Cults to Consciousness

As the 13th wife of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, Ada Marie was extremely devout in her faith and belief in her prophet and husband. Even from prison, the entire church population was conditioned to believe he was innocent and persecuted by the government. However, as the years went on, Ada explains how his prophesies and commandments would get more and more odd and demanding. He would continue splitting up families, send people all over different states, disfellowship, then re-baptize and for some, completely cut them off. Ada was sent away for what was supposed to be 10 months. Five years later, she realized even if he allowed her back home, she wouldn’t go. This is the slow process of how she deconstructed from the fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Watch pt. 1 of Ada's interview here Watch this episode on YouTube here Connect with Ada! IG: @adadraper1 FB: Ada Draper Our Merch! Patreon: Patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast Website CultsToConsciousness.com Find Shelise on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness Host Instagram @sheliseann TikTok @cults.to.consciousness Twitter @cultstocon Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Chapter Markers: 00:04:13 Does Warren believe his own theatrics? 00:10:04 How Warren treated Ada Marie 00:15:27 How many wives Warren had and how they always had to be "ready" 00:23:10 Warren's wild instructions from prison 00:26:22 Warren gave revelation to take away certain foods 00:30:25 The rollercoaster of Warren's revelations- forced to move 00:35:56 Ada Marie's mother is pun*shed and sent away as a "forever non-member" 00:41:44 Warren doesn't let a woman get lifesaving healthcare 00:43:59 Warren sends Ada Marie away from the "faithful" 00:50:06 She had to find her first job in her 30s in the "outside world" 00:52:34 When she first wore pants instead of her FLDS dress 00:55:59 Learning that outsiders were good people 00:57:53 TW: CSA- Warren m*lested his own daughters 00:59:50 Ada Marie starts to wonder if she actually wants to go back 01:14:39 How Ada Marie is doing now! 01:19:39 Linda, Listen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Sep 20241h 23min

Warren Jeffs, currently in prison for CSA, is the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, otherwise known as the FLDS. He claims that God commanded him to take dozens of wives, some of whom were as young as 12 years old. In his enormous temple/compound that his members built in Texas, he conducted what he called “heavenly sessions” which were essentially big orgies with his wives, which he taped. Ultimately, his disturbing records is what got him put into prison, but he continues to send revelations, which get more and more outlandish, to his faithful members on the outside. Watch this episode on YouTube here Watch pt. 2 of Ada's interview here Connect with Ada! IG: @adadraper1 FB: Ada Draper Support Shelise + Jonathan Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast **FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However,  you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations.   Click here to go to the official booking page Our Merch!Patreon: Patreon.com/cultstoconsciousnessVenmo @sheliseannAny donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcastWebsite CultsToConsciousness.comFind Shelise on Social media!Instagram @cultstoconsciousnessHost Instagram @sheliseannTikTok @cults.to.consciousnessTwitter @cultstoconTheme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

19 Sep 20241h 35min

An ex-Muslim man converts his entire family to Mormonism when missionaries knock on his door. His stroke of genius combined with schizophrenia and tendency towards extreme punishments and every type of ab*se, created a cult-like environment for his chiIdren. He created his own religion and wrote a 2422 page manuscript of his own holy text. We take a look at his mindset and life through the lens of his son Adrian. Adding further clarification and commentary on generational trauma, Sami, Adrian’s daughter, joins us. Find Sami on social media: YouTube @mildwestsami IG: @mild_west_sami Support Shelise Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast **FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However, you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations. Click here to go to the official booking page Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon Venmo @sheliseann Find Shelise on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness Host Instagram @sheliseann TikTok @cults.to.consciousness Twitter @cultstocon Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara Adrian's father's chiIdhood in India and transition to America Effraim's mental illness impact Adrian's traumatic chiIdhood dynamics Adrian's guilt and shame and its breeding ground for Mormonism Growing up with drugs in the home TW: CSA How boys and girls were treated differently Converting to Mormonism How things changed in Adrian's household after converting Justifying Mormon beliefs Adrian's father becomes a prophet What Effraim's Book of the Priesthood of God contains The Table of Contents Is Effraim's Book historically accurate? Effraim becoming God TW: Suicide ideation Adrian standing up to his father's abuse Adrian's relationship with his mom during all everything happening with his father Sami's chiIdhood and the impact of Mormonism Leaving Mormonism and becoming authentic What happened with Adrian's father? **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

