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
- Sarah Stankorb - Quiverfull, Christian Nationalism, and Why Evangelical Women Are Leaving 24.09.2025
- Erika Lantz & Elin Lantz Lesser - Book Burnings, Rapture Drills, & the River Road Fellowship 17.09.2025
- Jane Borden - Cults Like Us: Puritans, Demagogues, and America’s Doomsday Obsession 10.09.2025
- Megan Elizabeth Cox - The Remnant Fellowship, Gwen Shamblin, and the Worship of Skinny 03.09.2025
- Claire Hoffman - The Rise and Vanishing of Evangelist Megastar Aimee Semple McPherson 27.08.2025
- Claire Hoffman - Levitation, Meditation, and a Childhood in a Transcendental Meditation Trailer Park 20.08.2025
- Carol Merchasin - The Cult Assassin: Suing High-Control Groups 13.08.2025
- Akina Cox - Part 2: The Moonies, ICE, and the Cult Tactics of Trump 06.08.2025
- Akina Cox - Part 1: Unification Church, Mass Weddings, and Unpaid Labor 30.07.2025
- Introducing Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation 16.07.2025
- REWIND: Dianne Lake - The Manson Family, Part 1: Meeting Charlie 09.07.2025
- REWIND: Glynn Washington - The Worldwide Church of God 02.07.2025
- REWIND: Hoyt Richards - From Supermodel to Cult Member 25.06.2025
- REWIND: Lola's Mom - Mormon-Offshoot Cult 18.06.2025
- An Exciting Update from Lola and Meagan! 11.06.2025
- Amanda Rae - The Kingston Clan and Escaping Polygamy 12.03.2025
- Maggie Rowe - Sinning Bravely and Moral Scrupulosity 05.03.2025
- Caleb Ward, Part 2 - Disneyland for Christians and Exiting the Church 26.02.2025
- Caleb Ward, Part 1 - Kingdom Life Ministries and Evangelical Youth Culture 19.02.2025
- Uriah Wesman, Part 2 - Growing Up in Three Cults (The Hearts Center and The Ideal Society) 12.02.2025
