Speaking of Cults
A podcast about cults, coercive control and recovery. Formerly called the Sensibly Speaking podcast, in this weekly show host Chris Shelton interviews cult survivors, psychologists and other professionals and specialists about the topics of cult recruitment, retention and recovery.
Episodes
Episodes
Saturday Dec 04, 2021
#321: Why Scientology Auditing is Destructive
Saturday Dec 04, 2021
Saturday Dec 04, 2021
This week I do a little compare and contrast between the ethics and core purpose of counselling versus Scientology auditing and offer some insights from my graduate thesis research into why Scientology auditing can be so bad for people. Enjoy!
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Saturday Nov 27, 2021
Cult Recovery and the Stages of Grief
Saturday Nov 27, 2021
Saturday Nov 27, 2021
This week we suffered the death of our cat, Seven, and this brought about some reflections about the five stages of grief and how they relate to my cult recovery which I thought important enough to share. I hope you agree and I hope that sharing my experience might help others with theirs.
Here’s the article I read from during the show.
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #320: Cult Recovery and Stages of Grief appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Saturday Nov 20, 2021
#319: Critical Thinking or Death! ft. Jon Atack
Saturday Nov 20, 2021
Saturday Nov 20, 2021
This week I welcome back Jon Atack for another wide-ranging and important conversation about “stupid people” joining cults, thought reform and “mind control”, sociology, critical thinking and a lot of commentary on what all this has to do with you and me. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #319: Critical Thinking or Death! ft. Jon Atack appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Saturday Nov 13, 2021
#318: Dealing with Cults ft. Jen Kiaba
Saturday Nov 13, 2021
Saturday Nov 13, 2021
This week I welcome Jen Kiaba, a woman who grew up in the Moonies, escaped and is now doing the same academic coercive control program I am doing at Salford. We have a very wide-ranging discussion about her own experience in the Moonies, how education has helped her in recovery and a lot more on coercive control. Enjoy!
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Saturday Nov 06, 2021
#317: Scientology ”Leadership” Training
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
This week we give some updates on Scientology on the legal front which happened this week and then we get into the subject of “leadership” in Scientology and how authoritarian attitudes are baked in to its DNA. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #317: Scientology “Leadership” Training appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Saturday Oct 30, 2021
#316: The Rise of the Apostates (Academia vs. Former Cult Members)
Saturday Oct 30, 2021
Saturday Oct 30, 2021
This week is the beginning of a slightly new direction in my fight against cults and what may end up being a fight I continue into the future. That battle is against the outright refusal on the part of certain important social sciences and scholars to listen to or even consider the testimonials and information provided by former cult members such as myself, resulting in cult disinformation being propagated throughout academia. I feel this is important enough to share with everyone because I believe it affects everyone and is directly related to Scientology as well as a number of other high-control group. I did my best to make this interesting and I hope I succeeded. Enjoy!
Papers I cited in this show:
Kent and Swanson paper on apostates
Seeing Apostates Clearly by Michael Thorne
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #316: The Rise of the Apostates appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Saturday Oct 16, 2021
#315: Conspiracy Theories and Critical Thinking
Saturday Oct 16, 2021
Saturday Oct 16, 2021
This week I am joined by Ciprian Ivanof to discuss critical thinking and how it is that conspiracy theorists say they are using good critical thinking skills when they clearly are not. We dive into why this happens and what is going on in their heads. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #315: Conspiracy Theories and Critical Thinking appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
Sensibly Speaking Podcast #314: Navigating the Ex-Cult World
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
This week I took a break from interviews to discuss something important that I wish someone had talked to me about when I first got out of Scientology and which I’ve had to learn (as every other ex-cultists does) and that is navigating the world of the ex-cult community. It’s not for the faint of heart! I hope this podcast will help anyone who has ever felt estranged and alone in a community of like-minded people. I’m quite sure I’m not the only one who has had these issues. Enjoy!
The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #314: Navigating the Ex-Cult World appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.
Your Host
Hello, my name is Chris Shelton and I am an author, consultant, podcaster, videographer, and former cult member. Welcome to my podcast!
Who is Chris Shelton?
Chris started a YouTube channel which has over 45,000 subscribers, produces the Sensibly Speaking podcast each week and has produced hundreds of videos laying out the scam of Scientology, educating on critical thinking and interviewing former members of Scientology and other destructive cults, as well as a range of therapists, cult exit counselors, educators and media personalities. Chris has also given talks and presentations around the United States about his experiences and has been featured on numerous podcasts and television shows. He was featured on Leah Remini’s Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E and served as a consultant to the show for its first two seasons. He has also written a critical analysis of Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard called Scientology: A to Xenu – An Insider’s Guide to What Scientology is Really All About, available on Amazon in printed form, e-book format and as an audio book.