Shows
Cult HackersCult Survivor, Activist and Podcaster, Andrew Pledger - Part 2In part 2, Andrew continues his discussion with Celine and Stephen. Andrew Pledger is a podcaster, activist, writer and life coach who left a fundamentalist Christian cult and now seeks to raise awareness of religious trauma, as well as help those who leave to rebuild their lives.
To listen on a web page
https://whatshouldithinkabout.podbean.com/
Andrew's Links
Linktree
https://liinks.co/4ndrewpledger
Andrew's Podcast, Speaking Up
https://play.acast.com/s/speaking-up-with-andrew-pledger/bju-is-a-cult-bonus-video-audio
Become a Cult Hacker backer with Patreon for just $1.50 p...2022-11-2052 minCult HackersChanging Laws To Protect Society From Cults With The Counter Cult CoalitionTaking action against cults and spiritual abuse requires changes in law and policies often at the National or State level. How is this achieved?
Today we welcome Lisa Kendall, herself a former member of a cult called 'The Move of God', and the Founder and Director of the Counter Cult Coalition. Lisa has a Masters in Public Administration from Portland State University. We also welcome Jake Giovati from the University of Buffalo School of Law.
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Contact Us
https://www.evilsheep.co.u...2022-09-0455 minCult HackersSynergy between Terrorism and Cults with Darin Challacombe PhDDarin Challacombe is a social scientist and researcher in the field of terrorism. He recently gave a talk at the ICSA conference about the synergy between cults and terror groups. Stephen grabbed the opportunity to speak to him about what the similarities and differences are. Darin also discusses some groups who morph from cult to terrorist as well as the strategies being deployed to disrupt radicalisation of vulnerable individuals.
Darin's Twitter handle is @ksresearcher
Contact us at https://www.evilsheep.co.uk/contact
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https...2022-08-2149 minCult HackersBeliefs: The weird, the dangerous, the benign and the useful.Does it matter what cults believe? Or is it only what they do that matters? Should we respect beliefs that aren't true? How should we engage with beliefs? Should we challenge each others beliefs? And how should the podcast engage with cult escape stories that include finding a new set of religious or mystical beliefs?
In today's podcast Celine and Stephen explore these questions by looking at some unorthodox belief systems; The Aetherius Society, the Breatharians, Fruitarians and the Workers' Institute of Marxism–Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought, as well as 'men's movement' committed to bringing back the patr...2022-08-141h 17Cult HackersThe Emotional Journey of Leaving a CultHow many core emotions are there? How do we understand them? How do they come into play when people leave a high control group? We also review the Pixar movie 'Inside Out', a film all about emotions.
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Links
Paul Ekman's website
https://www.paulekman.com/about/paul-ekman/
Psychology Today - Modal Model of Emotion
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/dealing-emotions/202101/what-are-emotions
Psychology Today - Robert Plutchik
...2022-07-3139 minCult HackersUnpacking Belief Systems with Kat WallaceKat Wallace is a 4th generation ex Jehovah's Witness and speaker at the recent ICSA conference, who struggled growing up to fit into the mould of the submissive JW woman. She shares some of her story of leaving, coming to terms with her self, her sexuality and her analysis of a process she describes as '7 Steps to Unpacking Belief Systems'.
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2022-07-241h 09Cult HackersArtificial Intelligence and ConsciousnessDid Google just create a conscious A.I.? If it has, what would that mean? Today Celine and Stephen explore the recent claims by a Google employee that they had created a machine that had gained sentience. If Google had, how could we know? What is a 'Turing test'? What would it mean for religious people who believe in the soul?
Links
Transcript of a conversation with Blake Lemoine and LaMDA
https://medium.com/@cajundiscordian/is-lamda-sentient-an-interview-ea64d916d917
Interview with Blake Lemoine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgCUn4f...2022-07-1749 minCult HackersAbortionThis week's episode looks at the question of abortion and the recent Supreme Court decision in the USA. It's a subject that we've planned to talk about for some time and recent events have made it absolutely time we did.
Content warning: Obviously given the subject matter listener discretion is recommended.
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2022-07-031h 11Cult Hackers”To say it was awful was an understatement”: Alisha’s StoryEx Jehovah's Witness Alisha tried to simply leave the religion she was raised in and build her own life. The elders had other ideas.
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2022-06-2656 minCult HackersFrom Fear to Freedom with Kimberley MillerOne of the most emotional interviews ever on our podcast, author Kimberley L Miller talks movingly about her life as Jehovah's Witness. She describes growing up as a Witness and the struggle to just be a child, to just be herself, and the fear that came along with that upbringing. She also talks about her leaving the organization, her return and the lowest point in her life. Kimberley's story is ultimately life affirming and inspirational. It was such a privilege to talk to her.
Warning: This episode briefly discusses the suicide attempt Kimberley talks about in her...2022-06-121h 02Cult HackersDoes Nature Tell Us Anything About God? With John ElsonIn today’s episode I spend a very pleasant afternoon having a walk and a chat with a friend of the podcast and former guest John Elson at Castor & Ailsworth, a village just outside of Peterborough. John is a successful artist and he talked about his journey out of the Jehovah’s Witnesses back in September of 2021.
