Impolite Company with Demetra Gray

Demetra Gray
  • 3.2 (19)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We live in a time when it's hard to know what to trust or who to believe. Above all, it's important that we are allowed to question things and are allowed to speak. This podcast is about people who change their minds & worldviews and why. It's about unpopular opinions and how evil can masquerade as good. It's about questioning everything and the willingness to be wrong. It's about not walking on eggshells and the freedom of discussion between different parties without making judgements about the character of someone for holding their beliefs. It's about whistleblowers and former cult members and telling the stories of people who speak out. It's about being the one who is willing to speak and be considered "impolite" in society as long as it means we are holding up the truth to the light. If you'd like to tell your story, send me an email at demetra@demetragray.com.

  1. JAN 17

    #23: Finding a church home, questions, & our experiences of Orthodox, Catholic, & Protestant churches

    I'm pregnant!! So the podcast has been on a longer break than I expected. But here we are for a surprise one-off episode to give some updates. Kristin (whose first interview was back in episode 17) and I both recently moved to new places, and we both have the experience of going from New Age to Christian and now trying to find a home church. We've both been trying a variety of churches to see where we fit, and we share some of the things we've noticed here. You can also watch this episode on YouTube here

    2h 51m

  2. 07/04/2025

    #22: Podcast on a break, soft girl summer, joy, & life updates

    We are moving countries soon and the podcast is taking a break! Maybe it is a summer break or maybe we will never return. Only God knows the answer to these questions. Not joking. I tell you all about how much I miss Fourth of July and how I am taking all pressure off myself and having a season of joy and nourishment and fun, focusing on in-person life and how I feel about tech and social media. And I tell you about how fun this podcast has been to create :)

    1h 5m

  3. 06/27/2025

    #21: Narcissistic tactics, the cult mind, & how to heal from mind control | Danyelle part 2

    In this episode Danyelle and I go deeper into mind control tactics, how narcissists work, and how and why it's so easy to fall into their trap. We discuss cult dynamics and the cult mind, and what made us each more susceptible in our experiences. We also talk about exactly how Danyelle healed and what that experience looked like - plus we touch on eating disorders and how control of food and also sex can play into cults and cult recovery. Danyelle's first episode on this podcast was episode 13, where she told us the full story of how she grew up in a Christian cult, only to run away and be groomed into another, more intense cult full of sexual abuse and financial exploitation. Watch this episode on YouTube here

    3h 4m

  4. 06/20/2025

    #20: Desisting gender ideology & body dysmorphia, suppressed memories, demonic attack, & finding God

    A 28-year-old woman from the Netherlands joins us (anonymously) to talk about her experience with body dysmorphia and gender dysphoria, how she hated her breasts and wanted to cut them off (from puberty until age 25), and how she ended up discovering through therapy she was engaging in for another reason that this feeling was a result of memories she had completely suppressed of sexual assault. This story coincides and intertwines with her experience of finding God. She grew up in an atheist family and ended up playing around with the occult and New Age practices, only to have an absolutely chilling experience of a demonic spirit attacking someone in front of her, which turned her toward God. She is now deeply Christian. We discuss evil and our experiences with Christianity and how it’s easier to fight the enemy when you know it well.  Demetra's Substack Demetra's email list Watch this episode on YouTube here

    2h 10m

  5. 06/13/2025

    #19: The Aubrey Marcus drama, cult dynamics, Marc Gafni, & the sad attempt to redefine monogamy

    A few weeks ago, Aubrey Marcus released a podcast explaining how God told him to open up his marriage and find a younger woman and how the spirit of Isis told him to impregnate both of them. Our characters are Aubrey, 44; his wife Vylana, 38; the new addition Alana, 28; and Marc Ganfi, a culty ex-rabbi posing as a "relationship coach" who was accused of molesting young girls in his time as a youth leader. Jade and I dissect the dynamics of this podcast — about what we call "God," how we know "truth," the tactics narcissists use to manipulate others, our own experience in the sex coaching world, opinions on polyamory, and more. Videos referenced in this episode: The Aubrey Marcus podcast episode on YouTube Clip of Marc Gafni on Dr. Phil (a hilarious bit) Clip of Gafni on Dr. Phil where his victim explains her story Jennifer Jade Merrihue is a relationship coach, sexologist, & medicine woman. Her background is in philosophy, academia, neuropsych, CBT, Eastern & Western medicine and philosophies, Neotantra/Taoism, human sexuality, existential/ spiritual kink, alternative relationships and sacred sexuality, nutrition, relationships, trauma, Neurolinguistics, psychology… among many other things! You can connect with her on Instagram @jennifer.jade.merrihue or on her website merrihue.com.  Demetra's Substack Demetra's email list Watch this episode on YouTube here

