Shows
DIOTALK PodcastDIOTALK Episode #213 with Cult Enthusiast, Andy Joins Cults.On this episode of DIOTALK, we’re joined by the creator behind the popular YouTube channel Andy Joins Cults.Andy, a former tech enthusiast who sold his company and left the 9-to-5 grind behind, grabbed his backpack and set off to travel the world. Along the way, he began experimenting with psychedelics and diving deep into the psychology of cults—what draws people in, how these communities function, and the blurry lines between belief, manipulation, and belonging.Through his unique docu-series-style content, Andy explores diverse forms of cults around the world, offering raw, unfiltered insights into communities most people neve...2025-06-0957 min
Andy Joins CultsAI Talk, ISTA Chats, and Leaving Before the Dancing Starts | Medicine Festival 2024 #2 (Days 3 & 4)Day 3 & 4 at Medicine Festival 2024 — the final round before the festival disappears until 2026.The cold’s gone, I’m slightly more alive, and this one’s got everything: spontaneous connections, failed attempts at ceremony, a very sweaty walk, and a surprise long-form chat with someone I met at ISTA about unlocking joy, inner babies, survival mode, and calling on your spirit guide crew like it’s WhatsApp.I nearly joined a men’s workshop but bailed as soon as the music started. Tried to get something out of Daniel Pinchbeck’s talk on AI and consciousness — got Steiner, McKenna, and a bunch of backs...2025-04-0314 minAndy Joins CultsA ramble around day one of Medicine Fest UK | Medicine Festival 2024 #1My experience at Medicine Festival 2024 — a plant medicine, ceremony, and healing-focused gathering in the UK. This is a first-person, unfiltered look at what it’s actually like to be there.Medicine Festival isn’t happening in 2025, so I wanted to put this out for anyone curious about what it felt like to attend in previous years. There’s no big spiritual climax here — just me showing up low-energy, observing, wandering through ceremonies, and sitting with the general weirdness and wonder of it all. Whether you're researching psychedelic spaces, preparing for a future gathering, or just curious what medicine work looks like...2025-03-2716 minAndy Joins CultsISTA Level 1: Integration, Recommendations & My own journey - ISTA #8Taking time to integrate after ISTA Level 1 in an Airbnb with two others instead of rushing back to London. These days gave me space to practice what I learned - mostly about presence, connection, and shadow work rather than the sexuality everyone assumes these trainings focus on.
Looking back, I couldn't have done this three years ago. The temple arts practices and conscious sexuality work needed a foundation - My own path lead me to heart-based tantra, meditation (particularly Osho's active meditations), and breath work like holotropic or rebirthing, which contributed significantly to my own understanding of reality.
ISTA...2025-03-1314 minAndy Joins CultsISTA Level 1: The End - What Actually Shifted After 7 Days| ISTA Day #7Finished up ISTA Level 1 with closing ceremonies and a final sharing circle where I learned my "huge energy" had triggered some people - turns out doing energy work daily has effects I hadn't considered. The temple arts training brought up things I never expected, especially about how we impact each other in these spaces.
Through all the sacred spot rituals, temple nights, and group practices, I discovered something important: you can't tiptoe around trying to avoid triggering people. The biggest lesson from this ISTA workshop wasn't about sexuality or tantra - it was about owning your presence while letting...2025-03-0613 minAndy Joins CultsGetting Emotional, Sacred Ceremonies, Shadow Work & Finding Playful Connection | ISTA Day #6Final day at the ISTA conscious sexuality workshop - from morning ecstatic dance to an unexpectedly beautiful sacred spot ritual. Started with mixed feelings about temple ceremonies and group sharing circles, but ended up having one of the most profound experiences of my life (though don't expect me to share the details - some things you just have to experience yourself).
Honest look at navigating boundaries, BDSM conversations, and integration circles in conscious sexuality spaces. The day wrapped with temple ceremony featuring cuddle puddles, shadow play, and different zones for expression. Not your typical tantra workshop - this is...2025-02-2722 minAndy Joins CultsFirst Temple Night, Ritual Work & Personal Truths | What Actually Happens at ISTA? | ISTA Day #5My first temple experience at ISTA left me with mixed feelings. After matching flowers with partners and sensing disappointment on their faces, I found myself drained rather than enlightened. I'd been told today would be more intense, but honestly? I was just exhausted.
I showed up for the evening temple ritual, determined to participate in the "gods and goddesses" ceremony. Ended up sitting in meditation pose while the guy next to me creatively dangled candles from his toes. When they kept asking "are you where you need to be?" my answer was clear - I wanted to be in...2025-02-2020 minAndy Joins CultsDivine Parent Archetypes, Men's Circles & Gender Work | The Uncomfortable Truth| ISTA Day #4Continuing this ISTA training documentation as we dive into day 4, where things get complicated with divine parent archetypes, gender exploration, and my brutally honest take on men's circles. For those researching what happens at ISTA workshops - today challenged my preconceptions about how these trainings approach gender and sexuality.
The day moved through several temple arts exercises: working with mother/father archetypes (which gets awkward when you're attracted to your scene partners), exploring divine sisterhood (yes, as a man), and a men's circle that actually surprised me. If you're wondering about ISTA boundaries work, today pushed some interesting edges...2025-02-1316 min
Unexplained Inc.Andy Joins Cults...no...seriously...this is what he does!!Meet Andy Wingate.He's doing a podumentary (part podcast, part documentary) and the title is self-explanatory. Here is the explanation from his Youtube channel (which you can view and subscribe to here....https://www.youtube.com/@andyjoinscults)...Podumentaries about Cults. What really happens on the inside, and what is a cult anyway?Andy and myself got into this and so much more...including aspects of Tantra and sacred sexuality and how these practices could bring major healing to the world. But our main focus was on channeling non-physical beings and...2025-02-081h 24Andy Joins CultsShadows, Self-Discovery, and the Power of No! – ISTA #3Continuing my ISTA training review and documentation of what actually happens at these workshops. Day 3 dives into shadow work, the Wheel of Consent practice, and ends with a self-pleasure temple night. For those researching ISTA Level 1 experiences or wondering about tantra workshop boundaries - this one gets personal.
