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Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.

Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Today is part 2 of our interview with Yoni Shrira, former student at the Family Foundation School, also known as Allynwood, the remote troubled teen program known for a series of lawsuits brought against it as well as over a hundred deaths from overdose or suicide by its former attendees. Last week, we talked about how and why Yoni ended up in the abusive school and the culture of required snitching, and this week he’s going to tell us about the punishments the kids endured, including hard labor and isolation.
 
He’ll tell us about trying to run away, the origins of the group and the man who created it, how the kids were kept isolated from their families, the way it impacted him after he left, and why he thinks so many of its former students have died.
 

 
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Check out the work Lola's mom has been up to!
 
https://www.sltrib.com/news/polygamy/2024/12/06/polygamous-prophet-how-flds/ 
 

 
12 Step / Substance Abuse Resources
 
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https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/12-step • 
 • 
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/treatment-program/aftercare/types-12-step-programs/ • 
 • 
https://www.addictioncenter.com/treatment/12-step-programs/ • 
 • 988 -- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
 

 
BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch 
 

 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 

 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 

 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 
@baberahamhicks
 

 
TIKTOK:
 
@TrustMeCultPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yoni Shrira, Part 2 - Hard Labor, Isolation, Running Away, and a Dark Legacy

FOR OUR 200th EPISODE, we are joined by eating disorder therapist, author, and expert Carolyn Costin to discuss her own experiences that led to her starting her practice, why so many cults control the eating habits of their members, why having an eating disorder is like having a little cult leader in your brain, and how Carolyn helped Meagan with her own eating disorder.
 

 
Check out our holiday sponsors!!
 
 • 
Quince • : Gift luxury without the luxury price tag! Go to 
Quince.com/trust • for 365-day returns PLUS free shipping on your order!
 • 
ZocDoc • : Find and book a top-rated doctor! Go to 
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 • 
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BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch 
 

 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 

 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 

 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 
@baberahamhicks
 

 
TIKTOK:
 
@TrustMeCultPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carolyn Costin - The Link Between Cults and Eating Disorders

You're a child living on a remote compound in West Texas. One day authorities show up at your front door and an exchange of gunfire breaks out. Just as you expected would happen. Survivor of the Branch Davidians and the Waco massacre, Joann Vaega, discusses her earliest memories of living on the compound, what cult leader David Koresh was like in person, why she did not feel fear when the siege began, how her mom bravely acted to save her, learning about the fire that killed 76 people, including her own parents, and how she's currently defying how people said she would turn out. Original Airdate: 08/03/2022
 

 
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BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch 
 

 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 

 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 

 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 
@baberahamhicks
 

 
TIKTOK:
 
@TrustMeCultPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

REWIND: Joann Vaega: Waco Survivor and Former Branch Davidian

Cult interventionist and founder of People Leave Cults, Ashlen Hilliard, talks about her path to working in cult intervention and recovery, her personal religious experience that led her to this work, how interactions with Mormons in Utah affected her worldview, how she defines what a cult is, why accusing a group of being a cult isn't always helpful, how cult intervention today is different from how it was in the 70s, how it used to involved kidnapping and unethical practices, how her model takes a harm reduction approach, and when cult intervention practices can become culty themselves!
 

 
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 • 
Shopify • : Upgrade your business (Or start one in the new year)! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at 
shopify.com/trustme • 
 • 
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ZocDoc.com/trustme • to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today!
 

 
BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch
 

 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 

 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 

 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 
@baberahamhicks
 

 
TIKTOK:
 
@TrustMeCultPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashlen Hilliard - The Evolution of Cult Intervention Practices

Episode 22: Lola & Meagan interview Frank Lyford, survivor of Heaven's Gate who left after 18 years--just a few years before discovering his friends and loved ones in the group had died by suicide. In part 1, he tells the girls how he began following the leaders Ti and Do, what it was like living a nomadic lifestyle with his "check partner," and what happened when they all settled in one place for "Class." They discuss being separated from the love of his life, how the rules became more strict and controlling, and how much darker things got after Ti got cancer. Stay tuned next week for part 2! Original Airdate: 03/10/2021
 

 
Trust Me is sponsored by Shopify! Upgrade your business! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/trustme 
 

 
BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch 
 

 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 

 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 

 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 
@baberahamhicks
 

 
TIKTOK:
 
@TrustMeCultPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 1: The Nomadic Lifestyle

Episode 23: Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth continue to interview Frank Lyford, former member of Heaven's Gate. In part 2, they discuss the growing number of red flags he began to notice after one of the leaders died, including talk of castration, and what led to his decision to finally, after 18 years, break away. He also tells the girls what it was like when he heard about the mass suicide on the news, how heartbreaking that was, the lessons he's learned as a result, and what his life is like now. Original Airdate: 03/17/2021
 

 
Trust Me is sponsored by Shopify! Upgrade your business! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/trustme
 

 
BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch
 

 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 

 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 

 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 
@baberahamhicks
 

 
TIKTOK:
 
@TrustMeCultPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 2: Breaking Away

Today our guests are historian Philip Deslippe and writer Stacie Sutkin, who together have done investigative reporting on 3HO (“happy, healthy, holy organization”), Kundalini yoga, and Yogi Bhajan. They’re going to tell us how they got started writing about 3HO, both interacting with Kundalini yoga in different ways, who Yogi Bhajan was and whether he had any credibility in the Sikh religion (spoiler: he did not), and how he began to get white Americans to believe he was the ultimate spiritual authority, rapidly expanding and profiting off of the money and property of his followers.
 
