Living Cult Free: The Podcast
Welcome to "Living Cult Free: The Podcast," where survivors of high-control groups share their raw, unfiltered stories. No narrators, no sensationalism—just pure, unadulterated survivor accounts. Listen to the voices often eclipsed by cult leaders and hear the truth, one story at a time.
This podcast was originally called: Everyday Cults, Everyday People and produced by C. Jane Taylor and Gerette Buglion. To hear Gerette riff about the stages of cultic involvement as described in her memoir, An Everyday Cult, listen to Season One, Episodes 1-6.
To check out helpful conversations with Dr. Steve Hassan about the Influence Continuum and the BITE model, head over to Season Two, Episodes 7 - 12.
Living Cult Free: The Podcast
S2: INFORMATION CONTROL - Standing up to Scrutiny
Controlling information is a critical way authoritarian leaders and cult leaders control the hearts and minds of their followers. This week we discuss how they do it and how you can take some agency regarding the information you consume.
Dr. Hassan suggests that we must each do independent research, that we must ask difficult questions, and really dig beyond the cult-controlled internet algorithms to challenge our own beliefs.
Gerette describes her experience within CTL, whose leaders subtly controlled information by dominating cult members’ free time. She sheds some light on the difference between information control in an Everyday Cult versus that in more controlling cults.
We talk about personal truths, political truths, and objective truths. And how ambiguity tolerance—allowing for the possibility of another person’s personal truth to coexist with one’s own—can open the door to a more objective reality.
If you have been in ANY culty high-control group or religion we invite you to connect with us through livingcultfree.com.