A big welcome back to Dr Alexandra Stein onto the podcast, updating us on her work exposing cults and educating... more

Celine and Stephen explore how overarching conspiracy theories and cults highjack fundamental psychological needs to make them attractive. Are we... more

Celine and Stephen are joined today by Kendra Bryan who was raised in a fundamentalist Christian group. Kendra describes her... more

Today Celine and Stephen explore the various theories related to how organizations motivate people and how they can be applied... more

Stephen is back home after his attempt at the Land's End to John O'Groats cycle. He talks about his ride... more

Our guest today Sue Winter describes herself as a cult hopper and analyses her experiences of coercive control in the... more

Why do people do activism, write books or make podcasts after they've left a  cultic group? Is it down to... more

Jo Lloyd Johnson is an artist and author who escaped a charismatic, fundamentalist Christian cultic group. She has written about... more

This week our guest is Kacey from the Cult Vault, one of the leading podcasts about cults. Kacey talks about... more

In this special, last of the current season of miniseries episodes about the psychology of cults, we are releasing the... more

Today Stephen and Celine look at the news about claims of UFOs and UAP at the Congressional Hearing on July... more

In our ongoing miniseries into the psychology of cults Stephen explores how cults manage their activity, including the similarities and... more

Today we welcome back Brian and Troy from the 'I was a teenage fundamentalist' podcast. What are the thinking processes... more

Today on the psychology of cults miniseries, Stephen uses the tools of Organizational Psychology to explain how organizations respond to... more

In this episode Celine and Stephen do a cult reading of the classic movie The Truman Show, directed by Peter... more

On our continuing miniseries on the psychology of cults, this week Stephen explores how cult leaders often employ charismatic tactics... more

Daniel Shaw, former member of a yoga cultic group, is a professional psychotherapist and author, who has researched extensively traumatic... more

In this week's bonus episode in the mini-series The Psychology of Cults, Stephen uses social psychological to explore the attraction... more

Leaving a high control group is difficult for everyone. Men and women have specific challenges, and today Celine and Stephen... more

In this bonus mini-series, Stephen talks about the psychology of cults. Today's episode is about the practice of shunning, its... more

Abby was a 15 year old girl suffering from anxiety when she was taken against her will to a lockdown... more

In this bonus mini-series, Stephen talks about the psychology of cults. Today's episode is about how cults motivate members to... more

Today's special episode focuses on Stephen's endurance challenge as he trains for the Land's End to John o' Groats 970... more

Susan Dones took on NXIVM before most of us had even heard about the cultic self-help group. Against the warning... more

Today's 'topic episode' is about grief, and Celine and Stephen explore the famous Kübler-Ross stages of grief and how they... more

Rebecca Woodward is a writer, published in the New York Times, Huffpost and Electric Literature. She was raised as a... more

Brent Lee, former conspiracist joins the podcast today to talk about his wild journey since we last spoke in January... more

This week Celine interrogates Stephen on his claim that it's only a matter of time before we see our first... more

On today's bonus episode Joy Cranham, from the Family Survival Trust, speaks to Stephen about a special event they are... more

Stephen talks to Anke Richter, an international journalist and author of Cult Trip, a book about her investigations into a... more

Prince Harry suggested that the Royal family might be a death cult in his book Spare. Today on Coronation Day,... more

This bonus episode is a conversation Stephen had with anarchist Hayward Gatch about his experience studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. They... more

Part 2 of our discussion with ex-Jehovah's Witness, author Daniel Allen Cox talking about his upcoming memoirs, I Felt the End... more

Part 1 of a two part interview with Canadian writer Daniel Allen Cox, former Jehovah's Witness and author of a... more

Tamara MC, PhD tells her story of living in a Sufi cult from the age of 5 years old. Tamara... more

In the light of the BBC documentary and podcast "A Very British Cult", exposing the practices of the life coaching... more

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) is described as the largest worldwide megachurch. Rachael Reign was recruited... more

Do cults exploit our desire for simple answers? Do they mire us in complexity to keep us in? Or do... more

Todd Brown talks about his moving and emotional story of his 23 years in a small Sufi group, his suppression... more

Who gets to call themselves an expert? In a world where anyone can be a film producer, documentary maker or... more

