Shows
The Deeper Pulse with Candice SchutterBully Backlash & Tinderbox Truths - Speaking Up When It Matters Most (ENCORE)Time for another encore! Ep.80 is even more relevant now than when I recorded it one year ago. And in the newly updated intro, I share audio from Saturday's Hands Off Protest in Flagstaff, Arizona - one of over 1400 protests around the globe where over 5 million individuals said aw-hell-no to the Trump regime's patriarchal power flex. Daddy issues are alive in the zeitgeist right now and, like it or not, they are shaping our collective responses (or lack thereof). This episode takes a closer look.Ep.80 (original release date May 1, 2024) — Candice opens with an anecdote about an aw...2025-04-091h 13
The Deeper Pulse with Candice SchutterGaslighting, Victim Blaming, & Tone Policing for Social Control (ENCORE)I’m just gonna leave this right here. It's an encore presentation of an episode I dropped almost two years ago. Ep.59 is ripe for a reboot because fascism has come for America, and much of what I speak to here has become an everyday norm. I’ve re-recorded the intro to reflect our current reality, and I hope you listen to the end, where I take a closer look at tone policing and why it works to silence us. (Spoiler: knowledge can help us to beat them at their own game.)Ep.59 (original release date July 5, 2023) — Candic...2025-03-251h 27
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#86 - Hive Mind Paralysis & How We Break FreeI'm back. Because silence isn't an option right now. In this episode, I share how graduate study / critical inquiry into leadership and social psychology is helping me make sense of an upside-down world. Groupthink, aka hive mind, isn't just a 'culty' thing. Conformity happens everywhere along the political spectrum. I speak to how unspoken "display rules" keep us from speaking up, then make the argument that Democratic leaders in Washington desperately need to ditch cultural etiquette in order to demand accountability. I also share J. W. Brehm's theory of reactance, which can help us to better understand friends and...2025-03-1843 min
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#85 - Hope Is A Verb: Surviving Anxiety & Restoring Agency (#GOTV)Candice is back on the main feed with a final #gotv reminder and a deep-dive into this thing we call 'hope' - what is it, really? She shares about her pre-election anxiety and how she's actualizing hope in the face of so muchness. Various definitions of hope are offered, then she digs into the groundbreaking work of her late mentor, C.R. Snyder, 'the hope guy', sharing what she learned in the late '90s torturing freshmen in his research lab at The University of Kansas. What's the real-deal difference between positive psychology and magical thinking? How can we...2024-11-0145 min
The Deeper Pulse with Candice SchutterPatreon Preview - Losing My Religion + Is Social Media Radicalizing Us?The main feed of the pod is on hold indefinitely, but solo episodes continue rolling out over on Patreon. In this one-off drop, Candice offers a summary of recent content, sharing why she's taking sides in the upcoming U.S. general election and offering perspective re: the cognitive dissonance that reluctant-yet-resigned MAGA voters are likely experiencing in the final weeks leading up to Nov 5th.And then, politics aside, you'll hear last week's unscripted drop from over on Patreon, where she shares more personally about:New age apostasy - the liberating (and terrifying) feeling of life...2024-10-0245 min
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#84 - Q Her A: The 'Cult'ure Series FinaleRight around the time Candice was puzzling over how to wrap the 'cult'ure series, regular contributor Tracy Stamper reached out to ask: Hey, Can I Q Her A? The result is the series finale where Candice responds to a long list of listener questions like: What's it been like carrying on in the face of backlash? How has this project been impactful on a personal level? Were there any unexpected surprises? And what's next? Also: Tracy offers up a somewhat surprising personal revelation. Candice speaks to the personal code of ethics she developed while producing this work. They speak...2024-06-191h 43
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#83 - Power Trip: Psychedelic Therapy & The Ethics of High-Minded Healing | Lily Kay Ross & David NicklesCandice is proud to welcome New York Magazine's Cover Story: Power Trip producers Lily Kay Ross & David Nickles to the pod. Lily & Dave share about the behind the scenes events that led to the 2021 launch of their investigative podcast series and about the backlash they’ve experience researching and reporting on abuse in psychedelic communities. Topics touched upon in this episode include: how trauma shapes our experience of psychedelics, the way in which harm mitigation is often perceived as a threat to 'the movement', and the neoliberal gaslighting of victims. Lily & Dave share why the rush to medicalize psychedelics is...2024-05-291h 44