They’ll tell us about some of the many ways Yogi Bhajan exerted control over his followers lives, the practice of separating children from their parents in a practice called “distance therapy,” and the boarding schools kids were sent to for years that turned out to be neglectful and abusive, all within full knowledge and approval of Yogi Bhajan. Plus, the wave of survivors that came forward to tell their stories of his and the organization’s abuse, and how they were failed by 3HO’s reparations program.
 

 
We have deals for you!
 
 • 
Quince • : Upgrade your closet! Go to 
Quince.com/trust • for 365-day returns PLUS free shipping on your order! 
 • 
Shopify • : Need help with your business? Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at 
shopify.com/trustme • 
 
BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch
 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Deslippe & Stacie Stukin - 3HO,Kundalini yoga, & Yogi Bhajan

Creator of the one man show 3 Cults Walk Into a Bar, Uriah Wesman, shares about his FIRST cult experience in Church Universal and Triumphant, how they combined Christianity and New Age ideas, the paranoia that was created by beliefs surrounding demons, his mom's mental deterioration that led her to accuse his father of being a demon, and his parents split that led him to his next cult... which we'll discuss next week!
 

 
We have deals for you!
 
 • 
ZocDoc • : Stop putting off those doctors appointments! Go to 
Zocdoc.com/trustme • to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today!
 • 
Shopify • : Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at 
shopify.com/trustme • 
 

 
BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch 
 

 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 

 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 

 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 
@baberahamhicks
 

 
TIKTOK:
 
@TrustMeCultPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uriah Wesman, Part 1 - The First Cult: Church Universal and Triumphant

Today is part 2 with Uriah Wesman, former member of THREE different cults. This week he’ll talk to us more about cult #2, the Hearts Center (which was an offshoot of cult #1 from last week), what it was like being a rebellious emo kid slowly starting to realize inconsistencies in the church, and how his dad discovered cult #3 in Canada, the Ideal Society.
 
We’ll talk about why he loved Canada so much, how he became obsessed with Alex Jones in his rebellious phase, and what that third cult - a vegan meditation cult - was like, being surrounded by adults who spoke French and didn’t want him there. Plus, how he ended up leaving, and how creating a one man show helped him process his experiences.
 

 
BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch 
 

 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 

 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 

 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 
@baberahamhicks
 

 
TIKTOK:
 
@TrustMeCultPodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uriah Wesman, Part 2 - Growing Up in Three Cults (The Hearts Center and The Ideal Society)

Former pastor's son Caleb Ward joins Lola and Meagan to share his experience about the height of evangelical culture in the early 2000s in a church called Kingdom Life Ministries. Caleb discusses growing up in an environment where everyone was speaking in tongues and having loud prophecies in the middle of church, the pressures that come with being the son of a pastor, how heightened emotional experiences keep people connected to their churches, wild evangelical youth culture involving Christian rock, how good church leadership can actually exist, and why shunning is one of the worst parts of modern Christian religion.
 

 
We have deals for you!!
 
 • 
Prose • : Looking for customized haircare? Go to 
Prose.com/trust • for your FREE consultation and 50% off your custom routine!
 • 
Shopify • : Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at 
shopify.com/trustme • 
 

 
BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch 
 
Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com
 
INSTAGRAM:
 
@TrustMePodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@meaganelizabeth11
 
TWITTER:
 
@TrustMeCultPod
 
@ohlalola
 
@baberahamhicks
 
TIKTOK:
 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caleb Ward, Part 1 - Kingdom Life Ministries and Evangelical Youth Culture

Episode 17: Lola and Meagan interview Dr. Yuval Laor, behavioral and cultural scientist who studies evolutionary biology and religion. Yuval describes his theories on awe experiences and fervor, and how cult leaders manipulate these emotional states to earn and keep their followers' loyalty. He also talks about belief attachment and why it's not so different from parental or romantic attachment, and the hyperreligiosity that can occur with temporal lobe epileptic seizures.
 

 
If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com.
 

 

 
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:
 
@trustmepodcast
 
@oohlalola
 
@vibehigherbitch
 

 

 
OR TWITTER:
 
@trustmecultpod
 
@ohlalola

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yuval Laor - Fervor, Awe, and Hyperreligiosity

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