Introducing Challenging Leadership, a new podcast with Stephen and Jared. Check out Season 1 now - Season 2 coming soon. https://pod.link/1712306504

This is our last ever Cult Hackers podcast. We say goodbye and thank you to all our listeners and supporters... more

The UK has seen a week of rioting and civil disorder. What is the background, why are people rioting? And... more

Was my upbringing as a Jehovah's Witness a multicultural one? Does culture need defending? Should we accept all cultural differences?... more

Rituals are powerful. They have been a part of our shared culture since the beginning - why? And how do... more

Today's episode explores Nudge Theory, more correctly Behavioral Economics and how too many nudges can start to make us feel... more

Quitting is often treated as a sign of a weak character, but for those of us who quit a toxic... more

In this episode Stephen reflects upon what it's like to be prevented from voting, the psychological consequences of being a... more

Stephen reflects upon the infected blood scandal affecting thousands of people and how it relates to his own former religious... more

This special episode is about the Frank Herbert story, Dune, including the recent film adaptation. This story covers many of... more

After 267 episodes we've decided that's the end of season 1. In the final episode of the season Celine and... more

Our guest today is Kendra Petty, author of the memoir "I Can't Believe I'm Not Dead". Coercively controlled by her... more

Celine raises the question whether there is a link between religious belief and long life. Following the Netflix series Live... more

This week Celine and Stephen's guest is Carmel Mikol, a filmmaker, musician, artist and former Jehovah's Witness. Carmel talks about... more

A high profile case of people behaving appallingly on behalf of an organisation is big news in the UK, known... more

Celine and Stephen are joined by Micki, AKA Apostate Barbie, from Instagram and Tic Tok. Micki tells us about her... more

A follow-up to the conversation Stephen had with Spencer Watson from the Truth Unrestricted Podcast about magical thinking. This time... more

Jan Frode Nilsen has a long-form interview with Stephen about his work exposing the damaging shunning policies of Jehovah's Witnesses,... more

Losing friends, making new ones, reuniting with old ones, all at the same time as finding yourself. Friendships can be... more

This short bonus episode is the audio version of a blog Stephen recently published on Medium. Many leavers of high... more

In the late 70s Sharon and Tracey were attracted to "The Jesus People" and joined the Last Days Ministries, living... more

For this week's podcast Celine and Stephen discuss the "software bug" inherent in human beings that makes us vulnerable to... more

This week Stephen talks to Spencer Watson from the Truth Unrestricted Podcast about the question of 'Magical Thinking'. What is... more

When you're a member of a fundamentalist religious group, you find comfort in the certain knowledge that you have "The... more

Join the party to listen to some of our nearly 100 hundred different guests over the last three years. We... more

Celine and Stephen speak to cult expert, therapist and podcaster, Rachel Bernstein about her introduction into the topic, her work... more

Today we're joined by Cynane, a former member of a fundamentalist Christian group. Cynane is writing a book about the... more

It's perhaps the most famous psychological study ever but what does it really tell us? And what might it tell... more

Stephen speaks to Scott Homan, Ryan Sutter, Anthony Mathenia, Denise Wise and Micah Allen Losch from the Witness Underground team.... more

Human rights lawyer, Stephen Patterson joins us today to talk about his work representing ex-members of the New Zealand based... more

In this bonus episode Riley joins Stephen to go deep into the philosophy and meaning behind childhood TV and film... more

A major driver of the culture within Jehovah's Witnesses has been the requirement to count and record time spent on... more

Our guest today is Dennis Tourish, Professor of Leadership and Organization Studies at The University of Sussex. He's an academic... more

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