Speaking of Cults

A podcast about cults, coercive control and recovery. Formerly called the Sensibly Speaking podcast, in this weekly show host Chris Shelton interviews cult survivors, psychologists and other professionals and specialists about the topics of cult recruitment, retention and recovery. This also includes non-religious cults and extreme political movements including the more divisive elements of MAGA and left-wing culture war issues. There is nothing off-limits but we always try to be respectful of the people involved even if we do not respect the beliefs or actions involved.
Episodes
Episodes



Saturday Jun 07, 2025
Speaking of Cults...Radical Honesty is a Pack of Lies
Saturday Jun 07, 2025
Saturday Jun 07, 2025
This week I welcome Jura Glo, a survivor of a group called Radical Honesty, which takes honesty to an extreme level that is more suited to the needs of predatory personalities than personal transformation and growth. We take a hard look at this group and its ideas and the effects of what they can do. Enjoy!
Jura Glo on Substack: https://juraglo.substack.com/



Saturday May 31, 2025
Speaking of Cults...How the Mormon Church Enables Abuse and Homophobia
Saturday May 31, 2025
Saturday May 31, 2025
Following on last week's podcast abut the Troubled Teen Industry, this week I am joined again by Bryce Blankenagel and Shannon Grover to go deep on what the Mormon church's position is on the LGBT+ community, why there is so much hate and bigotry for same-sex marriages and how "conversion therapy" is still very much alive and well all over Utah and the US. We cover a lot of territory in this one. Enjoy!
Glassbox podcast: https://glassboxpodcast.com/



Saturday May 24, 2025
Speaking of Cults...The Troubled Teen Industry with Meg Appelgate
Saturday May 24, 2025
Saturday May 24, 2025
This week I welcome Meg Appelgate, founder of Unsilenced.org and a survivor of the "troubled teen industry" - a loose network of abusive labor trafficking and cultic control groups which focus their efforts on abusing children and teens to "manage and control them" so they will somehow stop being so "troublesome." It's truly sick and disgusting work and it's being done to the tune of $23 billion in government and private funding, and no one is doing a thing to stop it.
Meg's website: https://unsilenced.org



Saturday May 17, 2025
Speaking of Cults...Is "America First" a Political Cult?
Saturday May 17, 2025
Saturday May 17, 2025
This week I welcome back Dr. Clint Heacock, a former Evangelical minister turned whistleblower and we discuss the current White House administration, the people guiding strategic and policy-making decisions for Trump and the danger they present to America. There are many parallels to cultic activity and techniques in what these folks are doing.
Clint's Dismantling Doctrine podcast: https://mindshiftpodcast.podbean.com/



Saturday May 10, 2025
Speaking of Cults...Dianetics and Cult Control
Saturday May 10, 2025
Saturday May 10, 2025
This week I finally welcome back Jon Atack for his first appearance in this version of my podcast. We had a lot to discuss with the May 9th anniversary of the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard and the legacy of its pseudoscientific nonsense. We cover a lot of territory including a look at the modern world which may surprise you. Enjoy!



Saturday May 03, 2025
Speaking of Cults...What is the Deal with Mormon Underwear?
Saturday May 03, 2025
Saturday May 03, 2025
This week I welcome back Shannon Grover and Bryce Blankenangel to discuss the typical Mormon experience, leading (of course) to us diving right into the mysterious Mormon undergarments and what that's all about - there's a lot to uncover there - as well as some much darker components of the Mormon church's overreach into their member's mental health and personal lives. Enjoy!
Glassbox podcast: https://glassboxpodcast.com/



Saturday Apr 26, 2025
Speaking of Cults...Philosophy in Cult Recovery
Saturday Apr 26, 2025
Saturday Apr 26, 2025
This week's show is meant for cult survivors and those who care about them. It's a short and hopefully educational discussion of some things I've learned recently about philosophy and how useful it can be to us in recovering from coercive control and trauma. Nothing super flashy or insane this week - just an effort to share some info. Enjoy!



Saturday Apr 19, 2025
Speaking of Cults...Good Sex and Bad Groups
Saturday Apr 19, 2025
Saturday Apr 19, 2025
This week, I welcome Cara Cordoni, a sex-positive coach, and Dave Booda, to discuss how groups such as the tantric sexual healing group ISTA use the same cult-like tactics known as Large Group Awareness Training. We go into a lot of detail on this. Enjoy!
Cara's website: https://caracordonicoaching.com
Dave's article: https://boodaism.com/ista/
3SC Community: https://3sc.community
NY Magazine article: https://archive.md/SxPTQ

Your Host
Hello, my name is Chris Shelton and I am an author, consultant, podcaster, videographer, and former cult member. Welcome to my podcast!
Who is Chris Shelton?
Chris started a YouTube channel which has over 45,000 subscribers, produces the Sensibly Speaking podcast each week and has produced hundreds of videos laying out the scam of Scientology, educating on critical thinking and interviewing former members of Scientology and other destructive cults, as well as a range of therapists, cult exit counselors, educators and media personalities. Chris has also given talks and presentations around the United States about his experiences and has been featured on numerous podcasts and television shows. He was featured on Leah Remini’s Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E and served as a consultant to the show for its first two seasons. He has also written a critical analysis of Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard called Scientology: A to Xenu – An Insider’s Guide to What Scientology is Really All About, available on Amazon in printed form, e-book format and as an audio book.