
Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation
Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.
Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.
Latest Episode
Previous Episodes
- Arabelle Sicardi - Plastic Surgery in Mormonism, Biohacking, and the Beauty Industry
- Anthony Cesar Duncan - ChatGPT Psychosis and the Dangers of AI
- Aaron Goldenberg - Homeschool, Conversion Therapy, and Finally Coming Out
- Sarah Stankorb - Quiverfull, Christian Nationalism, and Why Evangelical Women Are Leaving
- Erika Lantz & Elin Lantz Lesser - Book Burnings, Rapture Drills, & the River Road Fellowship
- Jane Borden - Cults Like Us: Puritans, Demagogues, and America’s Doomsday Obsession
- Megan Elizabeth Cox - The Remnant Fellowship, Gwen Shamblin, and the Worship of Skinny
- Claire Hoffman - The Rise and Vanishing of Evangelist Megastar Aimee Semple McPherson
- Claire Hoffman - Levitation, Meditation, and a Childhood in a Transcendental Meditation Trailer Park
- Carol Merchasin - The Cult Assassin: Suing High-Control Groups
- Akina Cox - Part 2: The Moonies, ICE, and the Cult Tactics of Trump
- Akina Cox - Part 1: Unification Church, Mass Weddings, and Unpaid Labor
- Introducing Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation
- REWIND: Dianne Lake - The Manson Family, Part 1: Meeting Charlie
- REWIND: Glynn Washington - The Worldwide Church of God
- REWIND: Hoyt Richards - From Supermodel to Cult Member
- REWIND: Lola's Mom - Mormon-Offshoot Cult
- An Exciting Update from Lola and Meagan!
- Amanda Rae - The Kingston Clan and Escaping Polygamy
- Maggie Rowe - Sinning Bravely and Moral Scrupulosity
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