May 16, 2020
Apostates and Honor Violence ft. Hari Parekh
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
May 9, 2020
May 9, 2020
1hr 10 min
This week, Jon Atack and I discuss the difficult topics of redemption and forgiveness for those of us who were part of destructive cults or abusive relationships, what these terms mean to us, how these connect to ideas of revenge but more importantly can lead to real peace of mind for abuse survivors. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #245: Redemption, Forgiveness and Revenge for Ex-Cult Members appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
May 2, 2020
May 2, 2020
1hr 12 min
This week, I welcome back Mark Bunker, newly elected member of the Clearwater City Council. We talk about his new office and what he is doing, both in the face of the twin threats of COVID-19 and the Church of Scientology. The Wise Old Beard Man has much to say and it is good. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #244: Mark Bunker vs. Scientology in Clearwater appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Apr 25, 2020
Apr 25, 2020
1hr 19 min
This week I begin what will be a series of interviews with Dr. Jonas Kaplan, a cognitive neuroscientist at USC Medical Center whose entire job is figuring out how the brain operates in such a way as to render thinking. In this first episode, we discuss the basic anatomy of the brain and how it works in a predictive fashion, counter-intuitive to how we experience thinking. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #243: Let’s Get Into Neuroscience with Dr. Jonas Kaplan appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Apr 18, 2020
Apr 18, 2020
1hr 37 min
This week I am very happy to get some information out there that I’ve had on my mind for years: the actual occult history of L. Ron Hubbard, or at least as best we know. To help with this, I have Marco Visconti on board, a current believer in magick and Thelema, to describe the actual beliefs and practices of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) and its history. We compare a lot of notes along the way. Enjoy!
Website: http://www.marcovisconti.org
Direct links to the OTO-related articles:https://www.marcovisconti.org/wastelandhttps://www.marcovisconti.org/the-aftermathhttps://www.marcovisconti.org/5-things-to-expect-after-leaving-o-t-ohttps://www.marcovisconti.org/another-oto-conspiracy-theoryhttps://www.marcovisconti.org/pies-wide-shut
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/marcovisconti
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #242: The Occult, Scientology and the OTO appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Apr 12, 2020
Apr 12, 2020
1hr 21 min
This week I’ve got a bit of a surprise – we are doing the podcast live and with Jeffrey Augustine of Scientology Money Project fame onboard to talk about the recent troubles Scientologist and self-proclaimed real estate guru Grant Cardone has been having. Stuck at the Flag Land Base in Clearwater, laying off employees and a host of other issues seem to be hitting Grant hard. Jeff and I will be talking about this in detail, with plenty of callbacks to Scientology and how Grant uses it to run his business and his life, and how that may well have had a lot to do with his current predicament.
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #241: Is Scientologist Grant Cardone Melting Down? appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Apr 4, 2020
Apr 4, 2020
1hr 35 min
This week I am joined by Joe Szimhart, who not only has an extensive knowledge of the occult and its history, but also has worked as a cult interventionist and has written & lectured extensively on the history and nature of destructive cults. He and I discuss the occult roots of Scientology, and in fact of almost every different religious cult of the 20th century, and how those roots all seem to meet at Madame Blavatsky. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #240: The Occult, Scientology and Madame Blavatsky appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Mar 28, 2020
Mar 28, 2020
59 min
This week the three apostates have met again, this time to discuss the responses and reactions of our former groups to what is happening in the world today. Enjoy!
Jonathan Streeter’s channel
Lloyd Evans channel
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #239: The Three Apostates Talk Current Events appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Mar 14, 2020
Mar 14, 2020
2hr 23 min
I am joined again this week by former Scientologist, artist and historian Jon Atack to finish our discussion of his full story in and out of Scientology. Like my own, it’s a long and detailed tale and one that has required multiple podcasts to tell all the way through. In this episode, we cover Jon’s experience taking on Scientology in the legal arena. Along the way we take quite a few side roads as we weave the narrative of what it’s like dealing with a ruthless organization that has no qualms about spending millions to ruin people utterly. This is not a podcast for the faint of heart.
Jon’s YouTube channel
Steve Cannae podcast
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #238: Jon Atack vs. Scientology (Part 3) 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.