    2h 23m

  6. 06/06/2025

    #18: Ex-Catholic and disillusionment with faith, controversial societal viewpoints, & exploring areas where we disagree | Dylan Bain

    Dylan was once in school to become a Jesuit priest, but after a heartbreak and disillusionment with the people around him, he left the church to find himself. We talk about abortion (Dylan used to be pro-life and is now pro-choice, I used to be pro-choice and now am pro-life), assisted suicide and how much role the government should have in our lives, and capitalism’s influence on feminism. We discuss the US healthcare system, the importance of accountability in conservatism, and if human morality solely comes from faith. We also touch on how women should not be priests, why Dylan feels spiritual experiences come mainly from human connection, his experience witnessing the Jesuits around him, sin, good and evil, shame, and freedom. We talk about the transgender epidemic, the role of family in society, and how suburban living could be the root cause of a lot of our societal distress. Dylan talks about his past experiences and future aspiration with political activism.  Dylan Bain, CPA, MBA, is the managing partner at TrueNorth CPAs, bringing over a decade of expertise in tax and accounting. A former math teacher and wrestling coach, Dylan is passionate about education and mentorship. He’s deeply involved in men’s work, including with The Savage Legion. Dylan’s journey also includes an aspiration to become a priest, informed by his extensive education in Catholic schools from kindergarten through graduate studies. Though he no longer identifies as Christian, he remains profoundly influenced by Jesuit philosophy, especially the concept of cura personalis, which emphasizes care for the whole person. A devoted family man, he shares his life with his amazing wife and two beautiful daughters.

    3h 3m

  7. 05/30/2025

    #17: Catholic to New Age to Christian, spiritual attack, evil pretends to be good, and are all these Christians really Christian? | Kristin Giacopelli

    Kristin used to travel the world and be super into New Age spirituality, and after finding God she’s finding herself settling down somewhere in the US and discovering who she is now. We discuss how an experience with a demonic spirit following her around and attacking her led her back to Christianity. She talks about discovering Protestantism, how she feels about astrology and those types of things now, being obedient to God, and sanctification. I share my experience with Christianity and how God has changed me. We talk about how our role is not to judge others, lukewarm Christians, navigating friendships through changing political beliefs, being a woman, HouseInhabit, and listening to God.  Kristin always had a heart for truth, and a mind full of existential questions revolving around what life is and who are we. This curiosity led to explorations of many kinds including a tour around the world focused on breaking familial/cultural programming while also seeking out ancient healing & spiritual traditions. At 18, she renounced the Catholic Church she grew up in and became steeped in the New Age beliefs, she added studies of shamanism, eastern traditions and varying spiritual/energetic practices over the years. The search felt endless and harrowing. After years of spiritual warfare and spending most of her life as a foreigner to both God and America, she returned to each one over the last few years. God led her to receiving Jesus and after learning the Truth of who He is, she was directed back to the USA. After 13 years abroad in Bali & Australia, she's now on a search for a God centered home, husband, community & church. She can be found on Instagram @where_being_resides and on Substack @KristinGiacopelli (more writing to come).  Demetra's Substack Demetra's website Watch this episode on YouTube here

    2h 43m

  8. 05/23/2025

    #16: Coping with grief, losing a loved one, anger, the medical system, & when spiritual practices fail to help | Christina

    Christina and I discuss her mom’s journey with cancer and how Christina has navigated her death. We also discuss all the loss she has witnessed as a paramedic, my brother’s car accident and my own experience of loss, culty health beliefs (like Christina’s experience of Scientologists), the things people say during grief that are not helpful, feeling angry and “irrational” feelings after loss, the role of paramedics in choosing when someone dies, organ donation, and the spiritual aspects of loss and death. We also talk about not giving all your trust to doctors, how to help people cope with grief, & many more things! Christina is a paramedic first responder, nurse, and new mother of an 8-month-old boy. She spent many years deeply immersed in all things yoga, meditation, and Eastern medicine. Having lived in four states across both coasts and the Midwest, she has gained insight from her experiences in both traditional healthcare and New Age practices. Demetra's Substack Demetra's email list Watch this episode on YouTube here

    1h 60m
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Ratings & Reviews

3.2
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

We live in a time when it's hard to know what to trust or who to believe. Above all, it's important that we are allowed to question things and are allowed to speak. This podcast is about people who change their minds & worldviews and why. It's about unpopular opinions and how evil can masquerade as good. It's about questioning everything and the willingness to be wrong. It's about not walking on eggshells and the freedom of discussion between different parties without making judgements about the character of someone for holding their beliefs. It's about whistleblowers and former cult members and telling the stories of people who speak out. It's about being the one who is willing to speak and be considered "impolite" in society as long as it means we are holding up the truth to the light. If you'd like to tell your story, send me an email at demetra@demetragray.com.

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