Our main topic of conversation today is the natural world and we had an interesting chat about all things evolution, creation, our place in the Universe and other minor considerations. John also showed me the rewilding project he is working on as...2022-06-051h 13Cult HackersTheocracy to DemocracyWhen you are a fundamentalist Christian, Theocracy sounds like a great idea but when you leave, the reality becomes clear. Celine and Stephen discuss what it's like to live in a Theocracy and then explore more democratic forms. They get 'into the weeds' about how these systems work, and why sometimes they seem not to. What is a filibuster? And why gerrymander? are two of the topics of discussion, as well as why the Queen has no power and just who is the most powerful Joe in the USA?
Why not become a patron? https://www.patreon...2022-05-291h 15Cult HackersThe Psychological Impact of Shunning with Dr Heather RansomThe 'What should I think about..?' podcast goes 'sight & sound' this week on this special edition of the show, with an episode being shown on YouTube for the first time as well as a pure podcast.
Stephen speaks to Dr Heather Ransom, who researches the experience of living in, and leaving a high control group often called a cult. Dr Ransom is a former 'born-in' Jehovah's Witness who left as an adult and now works in academia. She has written two published papers about the effect of disfellowshipping and shunning on the psychology of leavers. Heather...2022-05-221h 29Cult HackersHaving Fun and Healing With Games: Guest Starring GermHigh control religious groups often discourage games, warning about the 'dangers' of being influenced by Satan or the world. But what about the benefits of playing games and their role in finding community, experiencing a sense of competence and potential benefits around memory and thinking? Germ joins Celine and Stephen this week to talk all things gaming and games. There's also a bit of reminiscing about some of the team's favourite games, with a dash of psychology thrown in and the link between video games and a sense of well-being.
Become a patron for just £1 per month ($1:50)...2022-05-1558 minCult HackersEx Jehovah’s Witness Poet and Podcaster Leon HelsbyEx Jehovah's Witness Poet and Podcaster Leon Helsby tells his story of leaving the organization, why he finds poetry so important to him and describes the challenges of being creative within a high control setting. Stay till the end as Leon performs his poem 'An Amnesty'.
Leon has a podcast called 'A Hug From The Moon'. Link below.
https://open.spotify.com/show/2FIBwQGqOUNEQqdK5FxECh?si=e51f0a692fc54894
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2022-05-081h 09Cult HackersLearning Styles and Other MythsCeline and Stephen get into some pop psychology to see what we know, what we think we know but don't, what we don't know and.... you get the picture.
The importance of learning styles, the power pose, the madness of crowds, attention blindness and diffusion of responsibility and more all feature on today's show.
Become a patron and support the show for just $1:50 per month. https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout/posts
References
Grossman, R., & Salas, E. (2011). The transfer of training: what really matters. International journal of training and development, 15(2), 103-120.
...2022-05-0159 minCult HackersFalling in love with an ex cult memberToday we interview Marcia and Riley (AKA Jexit) about falling in love with someone who was a member of a cult and still in the process of deconstructing, or as ex JWs call it POMI (Physically Out Mentally In).
Riley is an ex Jehovah's Witness You-tuber who talks about his experiences leaving the Group. We've discussed the difficulties of relationships, love and sex for ex members of cults in previous episodes, but today we wanted to look at it from the other perspective. What's it like to meet and date someone who was in a cult? What...2022-04-241h 12Cult HackersFight Club: Cult Reading and Movie ReviewThis week Celine and Stephen review, and do a cult reading of the 1999 movie, Fight Club, directed by David Fincher and starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter and Meat Loaf. If you haven't seen the film, it's violent but it covers big subjects including masculinity, capitalism and mental illness and importantly for us cult dynamics and coercive control.
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External Links
Fight Club IMDB Page
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/...2022-04-1755 minCult HackersMaking Sense of an Abnormal Normal: Life in the Children of GodAuthor, Mary Mahoney talks about her 31 years in the Children of God. She tells Celine and Stephen about her life as a young woman, believing she was called by God to missionary service, her travels around the world and her efforts to obey increasingly dark and exploitative demands by the Group. She explains the implications of leader David Berg's bizarre doctrine on the 'law of love', the use of sex to recruit known as 'flirty fishing' and the demands of 'sharing' within the commune. She also discusses the experience of having children and raising them within the group. Mary...2022-04-101h 09Cult HackersVirtual WorldsAs if this world isn't confusing enough, today Celine and Stephen explore virtual worlds and our seemingly unavoidable destiny with them. From Zoom to Second Life, from Virtual Reality to Web 3.0, NFTs, Crypto and even whether we are already living in a simulated reality! On top of all of that Stephen explains what actors named Chris have to do with Non Fungible Tokens! Oh and Virtual Cults..