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#82 - Smokescreen: Christian Dominionism & The 'Pro-Life' March on Washington | Nikki G - Part 2 of 2Welcome to the second half of a two-part exposé on the NAR movement in America. Candice continues her conversation with former insider, Nikki G, who shares more about the strategic aims of this belief system and how dominion theology has long been carving out a space in US politics. They touch a bit more on the Heritage Foundation’s presidential playbook (Project 2025), specifically its focus on unitary executive theory; in other words, the doing-away with checks and balances. Then Nikki courageous shares about the years she spent on the front lines of the pro-life movement. She takes us behind the...2024-05-151h 10
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#81 - Trojan Horse: The NAR Movement, Christian Nationalism, & The Cult of Trump | Nikki G - Part 1 of 2American democracy is hanging on by a thread. But how did we get here? Today's episode offers an insider's peek into Christian nationalism. You may remember Nikki G from Ep.77; she was on the pod back in January, sharing about her work as a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach who specializes in spiritual and religious abuse. In early March, Candice invited her to sit down again for this two-part conversation. Nikki is a former devotee in the evangelical movement whose passion at the time was "governmental intercession." In Part 1 of this dialogue, she peels back the curtain on the New...2024-05-081h 26
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#80 - Bully Backlash & Tinderbox Truths: Speaking Up When It Matters MostWelcome to a brand new chapter in the ‘cult’ure series. We'll be moving away from the wellness world and onto broader culture war topics in the coming weeks. To kick things off, Candice is showing up solo. Opening with an anecdote about an awkward interpersonal interaction from a few weeks ago, she then continues in the vein of storytelling, pulling from the pages of her unpublished memoir. Through a series of intimate flashbacks, she examines how an over’bear’ing family system shaped her people-pleasing persona early in life and what it may have taught her about the social c...2024-05-011h 07
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#79 - The Flying Monkey 'High Road' & Sugar-Coated ShameBeginning next week, we'll be shifting the conversation here on the main feed away from wellness 'cult'ure convos. But first, back in early February, Candice invited Tracy Stamper to record a last-minute release for Patreon, and it soon after became one of this pod's most downloaded bonus episodes to date. Flying monkey is a term popularized in cult recovery spaces. Borrowed from the storyline of the Wizard of Oz, it describes a high-demand group dynamic wherein hardcore loyalists reinforce ideology and allegiance to the group by policing behavior, expression, and dissenting opinions. But the thing is, in the world o...2024-04-171h 40
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#78 - P.S. Paper Tigers, Embodied Activism, Spiritual Gaslighting, & A Whistleblower 'Reality' Check | w/ Special GuestsWelcome to another Patreon Sampler. Over a dozen conversations have dropped while Candice has been on break from the main feed (that's here), and there are currently 60+ ‘cult’ure series related bonus episodes now streaming over on Patreon. Episode #78 features some of the best moments from recent releases. Listen to excerpts from recent discussions:On activism, diet 'cult'ure, & self-care >>Aimee Van Ausdall shares about her very-public exit from ‘the Org’, how she's been standing up to bullies her whole life, and a tough-love reality check for those still straddling. Also, her plus-sized perspecti...2024-04-101h 07
The Deeper Pulse with Candice SchutterPatreon Preview - Spiritual Capitalism: The Trouble w/ Turning Meaning Into MoneyThis week’s Patreon Preview features an excerpt from a solo episode in the Subject To Change series with Candice, released exclusively on TDP Patreon. The following clip is from a 47-minute episode entitled Spiritual Capitalism: The Trouble w/ Turning Meaning Into Money. If you like what you hear in this sample clip, you can access the full-length episode on Patreon - which touches upon the following topics:An important reminder not to weaponize 'cult'ure series content.Spiritual Capitalism; the monetized rebellion against self-sacrifice.Idealism, misinformation, & exchanging meaning for money.Spiritual Meritocracy; a love&lig...2024-02-2007 min
