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



Saturday Aug 13, 2022
#352: The Internet and Cults of Opportunity with John P. Capitalist
Saturday Aug 13, 2022
Saturday Aug 13, 2022
This week I welcome back John P. Capitalist to discuss recent news about internet-based cults converting over into real-life activities and the opportunities which led to these destructive groups ensnaring unsuspecting victims into their insane ideologies and practices, including radicalized terrorism. We touch on a lot of topics in this one related to cults, economics and the current world situation. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #352: The Internet and Cults of Opportunity appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.



Saturday Aug 06, 2022
#351: Extremist Thinking and Ex-Cult Members
Saturday Aug 06, 2022
Saturday Aug 06, 2022
This week I’m joined by my good friend and former Scientologist, Mark Turi, to discuss issues we’ve encountered in ex-cult or ex-religion groups, social media and personal interactions with ex-cult members who can still carry the effects of the trauma and abuse they suffered and the habits they developed to deal with that, ourselves included!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #351: Extremist Thinking and Ex-Cult Members appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.



Saturday Jul 30, 2022
#350: The Hindu Cult of Nithyananda - An Update w/Sarah Landry
Saturday Jul 30, 2022
Saturday Jul 30, 2022
This week I welcome back Sarah Landry to give us an update on her former guru, Nithyananda, and the fact that he’s currently on the run from the law yet boldly trying to start his own country with UN approval! We get into the details of this thanks to Sarah’s persistent endurance to expose this “god man” for the sexually abusive fraud that he is.
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #350: The Hindu Cult of Nithyananda – An Update appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.



Saturday Jul 23, 2022
#349: Teaching Critical Thinking w/Julie Bogart
Saturday Jul 23, 2022
Saturday Jul 23, 2022
This week I welcome Julie Bogart, educator and critical thinker, to discuss her views and work on teaching critical thinking. In the process, we ended up having a far-ranging discussion about education, thinking, faith and facts. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #349: Teaching Critical Thinking appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.



Saturday Jul 16, 2022
#348: How Cult Relationships Work w/Dr. Alexandra Stein
Saturday Jul 16, 2022
Saturday Jul 16, 2022
This week I am joined by Dr. Alexandra Stein, author of the book Love, Terror and Brainwashing and a fantastic expert on the subject of attachment theory as it relates to cultic/abusive relationships and connected with complex PTSD. If that all sounds like psychobabble, no worries because we take these academic concepts and translate them into English for you in this week’s show so you can understand why cultic relationships are really bad for everyone concerned. We hope this one helps!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #348: How Cult Relationships Work appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.



Saturday Jul 09, 2022
#347: Cult Recovery 101 - Some Basics with Rachel Bernstein
Saturday Jul 09, 2022
Saturday Jul 09, 2022
This week I am joined by licensed therapist and cult exit counsellor Rachel Bernstein to discuss some of the basic principles behind cult recovery and where we think people might best start. This video is meant for those who are even in a cult now and are thinking about getting out or escaping but don’t know what to do. We hope this one helps. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #347: Cult Recovery 101 – Some Basics appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.



Saturday Jul 02, 2022
#346: An Insider’s View of Scientology (Part 2)
Saturday Jul 02, 2022
Saturday Jul 02, 2022
This week, I welcome back my anonymous guest, identified merely as The Insider, who has some very interesting things to say about current inside events within the Church of Scientology today. We go further into more details of the seeming crash and burn of Scientology which we started in part 1. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #346: An Insider’s View of Scientology (Part 2) appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.



Saturday Jun 25, 2022
#345: The Future of Scientology’s Demise ft. John P. Capitalist
Saturday Jun 25, 2022
Saturday Jun 25, 2022
This week I am again joined by John P Capitalist (a pseudonym), a skilled Wall Street analyst who has worked with me in the past to analyze some of the more egregious business nonsense that the Church of Scientology gets up to. This week we discuss the recent troubles we’ve been hearing about and how much of a factor these may (or may not) be in Scientology’s eventual demise. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #345: The Future of Scientology’s Demise appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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.