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2022-04-061h 05Cult HackersHypnotherapist and EX Jehovah’s Witness, Becky Armstrong-CorbettBecky Armstrong-Corbett is a qualified psychotherapist and solution focused clinical hypnotherapist. Raised as a Jehovah's Witness she was sexually abused by a member of the congregation as a child and has since worked to raise awareness of neglectful practices within this and other organizations. She contributed to the work of the Inquiry Into Child Sex Abuse in the UK and has appeared on a number of news programmes and media to talk about this important subject. Becky talks to us about this and how she has made a life for herself outside the group becoming a professional psychotherapist and h...2022-04-031h 01Cult HackersCult WarsToday Celine and Stephen decide to take a sober and even-handed approach to the question of how we should research and talk about High Control Groups or Cults, and then find themselves getting all worked up! The term 'New Religious Movements' is seen as a more appropriate and less prejudicial label than the word cult, should we be using it? Are anti-cult activists getting in the way of proper sociological research? Is brainwashing not really a thing? Are ex members unreliable sources of data and should they be sidelined in favour of more sober rational and objective opinions?
2022-03-301h 01Cult HackersCritical Thinking, Spirituality and life after Jehovah’s Witnesses: Daniel O’BrienDaniel O'Brien is an educator, musician and ex Jehovah's Witness elder. He talks to Stephen about his experience being recruited into the organization and his tough journey out. He also talks about his upcoming lecture at the 2022 International Cultic Studies Association Conference.
Daniel's Essay - Are Religious people happier?
https://t.co/yUMEX7zTnv
International Cultic Studies Association Conference 2022
For more information of to book a ticket https://whova.com/web/icsaa_202207/
To become a patron of "What should I think about...?"
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2022-03-271h 17Cult HackersBirthdaysAs it's Stephen's birthday today , 'birthdays' is the theme of this week's chat. As a Jehovah's Witness child, birthday celebrations were something alien to Stephen and so Celine and her dad try to work out why JWs really don't celebrate them. Stephen finds a paper that provides some of the history and the sociological context and he then demonstrates his slow decent into grumpy old man by having a rant about Discord, mid life crises and MAMILs.
Paper discussed: Shoham, H. (2021). It is about time: Birthdays as modern rites of temporality. Time & Society, 30(1), 78-99.
https://jou...2022-03-2356 minCult HackersAshlen Hilliard: From The International Cultic Studies AssociationAshlen talks about her experience as a born-in member of a small Christian Fundamentalist group called the Churches of Christ, and her work now as the Director of Events at the International Cultic Studies Association. Ashlen also discusses her own research and her studies with the University of Salford on the psychology of coercive control. Such an interesting discussion.
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Ashlen's recent presentation can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q09fB4YGIlw&t=1145s2022-03-201h 00Cult HackersA Cult Reading of The Movie Equilibrium WIth Jexit’s RileyRiley from the Jexit YouTube channel joins Stephen today to analyse the 2002 movie Equilibrium, directed by Kurt Wimmer, starring Christian Bale, Take Diggs, Sean Bean and Emily Watson.
Giving the movie a cult reading reveals some spine-tingling and remarkable parallels with living in a dystopian state and being in a High Control Group.
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2022-03-161h 22Cult HackersKnowing Right From Wrong: Ethics and Morals after leaving a CultAs a member of totalistic group or cult, morals and ethics are to a large degree determined by the Group. Upon leaving, making decisions about right and wrong can be difficult as we grapple with putting together our own moral code.
Celine and Stephen also discuss the famous trolly problem and explore the question of consequentialism vs deontology as well as the psychological research around how people make moral choices.
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Paper used on the discussion today is currently av...2022-03-021h 01Cult HackersRaised in Fear: Kwasizabantu with Daniel Schricker PhDDaniel Schricker grew up in the Kwasizabantu Mission and since leaving has written a number of blogs about the psychological use of fear particularly on children. This is a follow-up to the discussion with Erica Bornman about this fundamentalist group with worrying cultic practices.
Daniel's essays are themed 'Scaring the hell out of you', where he documents how (i) fear of God, (ii) fear of authority, (iii) fear of self and (iv) fear of the world permeates the lives of the children within the group.
Although an analysis of Kwasizabantu cult watchers will recognise the...2022-02-2659 minCult HackersAlt Worldly: Jake Vaughn, Pathos And ComedyJake Vaughn from the Alt Worldly YouTube Channel talks about his waking up process from the Jehovah's Witnesses, and the difficulties associated with it, as well as his health challenges, complicated by his faith as a youth. The second half of the episode takes a different tack as we look at what could controversially be described as "the funny side of growing up in a cult".
Support the podcast for $1:50 https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout/posts
Jake's Channel Links
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfHydnkPDgYNCZiviuVVrkw
My Craziest JW Field Ser...2022-02-201h 11Cult HackersNature Vs NurtureDo some born-in cult members experience greater harm than others because they happen to have certain personality traits?
