Cults to Consciousness

Shelise Ann Sola
  • 4.8 (468)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Survivor stories of claiming independence after leaving high-control groups & people.  Cults to Consciousness is a YouTube channel and podcast, hosted by Shelise Ann Sola (a former devout Mormon & CSA survivor) and her Producer husband, Jonathan Rosales.   C2C delves into the nuanced experiences of individuals who have escaped a broad spectrum of high-control groups and coercive environments.  They are not anti-religious but firmly anti-abuse, aiming to shed light on manipulative practices and systems, while promoting compassion, understanding, and accountability.  C2C has attracted a kind and engaged community who thoughtfully support their guests. Follow to join them on their advocacy mission.

  1. How the Billion Dollar “Troubled Teen” Industry Scams & Profits From Parents’ Desperation

    4D AGO

    How the Billion Dollar “Troubled Teen” Industry Scams & Profits From Parents’ Desperation

    Alexandra struggled with her parents’ treatment of her, as well as suffering SA which led to a deterioration of her mental health. Her parents then took drastic measures by paying for her to be kidnapped and taken to a wilderness camp in the dead of Utah winter. They were forced to hike every other day further into the mountains carrying a 60 pound backpack with very little food and warmth for 13 weeks straight. When hazardous conditions resulted in sores on their bodies, they would be asked to strip down in a tent where photos would be taken and sent off.  Alexandra will share the detrimental effects during college while deconstructing her total of 9 months in the TT industry and we will further discuss better alternatives. Now, Alexandra is a Youth Rights Activist who advocates about the troubled-teen system— typically residential treatment centers, wilderness-therapy programs, “boot camps,” and therapeutic boarding schools aimed at adolescents deemed “at risk,” “troubled,” or having behavioral, emotional, substance-use, or academic issues.  She calls for awareness and reform speaking out about her time in TTI on social media.  Less than a week ago (after 4 years) she has unmasked.  Click here to watch on YouTube Watch Alexandra's initial interview Follow Alexandra on social media! Instagram: IG @trail.seasoning  TikTok: @trailseasoning  Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness  Host Instagram @sheliseann  Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_  TikTok @cults.to.consciousness  Twitter @cultstocon  **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 1m
  2. Surviving the Troubled Teen Industry: A 16 Year Old’s Fight to Escape Nine Months in Hell

    4D AGO

    Surviving the Troubled Teen Industry: A 16 Year Old’s Fight to Escape Nine Months in Hell

    Alexandra struggled with her parents’ treatment of her, as well as suffering SA which led to a deterioration of her mental health. When she asked her parents for help, she was either dismissed or laughed at. When she was finally given some psychiatric care, it didn’t last long before her parents chose to instead hand over custody and ship her to Utah during winter for a wilderness camp. What was supposed to last 8-10 weeks went on for 13, deep in the snowy mountains with only a tent and utensils they cleaned with dirt. Compliance was expected and mental health ignored. However, even after Wilderness camp was over, she wouldn’t be permitted to go home. Instead she was taken to another facility for 6 months where her will was further broken and symptoms ignored.  Now, Alexandra is a Youth Rights Activist who advocates about the troubled-teen system— typically residential treatment centers, wilderness-therapy programs, “boot camps,” and therapeutic boarding schools aimed at adolescents deemed “at risk,” “troubled,” or having behavioral, emotional, substance-use, or academic issues.  She calls for awareness and reform speaking out about her time in TTI on social media.  Less than a week ago (after 4 years)  she has unmasked. Click here to watch on YouTube Follow Alexandra on social media! Instagram: IG @trail.seasoning  TikTok: @trailseasoning  Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness  Host Instagram @sheliseann  Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_  TikTok @cults.to.consciousness  Twitter @cultstocon  **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Chapter Marks 00:00:00 Intro 00:05:31 Alexandra's background 00:08:55 Dealing with a SA experience 00:11:31 How Alexandra's parents reacted to her as*ault 00:22:13 Why her parents sent her away 00:23:26 Getting k*dnapped 00:26:32 Experience at the wilderness camp 00:28:25 Strip searched and pan*cking when reality sets in 00:34:02 Daily life at camp 00:43:21 The food they had to eat 00:47:38 "Therapy" at camp 00:53:12 Alexandra thought she was free after wilderness camp.... 00:56:11 The second program Alexandra was forced into 01:08:33 They trained them like dogs 01:13:25 What returning home was like 01:23:41 How Alexandra's parents have taken accountability 01:25:31 How Alexandra is doing now 01:27:39 Linda, listen See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 31m
  3. Teen Mission for Martyrdom: How Superstar Mega-Pastor Glorified Avoidable Medical Neglect Abroad