18 Sep 20241h 35min

Outsiders often criticize Mormonism for its wild beliefs and the scandalous actions of the founding prophet Joseph Smith, but the member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are left in the dark about the truth of it history. Carah Burrell  @CarahBurrell  and Shelise, examine the life and actions of Joseph Smith from a non-faith promoting, historical view, different from their Mormon upbringing. From the ugly truth about polygamy, a Mormon Militia, and original secret temple rituals to Joseph Smith’s personal hit man, we cover it all! Carah's Greece opportunity has passed Find Carah on social media: YouTube IG @nuancehoe **FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However, you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations. Click here to go to the official booking page https://trovatrip.com/trip/central-america/costa-rica/costa-rica-with-shelise-sola-aug-2024 Support Shelise Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! https://cults-to-consciousness-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find Shelise on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness https://www.instagram.com/cultstoconsiousness Host Instagram @sheliseann https://www.instagram.com/sheliseann/ TikTok @cults.to.consciousness https://www.tiktok.com/@cults.to.consciousness Twitter @cultstocon https://twitter.com/cultstocon Chapter Marks 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:01 Different branches of the Mormon church 00:08:57 Joseph Smith's early life & the fraud he was committing 00:11:59 The Book of Mormon as the keystone to the religion 00:16:27 Joseph Smith 00:29:13 Using women to manipulate other women 00:30:26 The "Happiness Letter" used to manipulate a young girl into marrying JS 00:37:27 The tactics JS used to score wives 00:42:27 Revelations at convenient times 00:45:48 How JS "translated" these holy revelations 00:55:29 How the LDS church hides truth 01:01:55 Ritualistic Free Mason temple ceremonies 01:11:25 Original temple rituals that were taken out 01:12:28 How did it end for JS? 01:26:19 Porter Rockwell- a hit man for JS 01:28:02 Back to the martyrdom of JS 01:34:59 Emma, the first wife of JS started her own branch 01:37:56 Why is there so much Mormon true crime happening now? 01:42:49 Linda, Listen Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

17 Sep 20241h 44min

*Content Warning: self harm, physical abuse*  Anonymous YouTuber Apostate Aladdin shares his story of becoming a man in an environment that used fear to keep boys and girls and men and women separated. This intense fear that men need to be kept away so they don’t act on their uncontrollable desires, left him feeling scared, targeted, alone and shameful. Here we learn about purity culture through a different lens and how he was able to overcome his fear of interacting with women so he could create positive friendships and relationships.Click here to watch on YouTubeLive episodes together where we discuss the similarities and differences between Islam and Mormonism:Part 1Part 2Part 3Find Apostate AladdinYouTube: @apostatealaddinIG: @apostatealaddinLinkTree**FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However,  you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations.   Click here to go to the official booking page Why AA wears a mask and has a pseudonym Specifically AA's experience & not every Muslim's experience Apostate as a derogatory term What kind of interactions were allowed with the opposite sex A young AA getting in trouble for liking a girl TW: CA- What happened when AA was caught texting a girl Vague rules within the purity culture he experienced Even young boys weren't allowed certain places alone What these restrictions did to the minds of boys and men The nightmare of puberty What happened when AA realized masturbation was considered a sin The pilgrimage- feeling unworthy  Was dating allowed? Does the hypersexualizaiton create odd turn ons? When did AA start pushing the boundaries? When did AA begin to have healthy interactions with women? What did AA find about Islam that he didn't resonate with? Did he convert his GF to being a Muslim? Where did AA land in his spirituality and relationships? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

3 Jun 20241h 15min

*Content Warning: Many mentions of physical abuse &  sexual abuse*  Tricked into moving to Iraq at age 14, Ellaf was separated from her mother and forced into a chiId marriage by her father who felt she was too much of a burden to raise. Ellaf’s husband was even more controlling than her father and knew that he could get away with hurting her in many ways, because she was alone in an unfamiliar country and didn’t know the culture or the language. Forbidden to use birth control, she had 3 chiIdren before she was 21 years old and after years of suffering, courageously stood up to both her husband and father and got away. This is her story of perseverance and victory against all odds.Click here to watch on YouTubeConnect with EllafIG @ellaf_altamimi**FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out!  However, you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations.  Click here to go to the official booking page  Our Merch! Patreon: Patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast Website CultsToConsciousness.com Find Shelise on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness Host Instagram @sheliseann TikTok @cults.to.consciousness Twitter @cultstocon Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Jun 20241h 12min