Starting with early morning OSHO No-Dimension meditation (which involves some Sufi-style spinning), we moved through shadow exploration exercises and into the Wheel of Consent - a framework for understanding giving and receiving touch. The day culminated in a temple arts ritual that I'm choosing to keep private out of respect for...2025-02-0616 minAndy Joins CultsTantra plus Marilyn Manson = Healing? | ISTA Day #2Looking for an honest ISTA training review? Wondering what happens at ISTA workshops? I am continuing my documentation of what actually happens at ISTA (International School of Temple Arts with footage of Day 2. After yesterday's opening ceremony, things got more intense - from morning anxiety to full-on somatic release exercises soundtracked by Marilyn Manson. 🤘
For those searching for the temple arts training reality, this is my attempt to show what these workshops actually entail. Today covered everything from ISTA boundaries work (way more intense than your typical workplace training) to a ceremony that involved optional nudity - which, coming fro...2025-01-2722 minAndy Joins CultsI joined a SHAMANIC SEX CULT! ISTA Day #0 and Day #1First day at ISTA (Institute of Temple Arts and Shamanism) - way different from my previous tantra classes and conscious sexuality courses. The training focuses on boundaries, consent, self-love practices, and shamanic tools. Met a mix of experienced play party folks and newcomers to conscious spaces.
This 5-day journey into temple arts started with some taxi drama before diving into conscious communication exercises and integration circles. The facilitators bring a grounded approach to shamanic tools and self-love practices, setting this apart from typical tantra classes.
For anyone curious about ISTA training or conscious sexuality workshops - here's the unfiltered...2025-01-2317 minAndy Joins CultsThe Dark Encounter That Changed Everything - Star Magic Healing, Egypt #6Something dark happened during the mushroom ceremony, and it shook me to the core. Over the next few days, I try to make sense of it all. What did I really experience?2025-01-1639 minAndy Joins CultsThey Stole My Camera - Star Magic Healing, Egypt #5The group kicked off the day with a sunrise ceremony at the Temple of Isis, but things quickly heated up as Jerry drew the attention of the police and officials. After a stop at Kom Ombo, I had another chat with Jerry before joining a mushroom ceremony to wrap up the day.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andyjoinscults
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KSE7Qxzw2USiRZw84Qhfe?si=93916bdb9628426f
🝗∇☭🝈Ɏ✞ዘ!ⵍᏳ !Ֆ Ⲁ ☾ⵡ𐌋✞2025-01-1340 minAndy Joins CultsGuards FREAKED OUT Over 'Strange Language' at Abu Simbel - Star Magic Healing, Egypt #4Another absurd day documenting security reactions at Egypt's temples. Started with the regular armed escort (apparently someone reported the Star Magic group for "healing"), but Abu Simbel guards took it to another level. First they said no speaking, then when I complied, they freaked out because I closed my eyes. Every attempt to film turned into a new rule - no strange languages, no standing still, no advertising... just endless conflicting restrictions from increasingly agitated guards.
Think this was meant to be a normal tourist spot with some impressive ancient statues. Instead, I got a front-row seat...2025-01-0944 minAndy Joins CultsArmy & International Police Now Following Our Egypt Tour| Aswan | Star Magic Healing, Egypt #3Surveillance of the Star Magic group has reached unprecedented levels in Aswan - they're now being tracked by army personnel, international police, national police, local police, and plain-clothes officers. All because someone reported them for "healing people in Egypt" - which turns out to be illegal here.
Jerry Sergeant finally revealed why he believes the group is under such intense scrutiny: Egypt strictly controls spiritual practices at ancient sites. A simple market trip turned surreal with 15+ armed officers following the tour group. The escalation has been dramatic - from basic monitoring in Cairo to what now feels...2025-01-0622 minAndy Joins CultsPolice with Assault Rifles Trail Our Egypt Tour | Edfu Temple | Star Magic Healing, Egypt #2Woke up to a misty Nile morning heading to Edfu Temple, when our Star Magic group's peaceful journey took an unexpected turn. What started as 2 police officers has escalated to 8-10 armed guards with assault rifles trailing our movements. Their focus is specifically on our guide Jerry Sergeant, actively preventing meditation or spiritual practices at the temples.
At Edfu Temple, I discovered something striking - large sections of hieroglyphs deliberately scored out, with primitive tool marks contrasting against the original precise carvings. While filming, I caught police photographing our group (90% women tourists) and discussing whether to stop...2025-01-0431 minAndy Joins CultsA Strange Encounter in a Pyramid - Star Magic Healing, Egypt #1From tourist to target - my incredible 10-day Egyptian journey took an unexpected turn when our spiritual tour group caught the attention of local authorities at the Pyramids of Giza. What began as peaceful meditation near these ancient wonders quickly escalated into a tense standoff with armed police, raising questions about who really controls access to Egypt's sacred sites.
Join me as I share this firsthand account of being monitored, followed, and nearly arrested while traveling with Star Magic Healing through Cairo. Was this just standard security, or is there something deeper happening at these mysterious monuments?2025-01-0416 min