    6D AGO

    Teen Mission for Martyrdom: How Superstar Mega-Pastor Glorified Avoidable Medical Neglect Abroad

    Raised in the “Holy War” and recruited as a soldier for Jesus, Philip Boltz, son of famous Christian singer Ray Boltz, was deeply invested in changing the world. He went on multiple mission trips abroad, ready to give everything, including his life for the cause. However, the goal to become a martyr was closer than he realized, when an emergency surgery leading to severe infection and medical neglect in India led him to be hospitalized. Ron Luze, the mega pastor leading this enormous teen-based corporation, even praised him for his valiance. This would cause him to double-down in his faith and be spiritually ready to go back to India the next year. More about Teen Mania can be found in the new docu-series Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War, of which he is a part.  Click here to watch on YouTube TikTok: @suprfil  Website: https://www.philboltz.com Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness  Host Instagram @sheliseann  Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_  TikTok @cults.to.consciousness  Twitter @cultstocon  **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Chapter Marks 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:12 Phil's experience being part of the documentary & his religious upbringing 00:08:50 Phil's introduction to Teen Mania and mission trips 00:17:26 Appendectomy in India 00:23:08 Phil's infection and near de*th experience after surgery 00:30:41 Leadership's responsibility for the safety of youth 00:34:34 The Honor Academy and LTE's 00:39:32 Abnormal patterns and practices in the organization 00:51:05 Phil's teenage evangelizing and his stance now on high-control groups 00:59:41 The beginnings of Phil's deconstruction 01:05:52 Phil & who he is today 01:09:20 Final thoughts and Phil's "Linda Listen" See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 14m
  4. Saved or Shattered? A Teenager’s Descent Into Evangelical Extremism

    DEC 15

    Saved or Shattered? A Teenager’s Descent Into Evangelical Extremism

    Liz Boltz Ranfeld, who was featured in the recent Shiny Happy People 2 documentary, was fully immersed in the “Teen Mania” lifestyle. She went on several overseas mission-trips that caused more fear and guilt due to the inability to faith heal on the spot, however it opened her eyes to other cultures that were being labeled as “demonic”. Her father was a well known Christian singer/song writer, Ray Boltz, which put all eyes on her to be a perfect example. Fully blind to the harms being caused at Teen Mania, she only started deconstructing after her parents forbid her from doing the full time-year-long-internship after her brother nearly died and she was stranded overnight at a busy airport with no help from the organization. Her father later came out as gay just as their whole family was doing away with Christian Fundamentalism and she would end up being one of the most critical voices against TM. Click here to watch on YouTube Find and Support Liz TikTok @lizboltz  IG @liz_boltz_ranfeld Website https://www.lizbr.com/ Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness  Host Instagram @sheliseann  Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_  TikTok @cults.to.consciousness  Twitter @cultstocon  **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Chapter Marks 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:19 Liz' upbringing and childhood  00:05:06 First impressions of Acquire the Fire 00:11:21 Liz' mission trips 00:21:30 Liz' parents influence 00:27:07 Teen Mania 00:32:03 How Columbine affected Liz 00:35:24 Liz' begins to question Teen Mania 00:42:32 Why Liz wasn't able to continue with Teen Mania 00:47:57 Liz' deconstruction 00:52:34 Recovering Alumni blog 00:55:02 Growing from the experience 01:00:13 What Liz hopes people get out of the documentary See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 10m
  5. How She Helped TAKE DOWN Pedo Cult Leader of the La Luz Del Mundo

    DEC 12

    How She Helped TAKE DOWN Pedo Cult Leader of the La Luz Del Mundo

    CW: Mentions of CSA, SA, ED & Suicide Ideation.  Sochil Martin was born and raised in the worldwide church known as La Luz del Mundo. At age 9 she started to become groomed to be a concubine to the Apostle who was their living prophet on Earth. Her own aunt took her to him, because that’s what had happened to her and her family as young girls. They were not only expected to comply, it was considered a great blessing to be chosen and used. They were then considered an “unconditional” which meant their life was not their own and all choices would be made by the Apostle, including who they would eventually marry. However, even after marriage, the SA would not end. It wasn’t until Sochil’s husband rang the alarm that what was happening was not ok, that Sochil realized her adolescence was a horrible lie. Sochil then went on to help put some of the leadership in jail which will be covered in a livestream with her.  Click here to watch on YouTube Find Sochil on social media: IG:  @sochilmartin.healing  Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness  Host Instagram @sheliseann  Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_  TikTok @cults.to.consciousness  Twitter @cultstocon  **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Chapter Marks 00:00:00 Intro  00:04:56 La luz del mundo 00:18:51 Sochil's upbringing 00:28:32 The draw of the church 00:39:12 What unconditional means in LDM 00:47:36 CW: Mentions of ED 00:58:48 How Sochil was paired with her husband 01:11:26 Sochil's husband finds out what's going on  01:17:34 Trying to warn parents to no avail 01:23:22 Linda, Listen See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    51 min
  6. 9 yr Old Given as One of Many “Concubines” to Apostle in La Luz Del Mundo Cult

