On Belief: A Podcast About Cults

On Belief is about why none of us are immune from coercive thought reform

About the show

We all would like to think that we're immune to being persuaded, but were that true, advertising wouldn't work, the best candidates would always get elected, and our personal relationships would always be equitable.

On Belief examines why, with so much information available to us to dissuade us from joining harmful groups. I ask people who have had first hand experience with harmful groups and sects how they were seduced, how they were tricked, and how they got out.

On Belief: A Podcast About Cults on social media

Episodes

  • Episode 105: Messianic Jews with Guest Rabbi Michael Skobac

    June 4th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  16 mins 11 secs
    christianity, christians, evangelical, evangelism, fundamentalists, jeshua, jesus, jewish, jews, judaism, karen geier, rabbi michael skobac

    Rabbi Michael Skobac from Jews for Judaism (https://jewsforjudaism.org/staff/rabbi-michael-skobac/) joins me to discuss what the heck Messianic Judaism means

  • Episode 104: Aum Shinrikyo with Guest Sarah Hightower

    May 28th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  16 mins 37 secs
    aum shinrikyo, biological weapons, chemical weapons, cults, dirty bombs, karen geier, poisoning, religions, sarah hightower, sarin, sects, shoko asahara, terrorism, yoga

    The story of the Aum affair may seem like a uniquely Japanese event, but the reality is that it could have happened anywhere. Sarah Hightower joins us to explain why.

  • Episode 103: The Family with Guest Chris Johnston

    May 21st, 2019  |  Season 1  |  50 mins 27 secs
    belief, child abuse, chris johnston, coercion, cults, deprogramming, karen geier, lsd, metaphysicd, religions, scientology, sects, yoga

    UNLOCKED EPISODE TO COMMEMORATE ANNE HAMILTON-BYRNE'S DEATH
    Chris Johnston, journalist and author of the book The Family joins us to discuss this dark chapter in Australian history.

  • Episode 102: NXIVM With Guest Brock Wilbur

    May 14th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 3 secs
    allison mack, belief, coercion, cults, karen geier, keith raniere, nancy salzman, nxivm, religions, rick alan ross, sects, yoga

    UNLOCKED FULL EPISODE.

    Content Warning: Episode contains frank discussion of sexual and other forms of abuse.

    Brock Wilbur joins me to discuss when he was inadvertently recruited by a division of NXIVM and how that lead him to investigate the cult.

    Little did he know what he would encounter.

    Brock discusses his unique insights into the trial of Keith Raniere.

  • Episode 101: What IS a Cult? An Interview with Rick Alan Ross of the Cult Education Institute

    April 19th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  12 mins 49 secs
    belief, coercion, cults, deprogramming, karen geier, moonies, nxivm, religions, rick alan ross, scientology, sects, yoga

    In the first episode, Rick Alan Ross explains what cults are, how leaders entice and ensnare folks, what the profile is of a person who is susceptible to cults, and how friends and family can help those affected by harmful groups.