This week, Trust Me is joined by David Farrier, journalist and filmmaker known for documentaries like Tickled and Netflix series Dark Tourist. He shares about his work studying strange subcultures and conspiracy theorists and what he’s learned along the way, and then dives into his investigation into Arise Church, the largest megachurch in New Zealand.

David explains how his interviews with ex members revealed the church’s systemic pattern of exploiting harrowing unpaid internships--with work hours that led to multiple members having mental breakdowns. He discusses the financial exploitation and sexual assault cover-ups that occurred, how it all got exposed, and what became of the church. Plus: a couple of tangents, including one about Hell House, the Christian church-run haunted house that simulates hell to scare you into joining.

SOURCES

Webworm

Flightless Bird Podcast

This week, Trust Me is joined by David Farrier, journalist and filmmaker known for documentaries like Tickled and Netflix series Dark Tourist. He shares about his work studying strange subcultures and conspiracy theorists and what he&rsquo;s learned along the way, and then dives into his investigation into Arise Church, the largest megachurch in New Zealand. David explains how his interviews with ex members revealed the church&rsquo;s systemic pattern of exploiting harrowing unpaid internships--with work hours that led to multiple members having mental breakdowns. He discusses the financial exploitation and sexual assault cover-ups that occurred, how it all got exposed, and what became of the church. Plus: a couple of tangents, including one about Hell House, the Christian church-run haunted house that simulates hell to scare you into joining.
SOURCES
<a href="https://www.webworm.co/megachurch/">Webworm</a>
<a href="https://www.flightlessbirdpod.com/listen">Flightless Bird Podcast</a>

David Farrier - Conspiracies, Cults, and Investigating Arise Church

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0d24381a-819c-482a-b86f-b3cb0176090b/transcript

This week’s guest is Jess Rothschild, creator of documentary podcast "Cult of Body & Soul," which dives into the history of cult fitness brand Soulcycle. She explains the spinning company's origins, how the workout environment was engineered to create an almost religious experience, and why instructors chosen for their devoted followings and special charisma made it a cultural phenomenon.

They discuss the social hierarchies that formed inside and outside of class, the mysticism infused into the culture, and what she herself loved about it--and how the corporate takeover of the brand changed everything.

SOURCES

Cult of Body and Soul

This week&rsquo;s guest is Jess Rothschild, creator of documentary podcast "Cult of Body &amp; Soul," which dives into the history of cult fitness brand Soulcycle. She explains the spinning company's origins, how the workout environment was engineered to create an almost religious experience, and why instructors chosen for their devoted followings and special charisma made it a cultural phenomenon. They discuss the social hierarchies that formed inside and outside of class, the mysticism infused into the culture, and what she herself loved about it--and how the corporate takeover of the brand changed everything.
SOURCES
<a href="https://www.cultbodysoul.com/">Cult of Body and Soul</a>

Jess Rothschild - SoulCycle and the Cult of Spinning

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f34f4408-3973-48b3-a187-b3b80000b66b/transcript

Episode 19: Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth interview Elana Auerbach, former follower of sexual wellness company OneTaste--elsewhere deemed the Orgasm Cult--in its early years. Elana discusses being the founder's right hand woman as the program developed, and how the sexual practice involving stimulating a woman's genitals evolved into what's now called Orgasmic Meditation. They discuss how Elana came to center her life around the founder, how she was manipulated, and what snapped her out of it.

Episode 19: Lola Blanc &amp; Meagan Elizabeth interview Elana Auerbach, former follower of sexual wellness company OneTaste--elsewhere deemed the Orgasm Cult--in its early years. Elana discusses being the founder's right hand woman as the program developed, and how the sexual practice involving stimulating a woman's genitals evolved into what's now called Orgasmic Meditation. They discuss how Elana came to center her life around the founder, how she was manipulated, and what snapped her out of it.

REWIND: Elana Auerbach - OneTaste (aka the Orgasm Cult)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ff8bb577-6389-48f2-b829-b3b80135c33e/transcript

Survivor's of Larry Ray's sex cult Felicia and Daniel discuss how they came to meet Larry, how he leveraged his memory and connections to craft an image of authority, how Larry gained control of their lives under the guise of helping them, when the manipulation elevated into sexual abuse and violence, and how they're doing now that Larry is going to jail for the harm he has caused.

