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Hosted by Tyler Measom and Liz Iacuzzi, Was I In A Cult? is a documentary-style podcast showcasing individuals who have been in, and most importantly, successfully left a cult. Told first-hand by the experiencer themself, these are raw, riveting and inspirational tales of what it means to be a survivor. Using levity and info-tainment, the show humanizes the cultic experience and may leave some of our listeners asking themselves…“Wait…Was I In A Cult?” If you or someone you know has been in a cult and want to share your story, contact us at info@wasiinacult.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Was I In A Cult?

**Note: This episode originally aired in September 2021. Stick around til the end for a catch up interview with Daniel 4 years later.**

With rockstar aspirations, Daniel O'Brien wasn't looking for anything but a good time. But when heartbreak rocked his world, he tripped into something that lifted his spirits and rallied his hopes - the Jehovah's Witnesses. Before he knew it, Daniel had traded his guitar for a green Bible and found himself rapidly rising through the ranks of the religion. A wife, and two kids later, he was a fully indoctrinated, high ranking Elder in the church. But when Daniel realizes that he's part of a life much different than the one he originally signed up for, he knows that he must leave. The only problem is... he can't.

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FOLLOW US

For more culty content, follow us on Instagram & TikTok:

→ @wasiinacult

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you believe in what we’re doing — please rate, review, and share the podcast. It helps more than you know.

And if you’d like to go a step further, join us on Patreon. You’ll get ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our eternal gratitude for helping us keep these conversations going.

→ Join us on Patreon.

HAVE A CULTY STORY?

We’d love to hear from you.

→ info@wasiinacult.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

[UPDATE] Jehovah’s Witnesses: “Shut Up and Be Blessed”

When Raidah left medical school in Sydney to spend the summer at what was promise to be an Islamic utopia in Jordan, she thought she was taking a break to heal.

Instead, she found herself inside a high-control religious community led by Nuh Ha Mim Keller — an American-born Catholic convert who reinvented himself as a Sufi sheikh and built a devoted following of Muslims living in Western countries.

Through his English-language books, lectures, and retreats, Keller promised these diaspora Muslims a spiritual home — a refuge from Western chaos and Islamophobia.

But what Raidah found instead… was a cult.

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FOLLOW US

For more culty content, follow us on Instagram & TikTok:

→ @wasiinacult

FOLLOW RAIDAH SHAH IDIL

Follow Raidah on Instagram → @raidahwrites

Check out her debut novel How to Free a Jinn — available now from Allen & Unwin (ANZ and Asia) and Simon & Schuster in the U.S

READ Storm Without a Port (PDF) — the 77-page survivor testimony compiled by former members of the Jordanian Sufi cult.

Visit In Shaykh’s Clothing — a resource for Muslim survivors of spiritual abuse.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you believe in what we’re doing — please rate, review, and share the podcast. It helps more than you know.

And if you’d like to go a step further, join us on Patreon. You’ll get ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our eternal gratitude for helping us keep these conversations going.

→ Join us on Patreon.

HAVE A CULTY STORY?

We’d love to hear from you.

→ info@wasiinacult.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Jordanian Sufi Cult: “Trapped Between Worlds”

Today’s story isn’t about a reality TV show—though a lot of people think it starts there. In truth, it began long before the cameras, before the matching outfits and the too-perfect smiles.

You know the TLC series 19 Kids & Counting—the Duggars and their seemingly perfect world built within the IBLP.

But there was another Duggar—of sorts. Not a sibling. The cousin. Amy. Or as America came to know her, “Crazy Cousin Amy.”

Except she wasn’t crazy. Isn’t crazy. Not even close. She just wasn’t in their cult—the IBLP. What no one saw, though, was that Amy—an only child—was surviving her own hell at home.

Her new memoir, Holy Disruptor, is a story of breaking cycles, setting boundaries, and finding herself in the aftermath. Today, she joins us to talk about her journey—from the quiet terror of her childhood to life in the public eye, through the scandals that shattered her trust, and toward a life built on truth, healing, and peace… even when it means disrupting “family.”

And no, she wasn’t in the IBLP, but by the end, she may just find herself wondering… “Wait—was I in a cult?”

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FOLLOW US

For more culty content, follow us on Instagram & TikTok:

→ @wasiinacult

FOLLOW AMY DUGGAR KING

Folly Amy @amyrachelleking 

Get her new memoir: Holy Disruptor — available wherever books are sold.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you believe in what we’re doing — please rate, review, and share the podcast. It helps more than you know.

And if you’d like to go a step further, join us on Patreon. You’ll get ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our gratitude for helping us keep these conversations going.

→ Join us on Patreon.

HAVE A CULTY STORY?

We’d love to hear from you.

→ info@wasiinacult.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

[BONUS] Amy Duggar King: “Holy Disruptor”

Nine years. One strip-mall church. A duffel bag full of cash, a freezing pool full of goldfish, and a pastor who convinced everyone he had a direct line to God.

