Cult of One: The Manipulation of Munchausen by Proxy (Part 2)

A Little Bit Culty – Part 2 of our conversation with Alice Grecycn, the author of Wayward: A Memoir of Spiritual Warfare & Sexual Purity delves into the neuroscience of belief, what’s so cringe toxic religion, and what happens when mystical experiences bite you in the ass. We also cover sexual hangups, Seth Rogen, and culty summer camps. Content alert: Alice also shares her point of view on why it’s hard to see certain sacred texts as anything other than a manual for aspiring sadistic, narcissistic, cult leaders. But don’t mistake her frankness for sh*tting on people of faith. She’s just looking out for you. About Today’s Guest: Alice Greczyn is an actress, author, and founder of Dare to Doubt. Midwest-raised and LA-based, Alice's nomadic childhood moved her around the United States until her modeling career as a teenager led to an acting career in Hollywood. She’s fascinated by the subjective experience of life, which she explores through acting and storytelling. Her own story includes a painful yet rewarding transition from Christianity to atheism, a journey that inspired her to found DaretoDoubt.org, a resource site for people detaching from belief systems they come to fnd harmful. Encouraging people to trust themselves and live courageously in their own truth is what gives Alice a sense of purpose. She lives in Los Angeles and loves hiking, traveling, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Learn more about her at her official website or get regular missives from her via her Substack. instagram.com/alicegreczyn instagram.com/daretodoubt/ twitter.com/alicefood  twitter.com/daretodoubt  ~ 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. ~ 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. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty ~ Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin 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.

7 Feb 202259min

A Little Bit Culty – If you’ve ever felt trapped by the dictates of a high-demand group or an expression of religion that no longer felt true; or you find yourself feeling lonely and abandoned after a loss of faith, Alice Grecyzn has your back. The author of Wayward: A Memoir of Spiritual Warfare & Sexual Purity joins Sarah and Nippy to speak about her painful but rewarding journey out of Evangelical Christianity, what it means to recover from religious trauma, and what’s rotten at the core about purity culture. About Today’s Guest: Alice Greczyn is an actress, author, and founder of Dare to Doubt. Midwest-raised and LA-based, Alice's nomadic childhood moved her around the United States until her modeling career as a teenager led to an acting career in Hollywood. She’s fascinated by the subjective experience of life, which she explores through acting and storytelling. Her own story includes a painful yet rewarding transition from Christianity to atheism, a journey that inspired her to found DaretoDoubt.org, a resource site for people detaching from belief systems they come to fnd harmful. Encouraging people to trust themselves and live courageously in their own truth is what gives Alice a sense of purpose. She lives in Los Angeles and loves hiking, traveling, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Learn more about her at her official website or get regular missives from her via her Substack. instagram.com/alicegreczyn instagram.com/daretodoubt/ twitter.com/alicefood  twitter.com/daretodoubt  ~ 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. ~ 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. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty 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.

31 Jan 202256min

A Little Bit Culty – It sure is good to see Mark Vicente back in the saddle again. In Part 2, he shares what happened during his last conversation with Keith Raniere, how he’s defragged his brain since he helped burn ol’ Dead Eyes’ playhouse down, and what the bleep he’s working on next. Oh, and there is bountiful ass-chapping. More about today’s guest:  Author, speaker, and award-winning director Mark Vicente was behind the sleeper hit “What The Bleep Do We Know?!” Born in South Africa in 1965, Mark took his first photograph at age four and discovered his passion for being behind the camera. After working his way up the ranks of the camera department, his first big break came as Cinematographer on the musical “SARAFINA,” starring Whoopi Goldberg. In 1992, he relocated to Los Angeles to shoot his first studio picture for Disney entitled “FATHERHOOD” From a very young age he found himself propelled to question beliefs about the human condition. His filmmaking activism led him to make a number of films, including ‘Encender el Corazon’, about the rampant kidnapping epidemic in Mexico. It was a bittersweet victory; the film touched people deeply, but was by association supporting NXIVM.  He made the difficult decision to pull the film from distribution and, with a small band of whistleblowers, expose their criminal enterprise.  Mark’s since developed a keen  interest in exposing the coercive and duplicitous environments of high-control groups. His memoir: ‘QUEST’ or ‘How the BLEEP did that happen?!’ will be released shortly. It chronicles the many untold stories of what occurred in NXIVM , as well as he and his wife Bonnie’s harrowing campaign to escape and expose the organization.  He’s also in production on a film about malignant narcissism, narcissistic abuse, and trauma bonding which exposes abusive strategies. He’s still looking for real life stories for his film, anyone who would like to share their story can reach out to him at his official website. instagram.com/markvicente twitter.com/markvicente facebook.com/markvicente tiktok.com/@mark_vicente ~ 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. ~ 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. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty 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.

