184 episodes

Religious and cult ideologies often use the practice of shunning to silence their critics and to control their members through fear. This podcast sheds light on shunning through real life stories as told by the people that have lived through it. Learn what their lives were like and where they have ended up in life after being shunned. Featuring stories from Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientology, Amish, Mennonite, FLDS, the Moonies, and more, you will learn about the real lives of former members that have been shut out by their former communities. The host is an exJW himself, a professional cult recovery coach, and provides insight into the psychology of coercive control and the impacts on those subjected to it through these high control groups.

shunned shunned

    • Society & Culture
    • 5.0 • 2 Ratings

Religious and cult ideologies often use the practice of shunning to silence their critics and to control their members through fear. This podcast sheds light on shunning through real life stories as told by the people that have lived through it. Learn what their lives were like and where they have ended up in life after being shunned. Featuring stories from Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientology, Amish, Mennonite, FLDS, the Moonies, and more, you will learn about the real lives of former members that have been shut out by their former communities. The host is an exJW himself, a professional cult recovery coach, and provides insight into the psychology of coercive control and the impacts on those subjected to it through these high control groups.

    173 – Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places – Catherine is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses

    173 – Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places – Catherine is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses

    Catherine wasn’t born into the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. There was a lot of abuse and bullying that went on in her home, both parental and from her siblings. Her family was lacking love, and one day she thought that she found it when she met a young man. That young man ended up bringing her to Jehovah’s Witnesses, and she took to what she thought was “The Truth”. Eventually she would realize that both her husband and the Witnesses around her, including a sister that became her best friend, were narcissistic. Throughout her journey with them, she would look for love from emotionally unavailable people, mirroring her upbringing, only to eventually find a relationship through her ministry work that led her to realize that she was the one that needed help.
    Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
    Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
    Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
    You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
    Leave us a review on iTunes
    Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
    The song that Catherine chose to represent her journey is Home by Three Days Grace.
    You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
    This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
    Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
    An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

    • 3 hrs 7 min
    172 – How Jehovah’s Witnesses Use Gaslighting For Control – Part 4 – “The Truth” Creates Liars

    172 – How Jehovah’s Witnesses Use Gaslighting For Control – Part 4 – “The Truth” Creates Liars

    Lying is integral to gaslighting, pushing the false realities that create confusion and lead to controlling behaviors. “The Truth”, as Jehovah’s Witnesses refer to their religious cult, is full of lies. The organization conveniently bends truth to create narratives to support and excuse their own behavior. The constant pressure to conform creates situations that lead to inauthenticity among members. Ultimately lies are a huge part of “The Truth”, as upholding the cult’s narrative is much more important than searching for actual truth.
    This is the fourth in a series where I’ll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives.
    Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
    Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
    Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
    You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
    Leave us a review on iTunes
    Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
    You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
    This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
    Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
    An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

    • 19 min
    171 – Child Custody – Waking Up In Court On The Witness Stand – Darrin is shunned

    171 – Child Custody – Waking Up In Court On The Witness Stand – Darrin is shunned

    Waking up to the realities of life in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is hard enough to do even in the best of circumstances. But what if you were an active JW, and what if you were fighting another active JW for custody of your child? And what if, in doing so, your eyes were opened to the reality of everything that you were involved in through the behavior of others? What if, as lawyers asked you questions on the stand, it all started to fall apart? Darrin’s story is both incredibly unique, with so many twists and turns that you won’t see coming, but also so familiar to many that have fought for custody of their children within the cult.  
    Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
    Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
    Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
    You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
    Leave us a review on iTunes
    Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
    You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
    This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
    Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
    An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

    • 2 hrs 9 min
    170 – How Jehovah’s Witnesses Use Gaslighting For Control – Part 3 – Weaponizing Your Desires

    170 – How Jehovah’s Witnesses Use Gaslighting For Control – Part 3 – Weaponizing Your Desires

    One hallmark of gaslighting is using what is near and dear to a person as ammunition against them. Jehovah’s Witnesses weaponize their relationships with you, your normal and natural desires, the expression of those desire, and more. They use shame to make you feel like a bad person for daring to want something outside of the approved list of personal expressions. A person that is beaten down and that has given up on what they want in life is easier to control. Often people lose their ability to form an identity apart from the group.
    This is the third in a series where I’ll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives.
    Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
     
    Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
    Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
    You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
    Leave us a review on iTunes
    Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
    You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
    This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
    Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
    An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

    • 17 min
    169 – There’s Nothing That Jehovah’s Witnesses Can’t Make Worse – Cherie Is Shunned

    169 – There’s Nothing That Jehovah’s Witnesses Can’t Make Worse – Cherie Is Shunned

    Life happens, both for the better and for the worse. Being a kid is hard, especially as it relates to school. Families fight. Relationships come and go. Individuals have their own internal struggles. There are amazing people in this world that seek to uplift others, and also people that prey on others and hope to take them down. Cherie’s story highlights how these normal life events happen, but no matter how bad life can be, Jehovah’s Witnesses can always add stress and drama to the situation that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. In the end, Cherie had to choose herself in order to protect her own peace.
    The song that Cherie chose to represent her story is Not Ready To Make Nice by The Chicks.
    Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
     
    Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
    Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
    You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
    Leave us a review on iTunes
    Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
    You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
    This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
    Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
    An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

    • 3 hrs 26 min
    168 – How Jehovah’s Witnesses Use Gaslighting For Control – Part 2 – The Denial

    168 – How Jehovah’s Witnesses Use Gaslighting For Control – Part 2 – The Denial

    One hallmark of gaslighting is the denial of what happened, even in the face of proof. Jehovah’s Witnesses are masters of spin, from the organization itself to the individual members of the cult. When you hold something dear and you call it “The Truth”, you need it to be true no matter the cost. Whether it is the denial of their systematic shunning policies, their failed predictions of the end of the world, their denial of the Australian Royal Commission inquiry into child sex abuse and Jehovah’s Witnesses, or any number of things, what happened didn’t really happen if you ask members of the cult. It is easy to claim truth if you deny any challengers to it, and it is easy to feel alone or crazy when you see things that don’t add up and everyone around you acts like you didn’t see what you saw. The denial can cause a person to question their own reality, thus making them more pliable in the face of such control.
    This is the second in a series where I’ll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives.
    Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
     
    Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
    Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
    You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
    Leave us a review on iTunes
    Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
    You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
    This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
    Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
    An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

    • 12 min

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