Psychology suggests that we inherit at least some of our personality traits through our genes. What are the implications for people raised in a cult? How does the presence of certain traits affect how we respond to cult indoctrination? This week Celine and Stephen look at how we research and understand individual differences, how much of these differences are down to our genes or environment, what this means for personal agency and how different traits might mean some cult...2022-02-161h 08Cult Hackers”I feared God with every fibre of my being” Erika Bornman on Life in KwasizabantuErika Bornman, author of Mission of Malice talks to us about her life growing up in Kwasizabantu, a non-denominational Christian Group she describes as a cult. As a child and a young woman she endured physical and mental abuse, was groomed by her church 'counsellor' and witnessed horrendous abuses. In her early twenties she managed to escape but at great personal cost. Erika's story is emotional, touching and at times harrowing but at the heart of her story is a message of hope and of finding a way to make sense of life outside the confines of a controlling...2022-02-131h 02Cult HackersWasted Years?Two completely different topics today on the podcast.
Time Stamp 00:00: Segment 1. The medical condition and psychological impact of serious acne and Stephen and Celine’s experience of this as children and adults.
Time Stamp 25:00: Segment 2. The Wasted Years: After leaving a cult or other high demand group it’s easy to look back and feel angry at the wasted years. Is there a way to work through this feeling?
https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout/
Acne information
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acne/
...2022-02-0959 minCult HackersDeconversion and Religious Trauma with Darren Slade PhDDarren Slade has a fascinating story. Although not raised in a religious household as a young person he loved religious studies and his ambition was to become a pastor and Christian apologist. An ambition he achieved until he started to doubt his beliefs. Today he is the President of The Center for Religious Research and an atheist. He talks about his life and his research into religious trauma as well as some of his other interests such as miracles and the ethics of a God who allows suffering.
Would you like to support our podcast for just $1:50...2022-01-3055 minCult HackersBrent Lee: Ex ConspiracistToday's guest is Brent Lee who describes himself as a recovering conspiracist of 15 years. Brent explains how he became drawn into a Grand Conspiracy, his journey out and the reasons he now feels he must talk about his own experience. Stephen and Celine also discuss how society might deal with this phenomena.
Support the podcast https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout
Brent Lee TV https://youtube.com/c/BrentLeeTV
ko-fi.com/brentleetv
Twitter @BrentLeeTV
2022-01-231h 11Cult HackersWhy Ordinary People Do Atrocious Things: Cults and the Milgram ExperimentsThe Milgram experiments of the 1960s tried to answer the question of how seemingly normal people can do the most awful things. These experiments have been part of Psychology 101 for years and the subject of many a documentary. What are these experiments? And what can they tell us about how people behave in cults? Stephen also discusses sometimes difficult feelings ex members may have about things they may have done while part of a cult or high control group.
If you'd like to help support the podcast you can be a patron for just £1 ($1:50) on our only ti...2022-01-1944 minCult HackersBeing WrongToday Celine and Stephen talk about being wrong and why it's so often hard to accept. They look at the psychology of being wrong and how some cognitive biases may feed into the reasons why we don't always notice it when we are. Celine and Stephen also start the show with a side discussion about the joy of watching young people listen to progressive rock music for the first time, Virtual Reality, states of flow and scary video games. An eclectic episode!
Become a Patron to support the channel and receive early and exclusive access epis...2022-01-1252 minCult HackersCults in Movies: WhiplashDoes the 2014 movie Whiplash starring Miles Teller and JK Simmons depict a cultic relationship? One of our favourite movies with fabulous music great acting and a compelling story the movie is the story of a young man's rise to jazz drumming greatness, but there's a darker side to the story? On today's podcast we explore whether what we are watching is a sort of cult or at least a coercive relationship.
For just £1 a month ($1:50) you can become a patron and gain access to all benefits - there is only one tier. Your support helps to keep th...2022-01-0559 minCult HackersLeaving the Amish: Lizzie’s StoryIt's a fascinating and emotional episode this week, as Lizzie tells us about her life being raised within an Amish community in Ohio and how she ran away to start a new life. Lizzie is now a Health Coach with her own business called Undiet Yourself.
Lizzie's Website: https://undietyourself.live/
Lizzie's Instagram: @lizzieens
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2022-01-021h 08Cult HackersChristmas SpecialSarah, joins Stephen for our Christmas Special as we think about the joys and 'tricky bits' of celebrating Christmas after leaving a cult, especially one that banned it. We think back to our own experience and how we came to feel about it. We finish with a song Celine and I recorded back in 2019.
Video for the song can be accessed here.
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2021-12-2243 minCult HackersMindShift Time! Interview with Clint Heacock on Religious Deconstruction and Dominion TheologyClint Heacock was raised in a Fundamentalist Christian group. As a young man he studied theology and Bible studies in various academic settings and completed his PHD in 2011 with his dissertation being a rhetorical-critical study of the book of Ezekiel. He is a former pastor of an Evangelical church and served in full time ministry.
