The Ties That Bind: Ariel Anderssen on Cults to Kink

A Little Bit Culty – Dr. Janja Lalich’s book about the cult recovery process was a game changer for Sarah and Nippy when they first began unpacking their NXIVM experiences. It still is. As Nippy says: “She's someone who has been through (her own) heavy duty cult indoctrination, woken up, gotten her way out. She's kept on going. She's dedicated her life to helping other people understand how cults operate and how to come back from them.” In this episode, Sarah and Nippy reconnect with Dr. Lalich for a conversation about her journey from cult member to author-expert, and her insights on NXIVM’s now incarcerated founder, Keth Raniere. They also explore what leads people into abusive dynamics, what can pull them back in, and tools for getting back on track.  About Dr. Lalich: Janja Lalich, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups, with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social movements, ideology and social control, and issues of gender and sexuality. Dr. Lalich has written and lectured extensively, and her most recent book is Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships (Bay Tree Publishing, 2006), which is a  fully-revised and expanded edition of her first book, Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, which has been the number-one book used by former cult members and their friends and families to better understand cult experiences and their consequences. A former Fulbright scholar, Dr. Lalich is Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico. Learn more about her work at: cultresearch.org A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

22 Mar 20211h 12min

A Little Bit Culty – Sometimes you just have to call it. Mike Rinder was born and raised in Scientology and rose to the very top of the church’s worldwide hierarchy to become its international spokesperson and head of Special Affairs for over 20 years. But when he escaped the organization in 2007, he cut his losses; leaving with only a briefcase and the clothes on his back. In this episode, Mike joins Sarah and Nippy to talk about the trail he blazed out of Scientology, the ongoing work of whistleblowing, and what it’s like to be a dissident when you’re going up against a monolith. They also do a deep dive on Scientology dogma, the next-level mindfuckery in the L. Ron Hubbard and Keith Raniere playbooks, and the joys of post-cult living.  About Mike Rinder: Mike’s unique voice and perspective has inspired people around the world. As a well-known whistleblower exposing abuses in Scientology, he’s teamed up with Leah Remini for the groundbreaking, Emmy-winning A&E series Scientology and the Aftermath, and the Scientology: Fair Game podcast. Mike is also an ambassador and on the board of Child USA, a non-profit working to bring justice for victims of child sexual abuse and is a founding board member of the Aftermath Foundation dedicated to helping people escape from scientology. Learn more about Mike at: mikerindersblog.org A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Follow Mike: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

15 Mar 20211h 23min

A Little Bit Culty: What’s it like to break up with a powerful, hyper-litigious religious organization while the whole world watches? What’s life like for a fiery changemaker, post-Aftermath? On this episode of A Little Bit Culty, Sarah and Nippy welcome truth teller Leah Remini for a conversation about her headline-making break with the Church of Scientology and her ongoing work to expose the truth about the organization. They chat about the Fair Game doctrine, the parallels between their escape stories, and what they’ve learned so far about what it takes to heal that shit. About Leah Remini: As creator and executive producer of A&E Network’s hit nonfiction docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology & The Aftermath, she’s investigated the truth behind the Church of Scientology with the kind of unapologetic gutsiness that helped her forge a enduring and successful career in Hollywood.  The Emmy Winning actress, producer and author of the New York Times Best Seller Troublemaker chronicles her remarkable journey out of Scientology and toward emotional and spiritual freedom, both for herself and for her family.  Her new podcast with Mike Rinder, Scientology: Fair Game takes listeners behind the facade and exposes the terrible truth about the Fair Game doctrine the organization has used for 5 decades to destroy anyone they label an enemy. A Little Bit Culty is a proud community partner of the #iGotOut Project. Learn more and find helpful resources for healing, education and prevention at igotout.org. CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Follow Leah Remini: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

8 Mar 20211h 9min

A Little Bit Culty – What’s the difference between a cult and something that’s just a little bit culty? What should Sarah and Nippy tell their kids when they’re old enough to ask about NXIVM? How do you protect yourself from mind control? On this episode of A Little Bit Culty, our co-hosts chat with cult expert and author Dr. Steven Hassan about what makes people universally vulnerable to undue influence and cultic abuse; how to spot red flags; and some of the striking similarities between Keith Raniere and Donald Trump. They also explore Dr. Hassan’s cult origin story as a former member of the Moon cult, as well as his groundbreaking BITE Model that demystifies the methods that cults deploy to recruit and maintain control over people. Sarah also shares a (ahem) juicy story about a WTF moment of truth about a certain dietary mystery among the women of NXIVM that always perplexed her. About Dr. Steven Hassan: As one of the world’s leading authorities on cults, Dr. Steven Hassan has been helping people wake up, leave, and heal from cultic abuse for over forty years as a mental health professional, consultant, and educator. He is the founding director of the Freedom of Mind Resource Center, an organization that specializes in providing acute intensive care for people exiting destructive environments. Dr. Hassan is also the author of four books, including Combating Cult Mind Control, Freedom of Mind, and most recently: The Cult of Trump. About the BITE Model, as quoted from the Freedom of Mind Resource center site at Freedomofmind.com: “Based on research and theory by Robert Jay Lifton, Margaret Singer, Edgar Schein, Louis Jolyon West, and others who studied brainwashing in Maoist China as well as cognitive dissonance theory by Leon Festinger, Steven Hassan developed the BITE Model to describe the specific methods that cults use to recruit and maintain control over people. “BITE” stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control. A Little Bit Culty is a proud community partner of the #iGotOut Project. Learn more and find helpful resources for healing, education and prevention at igotout.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1 Mar 20211h 4min

A Little Bit Culty – In this premiere episode of A Little Bit Culty, co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames catch listeners up on life since NXIVM, and their new normal as whistleblowers documented in the critically-acclaimed HBO series The Vow. The pair share the story of how the A Little Bit Culty podcast came to be, and state some intentions and ground rules up front. Namely, as co-hosts of the podcast, they don’t want to be in the business of punching down on people who are still in cults. They also state their mission to be as responsible as possible with the platform, and to help other people by having the honest, informed conversations they wish they’d heard when they were in NXIVM.  Sarah and Nippy also discuss how the experience of leaving NXIVM has affected their relationship and their outlook now: especially in the aftermath of Keith Raniere’s conviction and 120 year prison sentence. They also tackle some burning questions from people who’ve followed their story closely: Did Keith ever hit on Sarah? Where did Nippy get his name? Are you still friends with anyone from NXIVM, and do you ever want to talk to Lauren or Nancy again? Then they wrap it all up by sharing a few of the less headline-worthy things that really chapped their ass about NXIVM: from the organization’s flying monkeys and fixers, to  office politics and full-on interoffice polyamory. A Little Bit Culty is a proud community partner of the #iGotOut Project. Learn more and find helpful resources for healing, education and prevention at igotout.org. CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1 Mar 202140min

Think you might be in a cult? Want to know the signs? Join Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames to talk about things that are...a little bit culty. Or in their case: a whole bunch of culty. As whistleblowers documented in the critically-acclaimed HBO series “The Vow,” Sarah and Nippy have a lot to say about their experience, and burning questions to ask people with similar stories. They’re here to help people understand, heal from, and avoid abusive situations one little red flag at a time. Listen in as they share their stories, have frank and unscripted conversations with other survivors and cult experts, and do a deep dive on how devotion can turn to dysfunction.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Feb 20212min