256 episodes
Cult Hackers Cult Hackers
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- Society & Culture
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4.9 • 23 Ratings
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A podcast about cult hacking! Cracking the code to understand what cults are, how they work, how people leave and how to make sense of the world after leaving.
Father and daughter team, media graduate Celine and former cult member, now organizational psychologist Stephen, explore how cults work, why they are so dangerous and the experience of leaving and making sense of the world. They speak to cult hackers from all over the world, from ex members to academics, from writers to filmmakers, and from therapists to activists.
Copyright Stephen Mather 2022
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The Cultic Bug In The System
For this week's podcast Celine and Stephen discuss the "software bug" inherent in human beings that makes us vulnerable to cults and their leaders.
The article on Medium https://medium.com/
To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/
To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts
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Understanding Magical Thinking with Spencer Watson
This week Stephen talks to Spencer Watson from the Truth Unrestricted Podcast about the question of 'Magical Thinking'. What is it? How is it different from scientific thinking? Why is it attractive? Why do ex cult members have a special interest in it? and many more questions. It's a bumper discussion this week that gets into some deep stuff as well as Spencer asking Stephen about his experience of making sense of life after leaving his cult.
To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/
To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts
Spencer's podcast
Truth Unrestricted : https://pod.link/1613105409
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Deconstructing the Certainty of Fundamentalism with Olivia Jackson
When you're a member of a fundamentalist religious group, you find comfort in the certain knowledge that you have "The Truth". Leaving is partly a journey of coming to terms with uncertainty. Olivia Jackson herself a former member of such a group, has created an impressive piece of work, where she has interviewed 140 former members at various stages of deconstruction from former fundamentalist beliefs. Olivia is thoughtful and eloquent and treats the topic with respectfulness and curiosity.
To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/
To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts
To Contact Olivia
Instagram @deconstructingwriter
https://www.oliviajacksonwriter.com/book/ -
Cult Hackers Birthday Party
Join the party to listen to some of our nearly 100 hundred different guests over the last three years. We chat over a glass of virtual bubbly to ex members of groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Children of God, NXIVM, Rajneeshpuram, Evangelicalism, Amish, Christian Fundamentalism and Conspiracism.
Guests featured:
Lizzie Ens, former Amish
Brent Lee, former Conspiracist
Daniella Mestyanek Young, Army Veteran and former member of the Children of God
Chris French, Emeritus Professor of Anomalistic Psychology Goldsmiths UOL
Susan Dones, ex NXIVM
Daniel Allen Cox, Author and Former Jehovah's Witness
Rachael Reign, Activist and Former UCKG
Clare Alison Hams, Therapist and Former Jehovah's Witness
JT and Lady Cee, YouTubers and ex Jehovah's Witnesses
Dr Heather Ransom, Academic and ex Jehovah's Witness
Alexander Millar, Artist and ex Jehovah's Witness
Ali Millar, Author and ex Jehovah's Witness
Kacey, Cult Vault Podcast
Dr Alexandra Stein, Academic
Daniel Stricker, Former Member KwaSizabantu
Erika Bornman, Former Member KwaSizabantu
Kendra Bryan, Former Evangelical
Nicola Ranson, Former Member Rajneeshpuram
Riley, YouTuber and Former Jehovah Witness
To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/
To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts
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Discovering who you are after the cult, with Rachel Bernstein
Celine and Stephen speak to cult expert, therapist and podcaster, Rachel Bernstein about her introduction into the topic, her work as a therapist helping leavers and her thoughts on the anti-cult ecosystem. Such a thrill to speak to Rachel about her work, her experiences and her insights into cults.
To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/
To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts
Links about today's guest
Indoctrination podcast: https://www.podpage.com/indoctrination/
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White Christian Nationalism and Conspiracy Theories
Today we're joined by Cynane, a former member of a fundamentalist Christian group. Cynane is writing a book about the links between Fundamentalism, white Christian Nationalism and conspiracy theories. Cynane talks about her life as an evangelical Christian and how lizard people and space lasers led her out.
To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/
To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts
Witness Underground Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/witnessunderground/431102735?ref=akkj92&token=3e50ed5a
Cynane's website https://takingoffthetinfoilhat.com/
Customer Reviews
Interesting, informative, and important!
Really important conversations and insights that are easy to understand and apply to real life.
Interesting to listen to, friendly to talk to.
I’ve been enjoying the analysis, storytelling, and discussion on this show for about a year now and I was very grateful to be welcomed on to have a discussion on the intersection and conflict of my political beliefs with JW teachings. I really appreciate the show’s desire to really grapple with topics and explore them fully. We need more of that in this world.
“Jonestown in Slow Motion”
I listened to the podcast about Christian Science with Hillary Alexander. It’s hard to believe that such 18th century beliefs are still being held in the mind of people in this day and age.
I like the interviewers and the person interviewed did a good job explaining the horror that is Christian Science (not to be confused with Scientology).
I look forward to more podcasts on this topic and on the other cult topics too.
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