Altar Ego

Altar Ego
  • 5.0 (6)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by two close friends, one a therapist raised Southern Baptist, now agnostic; the other a spiritually curious ex-Catholic who believes in ghosts and is terrified of demons... we dive into dark tales and crimes committed in the name of God (or the devil). Through ethical retellings of possessions, prophecies, cults, and beliefs, we investigate spirituality, belief systems, and the ambiguous psychological spaces in between.

  1. Sep 9

    41: Why Did Southern Baptists Boycott Disney?

    For years, millions of Southern Baptists were encouraged to boycott Disney—but why? What transformed the "Most Magical Place on Earth" into the center of one of the largest Christian consumer boycotts in modern history? In this episode of Altar Ego, Jeri unpacks the rise of the Southern Baptist Convention's campaign against Disney, exploring the cultural and theological battles that led an entire denomination to take a stand against one of the world's most recognizable brands. From LGBTQ+ representation and "family values" debates to the broader culture wars of the 1990s, we examine how this movement began, what it hoped to accomplish, and why it ultimately faded. Along the way, we'll separate fact from folklore, revisit the headlines that fueled the controversy, and explore what this chapter reveals about the intersection of faith, politics, and popular culture. Whether you remember churches encouraging families to avoid Disney—or you're hearing about the boycott for the first time—this episode offers the historical context behind one of evangelical America's most talked-about cultural flashpoints. In this episode:• Why the Southern Baptist Convention targeted Disney• The events that sparked the boycott• How Disney responded• The role of the 1990s culture wars• Why the boycott eventually ended• What this story can teach us about faith and influence today Have memories of the Disney boycott? We'd love to hear your story. Connect with us on social media or leave a review to let us know what you remember.

  2. Sep 2

    40. The Satanic Panic Around Yoga

    Sources: The Bible ⁠⁠ Mark Singleton — Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010) Oxford Academic — Yoga Body⁠ Andrea R. Jain — Selling Yoga: From Counterculture to Pop Culture (Oxford University Press, 2014) Oxford Academic — Selling Yoga⁠ Andrea R. Jain — “Modern Yoga,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion Oxford Academic — Modern Yoga⁠ Andrea R. Jain — “Postural Yoga as a Body of Religious Practice” Oxford Academic — Postural Yoga as Religious Practice⁠ Anya P. Foxen — Inhaling Spirit: Harmonialism, Orientalism, and the Western Roots of Modern Yoga (Oxford University Press, 2020) Oxford Academic — Inhaling Spirit⁠ Smithsonian Magazine — “Early Films (Including One by Thomas Edison) Made Yoga Look Like Magic” Smithsonian Magazine — Early Films and Yoga⁠ Hindu American Foundation — “Take Back Yoga: Why Hinduism and Yoga Are Inextricably Linked” Hindu American Foundation — Take Back Yoga⁠ R. Albert Mohler Jr. — “The Subtle Body: Should Christians Practice Yoga?” (2010) Albert Mohler — The Subtle Body⁠ R. Albert Mohler Jr. — “Help from Hindu Quarters — The New York Times on ‘Take Back Yoga’” (2010) Albert Mohler — Help from Hindu Quarters⁠ Candy Gunther Brown — “Christian Yoga: Something New Under the Sun/Son?” Church History (2018) Cambridge University Press — Christian Yoga⁠ Holy Yoga — “Christian Yoga” Holy Yoga — Christian Yoga⁠; Holy Yoga — About⁠ Elliot Miller / Christian Research Institute — “Do Yoga Exercises Work With Christianity?” Christian Research Institute — Do Yoga Exercises Work With Christianity?⁠ ABC Religion & Ethics — “How Problematic Is Christian Yoga?” (2016) ABC — How Problematic Is Christian Yoga?⁠ Allyson Huval — “How American Christians Practice Yoga,” Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies (2024) Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies — How American Christians Practice Yoga⁠ Pew Research Center — “Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths” (2009) (Pew Research Center⁠) Pew Research Center — Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths⁠; Pew Research Center — New Age Beliefs⁠; Pew Research Center — Americans’ Spiritual Practices⁠ Christianity Today — “Experts on Nontraditional Religions Try to Pin Down the New Age Movement” (1985) Christianity Today — Experts on Nontraditional Religions⁠ Christianity Today — “Americans Get Religion in the New Age” (1986) Christianity Today — Americans Get Religion in the New Age⁠⁠ Christianity Today — “Is the Antichrist in the World Today?” (1983) Christianity Today — Is the Antichrist in the World Today?⁠ Lausanne Movement — Deliver Us From Evil: Consultation Statement and Report Lausanne Movement — Deliver Us From Evil⁠ Derek Prince Ministries — Deliverance Teaching Derek Prince Ministries — Deliverance Teaching⁠ Joseph P. Laycock — Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds (University of California Press, 2015) University of California Press — Dangerous Games⁠ Chick Publications — “Dark Dungeons” (1984) Chick Publications — Dark Dungeons⁠⁠ Kenneth V. Lanning / FBI — Investigator’s Guide to Allegations of “Ritual” Child Abuse (1992) U.S. Department of Justice — Investigator’s Guide⁠ American Psychological Association — Questions and Answers About Memories of Childhood Abuse APA — Memories of Childhood Abuse⁠ Christianity Today — “Pokémon Power” (1999) Christianity Today — Pokémon Power⁠⁠⁠ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — “Karl Popper” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Karl Popper⁠ Raymond S. Nickerson — “Confirmation Bias: A Ubiquitous Phenomenon in Many Guises” (1998) SAGE Journals — Confirmation Bias⁠ Dan W. Grupe & Jack B. Nitschke — “Uncertainty and Anticipation in Anxiety” (2013) Nature Reviews Neuroscience — Uncertainty and Anticipation in Anxiety⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paul Rozin & Carol Nemeroff — Research on Magical Contagion ScienceDirect — The Laws of Sympathetic Magic⁠⁠ ⁠

