Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation
Society & Culture
Professor, survivor of The Field, and author of Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult, Michelle Dowd, discusses growing up in the cult founded by her grandfather in the 1930s, how it started as an after school program for boys and evolved into something more sinister, the wild claims that her grandfather made, traveling to perform plays while serving as a magician's assistant and poodle conductor, how children were trained to talk to authorities and outsiders, and being taught to prioritize survival above all else.
Learn more about Michelle's work here! https://mdowd.substack.com
Follow Michelle here! https://www.instagram.com/michelledowdz
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Jessica Kahn - Y2K Cult
Madi Stroud - Daughter of a Cult Leader: Love Has Won & Amy Carlson
Dr. Inna Kanevsky - Pseudoscience, TikTok Psychology, & Culty Psychologists
Warren Kohl, Part 2 - The Pressures of Preaching in a Secretive Cult
Warren Kohl, Part 1 - Preparing to Preach in a Secretive Cult
Nadine Macaluso - Recognizing, Escaping, and Healing from Trauma Bonds
Zoe & Lillian, Part 2 - Troubled Teens, Midwest Academy, and Solitary Confinement
Zoe & Lillian, Part 1 - The Program, Ivy Ridge and Casa by the Sea
Roberta Blevins, Part 2 - Leaving The LuLaRoe Family
Roberta Blevins, Part 1 - Inside LuLaRoe
Lola & Meagan - Am I in a Cult (or Just a Group)?
Katelyn Jade Hlavaty, Part 2 - Satanic Ritual Abuse & Becoming a Spokesperson
Katelyn Jade Hlavaty, Part 1 - Joining Operation Light Force
Sara Gorman - Science, Healthcare, and Why We Ignore Facts
Jenna Miscavige, Part 2 - Escaping Scientology
Jenna Miscavige, Part 1 - Growing up in Scientology's Sea Organization
Crystal Hefner - Surviving The Playboy Mansion
Michelle Dowd, Part 2 - From the Mountain to the Hospital to Forging Her Own Path
Thomas & Micah, Part 2 - Mormon Mission, Scientology, & Disney Adults
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