Generation Cult

Jan 03 2025 51 ep. 49 mins 289

Generation Cult Podcast artwork

An interview show about people who grew up in cults and how they adjusted to mainstream society after they left.

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System Breakdowns & Perpetual Coercion with Brenda

Jan 03 2025 50 mins

Brenda was "mentored" by the former leader of Students of Light, a Toronto-based esoteric group inspired by teachings by Carl Jung and H.P. Blavatsky, from the age of 11 to almost 17. She pursued legal action against him in 1997, and he was eventually arrested in 2019 and extradited to Canada to be charged with rape and assault of a minor. Her case was plagued with delays and pr

Another Legal Chat with Carol!

Dec 23 2024 41 mins

We've brought back a fan favorite from Season 3 for an update on litigation cult survivors can bring against their abusers, and this time we're also tackling the dreaded topic of defamation. Carol Merchasin, an attorney with the firm McAllister Olivarius, has had some success bringing lawsuits on behalf of people who were sexually abused in Buddhist, yoga and cult-like groups. Her

Estranged from Mormon Royalty with Lynn

Nov 26 2024 41 mins

Estrangement is a traumatic topic, no matter your family of origin, but it feels unavoidable when you reject your tribe’s religious ideologies. Lynn knows this well. She was raised in Salt Lake City on a Mormon pedestal: the great-great grand-niece of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church. It was a bit like being royalty. But then she rejected the whole thing. No one of he

The Cult of Oregon with Jesse

Oct 27 2024 54 mins

Jesse grew up in "the perfect church," or so he was told. The small, albeit pushy congregation his life centered around in the town of Oregon, IL seemed almost ideal as a small child. But then the immortal leader died. She didn't come back to life like she was supposed to. And the new leader liked restrictions. There were so many restrictions. Jesse found himself trapped in a cycl

Leaving Christian Science Pod with Hilary

Sep 29 2024 53 mins

Most people have heard of Christian Science and passed by the reading rooms, but how much do you know about it? Hilary grew up as a radical reliant Christian Scientist, which meant her family avoided medical intervention in favor of prayer to try to cure ailments. She lived to talk about it, but others weren't so lucky. As an adult, Hilary became an atheist and started the Leavin

Sharing the Knowledge with Susan

Sep 03 2024 54 mins

When Susan was 13, her stepdad brought her into what was then known as the Divine Light Mission, an organization led by Prem Rawat (aka Guru Maharaj Ji, aka The Boy Guru, aka Lord of the Universe, aka The Perfect Master. ... etc.) She became a believer and eventually moved into one of the ashrams while she was still a teen. By that time, Susan was grappling with a disturbing incide

3HO Reparations with Philip and Stacie

Jun 23 2024 48 mins

Philip and Stacie wrote about a recent reparations program meant to address complaints made for decades against 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy Organization), led by the late Yogi Bhajan, who started Kundalini Yoga. Join us for a discussion with these two writers about the second generation of 3HO. The children of those who joined the organization felt like they were screaming into a vo

BONUS: Season 2 Rebroadcast No Horses in India with Narangkar

Jun 21 2024 54 mins

We're rebroadcasting an episode from 2019 to remind you about a guest from Generation Cult's first episode of Season 2. Narangkar is an artist who grew up in 3HO (Healthy, Happy Holy Organization), which is connected to Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma. Narangkar and her two sisters navigated a troubling childhood during their time within the group that included neglect, child-swappi

The Farm and The Neon Sun with Kate

May 10 2024 43 mins

Kate grew up in the secluded High View Church Farm where children worked and lived in militant conditions, rarely saw their families, and had little contact with the outside world. She left with only a couple of dollars in her pocket and no idea if that was a lot of money or not. Education was a lifeline but it's also pretty expensive. Kate lived in her car some of the time to sav

Rejecting Race Rhetoric with Amanda

Apr 30 2024 55 mins

The church Amanda grew up in was started by a man known for his ejection from the KKK for being too militant. The tight and secretive community that revolved around the church valued white supremacy, male dominance, and obedience. Amanda had a lot of questions. A girl with questions wasn't valued in this community. Neither were women who wore pants or got educations. She did a lot