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#77 - Spiritual & Religious Abuse: Raising Awareness & Supporting Black Survivors | Nikki GJanuary is Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month, and this week Candice welcomes a very special guest. Nikki G is a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach, co-host of the Surviving The Black Church podcast, and a vocal advocate for spiritual and religious abuse survivors. Nikki shares briefly about her personal history growing up in a narcissistic family system, time spent in five different cults, and her personal path of healing. She speaks about the subtle yet sometimes critical difference between spiritual and religious trauma, then offers guidance around how best to seek support and healing. Nikki generously walks us through a brief...2024-01-311h 28
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#76 - When Did I Start Hating My Body? 'Snapshots From The Body Image Brink' | Susan McCulleyThis week, we’re keeping our finger on the pulse of diet ‘cult’ure. Our guest is a former affiliate of 'the Org' and a valued contributor in the Deconstructing Dogma series over on Patreon. Susan McCulley recently joined Candice for heart-to-heart, and we’re sharing the first half of the convo here on the main feed. In 2016, Susan wrote a powerful essay about the double-life she was living as a holistic fitness instructor touting ‘body love’ who was secretly struggling with body acceptance and a lifetime of disordered eating. You’ll hear Susan read excerpts from this remarkable and revealing...2024-01-241h 15
The Deeper Pulse with Candice SchutterPatreon Preview - Origin Stories: Healing From Complex Trauma w/ Stacy ParishDeconstructing Dogma is a video bonus series hosted exclusively on Patreon. Patrons of The Deeper Pulse have unlimited access to these weekly extras in exchange for their support of the podcast. Patreon donations help keep the main feed of this pod ad-free.This week’s Patreon Preview features excerpts from DD #50 with Stacy Parish. Stacy was on the main feed back in March 2023, and she's back to share about how complex trauma shaped her culty experiences - as well as her ability to recognize the warning signs before wading in too deep.Content Wa...2024-01-1712 min
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#75 - Our Bodies & Our Biases: Where We Get It Wrong & Why | Tara Wike - Part 2 of 2We’re back with the second half of our conversation with Tara Wike. (If you missed Part 1, you'll wanna circle back and start there). In the lead-in, Candice reads from listener comments & lays the foundation for Part 2. Picking up where we left off last week, Tara shares how changing her ‘visual diet’ is expanding her definition of beauty; and also, the culty collateral damage done when we critique our bodies publicly. This leads into a discussion around mixed messages at ‘the Org’ and how - despite loads of lip service - practitioners are in no way immune to the influence...2024-01-101h 13
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#74 - Breaking Free From Diet 'Cult'ure & Embracing Health At Every Size | Tara Wike - Part 1 of 2Plans have changed and the ‘cult’ure series isn’t wrapping just yet! Back after another long break, Candice shares why she’s decided to keep at it; then she lays the foundation for this week’s convo. Originally recorded as a Patreon bonus, Candice and wingwoman, Tracy Stamper, welcome special guest Tara Wike to the pod for a two-part deconstruction of diet ‘cult’ure. In Part 1, Tara shares a bit about her personal background, time spent teaching and training with ‘the Org,’ and the wake-up call that led her into a path of recovery around disordered eating. Topics discussed include...2024-01-031h 23
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#73 - P.S. Frenemies, Spirit Barbie, Law of Attraction, Intimacy vs. Intensity, & 'Org' Extra | Deconstructing Dogma w/ Special GuestsThe 'cult'ure series is scheduled to wrap next week. In the meantime, here's another Patreon Sampler & sneak peek at the Deconstructing Dogma bonus series that will be streaming through the new year over on Patreon. There are currently 40+ bonus episodes available to patrons of the pod, and this sampler features some of our favorite moments from recent releases.In this Patreon Sampler, you'll hear excerpts from:Frenemies: The Not-So-Fringe Reality, where Candice & Tracy unpack how top-down power dynamics have seemingly spread into 'Org' communities worldwide.Spirit Barbie: The Performance of Wellness...2023-11-151h 11