This week, Alisha takes us inside Church of the Harvest — a charismatic California congregation that promised purpose, purity, and a path to the pulpit… but delivered something far darker.

Hazing disguised as holiness, unpaid labor disguised as “discipleship,” and extreme control disguised as dating. 

Because when your pastor asks you to “volunteer” full-time, pay tuition to do it, and maybe jump into a swamp at 3 a.m. to save metaphorical fish — you might just be in a cult.

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FOLLOW US

For more cult content, behind-the-scenes chaos, and occasional sermons from our strip-mall pulpit:

→ @wasiinacult on Instagram & TikTok

SUPPORT THE SHOW

The best way to support our ministry of exposing culty bullshit?

Rate, review, and share the pod — it’s free, legal, and no one will ask for your debit card “in faith.”

If you do want to tithe a little, join us on Patreon — we promise not to call it “tuition”. You’ll get ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our undying gratitude (no altar required).

→ Become a member on Patreon.

HAVE A CULTY STORY?

We want to hear it.

→ info@wasiinacult.com

Follow Alisha: 

TikTok/IG @Spillingthekoolaid & 

IG: @Ezbakealisha

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Church of the Harvest: “WWJD? Probably Pay His Employees.”

Last week, we met Paige: a bright-eyed engineer who joined SpaceX believing she was helping to save humanity. In Part 1, we followed her through the seduction — the mission, the 80-hour weeks, the Elon slogans on the walls, the slow loss of self until the job became the identity.

This week, the mission meets the myth. Paige helps organize an open letter — a polite but radical act of collective dissent in a cult-like workplace. And almost everyone is too scared to sign it.

What begins as a measured plea for change becomes a window into just how deep the fear-mongering and punitive control at SpaceX really run.

And soon, Paige learns what every defector from a high-demand system eventually does: that questioning the leader isn’t seen as courage — it’s seen as betrayal.

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FOLLOW US

For more cult content, behind-the-scenes chaos:

→ @wasiinacult on Instagram & TikTok

SUPPORT THE SHOW

The best way to fuel our mission? Rate, review, and share the pod with your people — word of mouth is rocket fuel.

And if you want to help keep the mics on (without betting on stock options that never vest)? Join us on Patreon. We don’t drain bank accounts — we just give you ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our undying gratitude.

→ Become a member on Patreon.

HAVE A CULTY STORY?

We want to hear it. 

→ info@wasiinacult.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SpaceX — PT2: “Mission Aborted”

An ex–SpaceX engineer asks our favorite question: when does mission become mindset—and then eventually something more? Paige was convinced she was helping save humanity by working at SpaceX.

In Part 1, she traces the seduction: the purpose, the perks, the “Elon Algorithms” plastered on the wall, the complete devotion, the loss of individuality into one group identity, the isolation, the uncompensated labor, the belief that you are better than the rest… it all started to feel less like a workplace and more like… something else.

Today, we follow Paige’s journey into the belly of the rocket factory. And next week? The fallout. When speaking up against the culture didn’t just cost her a job… it made her a target.

———

FOLLOW US

For more cult content, behind-the-scenes chaos:

→ → @wasiinacult on Instagram & TikTok

SUPPORT THE SHOW

The best way to fuel our mission? Rate, review, and share the pod with your people — word of mouth is rocket fuel.

And if you want to help keep the mics on (without betting on stock options that never vest)? Join us on Patreon. We don’t drain bank accounts — we just give you ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our undying gratitude.

→ Become a member Patreon.

HAVE A CULTY STORY?

Whether it’s a startup, a church, or just your weird improv troupe — we want to hear it.

→ info@wasiinacult.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SpaceX—PT1: “It’s About to Get Musky in Here”

What if the yoga class you signed up for wasn’t yoga at all, but the doorway to something much darker?

In this episode, Angel takes us inside Body & Brain Yoga and Tai Chi — a strip-mall wellness studio that seemed harmless enough. Until it wasn’t. Instead of stretching, you’re told to march in circles, punch your stomach, chant about your mother’s failings, and spill your deepest traumas to a room full of strangers.

What Angel didn’t know was that Body & Brain isn’t just a quirky yoga chain. It’s a nationwide empire with 70+ locations, millions in revenue, luxury retreats in Sedona — and a founder who flew private while his followers drowned in debt.

And that’s just the beginning. Dig deeper and you’ll find that Body & Brain is nothing new at all… it’s the rebranded face of Dahn Yoga — one of the most notorious modern cults.

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FOLLOW US

For more cult content, behind-the-scenes chaos:

→ @wasiinacult on Instagram & TikTok

FOLLOW ANGEL

Insta: @mtan_gel

SUPPORT THE SHOW

You can support this show by rating, reviewing, and sharing it with your people — word of mouth keeps us growing.

And if you really want to help keep the mics on? Become a Patreon member. Unlike Body & Brain, we don’t drain bank accounts — we just give you ad-free episodes, bonus content, and our undying gratitude.

→ Join us on Patreon.

