Former supermodel Hoyt Richards recounts how a seemingly ideal upbringing, success at Princeton University, and a promising modeling career left him unexpectedly vulnerable to manipulation by a mysterious man. As a teenager searching for purpose and identity, he was drawn into the orbit of the charismatic spiritual leader, Frederick von Mierers, who used flattery, exclusivity, and promises of enlightenment to gradually gain influence over him. What began as a search for meaning evolved into a decades-long cultic relationship in which Richards learned to distrust his own instincts, suppress critical thinking, and prioritize the group's teachings above family, friendships, and personal autonomy.  As Richards rose to become one of the world's most successful male models, the group's control deepened. He ultimately contributed an estimated $4–5 million to the organization, believing his success was proof that he was fulfilling a higher spiritual mission.

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Find and support Hoyt!

IG: https://www.instagram.com/hoytrichardsofficial

https://www.Instagram.com/bringmethebeauties

Website: https://www.hoytrichards.com

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Venmo @sheliseann

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**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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When a 19 year old was sent to a war zone in a Russia for his mission, the deep need to remain “faithful” left him scarred when he finally made it home. Years later, his faith would unravel, causing massive shockwaves amongst his family.  Following up our enlightening interview with filmmaker Kyson Dana, today we go LIVE with him to further discuss life after his traumatic Mormon Mission.

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Watch our initial interview with Kyson

Watch Kyson’s film: “The dark side of my Mormon Mission”  

Support Kyson!

Yt: https://www.youtube.com/@kysondana 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/kysondana/ 

Website: secondnatureclub.com

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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Raised in a deeply devout Mormon family in Idaho, Kyson Dana was taught from childhood that serving a mission was not a choice but a sacred duty and a defining milestone of a faithful life. When he was called to serve in southwest Russia, he believed he had been specially chosen by God to bring people the only path to salvation. Mission training reinforced the idea that success or failure depended entirely on a missionary’s faith and worthiness, leaving little room to question the church’s decisions or the dangers of the assignment.  Once in Russia, the reality was far different from what he had been prepared for. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch Kyson’s film: “The dark side of my Mormon Mission”  

Support Kyson!

Yt: https://www.youtube.com/@kysondana 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/kysondana/ 

Website: secondnatureclub.com

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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

In this follow up interview with Mykelti Brown Padron, she reflects on growing up in the polygamist Mormon offshoot featured on the TLC series Sister Wives, describing a chaotic childhood where older children were often forced to raise younger siblings. Mykelti recounts how the constantly shifting parenting styles between her different mothers created anxiety and emotional instability, how she took on caregiving responsibilities as early as four years old, changing diapers, helping raise siblings, and how fear of law enforcement and CPS led the family to avoid hospitals and outside intervention. 

Mykelti dives into the emotional consequences of the family’s disciplinary culture, particularly the rule against “tattle telling,” which she explains discouraged children from reporting harmful behavior and contributed to deep emotional wounds. She reveals that after disclosing a troubling experience from childhood, she was punished rather than protected, making it difficult to trust adults or seek help. Mykelti credits Robyn Brown, her father’s fourth wife, with eventually helping her feel safe enough to speak openly and receive support. As an adult and mother now herself, she reveals the similarities and differences in how she parents her chiIdren from her own chiIdhood. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Follow and support Mykelti!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mykeltipadron1536 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/u85780932

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mykeltip/

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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

Sofia May describes how the abuse at the Tibetan Buddhist retreat center, Tara Mandala, escalated into full psychological control after the guru reframed her suffering as a form of “spiritual advancement.” After months of isolation, humiliation, sleep deprivation, impossible work demands, and emotional manipulation, the guru finally told her she had intentionally been “triggering” her to accelerate enlightenment. Instead of recognizing the abuse, Sofia (already deeply indoctrinated into the belief that gurus use pain to dissolve the ego) interpreted the cruelty as proof she was receiving special spiritual treatment. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch pt 1

Website: sofiamaycomedy.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sofiamaycomedy/

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**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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A survivor of severe childhood abuse, Sofia May recounts how growing up in a violently dysfunctional and narcissistic family left her desperate for love, safety, and validation. After years of trying to earn protection from her parents by suppressing her own needs and identity, she became drawn to Buddhism because its teachings on dissolving the ego and transcending suffer*ng mirrored the self-erasure she had already been conditioned into. 