Contact Page: https://culthackers.com/

We welcome back filmmaker Scott Homan and former Jehovah's Witness to update us on his amazing film Witness Underground, as... more

Why do we rebel against authority? When is it a good thing? When is it maybe not so good? How... more

Guests today are Narissa and Lara from the 2 Girls 1 Cult podcast. Sisters and former Jehovah's Witnesses they talk... more

Frankie Tease was a member of Morningland Monastery at Long Beach California group from the age of 8 through to... more

Celine and Stephen explore the question of identity and how cults attempt to control the individual, social and group self.... more

Belonging to a fundamentalist religious cult often means having a complicated relationship with science and scientific discoveries. After leaving, the... more

Claire Alison Hams was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and was a full time pioneer. She is now a mental... more

Today Stephen and Celine are joined by Elgen Strait ex Moonie - Falling Out Podcast, Frankie Tease ex Morningland Church... more

Today's episode explores the 2012 classic The Master, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour... more

In her memoir, 'Uncultured' Daniella Mestyanek Young tells her story of being raised in the Children of God, her escape... more

Today's guest is Joy Cranham from the Family Survival Trust, a charity that specialises in helping victims of cults and... more

The Invisible Man - it's not about invisibility! Coercive control is a signature tactic of cults and a sign of toxic... more

The final Cult Hackers podcast for the year with Celine and Stephen as they review their favourite episodes, talk about... more

In this bonus episode from the Cults on Film series, Stephen explores cult tactics employed by the Jedi and the... more

For cult leavers raised in groups like Jehovah's Witnesses who don't celebrate Christmas, the holidays can create mixed feelings. Celine... more

Dr Darrel Ray is a well known author, psychologist and speaker about the difficulties of making sense of the world... more

Today's bonus episode is an analysis of the 2017 movie Apostasy written and directed by former Jehovah's Witness, Daniel Kokotajlo... more

This week’s episode is a special one and welcomes guest Riley from the Jexit channel. It explores the spectacular story... more

In this final episode of our mini-series Stephen is joined by Jane Stewart and and James Carrier from The World... more

Raised as a 4th generation Jehovah's Witness Natalie Grand wanted to educate the world about life for a woman growing... more

In this week's special collaboration with The World of Work Project we explore the importance of being able to speak... more

Celine and Stephen explore the ever-present belief that the end is nigh, starting with Stephen's former group Jehovah's Witnesses, including... more

Part 2 of our special collaboration with the World of Work Project's Jane Stewart and James Carrier. This week we... more

In part 2, Andrew continues his discussion with Celine and Stephen. Andrew Pledger is a podcaster, activist, writer and life... more

Andrew Pledger is a podcaster, activist, writer and life coach who left a fundamentalist Christian cult. He raises awareness about... more

This is a special collaboration between Cult Hackers and The World of Work Project, exploring cultic practices in the workplace.... more

To lift the mood this week Stephen and Celine review three of their favourite comedy movies, all with tangentially cult... more

Jolyn Armstrong is a certified trauma recovery coach and has an interesting personal perspective, having gone through the experience of... more

Today Stephen briefly considers a week of hell, and then Cult Hackers revisits an episode from the archives exploring the... more

Today Celine and Stephen explore a group they've not talked about before, Christian Science. Hilary Alexander was raised as a... more

After leaving a cult or fundamentalist group with an all-encompassing belief system, it’s great fun to explore science and philosophy... more

In this week's episode we explore how cults use power to ensure the obedience of their followers, drawing from French... more

Assimilation, group identity and leaving is hard. In this bonus episode taken from our short series, Cults on Film, Stephen... more

Jennifer French is a mental health counselor and podcaster. She was a member of a Christian Mystical Cult and as... more

Celine and Stephen explore how cults use the promise of happiness to attract people and keep them on the hook.... more

Sherrie D'Souza is the International Development Director and board member of 'Recovering From Religion' an organization that specialises in helping... more

Welcome to the first official episode of Cult Hackers (formerly 'What should I think about..?') For our first show we... more

In the last ever episode of 'What Should I Think About...?' (soon to become Cult Hackers), Andrew Jasko, M.Div. joins... more

Did Jesus have a work-life balance problem? What are the 'work' commitments for members of cults? As a former Jehovah's... more