Leaving Conspiracism with Brent Lee: Taking Ownership and The Social Cost

Celine and Stephen are joined by Micki, AKA Apostate Barbie, from Instagram and Tic Tok. Micki tells us about her journey out of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Challenging an aunt about outlandish QANON conspiracy theories, made her consider her own beliefs - not the first time we've heard our guests speak of this type of exit, from Christian Fundamentalist beliefs. Micki talks about the help and support she has experienced from other former Jehovah's Witnesses and also some of her observations about ex Jehovah's Witness communities in general. Micki's Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apostatebarbie/ Tik Tok: @apostatebarbie Cult Hackers  To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts

6 Jan 20241h 1min

A follow-up to the conversation Stephen had with Spencer Watson from the Truth Unrestricted Podcast about magical thinking. This time Stephen was a guest on Spencer's show and this audio is brought to you by his permission. They discuss developmental psychology and how babies and children develop an understanding of a world apart from themselves and then symbolic thought. Spencer proposes a concept called pseudo-tangibility to describe how we may be creating tangible models and symbols to explain intangible and sometimes magical beliefs.  To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts

3 Jan 202453min

Jan Frode Nilsen has a long-form interview with Stephen about his work exposing the damaging shunning policies of Jehovah's Witnesses, and his appearance as a witness for the Norwegian government in recent court cases. He also talks about his own experience as a former member raised in the group. Documents related to the case on: Avoid JW website Recording of elders visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RkXsh332Fo To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts

30 Dec 20231h 8min

Losing friends, making new ones, reuniting with old ones, all at the same time as finding yourself. Friendships can be a tricky thing after leaving a cult. This week some of the Cult Hacker Patreon supporters join Celine and Stephen on a panel of former Jehovah's Witnesses, to explore the process of finding and making friendships outside a high-control group. Maryann, Regina, Vincent, Tanya, Riley from the Jexit Channel and Scott from Witness Underground, discuss their own experiences of building a social world following isolation after leaving. They discuss their mistakes and lessons learned, and how they've come through the process. Christmas can also be a tricky time around friendships so the panel talk about their preferred way of either embracing it or escaping it. To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts Other Links Wikipedia article about the 'Friendship Paradox' as mentioned by Vincent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendship_paradox

23 Dec 20231h 7min

This short bonus episode is the audio version of a blog Stephen recently published on Medium. Many leavers of high control religions use 'waking up' as a metaphor for realising the group we had been a member of had been telling us lies, and that we had a warped worldview. The film 'The Matrix' holds resonance for many of us. In this short piece Stephen explores this, and another movie about dreaming and waking up - Inception. Upon leaving, knowing how to relate to the world is difficult and a learned suspicion of authority can sometimes lead us into fringe belief systems and Stephen reflects upon his own journey and what he learned. The Medium Blog: The Medium Blog To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts

19 Dec 202315min

In the late 70s Sharon and Tracey were attracted to "The Jesus People" and joined the Last Days Ministries, living on a cult commune as teenagers with rock star Keith Green and the community he built. As teenagers they believed Jesus return would happen in 1981 and that they would be saved if they stayed within the group that was following Jesus properly. Their story is fascinating and important and they are also great fun to talk to. To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts Useful Links: Feet of Clay Website https://www.confessionsofthecultsisters.com/about

16 Dec 20231h

For this week's podcast Celine and Stephen discuss the "software bug" inherent in human beings that makes us vulnerable to cults and their leaders. The article on Medium https://medium.com/ To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts

9 Dec 202358min

This week Stephen talks to Spencer Watson from the Truth Unrestricted Podcast about the question of 'Magical Thinking'. What is it? How is it different from scientific thinking? Why is it attractive? Why do ex cult members have a special interest in it? and many more questions. It's a bumper discussion this week that gets into some deep stuff as well as Spencer asking Stephen about his experience of making sense of life after leaving his cult. To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts Spencer's podcast Truth Unrestricted : https://pod.link/1613105409

2 Dec 20231h 43min