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.
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



Sep 19, 2026
Sep 19, 2026
1 hr 19 min
This week I welcome therapist and author Veronica Thompson, a self-labelled "Christian therapist" who shares her work and opinions about where religion does and doesn't belong in the therapy space. I know people have strong opinions about this and I believe we had a very nuanced and understandable conversation about it. Enjoy!
Veronica's website: https://VeronicaThompson.com
Sep 19, 2026
1 hr 19 min



Sep 12, 2026
Sep 12, 2026
1 hr 6 min
This week I welcome therapist, author and narcissist specialist Dr. Tina Paone to discuss the psychology of narcissism and recovery from it. She is the author of a recently released book on recovery from narcissistic abuse titled Unbroken: Healing from Narcissistic Abuse and Reclaiming Me. Enjoy!
Dr. Paone's website: https://drtinapaone.com
Dr. Paone's book: https://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-Healing-Narcissistic-Abuse-Reclaiming-ebook/dp/B0GRPNKDS6?ref_=ast_author_mpb
Sep 12, 2026
1 hr 6 min



Sep 5, 2026
Sep 5, 2026
1 hr 16 min
Today I welcome back Jon Atack to continue our series of podcasts to debunk the "basics" of Scientology, one bit at a time. This week we didn't make a lot of progress in our book review as we kept it short and mainly addressed Hubbard and his very outmoded ideas about the human brain. Enjoy!
Roehampton University in London is conducting a survey into the effects of mandated shunning—or enforceddisconnection—with the aim of introducing new legal provisions to the UK's existing coercive control law. Thisimportant study will help shift public opinion, offer protection and safeguarding to former members, and encourageeducation in our schools about the dangers of high-demand groups and their authoritarian practices. The survey isanonymised. It takes about an hour to complete, but can be done in stages at your own pace. Windy and Savin would also like to talk with people who have suffered disconnection. Please take the survey and let others know about it.Take the survey here: https://stopmandatedshunning.org/survey/ And here's the information page:https://roehamptonpsych.az1.qualtrics... or you may contact the researchers directly: Dr Savin Bapir-Tardy Seniorlecturer in Counselling Psychology Roehampton University (s.bapir-tardy@roehampton.ac.uk) Dr Windy Grendele,Senior lecturer in Psychology, Roehampton University (Windy.grendele@roehampton.ac.uk) Thanks!
Sep 5, 2026
1 hr 16 min



Sep 1, 2026
Sep 1, 2026
1 hr 47 min
Sorry for the delay in getting this posted this week. In this week's special live podcast episode, I am exploring where we derive meaning and order and morality, which are not ivory tower concepts relegated to an academic education but are in fact, the stuff of our daily lives. Enjoy and let me know what you think.
Sep 1, 2026
1 hr 47 min



Aug 22, 2026
Aug 22, 2026
1 hr 26 min
This week I welcome Anne Peterson back to have a very loose discussion around the things that all cults do or the beliefs/ideas that seem to echo from one to the other. This being our first time on this topic, we cover a lot of diverse ideas rather than have a bullet list of things to discuss, but I hope you find this as fun as we had doing it. Enjoy!
Anne's channel: @ConfrontingTheLine
The workshop page: https://ilumn8.life/op/reclaiming-your-mind-and-life-chris-shelton/
Aug 22, 2026
1 hr 26 min



Aug 15, 2026
Speaking of Cults...Leaving Mormonism
Aug 15, 2026
Aug 15, 2026
1 hr 10 min
This week I welcome back Bryce Blankenangel and Shannon Grover to help me understand what happens when people want to leave the faith of the LDS Church in terms of repercussions both personally and/or professionally. As always, we go wide on this topic and hope it brings some more clarity to why cults like the Mormon Church act the way they do. Enjoy!
Glassbox podcast: https://glassboxpodcast.com
Aug 15, 2026
1 hr 10 min



Aug 8, 2026
Aug 8, 2026
1 hr 22 min
Today I welcome back Jon Atack to continue our series of podcasts to debunk the "basics" of Scientology, one bit at a time. This week we are taking on some of the very basic ideas of Scientology with theta and the simpleton approach of Scientology's philosophic foundations. This is a wide-ranging and hopefully interesting discussion where we pull no punches on how we see Scientology. Enjoy!
Aug 8, 2026
1 hr 22 min



Jul 25, 2026
Jul 25, 2026
1 hr 9 min
This week I welcome NY Times bestselling author and investigative journalist Michael Blanding to discuss his new book, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby, a surprising and even shocking expose of the hidden agenda behind Hobby Lobby and its owners, the Green family. When religious fanaticism is rewarded with hundreds of millions of dollars in liquid cash, what happens to our rights, laws and freedoms? Hobby Lobby is a lot more than a chain of craft stores and what your money is being used for when you contribute to this religiously fanatical organization harms all of us.
Michael's website: https://MichaelBlanding.com
Jul 25, 2026
1 hr 9 min

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.