24 Jan 202259min

A Little Bit Culty – A wise man once said: “Nobody joins a cult, they join a good thing.” A Little Bit Culty kicks off Season 3 with the wise man himself, Mark Vicente. The epic whistleblower and stone-cold silver fox joins Sarah and Nippy to get the band back together in the first of two episodes. The trio catches up on life after making headlines and what it was really like to see the whole shitshow play out on HBO’s “The Vow.” Expect a metric fuck ton of ass chapping anecdotes, and to love Mark even more than you already did. More about today’s guest: Author, speaker, and award-winning director Mark Vicente was behind the sleeper hit “What The Bleep Do We Know?!” Born in South Africa in 1965, Mark took his first photograph at age four and discovered his passion for being behind the camera. After working his way up the ranks of the camera department, his first big break came as Cinematographer on the musical “SARAFINA,” starring Whoopi Goldberg. In 1992, he relocated to Los Angeles to shoot his first studio picture for Disney entitled “FATHERHOOD” From a very young age he found himself propelled to question beliefs about the human condition. His filmmaking activism led him to make a number of films, including ‘Encender el Corazon’, about the rampant kidnapping epidemic in Mexico. It was a bittersweet victory; the film touched people deeply, but was by association supporting NXIVM. He made the difficult decision to pull the film from distribution and, with a small band of whistleblowers, expose their criminal enterprise.  Mark’s since developed a keen interest in exposing the coercive and duplicitous environments of high-control groups. His memoir: ‘QUEST’ or ‘How the BLEEP did that happen?!’ will be released shortly. It chronicles the many untold stories of what occurred in NXIVM , as well as he and his wife Bonnie’s harrowing campaign to escape and expose the organization. He’s also in production on a film about malignant narcissism, narcissistic abuse, and trauma bonding. He’s still looking for real life stories for his film and anyone who would like to share theirs can reach out to him at his official website. instagram.com/markvicente twitter.com/markvicente facebook.com/markvicente tiktok.com/@mark_vicente ~ 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. ~ 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. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty ~ 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.

17 Jan 20221h 7min

A Little Bit Culty – We thought about recording our Season 2 finale in dubly, but you don’t do heavy metal in dubly. In this wrap-up episode Sarah and Nippy answer your burning questions, preview what’s ahead next season, seek a patron saint of quality mattresses, and generally have a good time all the time. We think you’ll be knocked out by their exuberance, their raw power, and their punctuality. How much more Spinal Tappy could these show notes be? The answer is none. None more Spinal Tappy. ~ 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. ~ 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. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty ~ 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 Score by Will Retherford 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.

