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PODCAST

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

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All Episodes

01:33:24

#315: Conspiracy Theories and Critical Thinking

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/10/16

This week I am joined by Ciprian Ivanof to discuss critical thinking and how it is that conspiracy theorists say they are using good critical thinking skills when they clearly are not. We dive into why this happens and what is going on in their heads. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #315: Conspiracy Theories and Critical Thinking appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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41:06

Sensibly Speaking Podcast #314: Navigating the...

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/10/09

This week I took a break from interviews to discuss something important that I wish someone had talked to me about when I first got out of Scientology and which I’ve had to learn (as every other ex-cultists does) and that is navigating the world of the ex-cult community. It’s not for the faint of heart! I hope this podcast will help anyone who has ever felt estranged and alone in a community of like-minded people. I’m quite sure I’m not the only one who has had these issues. Enjoy! The post

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55:30

#313: Aaron Smith-Levin for Clearwater City Council!

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/10/02

This week, Aaron Smith-Levin joins us to discuss his race for Clearwater City Council and why he is doing it, as well as what he expects to accomplish. He is taking on the Church of Scientology in their own backyard and daring them to stop him. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #313 – Aaron Smith-Levin for Clearwater City Council! appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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01:26:02

Sensibly Speaking #312: Scientology, Stress and cPTSD...

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/09/25

This week I welcome back Ciprian Ivanof to help me talk about the long-term effects of continuous stress in the world of Scientology and how this creates complex PTSD and other damaging effects. This is the article we discussed in the show The post Sensibly Speaking #312: Scientology, Stress and cPTSD with Ciprian Ivanof appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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01:35:08

Deconstructing Christian Apologetics with Steven Tiger

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/09/11

This week I am joined again by Steven Tiger, author and speaker on the subject of the Bible and Christian apologetics, to discuss more about this topic and the illogical and even irrational ways that many Christians engage with their faith and the justifications for it. This is not an indictment of belief or even religion in general, but is a commentary on the more extreme versions of religious belief and how this informs abusive and even destructive actions. Steven’s book on Amazon The post

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01:41:36

310. Scientology is Always at War ft. Ciprian Ivanof

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/09/04

This week I am joined again by Ciprian Ivanof to plumb the depths of Scientology’s organizational madness and anxiety-inducing culture, this week going into more detail about some of the irrational policies and anxiety-inducing practices which occur to this day in the Sea Org. The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #310: Scientology is Always at War ft. Ciprian Ivanof appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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01:30:31

A Hard Look at Christian Apologetics with Steven Tiger

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/08/28

This week I am joined by author Steven Tiger to discuss his book and ideas concerning Christian apologetics and how trying to find logical and even scientific reasons to have faith is a bit of a fool’s errand, as well as what the point of apologetics is in the first place, which is not to convince unbelievers. We had a far-ranging discussion and I hope you enjoy it. Steven’s Book on Amazon The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #309: A Hard Look at Christian Apologetics with Steven Tiger

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01:28:59

The Origins of QAnon

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/08/21

This week I welcome Gavin Fox to help explain more about the origins of QAnon on 4chan/8chan and the jump to mainstream social media. We have a wide ranging discussion about this and hope it helps bring some more clarity to what is a very unclear and bizarre movement. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #308: The Origins of Qanon appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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01:06:12

Sensibly Speaking Podcast #307: Jon Atack is Opening...

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/08/14

This week I welcome back channel favorite Jon Atack to discuss more aspects of Hubbard and Scientology as well as get an overview of Jon’s new book, Opening Our Minds and some thoughts on predators and critical thinking. Enjoy! Jon’s book on Amazon The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #307: Jon Atack is Opening Our Minds appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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01:11:13

Sensibly Speaking Podcast #306: The Cult of QAnon

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/08/07

This week I’m giving a sort of QAnon 101 for my viewers. It may be that we’ll do more episodes about QAnon depending on the feedback to this one. Here I talk about QAnon’s origin story, the fascinating mechanics behind how it evolved and some of the more obvious cultic aspects of how it is organized and how its followers have become extremists. I cover a lot of territory. Enjoy! Washington Post article The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #306: The Cult of QAnon appeared first on The Sensibly

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01:41:16

Sensibly Speaking Podcast #305: Scientology Personnel...