 

Survivor's of Larry Ray's sex cult Felicia and Daniel discuss how they came to meet Larry, how he leveraged his memory and connections to craft an image of authority, how Larry gained control of their lives under the guise of helping them, when the manipulation elevated into sexual abuse and violence, and how they're doing now that Larry is going to jail for the harm he has caused.
&nbsp;

REWIND: Felicia Rosario and Daniel Levin - Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c7abe05c-8f13-413e-8725-b3b80134352f/transcript

This week’s guest is Theo Pratt, survivor of Gloriavale, an isolated Christian cult hidden deep in rural New Zealand, and author of Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale. She’ll talk about being raised on the strictly controlled commune where people were assigned new names, women wore identical dresses and head coverings, and children weren’t taught the real days of the week—or even where they were in the world.

Theo shares about the leader Neville Cooper’s self-proclaimed divine authority, how “smacking ladies” kept the kids in line—and guards kept the compound controlled, and her rebellious streak that led her to planning an escape attempt on a tandem bicycle. And of course, the moment she realized she couldn’t stay, and what it felt like to step into the outside world she’d been taught would destroy her.

SOURCES:

Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale

This week&rsquo;s guest is Theo Pratt, survivor of Gloriavale, an isolated Christian cult hidden deep in rural New Zealand, and author of Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale. She&rsquo;ll talk about being raised on the strictly controlled commune where people were assigned new names, women wore identical dresses and head coverings, and children weren&rsquo;t taught the real days of the week&mdash;or even where they were in the world. Theo shares about the leader Neville Cooper&rsquo;s self-proclaimed divine authority, how &ldquo;smacking ladies&rdquo; kept the kids in line&mdash;and guards kept the compound controlled, and her rebellious streak that led her to planning an escape attempt on a tandem bicycle. And of course, the moment she realized she couldn&rsquo;t stay, and what it felt like to step into the outside world she&rsquo;d been taught would destroy her.
SOURCES:
<a href="https://www.theopratt.com/">Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale</a>

Theo Pratt - Blue Dresses, Smacking Ladies, and an Isolated Compound: Surviving Gloriavale

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3bb2e324-9e13-436b-bd23-b3b0017b44de/transcript

Renee DiResta, professor and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality, joins the show again to dive deeper into disinformation, propaganda, and "pseudo-events," or manufactured controversies and news stories.

She explains why it’s so difficult to tell fact from fiction online, how propagandists stoke real, often legitimate tensions to create division, how American politicians are amplifying false information instead of shutting it down, and possible policies that could help reduce our culty social media silos.

SOURCES

Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality


The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America

Renee DiResta, professor and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality, joins the show again to dive deeper into disinformation, propaganda, and "pseudo-events," or manufactured controversies and news stories. She explains why it&rsquo;s so difficult to tell fact from fiction online, how propagandists stoke real, often legitimate tensions to create division, how American politicians are amplifying false information instead of shutting it down, and possible policies that could help reduce our culty social media silos. SOURCES
<a href="https://www.reneediresta.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reneediresta.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1764219736034000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2gk3HA888WoOmy4wNEnac7">Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality</a>
 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Image:_A_Guide_to_Pseudo-events_in_America" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Image:_A_Guide_to_Pseudo-events_in_America&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1764219736034000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1pD8rE6P01KpG_OQ7SD9iK">The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America</a>

Renee DiResta - Part 2: Pseudo-Events, More on Disinformation, and Telling Fact From Fiction

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bb4c84d8-dabb-41ea-b7b4-b3a0012d9489/transcript

This week’s guest is Renee DiResta, professor, and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality. In part one this week, she talks to Lola and Meagan about propaganda, disinformation vs. misinformation, and how social media algorithms push us all into highly individualized, “bespoke” realities.

They discuss how she became interested in this topic after social media algorithms started suggesting anti-vaxxer content to her, how rage bait and other emotionally charged material spreads faster, and why social media makes it seem like other people have more extreme views than the majority of them actually do.

SOURCES

Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality

This week&rsquo;s guest is Renee DiResta, professor, and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality. In part one this week, she talks to Lola and Meagan about propaganda, disinformation vs. misinformation, and how social media algorithms push us all into highly individualized, &ldquo;bespoke&rdquo; realities. They discuss how she became interested in this topic after social media algorithms started suggesting anti-vaxxer content to her, how rage bait and other emotionally charged material spreads faster, and why social media makes it seem like other people have more extreme views than the majority of them actually do. SOURCES
<a href="https://www.reneediresta.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reneediresta.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1764219736034000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2gk3HA888WoOmy4wNEnac7">Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality</a>

Renee DiResta - Part 1: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Bespoke Realities

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/37ce52f4-2b4f-4f4b-82d0-b3a10053dd33/transcript

This week, Lola and Meagan continue their conversation with Mike and Abbi Prussack, former members of Meagan’s childhood church, the 2x2s. In part 2, they walk the girls through the abuse crisis that has shaken the group in recent years and the long-standing patterns that allowed the harm to continue. Mike and Abbi explain how church leadership handled reports, why victims felt they had nowhere to turn, and how secrecy and obedience has shaped the culture for generations.

