Generation Cult

<p>Estrangement is a traumatic topic, no matter your family of origin, but it feels unavoidable when you reject your tribe’s religious ideologies.<br /> Lynn knows this well.<br /> She was raised in Salt Lake City on a...

<p>Jesse grew up in "the perfect church," or so he was told. The small, albeit pushy congregation his life centered around in the town of Oregon, IL seemed almost ideal as a small child.</p> <p>But then the immortal...

<p>Most people have heard of Christian Science and passed by the reading rooms, but how much do you know about it? </p> <p>Hilary grew up as a radical reliant Christian Scientist, which meant her family avoided medical...

<p>When Susan was 13, her stepdad brought her into what was then known as the Divine Light Mission, an organization led by Prem Rawat (aka Guru Maharaj Ji, aka The Boy Guru, aka Lord of the Universe, aka The Perfect...

<p>Philip and Stacie wrote about a recent reparations program meant to address complaints made for decades against 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy Organization), led by the late Yogi Bhajan, who started Kundalini Yoga. </p>...

<p>We're rebroadcasting an episode from 2019 to remind you about a guest from Generation Cult's first episode of Season 2. Narangkar is an artist who grew up in 3HO (Healthy, Happy Holy Organization), which is connected...

<p>Kate grew up in the secluded High View Church Farm where children worked and lived in militant conditions, rarely saw their families, and had little contact with the outside world. She left with only a couple of...

<p>The church Amanda grew up in was started by a man known for his ejection from the KKK for being too militant. The tight and secretive community that revolved around the church valued white supremacy, male dominance...

<p>Yes, we are back! We're kicking off Season 4 with a conversation with Grace. She grew up in a little-known Christian fundamentalist group referred to as the Geftakys Assembly and, although her family left when she...

<p>We're back with yet another special literary edition! For this bonus episode, we're celebrating the recent launch of the book "Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult." It's out now in bookstores and on...

<p>Generation Cult is dropping back in with a bonus edition to celebrate today's launch of Liz Ianelli's new book called "I See You, Survivor: Life Inside (and Outside) the Totally F*cked-Up Troubled Teen Industry." In...

<p>Tamara grew up in a Sufi polygamist organization in the US and England. Her father joined the group when she was 5 and she soon found herself torn between a somewhat "normal" life with her mother and a bizarre...

<p>Rhonda's parents joined the Holy Order of MANS (standing for Mysterian, Agape, Nous and Sophia in Greek, or mystery, love, mind and wisdom in English) when she was a year old. The San Francisco-based group held...

<p>Sarah grew up in a bible-based group in Ohio with about 400 members, many of whom are related to her. She was sexually abused throughout her childhood, something she reported to leaders of her organization, who not...

<p>Will grew up devout in an evangelical community and attended Christian schools, camps and mission trips. His beliefs were so strong in his youth that he describes himself as becoming radicalized and isolated from the...