TikTok → @wasiinacultPERRY’S BOOKGet your copy of “Misguided: My Jesus Freak Life In a Doomsday Cult”SUPPORT THE SHOWIf you believe in what we’re doing - shining a light on manipulation, coercive control, and cultic abuse - please rate, review, and share the podcast.Want even more?Join us on Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes conversations.HAVE A CULTY STORY TO SHARE?If you’ve been part of a cult - we want to hear from you.Email us → [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we head to Nashville, Tennessee — where a cosmetology school promising structure, opportunity, and “professionalism” turned out to be something else entirely.Our guest, Sophia, thought she was paying over $20,000 to learn how to do hair. Instead, she walked into a system obsessed with obedience, image, and silence — where being late cost money, smiling was mandatory, and your body, time, and labor were constantly monitored. Add in “motivational” rituals, public humiliation, and unpaid work dressed up as “education,” and suddenly this isn’t just cosmetology school… it’s giving cult.FOLLOW USFor more culty content — follow us on Instagram & TikTok → @wasiinacultFOLLOW SOPHIAFind Sophia on Instagram & TikTok → @styledby.sophiaeliseIf you’re in Nashville, go get your hair done and TIP WELL! SUPPORT THE SHOWIf you believe in what we’re doing — shining a light on manipulation, coercive control, and cultic abuse — please rate, review, and share the podcast.Want even more?Join us on Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes conversations.HAVE A CULTY STORY TO SHARE?If you’ve been part of a cult, high-control group, or something that didn’t look like a cult until way later — we want to hear from you.Email us → [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Liz and Tyler head straight into the sweaty “this-is-definitely-not-a-cult-except-maybe-it-definitely-is” world of Ashtanga yoga. Our guest, Magnolia Zuniga, was one of only 20 women in the world to become a Certified Ashtanga teacher. She spent 22 years inside the system — traveling to India, waking up before the crack of dawn, giving up apartments, and building her entire life around the practice and the man who created it. Then, on her very first day studying with master Pattabhi Jois — the “grandfather” of modern yoga — she witnessed something that shattered everything she thought she knew. What followed was years of confusion, devotion, cognitive dissonance, community pressure, and the slow unraveling of everything she believed Ashtanga Yoga to be.FOLLOW USFor more culty content, nuanced conversations, and uncomfortable truths told with care — follow us on Instagram & TikTok →@wasiinacultFOLLOW MAGNOLIAYouTube: @MagnoliaSezSoInstagram: @magnoliasezsoMagnolia's NewsletterSUPPORT THE SHOWIf you believe in what we’re doing — shining a light on manipulation, coercion, and the messy psychology behind it — please rate, review, and share the podcast.Want to support our work even more so we can keep bringing you more cult-busting content?Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our eternal gratitude.HAVE A CULTY STORY TO SHARE?We’d love to hear from you.Email us → [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When we got the email inviting us to interview journalist Natalie Robehmed about her new CBC + Campsite Media podcast, Allison After NXIVM, we weren’t sure what to do. Talking about Allison Mack — someone who caused very real harm, including to people we’ve had on this show - is complicated. And honestly? We didn’t want to accidentally platform or sanitize that harm.But then we listened. And what we found wasn’t a redemption story. It was complexity. It was discomfort. It was a journalist tracing how someone can be both a victim and a perpetrator.In this conversation, Natalie takes us behind her interviews with Allison: childhood exploitation, Hollywood pressures, the hunger to be “the best,” and the dynamics of NXIVM’s inner circle that turned all of that into something horrifying.We’re not here to tell you how to feel about Allison Mack.But we are here to sit in the space where victimhood and violence blur -the space where a person realizes the monster they were running from is the one they learned to be.FOLLOW USFor more culty content -follow us on Instagram & TikTok → @wasiinacultLISTEN TO "ALLISON AFTER NXIVM" Hear Natalie's full 7-part investigation into Allison Mack (or search Allison After NXIVM wherever you get your podcasts.SUPPORT THE SHOWIf you believe in what we’re doing - shining a light on manipulation, coercion, and the messy psychology behind it - please rate, review, and share the podcast. Want to be part of our inner circle?Join us on Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our eternal gratitude for helping us keep these stories alive.HAVE A CULTY STORY?We’d love to hear from you - drop us a line at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.