3 Jan 202244min

A Little Bit Culty – What do Pete Rose, Grandma Walton, skin boys, Dear Prudence, Brooks Brothers suits, David Lynch, Mary Tyler Moore, Merv Griffin, Mary Tyler Moore, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds and Margaret Singer have in common? They’re all mentioned in this episode, and you’ll have to listen to find out why. There’s just not enough room in these show notes to tell you. But don’t worry, you’ll be glad you listened, because Patrick Ryan can tell a culty oral history with the best of them. He joins Sarah and Nippy for the penultimate episode of Season 2, and it’s a doozy that just might make you take a second look at your meditation practice. As Stefon on SNL would say, “This one has something for everyone: Yogic flying, off-brand incense, and fake CIA operatives.” It’s been a batshit year, kids, so enjoy 2021’s last A Little Bit Culty episode drop. More about today’s guest: Patrick Ryan is a graduate of Maharishi International University. He has been a cult intervention specialist since 1984. He’s the co-founder of TM-EX, the organization of ex-members of Transcendental Meditation, established ICSA’s online resource (1995-2013), and has presented 50 programs about hypnosis, inner-experience, trance-induction techniques, communicating with cult members, conversion, cult intervention, exit counseling, intervention assessment, mediation, religious conflict resolution, thought reform consultation, eastern groups, transcendental meditation and workshops for educators, families, former members and mental health professionals at ICSA workshops/conferences. Mr. Ryan received the AFF Achievement Award (1997) from AFF, the Leo J. Ryan "Distinguished Service Award" (1999) from the Leo J. Ryan Foundation, and a Lifetime Achievement Award (2011) from ICSA. Along with fellow intervention specialist Joseph Kelly, Patrick publishes several cult news sites that are an indispensable resource for all things cult-related: cultmediation.com Intervention101.com Cultrecovery101.com ​CultNews101.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultnews101 Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/cultnews101 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultnews101/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CultNEWS101/ ~ 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. ~ 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. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty ~ 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.

27 Dec 20211h 23min

A Little Bit Culty – If you think you’re too smart to fall for a cult, this episode is your wake-up call. Undue influence can poison what starts out as a ‘good thing’ and turn it into a culty shitshow. Just ask today’s guest: Gerette Buglion. She was a member of an under-the-radar cult for over 18 years. In this organization, there was no tithing, no rules about where you should live, what brand of deodorant you must use, or what clothes to wear. Instead, far more subtle techniques were used...but they were powerful, and destructive all the same. When Gerette finally emerged from the cult at age 52, she asked herself, “How did I, an educated, caring mother, wife, and business owner become that lost and for that long?” She joins us to discuss her page-turning memoir, and her journey from hopeful therapy client to enthusiastic cult member to an anti-cult crusader. Spoiler alert: You’re not too smart to fall for culty shit.  More about today’s guest: Gerette Buglion, B.A. Elementary Education and Special Education, earned her ‘Master's Degree’ in cult awareness education from the school of life. This training occurred during her eighteen-year odyssey with Doug (Fictitious name. Real person) who was the leader of the ‘Center for Transformational Learning’ (fictitious name for a real group, also simply CTL). Her memoir of her experience, An Everyday Cult, lifts the nuanced veil of controlling groups through its subtle weaving of personal experience with insight from recognized cultic phenomena. In addition to hosting retreats and her Writing to Reckon workshops, Gerette is a co-founding collaborator of the #igotout movement and igotout.org and co-host of the Everyday Cults, Everyday People  podcast. Learn more about Gerette’s work and upcoming events at her official website. ~ 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. ~ 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. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty 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.

20 Dec 20211h 9min

A Little Bit Culty – Think you’re immune to culty shit? Dr. Alexandra Stein begs to differ. She’s one of the world’s leading experts on ideological extremism and dangerous social relationships, and she makes a very convincing case that under the right set of circumstances almost anyone can be radically manipulated to engage in otherwise incomprehensible and often dangerous acts. In this episode, she joins us to discuss her experience as a former cult member, and the relationship between neuroscience, attachment, and indoctrination. More about today’s guest: Alexandra Stein, Ph.D. is a social psychologist, writer and educator specializing in cults, totalitarianism and extremism. She is currently a visiting research fellow at London South Bank University and has previously taught at Birkbeck University of London, Westminster University and the University of Minnesota. Dr. Stein is a trustee of The Family Survival Trust, a UK charity working to raise awareness about cults and support those affected. She is the author of two books: Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems, and Inside Out, a Mmemoir of Entering and Breaking out of a Minneapolis Political Cult. Learn more about her work at her official website and follow her on Twitter @alexandraistein ~ 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. ~ 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. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty ~ 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 Score by Will Retherford 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.

13 Dec 20211h 23min