*Content Warning: Domestic Violence, SA, CA* Determined to fight for the human rights of the oppressed, Yasmine Mohammed speaks out and shares her experiences with Islam extremism.  Her mother forced her to marry a terrorist and it wasn’t until she fell pregnant with a daughter that made her realize she had to escape in order to secure her a better life. In search of freedom, she also found her voice and now she platforms countless other people who share their experiences.Find and support Yasmine!Her book: “Unveiled: How Western Liberals Empower Radical Islam”The Yasmine Mohammed PodcastYouTube: @yasminemohammedxxNon-Profit: Free Hearts Free MindsWebsite: https://www.yasminemohammed.com/IG @yasmohammedxx**FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However,  you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations.   Click here to go to the official booking page Why is critiquing Islam is such a sensitive subject? What are some of the dangers of speaking out against Islam? Muslims vs the Islamic religion as a whole Yasmine on the current situation in Gaza TW: R*pe, SA- prisoners of war  How does this relate to Islamic doctrine? The nuance of Islam vs Palestine  Some of the good that has happened How Yasmine’s mother got more fundamentalist Forced to marry a member of Al-Qaeda What were some of the rules Yasmine had to follow as a chiId? TW: CA & SA- What was her stepfather like outside of his religious adherence? Did Yasmine ever fully believe in Islam? TW: DV& r*pe- Yasmine's first week of marriage How did racism effect Yasmine's ability to get help? Yasmine gets pregnant and has a daughter How University opened her mind What was the deconstruction process like for Yasmine? Creating your own values and morals after leaving a high demand religion  How did Yasmine's daughter impact her drive to change their lives?  Our Merch! Patreon: Patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast Website CultsToConsciousness.com Find Shelise on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness Host Instagram @sheliseann TikTok @cults.to.consciousness Twitter @cultstocon Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

31 Mai 20241h 50min

**Content Warning: DV, rape, SA** Tia Levings discusses her dark reality in Christian fundamentalism, with evangelical patriarchy and religious trauma.  Having appeared in the Amazon docu-series, Shiny Happy People, and written a harrowing memoir, A Well-Trained Wife she reveals how she had to save herself and her family and details the ways that extreme views can manifest in a marriage.Recruited into the fundamentalist Quiverfull movement as a young wife, Tia Levings learned that being a good Christian meant following a list of additional life principles––a series of secret, special rules to obey. Being a godly and submissive wife in Christian Patriarchy included strict discipline, isolation, and an alternative lifestyle that appeared wholesome to outsiders. Women were to be silent, “keepers of the home.” But in the patriarchy, a woman with opinions is in danger, and eventually, Tia faced an urgent and extreme choice: stay and face dire consequences, or flee with her children.Click here to watch on YouTubePre order Tia’s book: A Well-Trained WifeFind Tia on social media!IG:  @tialevingswriterThe Anti-Fundamentalist **FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However,  you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations.   Click here to go to the official booking page How Tia was raised that led to falling prey to her husband Did Tia's parents read her book? Nightmarish doctrine Tia learned in her youth All that's needed is a submissive and willing spirit You will drown in a lake of fire if you are not pleasing to God Selling the patriarchal movement to women- what that literally means Not allowed to have anything for yourself as a woman TW: Domestic ab*se- calling it a "correction" How Tia emerged from the isolation through secret online communication with women What it was like being a mother within this ab*sive reality Tia decided to escape when she saw how it was hurting her chiIdren  Tia's escape story How Tia's children handled it all  When did Tia feel safe enough to deconstruct and begin healing? Advice for someone going through a similar situation Our Merch!Patreon: Patreon.com/cultstoconsciousnessVenmo @sheliseannAny donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcastWebsite CultsToConsciousness.comFind Shelise on Social media!Instagram @cultstoconsciousnessHost Instagram @sheliseannTikTok @cults.to.consciousnessTwitter @cultstoconTheme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Mai 20241h 20min