HAVE A CULTY STORY?

Want to share it? We wanna hear it.

→ info@wasiinacult.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi: “The Cult FKA Dahn Yoga”

She thought she was enrolling in a Bible college.

Instead, she was signing up to give her identity, her labor, her choice—and her fire—to a man who called himself the Holy Ghost Bartender.

At “River University,” worship looked like laughing fits and collapsing bodies. Romance was arranged. Submission wasn’t suggested—it was glorified. And your soul? That was just a tally mark on a clipboard.

For Sarah, what started as a mission from God turned into a 12-year descent through emotional control, spiritual abuse, and religious labor trafficking.

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FOLLOW US for more culty content, behind-the-scenes chaos, and updates from our unholy quest to expose charismatic conmen:

→ @wasiinacult on Instagram & TikTok

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Rodney’s followers emptied their bank accounts at the altar. We just ask you to visit Patreon.

If this episode hit you—or made you question the price of obedience—share it, and leave a review.

To our Patreon members:

You're the real holy fire. Thank you for keeping the mic on and the bullshit detectors charged. Want ad-free episodes and exclusive extras?

→ Join us on Patreon.

HAVE A CULTY STORY?

We wanna hear it.

→ Email us: info@wasiinacult.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Cult of Rodney Howard-Browne: “Holy Ghosted”

A limo to Atlantic City. Pizzerias with back rooms. Garbage bags vanishing across boroughs.

Comedian Barry Rothbart grew up believing his dad didn’t just live large—he made life larger. Then the tapes surfaced.

This isn’t a mob story. It’s what happens when your identity is forged from someone else’s legend—only to discover the legend was a lie. As Barry unravels the mythology, his father’s world curdles into something darker… and uncomfortably familiar to our show.

For the full, uncut conversation, hop over to our Patreon.

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FOLLOW US for more culty content and behind-the-scenes chaos:

Instagram & TikTok → @wasiinacult

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Barry’s dad kept his money in stacks above the bed. We prefer Patreon. If this episode hit you—or made you think twice about charisma, cons, or cult leaders—share it and then leave a review (but take the cannoli). 

A huge thank you to our Patreon members—your support keeps us making episodes like this one. Want ad-free shows & exclusive extras? → Join our Patreon.

CHECK OUT BARRY:

Barry Rothbart’s investigative series Searching for Allan Rothbart is exclusively on Audible. It’s equal parts mob tale, family reckoning, and cult-like indoctrination story. Don’t miss it.

You can also follow Barry on social media → @barryrothbart

HAVE A CULTY STORY? We wanna hear it.

Email us: info@wasiinacult.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Cult of My Mafia Dad: “An Offer He Couldn’t Refuse”

What happens when your entire life revolves around likes, follows, and perfectly staged smoothie bowls?

For Lee Tilghman — better known as @leefromamerica — it meant rising to the top of Instagram’s wellness world… and losing herself in the process.

This week, we explore what it means to devote yourself to the cult of social media: when every thought and action becomes about what to post, when friends are replaced by followers, and when your online identity becomes the only one you know.

From the outside, the influencer life looks aspirational. But Lee asks: at what cost?

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COME SEE US LIVE!!

Los Angeles • September 9, 2025

With special guest: comedian Moses Storm

@ Dynasty Typewriter

VIP “Meet & Greet” tickets available!

Not in LA? No prob — livestream available too!

FOLLOW US for more culty content and behind-the-scenes chaos:

Instagram & TikTok → @wasiinacult

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

The average person spends over 2 hours a day on social media. If this episode resonated—or even made you rethink your daily doomscroll—share it, leave a review. Hug a friend IRL. 

Huge thank you to our Patreon members—you keep this thing going.

Want ad-free episodes & exclusive content? → Join our Patreon.

Have a culty story? We wanna hear it.

Email us: info@wasiinacult.com

And if you want more from today’s guest, Lee from America:

Her brand-new book “If you Don’t Like This, I Will Die” is out now

Find Lee → @leefromamerica

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Cult of Influencing: “The Algorithm Giveth, The Algorithm Taketh Away”

Imagine having to ask a group of eco-farmers for permission to have sex. And when granted permission, your options of consummation include… the back of a van or the loft of a goat barn.
Well that's what happened when Helen Zuman, a spelling bee whiz looking to explore her interest in eco-farming, visited Zendik Farm in North Carolina shortly after graduating from Harvard.
A two-week experience turned into years of her life. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you spell C-U-L-T.
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Support Was I In A Cult? on Patreon for goodies, extra content, and a chance to win a signed copy of Helen's book: Mating in Captivity!
Follow us on Instagram: @wasiinacult
Contact us: Have a cult story of your own and want to share it on our show? Send us an email at info@wasiinacult.com.
MORE ABOUT HELEN: https://helenzuman.com/
Find her book, Mating In Captivity, HERE.Follow Helen: Twitter - @HelenZuman // Instagram - @helenzuman

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Zendik Farm: "Mating in Captivity"

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