He moved to the UK and started a podcast called 'The Preacher's Forum'. Already deconstructing his fundamentalist beliefs he found during the podcast that he was questioning everything. He changed the name of the podcast to MindShift and now explores christian deconstruction, re...2021-12-181h 05
Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses-Critical Thinkers » Critical Thought PodcastInterview: Stephen & Celine Mather Faded from Jehovah’s Witness FaithSend us a textInterview with father/daughter podcast duo of What Should I Think About..? podcast. Listen to their podcast at: Podcast – https://whatshouldithinkabout.podbean.com Website – https://www.evilsheep.co.uk/whatshouldithinkabout Stephen Mather was a born-in Jehovah's Witness that never truly believed all of their teachings. His childhood was spent thinking about Watchtower attainments: Ministerial Servant, Elder, Pioneer, Circuit Overseer, Missionary and Bethelite. However, once he and his wife had their daughter, Stephen realized that he cannot teach someone something that he does not fully believe himself. That...2021-12-171h 10Cult HackersBelieve In Yourself! Self Efficacy, Inside And Outside a CultThe term 'Self Efficacy' describes the amount of belief an individual has that they can achieve something. In study after study the degree of self efficacy is a great predictor of whether the individual will achieve the goal. But it's in the interests of a coercive individual or group to reduce the belief that you can achieve goals that are not of use to them.
How do cults increase self efficacy in some areas but reduce it in others? What can we do to increase levels of self efficacy?
To receive exclusive monthly content become...2021-12-1532 minCult HackersTranscendental Meditation, Cults and Exiting: Interview with Patrick Ryan from Cult 101Patrick Ryan found himself deeply involved in Transcendental Meditation during the 1970s until he started to believe he was part of a harmful group. He is now a cult mediation specialist, otherwise known as exit counselling. He is also the head of TM-EX, an organization of ex-members of Transcendental Meditation and has worked extensively with The International Cultic Studies Association. He is also co-author of “Ethical Standards for Thought Reform Consultants". We talk to Patrick about his life inside and outside and the perspective he has gained in his many years working in this space.
Why not be...2021-12-121h 08Cult HackersDreamsToday Celine and Stephen explore dreams. Religion, psychoanalysis, neuroscience and psychology all attempt to explain what happens when we dream and whether they mean anything. Stephen also talks about how one dream by a ancient King had a profound impact on millions of people including himself.
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2nd Annual International eConference on Atheism
https://www.gcrr.org/god-and-suffering
Discount Code: #Atheism
References
The Mind After Midn...2021-12-0857 minCult Hackers”I’ve got the ball and chain around you and only I have the key”: Ex Jehovah‘s Witness Sarah‘s StoryToday is a very personal episode with a very special guest because it's Sarah, Celine's mum and Stephen's wife. Warning that the episode contains some stories about familial abuse, threats and suicide attempts. Sarah talks openly about her difficult childhood, becoming a mum and dealing with matters of faith. Stephen and Sarah also talk about how they met and the hurdles they had to overcome both to be together and then to grow together as they exited the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Why not become a patron for just £1 per month (or equivalent in your currency)
h...2021-12-051h 03Cult HackersFree Will Vs DeterminismToday Celine and Stephen argue! Is there such thing as free will? Is everything predetermined at the moment of the Big Bang? What does science, religion and philosophy say about it? Do we like the answer? Is Celine going to storm off the podcast because her dad is getting on her nerves? All covered in this week's spicy episode.
As a Jehovah's Witness Stephen was taught to reject predestination - a form of pre-determinism, but free will doesn't sit well with an omnipotent God who can see the future. Upon leaving, the question still holds resonance. Buckle...2021-12-0157 minCult HackersAward-Winning Film Witness Underground: Interview with Scott Homan and Ryan SutterThis week's interview is with filmmaker Scott Homan, Writer, Cinematographer and Director of the documentary movie Witness Underground about a group of Jehovah's Witnesses who start an Indie record label, and their subsequent journey out of the organization. Scott is also joined by Ryan Sutter one of the principle characters of the film. Fascinating and inspiring.
Witness Underground Website
https://www.witnessunderground.com/
XJW Coming Out - Documentary SeriesXJW Coming Out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfInUcKLJM8&t=39s
Why not become a Patron for just £1:00 (or equivalent in...2021-11-281h 01Cult HackersSpecial 100th Episode and 1st BirthdayTo celebrate the 100th episode of the 'What should I think about..?' podcast and the 1 year birthday, Celine and Stephen take a look back at just a few of the episodes and guests from the past 12 months. It's been a wild ride. Plus music from Luke Stevenson a former guest of the show and the latest WhatSITA Showcase act.
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Music by Luke Stevenson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjQ...2021-11-241h 28Cult HackersI‘m safer in a bar than I am in a Kingdom Hall: Ex Jehovah‘s Witness Donna Stevenson talks about her experienceDonna Stevenson was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and describes herself as a "happy Witness", but her experiences as a young woman in the organization left her with many questions. Donna eloquently describes what happened, her struggles with her faith and her journey out of the organization and life afterwards.