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#72 - Beyond Words: Moral Injury & Reclaiming Autonomy (Over Our Bodies & Our Lives) | Adi Goren - Part 2 of 2Welcome to the second half of our two-part conversation with Adi Goren (recorded back in August). If you missed Part 1, you’re gonna want to circle back, because we’re picking up right where we left off! Last week, Adi shared a bit about her personal life, how she first discovered ‘the Org’, and her subsequent devotion to the practice. Part 2 opens as Adi reveals more about her relationship to ‘the Org’ CEO; how she saw him as a ‘father figure’ and how he groomed her for a role within the company. She shares what it was like working remotely from he...2023-11-081h 14
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#71 - The Elephant In The Room: 'Cult'ure Clashes & 'the Org’ International | Adi Goren - Part 1 of 2The ‘cult’ure series is set to wrap in a few short weeks at which time main feed podcast production will be on hold indefinitely. But first, we have a final conversation to share with you. Back in August, Candice and good friend / wing woman, Tracy Stamper, sat down with former Org affiliate Adi Goren, who joined the pod from her home in Israel. This lengthy conversation was recorded prior to the unfolding crisis; as such, the intro to the episode, Candice speaks briefly to the unintended-yet-timely nature of this episode’s release. About 15 minutes in, Adi is introduced, and Tr...2023-11-011h 37
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#70 - The Cult of Gender: A Panel Discussion w/ Former 'Org' Affiliates | Maxx Boyd, Troy McCall, & Lainie MagidsohnThis week’s ‘cult’ure series release is a very special rollover from the Patreon-exclusive deconstructing dogma bonus series. Three former ‘Org’ affiliates join Candice for a panel discussion examining wellness-cult dynamics through the intersectional lens of gender and sexuality. Together they explore how mainstream socialization around the heteronormative gender binary is very often reinforced in spirituality and wellness spaces. In this conversation, LGBTQ+ perspectives are centered as guests share about their personal & professional experiences. Lainie invites us to look closely at language, and at how terms like 'masculine' & 'feminine' reinforce problematic stereotypes; and she shares briefly about her experience...2023-10-251h 31
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#69 - Intersectional Advocacy: Including Racialized, Queer, & Neurodiverse Perspectives In Cult Recovery | Priscilla EylesThis week, Candice welcomes Priscilla Eyles for a discussion on intersectional cult recovery. Priscilla, who comes to us from the UK, is a DEI/JEDI consultant who shares about their time spent in two different cults: Landmark, an LGAT offshoot of est, and OneTaste, a wellness organization that is currently under FBI investigation for sexual exploitation and forced labor practices. When Priscilla stepped away and began grappling with their back-to-back cult experiences, they immediately noticed how cult recovery spaces often overlook the perspectives of marginalized folks. As a neurodiverse, racialized, queer cult survivor, they have since become an intersectional...2023-10-181h 20
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#68 - The ‘Art’ of Cult Recovery: Music, Theatre, & Trauma-Informed Anti-Cult Activism | Lennox & TeruyoTeruyo & Lennox are theatre artists in cult recovery, currently hard at work on a musical inspired by their personal experiences in a shamanic cult. They explore what it's like to break away from high-demand influence, while offering a socio-political deconstruction of the colonial headspace that informs it. Music from the play’s soundtrack is woven throughout this powerful conversation, which touches upon a whole helluva lot in an hour. Teruyo & Lennox describe how crafting a musical - both in storyline and soundtrack - enables them to give greater voice and vehicle to the trauma they’ve experienced. Teruyo shares: how...2023-09-271h 01
The Deeper Pulse with Candice Schutter#67 - Trauma & Control: How Authoritarianism Shows Up In Wellness Culture & In Our Bodies | Magdalena WeinsteinThis week, Candice sits down with Somatic Trauma Specialist, Magdalena Weinstein. Originally from Chile, Magdalena spent the first 17 years of her life living under the rule of an authoritarian dictatorship. In this episode, she shares her childhood experiences, family life, and what motivated her to immigrate to the US in 2004. Magdalena speaks very candidly about the challenges of being in immigrant in America, and about time spent in a series of traumatizing and controlling environments - dictatorship in her formative years that stoked an early hunger for autonomy; years spent as an Iyengar yoga student and teacher striving for...2023-09-201h 27