Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Arts & Culture Podcasts

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...

Episodes

Anke Richter, Part 1 - Ecstatic Dancing, Tantric Sex, and Joining ISTA

Sophie Fergi, Part 2 - Living with Piper, Constant Control, and Being Shunned by the Squad

Sophie Fergi, Part 1 - Kidfluencing, Joining the Squad, and the Dark Side of YouTube

Jasper Hoffman, Part 2 - Undercover Therapy, Leaving the Mennonites, and the Aftermath

Jasper Hoffman, Part 1 - From Atheists to Mennonites

Dr. Christine Marie - Undercover in a Cult Town: Taking Down False Prophet Sam Bateman

Nikki G, Part 2 - The Seven Mountain Mandate, “Church Hurt,” and Why Cults Aren’t Just a White People Problem

Nikki G, Part 1 - Down the Rabbit Hole, Cult Hopping, and Surviving the Black Church

Maria Bamford - 12 Step Programs, OCD, and How to Join Every Group

Sarah Edmondson, Part 2 - DOS, Disillusionment, and Leaving Keith Raniere

Sarah Edmondson, Part 1 - Joining NXIVM, Meeting Keith Raniere, and Moving Up the Ranks

Nomzia Bistline, Part 2 - Raided by the FBI, Life in Prison, and Breaking Free From Sam Bateman

Nomzia Bistline, Part 1 - The False Prophet: Growing Up FLDS & Marrying Sam Bateman

Lyndsey Burr - Producing America’s Next Top Model

Matthew Remski, Part 2 - Cult Hopping, Disillusionment, and Root Causes of Cults

Matthew Remski, Part 1 - Seizures, Spirituality, & the First Charismatic Guru

Harrison Hill - The Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps

Celeste Gross - Growing Up in the Children of God

Dan Olson, Part 2 - Charismatic Leaders and the Cult of Crypto

Dan Olson, Part 1 - Crypto, NFTs, and Tech’s War on Doubt