Sofia found temporary healing and belonging at the Tibetan Buddhist retreat center Tara Mandala, where the peaceful environment, supportive community, and emphasis on the “sacred feminine” felt like an escape from her traumatic home life. Over time, however, under the thumb of Lama Tsultrim Allione, the teachings and culture slowly encouraged deeper submission, guru worship, and the abandonment of personal boundaries.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch pt 2

Website: sofiamaycomedy.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sofiamaycomedy/

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Venmo @sheliseann

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**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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

(CW: CSA, Drug A, Self Harm, Suicide Ideation) For a boy growing up in the 1970s, rural northern New Jersey was a year-round playground, filled with secret fishing holes, enchanted woods, and private trails to explore with friends. But this childhood idyll was snatched from Clark Fredericks by a man he regarded as a local hero: Dennis Pegg, the town’s Boy Scout leader, a law enforcement officer with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Department, and, as Fredericks would discover, a serial predator.  Through his teenage years and young adulthood, Fredericks kept silent about the horrific abuse he experienced turning to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and sex addiction to numb the memories. For decades, he remained tormented by shame, unable to share the secrets that were eating away at his psyche—until he violently confronted his abuser.  Following his timing in pr*son, Clark Fredericks and his story have inspired major reform of the statutes that once severely limited the rights of C.A. victims to sue their abusers.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find Clark:

Book “Scarred”

Podcast “Free Like-Me”

Website: https://www.freelike-me.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/clarkfredericks/?hl=en

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@clarkfredericks3309

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Host Instagram @sheliseann 

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TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

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**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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

Is “Biblical patriarchy” stripping women of their autonomy?  We’re joined LIVE today with former “Fundamentalist Trad Wife” and author, Tia Levings, to discuss Pastor Dale Partridge’s dangerous, prescriptive opinions for young girls. 

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Watch the latest interview with Tia

Watch our initial interview with Tia

Pt 2 with Tia

Find and support Tia!

Order “I Belong to Me” (Book and website): https://tialevings.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tialevingswriter/

Substack: https://tialevings.substack.com/

Linktree: http://linktr.ee/TiaLevings

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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

Tia Levings discusses her new book “I Belong to Me” as a continuation of her healing journey after escaping a deeply controlling Christian patriarchal environment.  Her first memoir, “A Well-Trained Wife”, focused on surviving abuse and indoctrination, while the second book explores what comes after leaving: trauma recovery, identity rebuilding, and deconstruction. Tia describes how religious extremism, purity culture, and patriarchal systems shaped her from childhood into adulthood, conditioning her to suppress autonomy, accept abuse, and remain emotionally dependent. She shares how these systems impacted her development, relationships, sexuality, and sense of self, ultimately culminating in a near murder-suicide escape from her marriage and a decade-long process of healing.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch our follow up LIVE stream with Tia

Watch our initial interview with Tia

Pt 2 with Tia

Find and support Tia!

Order “I Belong to Me” (Book and website): https://tialevings.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tialevingswriter/

Substack: https://tialevings.substack.com/

Linktree: http://linktr.ee/TiaLevings

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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

“Scientology speed runs” are a new internet trend and protest where creators, streamers, and activists storm Scientology centers to see how quickly they can get confronted, removed, banned, or “declared suppressive” by staff or security—often while filming for livestreams or social media.  Today we are joined LIVE with Claire Headley to discuss whether this is a good or bad thing for taking down the nefarious organization.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch our initial interview with Claire

Find and Support Claire!

The Aftermath Foundation: 

http://www.theaftermathfoundation.org/

To volunteer: [email protected]

Website:  https://blownforgood.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blownforgood

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blownforgood/

Twitter: @claireheadley

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

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TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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

James Luceno is a former fifth degree ranked member of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), an initially welcoming, symbol-rich spiritual society rooted in Aleister Crowley’s philosophy of Thelema.  Over time, what began as an immersive and meaningful community experience became increasingly controlling and ethically troubling, ultimately leading James to view it as a harmful, cult-like system. One in which he had to step away from, getting him ostracized from the community he invested 11 years into.  

Today James joins us LIVE to dive deeper into the initiation rituals themselves— what he’s personally seen and experienced the rituals do to people, why they feel profound and transformative, and how the logic of initiation gradually extends beyond the rituals themselves to shape how members interpret the dysfunction and harm they experience in the Order. 

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Watch James’ initial interview here

Follow and support James!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Entelecheia

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/turningofthesky

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/turningsky/

X: https://x.com/LapisMercurii

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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