Checkmate: Chess Master Danny Rensch on Leaving the Church of Immortal Consciousness (Part 1)
A Little Bit Culty3 Marras 2025

Checkmate: Chess Master Danny Rensch on Leaving the Church of Immortal Consciousness (Part 1)

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.


How do you go from barefoot kid to international chess master and co-founder of Chess.com? In this epic first installment, we sat with Danny Rensch to peel back the curtain on his wild journey growing up in the Church of Immortal Consciousness—a high-control Arizona collective commune led by a self-proclaimed trance medium guided by the spirit of "Dr. Duran." Danny shares what life was like growing up in a merged-finances, communal-living environment fueled by spiritual teachings, EST-style group processing, and just enough bathwater-sharing to make any outsider's eyebrows shoot up.


From childhood freedom and chaos to early red flags, shifting loyalties, and the beginnings of his path out via chess, Danny’s story is a rollercoaster of agency, paradox, and hope. Expect deep dives into cult philosophy, spiritual skepticism, the lure of community, and how genius can bloom in the strangest soil—all before we even get to the chess part. Come for the cult tale and stay for the cliffhanger: part two is a pawn move away.


Whether or not you play chess you MUST check out Danny’s memoir, Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life. Also, follow him on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn.


Also…let it be known that:


The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.


**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book here

Check out our amazing sponsors

Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon

Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

Support the pod and smash this link

Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources

Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred


CREDITS:

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

Audio production: Will Retherford

Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore

Writer: Sandra Nomoto

Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin


SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:

This month, don’t wait to reach out. Whether you're checking in on a friend, or reaching out to a therapist yourself, Betterhelp makes it easier to take that first step. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/culty.


Knock out all your holiday gifting needs today with MeUndies. To get exclusive holiday deals up to 50% off, go to MeUndies.com/culty and enter promo code culty.


Take advantage of this exclusive offer: For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/culty and use code culty.


Don’t let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code CULTY at monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jaksot(321)

Is Landmark a Cult? Anne Peterson Returns (Part 1)

Is Landmark a Cult? Anne Peterson Returns (Part 1)

In Part 1 of this conversation, former Landmark Forum staffer Anne Peterson returns to update us about life post-Is This a Cult? book launch. She takes us back inside the transformational training mac...

26 Tammi 45min

Ma Will See You Now: Chasing Nirvana with Priya Hutner (Part 2)

Ma Will See You Now: Chasing Nirvana with Priya Hutner (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our conversation with Priya Hutner, we keep pulling back the curtain on life inside the Kashi Ashram and the world surrounding Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati (“Ma”), including what happens when d...

22 Tammi 38min

Ma Will See You Now: Chasing Nirvana with Priya Hutner (Part 1)

Ma Will See You Now: Chasing Nirvana with Priya Hutner (Part 1)

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.In Part 1 of our conversation with writer Priya Hutner, she takes us inside her years at the Kashi Ashram, a spiritual community led by guru Ma Jaya Sati Bhagav...

19 Tammi 36min

My Toxic Father and Bahai: Jared Van Driessche’s Survival Story (Part 2)

My Toxic Father and Bahai: Jared Van Driessche’s Survival Story (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our conversation with Jared Van Driessche, we go even deeper into what happens when you start questioning the system you were raised in, especially when that system is built on family, fa...

15 Tammi 36min

My Toxic Father and Bahai: Jared Van Driessche’s Survival Story (Part 1)

My Toxic Father and Bahai: Jared Van Driessche’s Survival Story (Part 1)

In Part 1 of our conversation, security specialist Jared Van Driessche shares the story behind his polished “protector” persona: growing up in a Bahá’í family with a controlling and volatile father, a...

12 Tammi 44min

Cults to Consciousness: Shelise Ann Sola on Post-Mormon Podcast Life (Part 2)

Cults to Consciousness: Shelise Ann Sola on Post-Mormon Podcast Life (Part 2)

In Part 2 with artist and ex-Mormon creator Shelise Ann Sola, we pick up with what happens after you walk away from the LDS Church: family fallout, reclaiming your body and sexuality from modesty/puri...

8 Tammi 47min

Cults to Consciousness: Shelise Ann Sola on Post-Mormon Podcast Life (Part 1)

Cults to Consciousness: Shelise Ann Sola on Post-Mormon Podcast Life (Part 1)

In the first part of our conversation, artist, podcaster, and former Mormon Shelise Ann Sola joins us to talk about growing up in a devout Latter-day Saint (LDS) family. She internalized “perfect girl...

5 Tammi 42min

Setting Healthy Boundaries: Elicia Ybarra on Red Flags in Martial Arts (Part 2)

Setting Healthy Boundaries: Elicia Ybarra on Red Flags in Martial Arts (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our conversation with Elicia Ybarra, she unpacks her path to healing through EMDR trauma therapy. She realized how buried triggers from years of grooming and abuse sabotaged her marriage ...

1 Tammi 37min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-narsisti
adhd-podi
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
rss-rahamania
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-psykalab
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2
rss-niinku-asia-on
kesken
psykologia
rss-valo-minussa-2
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
puhutaan-koiraa
filocast-filosofian-perusteet
rss-rentotapaus
rss-lasnaolon-hetkia-mindfulness-tutuksi
rahapuhetta