  3. Aug 26

    39: Therapist of the Satanic Panic: Barbara Snow

    CW: Discussions of SA and ritual abuse. In the 1980s, at the height of what's now widely known as the Satanic Panic, a Utah social worker Barbara Snow, and a colleague by the name of Teena Sorenson developed a framework for how children supposedly disclose abuse. A framework where denial, inconsistency, and even retraction could all be read as steps toward eventual confirmation. Snow’s work in one Utah community led to accusations of ritual and cult abuse against dozens of adults and at least one conviction, which was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court over concerns about her interviewing techniques.  Decades later, similar allegations resurfaced, but this time involving Snow's own family, and a teenage client named Teal Swan. Teal’s influence and story have drawn renewed attention in recent years. Despite Snow’s continued controversial therapy practices public records indicate she continues to practice in Salt Lake City today.

  4. Aug 19

    38: The Great Amherst Mystery: The Haunting of Esther Cox

    One of the most famous hauntings in Canadian history began with a terrified young woman... but was Esther Cox haunted by a violent spirit, or was she living through the devastating aftermath of trauma? In this episode, we revisit The Great Amherst Mystery and trace the extraordinary events that transformed Esther Cox into one of the paranormal world's most enduring figures. From unexplained scratches and flying objects to eyewitness accounts that have fueled belief for generations, we examine the story that captivated believers and skeptics alike. But we don't stop at the ghost story. We also explore the psychological impact of trauma, the effects of a near-fatal assault, and why modern psychology offers another lens through which to understand Esther's experiences. Rather than asking listeners to choose between the supernatural and science, we examine how both perspectives have shaped this remarkable case for more than 140 years. Was Esther the victim of a malicious entity, a misunderstood survivor, or something far more complex? Join us as we unpack one of history's most compelling paranormal mysteries. Because sometimes the scariest stories aren't about ghosts—they're about what people survive.

  5. Aug 12

    37: Amway, Cult Tactics + a Congressman?