They also discuss the FBI investigation, the community’s response, and what it has been like to help moderate the Ex 2x2 Facebook group during a moment of collective reckoning. The conversation looks at the cost of silence and the pressure to stay loyal, plus why so many people are choosing to finally speak out now.

SOURCES

Wings for Truth

This week, Lola and Meagan continue their conversation with Mike and Abbi Prussack, former members of Meagan&rsquo;s childhood church, the 2x2s. In part 2, they walk the girls through the abuse crisis that has shaken the group in recent years and the long-standing patterns that allowed the harm to continue. Mike and Abbi explain how church leadership handled reports, why victims felt they had nowhere to turn, and how secrecy and obedience has shaped the culture for generations. They also discuss the FBI investigation, the community&rsquo;s response, and what it has been like to help moderate the Ex 2x2 Facebook group during a moment of collective reckoning. The conversation looks at the cost of silence and the pressure to stay loyal, plus why so many people are choosing to finally speak out now.
SOURCES
<a href="https://wingsfortruth.info/about/">Wings for Truth</a>

Mike & Abbi Prussack – Part 2: Predators in Power, Institutional Denial, and the Fight to Expose It

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/68fefa66-9cda-4171-b037-b396004554e9/transcript

This week, Lola and Meagan talk with Mike and Abbi Prussack, former members of Meagan’s childhood church, the 2x2s, also known as The Truth or The Way. The couple, who now help moderate the Ex-2x2 Facebook community, share what it was like growing up in a secretive religious group with no name, no building, and strict rules about who could be “in.”

They open up about meeting and marrying within the church, the single question that shattered their faith, and how leaving forced them to rebuild their identities from scratch.

Next week, part two dives into the FBI investigation, decades of hidden abuse, and what’s happening inside the group now that the truth is finally being exposed.

This week, Lola and Meagan talk with Mike and Abbi Prussack, former members of Meagan&rsquo;s childhood church, the 2x2s, also known as The Truth or The Way. The couple, who now help moderate the Ex-2x2 Facebook community, share what it was like growing up in a secretive religious group with no name, no building, and strict rules about who could be &ldquo;in.&rdquo; They open up about meeting and marrying within the church, the single question that shattered their faith, and how leaving forced them to rebuild their identities from scratch. Next week, part two dives into the FBI investigation, decades of hidden abuse, and what&rsquo;s happening inside the group now that the truth is finally being exposed.

Mike & Abbi Prussack - Part 1: A Church with No Name, Isolated Childhoods, and Doomsday Fear 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c620a376-29c4-4088-ba6b-b391017184db/transcript

This week, researcher Tim Squirrel joins Lola & Meagan to break down the manosphere: incels, redpill, MGTOW, and the differences between some of the misogynistic subcultures in the online world of men. They discuss how isolation can leave boys vulnerable to harmful internet communities, and how the algorithm can radicalize young people looking for identity.

From Andrew Tate to Jordan Peterson, Tim shares why and how hyper-masculine spaces thrive, touting themselves as self-help programs or advocating for withdrawing from society altogether. They chat about why these communities can also be bad for the people inside them, whether Lola has accidentally dated incels, and what to do if someone you know has fallen down the rabbit hole.

SOURCES

Movember

This week, researcher&nbsp;Tim&nbsp;Squirrel joins Lola &amp; Meagan to break down the manosphere: incels, redpill, MGTOW, and the differences between some of the misogynistic subcultures in the online world of men. They discuss how isolation can leave boys vulnerable to harmful internet communities, and how the algorithm can radicalize young people looking for identity. From Andrew Tate to Jordan Peterson, Tim shares why and how hyper-masculine spaces thrive, touting themselves as self-help programs or advocating for withdrawing from society altogether. They chat about why these communities can also be bad for the people inside them, whether Lola has accidentally dated incels, and what to do if someone you know has fallen down the rabbit hole.
SOURCES
<a href="https://ex.movember.com/movember-institute/masculinities-report">Movember</a>

Tim Squirrell - Incels, Redpill, and the Manosphere

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/da190ba6-9e67-4713-81bc-b3870121fe10/transcript

Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.

Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion&mdash;told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it.&nbsp;Hosted by two women who&rsquo;ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show&nbsp;features survivors from groups like Heaven&rsquo;s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more&ndash;sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.
Each week, they invite&nbsp;these guests&nbsp;alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart.&nbsp;This isn&rsquo;t a sensationalized deep dive into cults&mdash;it&rsquo;s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free.&nbsp;At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

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