    DEC 10

    9 yr Old Given as One of Many “Concubines” to Apostle in La Luz Del Mundo Cult

    Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness  Host Instagram @sheliseann  Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_  TikTok @cults.to.consciousness  Twitter @cultstocon  **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 30m
  7. 9 yr Old Forced by Cult to Become Chess Master to Convert the World (ft. Danny Rensch)

    DEC 8

    9 yr Old Forced by Cult to Become Chess Master to Convert the World (ft. Danny Rensch)

    Born into the Church of Immortal Consciousness, Danny Rensch spent his childhood navigating the isolated confines of a cult. Despite psychological manipulation, physical abuse, and neglect, he persevered. An international chess master and world-class commentator, Rensch’s remarkable journey led him to being the face of Chess.com, one of the largest online gaming platforms in the world.  Rensch recounts his life, starting from the moment he discovered chess in the summer of 1995, all the way up to being at the center of the most explosive cheating scandal in chess history.  He chronicles the traumas of being “special” in a cult that forced separation from his mother. Mentored by an alcohol*c, Russian chess master, he found solace alongside suffer*ng in his obsession for an ancient game, and chess became his only escape. Rensch rose through the chess ranks until a medical emergency nearly took him out of the game forever. And it almost did, until Chess.com came along. Deeply heartfelt, keenly reflective, and haunting, today Danny dives further into the details of his book, Dark Squares, and the never-before-told story of Danny Rensch’s resilience, survival, and his enduring love for the game that saved him.  Click here to watch on YouTube Danny's Book Amazon: Dark Squares Follow Danny on Social Media! IG: @dannyrensch  Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness  Host Instagram @sheliseann  Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_  TikTok @cults.to.consciousness  Twitter @cultstocon  **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Chapter Marks 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:54 Background on the Church of Immortal Consciousness 00:10:53 Danny's chiIdhood & his parents' relationship 00:20:43 First experiences with chess 00:25:52 When chess started taking off for Danny 00:29:31 Danny's relationship with his mentor, Igor 00:33:29 Being given his spiritual purpose to play chess 00:39:54 Connections to the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer 00:44:49 Sacrificing the relationship with his mother 00:54:48 Balancing intuition and belief 01:00:39 Living two lives 01:07:46 Medical issues & turning to subst*nces 01:18:46 The hero of Danny's story 01:25:58 Overcoming the mysoginy taught by the cult 01:30:48 Founding Chess.com 01:38:47 Triggering moments from the Queen's Gambit 01:43:00 Danny's life now 01:47:24 Full circle moment with Searching for Bobby Fischer 01:51:53 Danny's Linda Listen See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 57m
  8. CSA Survivor Reveals How To Help Your Children Avoid Predators

    DEC 5

    CSA Survivor Reveals How To Help Your Children Avoid Predators

    Mandi Pagliarini was put into a recovery program at 15 yrs old and would quickly be handed over to multiple predators by the leader until she left at 22. She realized years later that not all forms of abuse feel the same, and has dedicated her work to teaching parents how to speak to their children and teens to help keep them safe. Every parent should have these important conversations at age appropriate times and Mandi is here to discuss the ways to do that.  Click here to watch on YouTube Watch Mandi's initial interview here Find and Support Mandi! IG @mandiptalkspredators https://www.instagram.com/mandiptalkspredators/ Substack: https://mandiptalkspredators.substack.com/ https://linktr.ee/mandipagliarini Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness  Host Instagram @sheliseann  Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_  TikTok @cults.to.consciousness  Twitter @cultstocon  **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 2m
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Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
468 Ratings

About

Survivor stories of claiming independence after leaving high-control groups & people.  Cults to Consciousness is a YouTube channel and podcast, hosted by Shelise Ann Sola (a former devout Mormon & CSA survivor) and her Producer husband, Jonathan Rosales.   C2C delves into the nuanced experiences of individuals who have escaped a broad spectrum of high-control groups and coercive environments.  They are not anti-religious but firmly anti-abuse, aiming to shed light on manipulative practices and systems, while promoting compassion, understanding, and accountability.  C2C has attracted a kind and engaged community who thoughtfully support their guests. Follow to join them on their advocacy mission.

Information

  • Creator
    Shelise Ann Sola
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    369
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Shelise Ann Sola
  • Show Website
    Cults to Consciousness

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