    What does the Heritage Foundation have to do with the most profitable MLM ever? This week, Jeri takes us through a deep dive of Amway (short for American Way), one of the most influential and recognizable multi-level marketing companies in the world. From its borrowed recruiting tactics to the powerful influences built around it, we look at how many MLMs use similar techniques found in high-control groups. We also explore Amway's political contributions... including the organization's ties to one of its most prominent supporters and what their role was in Congress... yes, the U.S. Government. In this episode, we talk about: How Amway became one of the largest MLMs in historyThe psychology behind MLM recruitment and retentionWhy some former distributors compare the experience to leaving a cultThe overlap between MLMs and high-control groupsThe company's influence in American politicsWhether success stories match the reality for most participants

  6. Aug 5

    36: Brick by Brick: How a LEGO Store Exposed Police Corruption

    What began as a simple LEGO consignment spiraled into a saga of criminal charges, disputed evidence, alleged police misconduct, and a community left wondering who could be trusted. In this episode, we unravel the extraordinary story behind the Utah Bricks & Minifigs controversy—from the Mansell family's original consignment and the takeover of the franchise, to Ben Schneider and the allegations, arrests, lawsuits, and unanswered questions that followed. As always, we separate documented facts from allegations, examine the competing narratives, and explore the psychology of authority, reputation, and what happens when ordinary disputes collide with extraordinary power. How does a neighborhood LEGO store become the center of one of Utah's most controversial ongoing legal battles? Join us as we break it down—brick by brick.

  7. May 27

    35: The Stolen Nganga + The Perversion of Palo Mayombe

    In 1989, a drug cult operating out of Matamoros, Mexico, was exposed when a member blew through a border checkpoint — believing himself invisible — and was followed straight back to Santa Elena Ranch. What investigators found was confusing and deeply disturbing. What the media told the world about it brought deep harm and stigma to one of the oldest continuously practiced African diasporic religions in the Western Hemisphere. The media called it voodoo, satanism, and black magic. What it actually was... one man's deliberate theft of a sacred tradition. Adolfo Constanzo took the vocabulary of Palo Mayombe and stripped out everything that did not serve him. What remained was a framework for murder, torture, coercion, and control, dressed in the robes of ancient tradition.

  8. May 21

    34: Prophet, Polygamist, and the Making of Mormon Utah - Brigham Young

    In the second episode of Heather's Mormonism in Utah series, we pick up after the death of Joseph Smith, when the future of the Mormon movement was uncertain. Into leadership stepped a carpenter-turned-apostle who would lead thousands of followers across the American frontier and transform the desert of Utah Territory into the center of a new religious empire. Brigham Young was more than a pioneer; he practiced and fiercely defended polygamy, married dozens of women, fathered more than fifty children, amassed extraordinary political power, and governed both church and state. Under his leadership, Mormonism expanded rapidly. His legacy is tied to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the Utah War, and teachings that continue to be highly debated in modern day. In this episode, we examine the life of Brigham Young from multiple perspectives: faithful believers and critics. We explore how Young impacted the religious, political, and cultural landscape of the American West. Sources: “Brigham Young.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Brigham-Young “Joseph Smith.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Smith-American-religious-leader “Succession Crisis (Latter Day Saints).” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_crisis_(Latter_Day_Saints) “The Nauvoo Crisis and the Twelve.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/succession-in-the-presidency “Sidney Rigdon and the Succession Crisis.” Joseph Smith Papers Project. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/articles/sidney-rigdon-succession-crisis “Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve.” Joseph Smith Papers Project. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/articles/brigham-young-and-the-twelve “Succession of Church Leadership.” BYU Studies Quarterly. https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/succession-in-the-presidency/ Saints Unscripted. Who Was Brigham Young? YouTube. Saints Unscripted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wY0gQ8o0tQ Biography. Brigham Young: Mormon Leader and Colonizer of the American West. YouTube. A&E Television Networks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mB4L5vXK4I

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Hosted by two close friends, one a therapist raised Southern Baptist, now agnostic; the other a spiritually curious ex-Catholic who believes in ghosts and is terrified of demons... we dive into dark tales and crimes committed in the name of God (or the devil). Through ethical retellings of possessions, prophecies, cults, and beliefs, we investigate spirituality, belief systems, and the ambiguous psychological spaces in between.

Information

  • Creator
    Altar Ego
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Altar Ego
  • Show Website
    Altar Ego