Generation Cult Dhyana Levey

Yes, we are back! We're kicking off Season 4 with a conversation with Grace. She grew up in a little-known Christian fundamentalist group referred to as the Geftakys Assembly and, although her family left when she was young, she was impacted greatly by leadership's harsh rules regarding women and children. So greatly was Grace impacted that she dove into a years-long history/research project and created her own podcast about it called "In God's Name: An Unseen Cult."
New episodes are being released now. 
Join us as we talk about Grace's upbringing in the group, how her family left, and why she went back recently to interview former members of the Geftakys Assembly and produce her own show.
***This episode contains descriptions of child abuse
Music by Leanne Dunn, opening/closing song by The Chaw  
Editing by Dhyana Levey
 

We're back with yet another special literary edition! For this bonus episode, we're celebrating the recent launch of the book "Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult." It's out now in bookstores and on Amazon.
The author, Michelle, was raised in an end-times group that was started by her grandfather in the 1930s. 
As survivalists in an organization referred to as “The Field,” her family lived in isolation on a mountain, where they foraged for food and viewed basic comforts as a sin. Michelle endured illness, abuse, hunger and neglect before finding solace in nature and education. 
Now a professor of journalism, she lives a comfortable life in Southern California but still enjoys using her knowledge of edible plants to forage in her surroundings. Her book, which was released in March, discusses her childhood as well as how to forage through nature for what provides sustenance. 
In this interview, we speak to Michelle about her life, writing a book about it and how she got through some of her most challenging times.

Generation Cult is dropping back in with a bonus edition to celebrate today's launch of Liz Ianelli's new book called "I See You, Survivor: Life Inside (and Outside) the Totally F*cked-Up Troubled Teen Industry." In it, Liz details her years left at a program within the Troubled Teen Industry, a network of expensive residential programs, wilderness camps, and religious-affiliated establishments meant to set your child straight. 
Join us as we discuss Liz's time in one of these programs, how she relates it to a cult, the abuses she and her friends endured, and the struggles kids who live through this experience have after leaving. 
Liz has been an outspoken activist against the Troubled Teen Industry for many years, arguing that the programs should be shut down or, at the least, held accountable for their practices. This is her first book, released to the public on Aug. 29, and it can now be found in various bookstores as well as Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/See-You-Survivor-Troubled-Industry/dp/030683152X
***This episode contains discussions of suicide and child abuse 

Tamara grew up in a Sufi polygamist organization in the US and England. Her father joined the group when she was 5 and she soon found herself torn between a somewhat "normal" life with her mother and a bizarre, hard-working communal lifestyle with her dad. Deemed a "special child" by her father's group, she was sent to live with the leader, who put her to work caring for young children and cooking and cleaning in his mansion alongside his multiple wives.
At age 12, Tamara got married -- a spotty relationship that lasted until she was 20. But when her husband wanted to follow the polygamist practices of the group, she left.
On the Season 3 Finale of Generation Cult, Tamara chats with Dhyana and Ashlen about her life and the important role education played in her recovery from abuse. We'll discuss the culture of polygamist groups and what it was like to get married as a tween.
Thank you for listening to this season of Generation Cult!
***This episode contains discussions of child abuse
For more information about Tamara and her work, go to: tamaramc.com
linktr.ee/tamaramc
www.facebook.com/TamaraMC11
twitter.com/TamaraMCPhD
www.instagram.com/tamaramcphd/
www.linkedin.com/in/tamaramcphd/

Rhonda's parents joined the Holy Order of MANS (standing for Mysterian, Agape, Nous and Sophia in Greek, or mystery, love, mind and wisdom in English) when she was a year old. The San Francisco-based group held classes and meetings studying a mix of religions, initially leaning heavily on New Age concepts and Christianity. Children were not allowed to live with parents, so she was raised on a farm with other kids as her parents moved through the ranks of the organization.
The Holy Order changed and dropped its New Age associations after the Jonestown tragedy in 1978, when a similar group called the People's Temple very publicly met its end in a massacre. Rhonda's parents left shortly after that but continued to practice the concepts they had learned regarding vibrations, colors, light and music.
Rhonda's life was structured by her parents' beliefs, especially her father's disgust for particular forms of music and aspects of mainstream society that he deemed "evil." Eventually convinced that she was evil as well, Rhonda dealt with her parents' judgement, lingering trauma from being raised on the farm and current inability to fit in with "normal" people through substance abuse and other unhealthy practices. But in her 20s, she began to seek help and returned to school.
In this one-on-one chat with Rhonda and Dhyana, we discuss a brief history of the Holy Order of MANS, Rhonda's conflict with her parents and their decision to send her away when she was young, her struggles to fit in and the journey she went on to heal.

Sarah grew up in a bible-based group in Ohio with about 400 members, many of whom are related to her. She was sexually abused throughout her childhood, something she reported to leaders of her organization, who not only didn't stop the perpetrators but told her she was one who had sinned. 
Sarah left in her early 20s struggling with mental health issues as she got her education, traveled the world and started her own business. Along the way, she searched for a new, healthy community where she could feel safe and comfortable. She found that in the friends she made and a Christian church where she is allowed to ask questions and debate with the leaders.
Join us as we hear Sarah's story and discuss why she considers her family's group a cult vs the more supportive communities she found herself in after she left. 
**This episode contains discussions about child sexual abuse and thoughts of suicide.  Please listen with discretion.