Warning: This episodes includes discussion about sexual assault
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Advice about Trauma
Mind
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/trau...2021-11-212h 10Cult HackersTrying to Make Sense of War After Leaving a Pacifist CultAs a Jehovah's Witness Stephen was raised to be a pacifist. Upon leaving the group ex members find themselves trying to make sense of how to think about war and whether it can be justified. Celine and Stephen explore the concept of the "just war", how we remember people who have died in wars and how for a moment the world appeared to get close to a rules based system for mutual benefit. Also the show introduces a new feature, showcasing the music and performances of ex JWs or ex members of other high control groups. Today it's a...2021-11-1752 minCult HackersMeerkats, Cleaner Fish and the Social Instinct with Producer BobProducer Bob and Stephen review the Voltaire lecture given by Nichola Raihani about how deeply embedded is the instinct to cooperate. We discuss questions like; why do human beings go through the menopause, how do Meerkats teach their young, how do cleaner fish police customer service and how are a store in the UK that cuts keys and mends shoes leading the way in prisoner rehabilitation.
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Nichola Raihani's book is called, The Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World.
P...2021-11-1048 minCult HackersGrowing up in The Children of God CultAngela Lathwell was raised in the Children of God cult. She describes speaking out about the cult as the last taboo for ex members and we are honoured that she has decided to tell her story on the 'What should I think about..?' podcast.
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2021-11-0756 minCult HackersBonus: Remember Remember the 5th of NovemberIn 1605 Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In 2005 the Wachowskis adapted V for Vendetta starring Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving and John Hurt. Today on November 5th 2021 we review the film inspired by the historical event and dig into its meaning and the actual history behind the event - plus some interesting little tidbits too.
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2021-11-0549 minCult HackersThe Dancing PlagueBack in the 16th Century a woman began to dance - but couldn't stop. Others began to join her and a plague was declared and according to some reports, 15 people a day died of exhaustion. As weird as it seems it's not an isolated case, over the years similar phenomena have been observed. What causes this? What does it tell us about human behaviour? Is there anything that it might tell us about cultic groups? Plus a little spooky Tweet of the Week.
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https://www.patreon.c...2021-11-0351 minCult HackersInterview With The Prophets of Free ThoughtToday we welcome John and Seamus from The Free Thought Prophet Podcast. Seamus talks about his 'Near Death Experience' and how it converted him to atheism. We also talk about John's journey out of the Catholic Church, reasons people leave religion behind, the hostile reaction in some places to atheism and why atheists don't always get along. It's a wide ranging and fascinating conversation with two of the podcast world's leading freethinkers.
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2021-10-311h 00Cult HackersLearned Behavior in CultsThe psychology of learning. How cults shape what people think, what they do and when they do it. Stephen and Celine explore three ways of understanding learning within High Controls Groups, Coercive Relationships and Cults.
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Reference
Miell, D., Phoenix, A., & Thomas, K. (2002). Mapping psychology 1. The Open University.
2021-10-271h 05Cult HackersThey were teenage fundamentalists: Evangelicals and PentecostalsWe talk to the co-hosts of the podcast "I Was a Teenage Fundamentalist", B and T. What is evangelicalism? Is it a cult? What do Pentecostals believe? Why do they speak in tongues? Great guests and it was so interesting to talk about a movement we didn't know very much about. We also talk about the rise of the Mega Church and in particular Hilsong, its history, beliefs and methods of recruitment.
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...2021-10-241h 07Cult HackersThe Lies We Tell Our Kids (Or Don‘t)Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, Hagrid! Is it okay to tell our children stories that aren't true but pretend they are, to create a magical childhood experience? As an ex Jehovah's Witness, Stephen was raised without these stories so how did he approach this question as Celine's dad when she was a child? Also Stephen floats a new feature for the podcast to Celine called "Things we used to do".
If you think this podcast is worth £1 per week (or equivalent in your own currency) why not become a patron for just that.
https://www.p...2021-10-2051 minCult HackersAlexandra Stein PhD: Attachment in cults and coercive relationshipsDr Alexandra Stein, one of the leading experts on cults joins us today for a fascinating interview. She talks about her own experience within a cult, the application of attachment theory to cults and coercive relationships as well as discussing the physical effects of these damaging and toxic relationships. We also discuss the historic lack of research from a multi-generational (born-in) perspective and whether talk about the the 'cult self' versus the 'authentic self' is universally useful. Dr Stein was incredibly generous with her time and thoughtfully engaged with everything we asked.
Useful Links
www...2021-10-171h 15Cult HackersDocumentary Special: The Pink PoundSpecial episode of the podcast with an audio version of the documentary Celine and Stephen made called the Pink Pound.
Video version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfDaI8rlNDc&t=603s
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2021-10-1233 minCult HackersFilm actor, singer, X factor contestant, window cleaner exJW Luke StevensonLuke Stevenson appeared in the movie 'Apostasy', a film about Jehovah's Witnesses. He was raised as a JW and he talks honestly about living according to the expectations of his community and then leading a double life before leaving.
He also talks about his appearance on The X factor, his part in Apostasy and his singing. He tells a great story and is a born entertainer.
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2021-10-101h 06Cult HackersCult Movie: The VillageToday we explore with cultic vision the 2004 movie 'The Village' written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, starring Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Is it the story of a cult? We discuss...
Also, we see the return of Tweet Of The Week or TOTW as everyone is calling it 😊
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2021-10-0638 minCult HackersJT and Lady CeeSo excited to welcome two of the original EX JW YouTubers onto the podcast this week. JT and Lady Cee talk about their life as Jehovah's Witnesses - JT as a Bethel Brother and Lady Cee as a Regular Pioneer. They're great company and it was such a pleasure to speak to them both. Sorry about my tinny microphone - hope it isn't too distracting.