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/07/31

This week I welcome back Ciprian Ivanof to help me dissect Scientology’s organizational and personnel craziness. This week we offer some commentary on Hubbard’s most advanced lectures on administration and then get into some war stories I have about how we used Scientology in handling staff and Sea Org members. We cover a lot of territory. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #305: Scientology Personnel Craziness appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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01:40:11

Zara Kay and Faithless Hijabi

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/07/17

This week I welcome special guest Zara Kay, founder of Faithless Hijabi and a woman with a story to tell about her persecution as an ex-Muslim in her homeland of Tanzania last year. She is now safe and back home in Australia, but little thanks to the Australian government. We go over all the details of her ordeal and what she is doing as a hands-on activist to help ex-Muslims. Enjoy! Faithless Hijabi website The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #304: Zara Kay and Faithless Hijabi appeared

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01:04:38

Sleep Deprivation and Stress in the Sea Org

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/07/03

This week I welcome back Ciprian Ivanof to help me discuss Scientology’s kind of nuts management culture and organization. This week we focus on sleep deprivation and stress and we had a lot to say. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking #302 – Sleep Deprivation and Stress in the Sea Org appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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01:28:53

Scientology, Clearwater and the City Council ft....

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/06/26

This week I welcome back Aaron Smith-Levin so we can give some updates on Clearwater and Scientology including some future campaigning Aaron himself will be doing for the City Council later this year. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking #300: Scientology, Clearwater and the City Council appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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02:56:19

Beat (A Survivor’s Story) with Hannah Prosser

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/06/19

This week I welcome Hannah Prosser, a survivor of childhood domestic and religious abuse who was involved with the Haldeman Mennonites in Muddy Pond, Tennessee. Her story is at times heartbreaking and horrifying but is ultimately a survivor’s story of escape and recovery which she now wants to share with the world in her first-ever interview about her life. She has just published a book about her life, Beat and is now working on how to best move forward to prevent this sort of abuse from happening

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01:06:57

Sensibly Speaking Podcast #299: Scientology and...

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/06/12

This week I welcome returning guest and friend of my channel Ciprian Ivanof for the first in what we expect will be a short series of podcasts about Scientology’s leadership and management theories and the gross inefficiencies that really do keep the organization from growing or becoming even more prosperous for real. Of course, we aren’t doing this to give Scientology advice, but to show up just how inefficient and even destructive authoritarian systems like Scientology are and how they preach

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02:15:22

Jon Atack on Scientology, Enlightenment and Predators

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/06/05

This week I welcome back Jon Atack to discuss Scientology, recovery from cults, enlightenment, history and a whole lot more in this very wide-ranging discussion. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking #298: Jon Atack appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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59:26

Joe Walsh on Trump, Cults and Washington

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/05/29

This week I welcome former Congressman Joe Walsh, a Tea Party conservative and former Trump supporter turned protestor who believes the GOP has gone off the rails and the reasons for that pre-date Trump. We go into all these details and more in this wide-ranging conversation. Enjoy! We reference Joe’s radio talk show in this podcast, but within the last 24 hours, Joe announced the unfortunate news that his show was pulled. The reasons for why this is happening to conservatives who are not

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02:13:34

Matthew Sheffield on Religion, Cults & Politics

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/05/22

Matthew Sheffield is a conservative-turned-progressive political pundit, podcaster, author and media personality. He started his first conservative website in 2000, dedicating it to criticizing Dan Rather. He then went on to help create NewsBusters and became the founding online managing editor of the Washington Examiner. He now hosts a politics and technology podcast called Theory of Change and is writing a memoir about growing up in a strict Mormon family. We talk about all of this and more in

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01:50:35

Avatar: Scientology’s Wicked Offspring

Speaking of Cults ·

2021/05/08

This week, I welcome Ariela Sarai, a 21-year-survivor of Avatar, to discuss her experiences being recruited into and working for this destructive cult which has so many similarities to L. Ron Hubbard’s Scientology that Avatar has been called “Scientology Lite.” I think you’ll see from Ariela’s experiences that there was nothing “lite” about the abuses she endured for years trying to “save the world” before she just recently escaped and is now exposing this cult for what it is. The post Sensibly

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