Today’s guest thought she was just signing up for a summer job. And then, years later, she thought she was just joining a church. What she got instead?

Cults. TWO OF THEM.

Meet Aydrea — writer, stepmom, and lover of rules. In college, she joined a company that promised purpose, leadership, and a paycheck. Instead, she got cold showers, commission-only “training,” and a summer knocking on strangers' doors… while carrying 40 pounds of encyclopedias.

But plot twist: just when she thought she’d moved on, community came calling again. This time through a church weight loss group, …where Diet Mountain Dew became her spiritual practice, and hunger was a sign of holiness.

Funny, sharp, and disarmingly honest, Aydrea shares what it’s like to look back and realize oh, cool cool… I joined TWO cults. And maybe more importantly, how the craving for belonging can sneak us into places we never meant to be.

LINKS:

LIVE SHOW! April 25th at Napa Valley Streaming Fest — with special guest Moses Storm. Info & tickets: napavalleystreamingfest.com

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Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse, exploitation, and trauma. Please listen with care.

Frankie thought she was chosen. That she was being trained to be a healer, a mystic, a disciple of spiritual truth. But the truth was far more harrowing.

In Part 2 of her story, we follow Frankie deeper into Morningland—where obedience meant servitude, sexual violence was disguised as divine initiation, and isolation was absolute. What began as New Age mysticism spiraled into total control, lasting trauma, and the systematic dismantling of a family.

But through pain, there is power. And Frankie’s voice, now, is stronger than ever.

LINKS:

LIVE SHOW! April 25th at Napa Valley Streaming Fest — with special guest Moses Storm. Info & tickets: napavalleystreamingfest.com

Follow us for more culty content: @wasiinacult

Support the show: If Was I in a Cult? has impacted you, please rate and review—it really helps more people find us! And consider joining our Patreon for ad-free episodes and more.

Have a story of your own? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to: 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.

Crime House True Crime Stories is the ultimate destination for true crime fans. Every episode

features two notorious cases from that week in crime history, tied by a common theme like

infamous serial killers, mysterious disappearances, tragic murders, and more. Every Monday,

uncover the full stories behind the headlines as host Vanessa Richardson takes you through

high-profile investigations like the murder of Gabby Petito, the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart,

and the mass suicide of the Heaven's Gate cult. Follow Crime House True Crime Stories — a

Crime House Original — wherever you listen to podcasts.

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

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of child abuse and sexual coercion.

It started with a pizza party for single moms. But soon, there were purple-lit temples, custom medallions, and a man who called himself “Donato the Christ”. What could possibly go wrong?

In Part 1 of Frankie Tease’s gripping story, we follow her teen years inside Long Beach, California’s Morningland—a so-called spiritual community where rituals masked control, and devotion was slowly weaponized.

Manipulation. Isolation. Grooming disguised as enlightenment—and a disturbing undercurrent of coercion that only grew darker with time. Frankie lived it all. And this is just the beginning.

Next week brings even more revelations… as well as Frankie’s road to freedom.

LINKS:

Come see us LIVE April 25th at the Napa Valley Streaming Festival!

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Support the show: If Was I in a Cult? has impacted you, please rate and review—it really helps more people find us! And consider joining our Patreon for ad-free episodes and more.

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

Whitney wanted a Friday night dress. She got a pink Cadillac and a cult instead.

At 21, she joined Mary Kay just trying to pay her $200 rent. What she got was a crash course in manipulation disguised as empowerment, a swirl of culty catchphrases, and a trunk full of sparkle-dusted dreams.

In this episode, Whitney takes us on her journey from California cake decorator to one of Mary Kay’s youngest Sales Directors—and eventually, to the other side, where she finds healing, purpose, and a life that’s truly her own.

No pins. No pearls. No plastic praise.

LINKS:

Come see us LIVE at the Napa Valley Streaming Festival!

Follow us for more culty content: @wasiinacult

Support the show: If Was I in a Cult? has impacted you, please rate and review—it really helps more people find us! And consider joining our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus culty goodness.

Have a dark and sparkly story of your own? We’d love to hear it. Reach out anytime: info@wasiinacult.com

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Today, we’re taking it back to where it all began: our very first episode. Meet Johanne Hanks, who went from BYU grad to plural wife to party planner for Jesus in a yuppie Mormon doomsday group called The True and Living Church. You know… TLC.

Faced with the fear of an impending apocalypse, Joanne and her husband move to a small Utah town to live "Mormonism on steroids", which means wearing long underwear, communicating with the dead, prophetic visions, odd temple rituals, cookies with Jesus, and the law of celestial marriage (aka polygamy).

We’ll be back next week with one of the OG MLMs… May Kay. Pucker up for that one.

Come see us LIVE at the Napa Valley Streaming Festival!

Johanne’s Book: “It’s Not About the Sex, My Ass”

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Support the show: If Was I in a Cult? has impacted you, please rate and review us—it truly helps! And consider joining our Patreon for ad-free episodes and a cult-free community.

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As Tyler owns up to overlooking a crucial part of Orange County's troubling past, Liz is secretly grateful for his mistake—for without it, they might never have met today's inspiring guest, Vida.

Growing up in South Central LA, Vida's father found salvation in a Pentecostal church led by a self-proclaimed prophet. For Vida, the church was initially a comforting community, offering structure and belonging. But over time, it became clear that what she knew as normal was deeply damaging: fasting replaced freedom, demons blamed for everyday struggles, and poverty persisted despite relentless donations. Vida shares her journey from unquestioning devotion to courageous self-discovery, ultimately reclaiming her life from the tangled legacy of faith, trauma, and generational pain.

Thank you, Vida, for your courage, your honesty, and your wisdom—and yes, for challenging Tyler's musical tastes.

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You’ve heard of doomsday cults and self-help cults… but what about an alien cult? This week, we’re taking you on a journey beyond the stars—or at least, beyond logic—as we explore The Raelians.

This episode is love bombing at its best and most seductive form.

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Have you ever been love-bombed into a belief system that felt too good to be true? Or maybe you’ve found yourself drawn into a group that promised cosmic truths, only to leave you questioning everything? We’d love to hear your story—email us at info@wasiinacult.com

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Link to register for Writing Symposium

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