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JT and Lady Cee YouTube Channels
E...2021-10-031h 04Cult HackersShould we worry about homeschooling?This is a special podcast documentary episode where we explore homeschooling.
It seems to be increasingly popular, particularly with religious parents so what are the risks? Are there any benefits? We talk to two people, Kezia and Matilda who were educated at home, as well as Kate, a professional educator to get insights from different perspectives on this controversial topic.
Do we change our mind about a subject that has been cropping up quite regularly on the podcast?
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https://w...2021-09-291h 39Cult HackersChecklists and Affirmations: Jared ex Jehovah‘s Witness:Today we head down to the Bible Belt of the USA and talk to Jared, an ex Jehovah's Witness, Pioneer and Elder. He talks about his childhood as a committed Jehovah's Witness, his youth and how a fateful search for some music from a JW drama changed his life.
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2021-09-261h 02Cult HackersSexual Healing: With Producer Bob and the Shunned Experience‘s JordanAdults only this week as the 'In Conversation' Panel, Producer Bob and Jordan Robertson from the Shunned Experience Podcast, review the lecture from Doni Whitsett, PhD, LCSW at the International Cultic Studies Association convention, where she talked about recovering from sexual trauma, experienced while part of a cult or high control group.
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2021-09-221h 12Cult HackersRobin Jackson: South African Ex JW ActivistWhat was it like to be raised a Jehovah's Witness during apartheid? What was it like to leave the organization? Robin Jackson is a podcaster with his show 'Cult Life' and the author of two books. He joins us today on the 'Would should I think about..?' podcast and talks about his life, his awakening from the Group and his need to go public about his experience.
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Robin's Work
L...2021-09-1954 minCult HackersBonus: The MGTOW Men‘s Movement with JexitRiley from the Jexit 2020 channel joins Stephen to discuss the MGTOW movement - Men Going Their Own Way. Riley reached out after we talked about it during the Matrix episode and he provides an interesting perspective as someone who got involved after he left the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Thank you Riley for a fascinating discussion.
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2021-09-1759 minCult Hackers”What‘s your Weltanschauung? How your ‘worldview‘ affects your beliefs.A Weltanschauung is a 'worldview', a way of making sense out what we see and experience. Each person has a specific way of making sense of life and leaving a high control group means rewiring our worldview in many areas. Stephen also presents the case for understanding political and social angst in light of different people's Weltanschauung.
Strap in, it's a philosophical episode of 'What should I think about..?', where we also explain terms like ontology and epistemology. Plus we talk about some feedback from a current Jehovah's Witness on Apple Podcasts.
Why not b...2021-09-1553 minCult HackersJohn Elson Ex JW Stand-up Comic and CaricaturistA very special episode, John Elson is an old friend and fellow ex Jehovah's Witness. John is very important to us as he is our resident artist, producing the cool artwork we use to promote the podcast every week. A professional artist, he talks about his journey from very active Jehovah's Witness, elder and regular pioneer to stand-up comedian and then on to professional artist. Also our first ever in-person interview.
John is a fabulous, very entertaining guest, you will love listening to him.
Why not become a Patron for just £1 (or equivalent in your c...2021-09-121h 21Cult HackersPerfectionWhat do we mean by perfection? How do cults use the concept? What is its connection to sin? Where does excellence and achievement sit within this conversation and why can it be tricky for leavers of high control groups?
All this plus a couple of 'Tweets of The Week'.
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Vox article
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/11/27/20975989/perfect-mental-health-perfectionism
2021-09-081h 06Cult HackersReview of UnorthodoxToday we review 'Unorthodox', the short series on Netflix, inspired by the book by Deborah Feldman. The story follows a young woman fleeing a closed community that restricts her freedom to make her own decisions about her life. We explore the remarkable way this story resonates with other experiences of people raised in High Control Groups. We also discuss some criticisms of the show and the potentially difficult questions it raises when it comes to highlighting the problematic behavior of minority religious groups.
Why not become a patron for just £1 (or equivalent in your currency) https://www.pa...2021-09-011h 13Cult HackersInterview with Mark Jones, the Quora guyMark Jones is an ex Jehovah's Witness who has carved out a niche for himself in one of the most influential and read question-and-answer websites - Quora. Mark has over 14 thousand followers on Quora and has been able to help many people to learn the truth about the organization behind the name. He's a great interview and has his own story to tell.
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Mark's profile on Quora
https://www.quora.com/profile/Mark-Jones-400
2021-08-291h 03Cult HackersBonus Conversation: Born-in Cult Member RecoveryStephen talks to Producer Bob about the research of Sofia Klufas, presenter at the International Cultic Studies Association convention, into the experience of second and third generation cult members, as they leave their group.
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2021-08-271h 05Cult HackersAvoiding the 'Pit of Despair'Today we discuss our personal strategies to avoid falling into the 'pit of despair' - a feeling of anxiety about self and the world. Leaving an all encompassing groups can leave a person feeling overwhelmed and dad talks about that, but The News and making our way through a complex world affects everyone, so Celine talks about her ways of managing that. We hope you enjoy this very personal episode.
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2021-08-2557 minCult HackersA voice from inside: Interview with Geoffrey WallisGeoffrey Wallis is a current Jehovah's Witness who has written a book about what it's like to be a Physically In, Mentally Out (PIMO) Jehovah's Witness. Geoffrey has a fascinating perspective coupled with well researched thoughts on religious trauma and other psychological effects of belonging to a captive organization.
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Useful links for this episode
Geoffrey Wallis website
https://www.wallisbooks.com/
Buy A voice from inside at Am...2021-08-221h 05Cult HackersPersonality ProfilesStephen has a bit of a rant about the documentary 'Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Tests. Also, what are psychometrics? Do they say anything interesting? Are they all born equal? Is there a sinister side to them?
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Interesting links
The Vox article
https://www.vox.com/2014/7/15/5881947/myers-briggs-personality-test-meaningless
Scientific American
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-accurate-are-personality-tests/
2021-08-1853 minCult HackersProphecy Special: England's Most Famous ProphetessA special episode of the podcast with a visit to Knaresborough, Yorkshire, the home of Mother Shipton, England's most famous Prophetess and the archetype of what we now think of as the traditional Witch. Come on holiday with Stephen and special guest on the podcast Celine's mum Sarah.
What do we know about Mother Shipton? What were some of her prophecies? And what are the parallels with Biblical prophecy?
Official Mother Shipton Website
https://www.mothershipton.co.uk/
Become a Patron of 'What should I think about..?'2021-08-1558 minCult HackersThe Matrix as MetaphorSo many cult escapees cite the movie The Matrix as a metaphor to describe the leaving process. Today we explore why, and how it can be interpreted as a way to make sense of the leaving process. Warning! Lot's of talk about The Matrix including spoilers.
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Lilly Wachowski on The Matrix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adXm2sDzGkQ
2021-08-111h 03Cult HackersA life in the Moonies: Interview with Elgen StraitElgen was born to a 'matched couple' in the Unification Church, better known as the Moonies. He talks to us about his experience growing up as a 'Blessed Child'. He explains the theology and philosophy and his experience breaking free and finding his sense of identity. This is such a powerful and fascinating story with many similarities to other cult experiences, but some unique elements too.
Elgen has his own podcast called 'Falling Out', definitely worth checking out. You can find it on all of the major platforms or through the links below:
fallingoutpod.com/e...2021-08-081h 15Cult HackersEmotional Labour and The Kingdom SmileHaving to be happy for the benefit of others is one example of emotional labour. Cabin crew, sales assistants and carers are all expected to regulate their emotions to provide the right experience for the customer. But what about High Control Groups? Wearing a Kingdom smile and being happy was a requirement for Dad as a Jehovah's Witnesses - and is replicated in other groups. Is this the ultimate in emotional labour?
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Research Paper
...2021-08-0459 minCult HackersKamila Dydyna talks about DebutanteJust before her world premiere at the Galway Film Festival, Filmmaker and ex Jehovah's Witness Kamila Dydyna talks to us about Debutante, her short film about the experience of a young Jehovah's Witness having to endure a Judicial Committee, an internal hearing to determine whether she will be disfellowshipped and shunned. It's a powerful short film and Kamila talks about her motivation for making it. It's a wonderful interview and we so much enjoyed talking to her about the making of the film and her plans for the future.
Support the 'What should I think about...2021-08-011h 01Cult HackersNarcissism and cult leadersWhat is narcissism? How do people become narcissists? Is there a link between narcissism and leadership? What about cults are they led by narcissists? And what is malignant narcissism?
We discuss these questions by reviewing a lecture by Charles Zeiders and Peter Devlin author of the book Malignant Narcissism and Power: A Psychodynamic Exploration of Madness and Leadership. It's fascinating stuff!
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Our Merch
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Book featured on today's show
https://www.amazon.co.uk...2021-07-1459 minCult HackersBonus Short : Mental Wellbeing in CultsThis Bonus episode is part of the 'Cults as Organizations' series I use Organizational Psychology to explore high control groups and compare them to other groups.
This month I look at Psychological wellbeing by using the ABCs of psychological wellbeing developed by lecturers of Organizational Psychology at Birkbeck College, University of London.
Reference article
https://social.hays.com/2020/04/15/managing-wellbeing-in-uncertain-world/
The video slide show for this episode is available for patrons at Cognitive Dissonance level and above.
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2021-07-0915 minCult HackersEp 50. Self HelpAs a member of a high control group Stephen was taught that 'self-help' books and programs (that were not from the cult) were dangerous and wrong. When you leave there's a desire and a possible need for self development, but there's also a risk of getting sucked into another all-encompassing system of belief. We discuss this question and more in the latest episode.
Plus we have 'Tweet of the Week' where we look at biases and how much High Control Groups use these to influence their followers and potential victims.
Have you ever wanted to s...2021-07-0758 min