Homophobia and purity culture in cultic groups affects teenagers who are already struggling with a loss of self. They are invisible, and some are pushed through harmful conversion practices.
Hosted by human rights advocate Andre Afamasaga, this episode of Decult Talks brings together powerful rainbow voices: former Jehovah’s Witness Luke Hollis, Excommunicated author and former Exclusive Brethren member Craig Hoyle and US cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich.
Together, they share their deeply personal reflections as queer former cult members and unpack the emotional, psychological and social challenges they have faced.
This talk was recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, and produced as a podcast by Plains Media.
Tune in for an engaging conversation full of insight, healing, and hope for those impacted by cults.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
Can cults make you sick? In this groundbreaking episode of Decult Talks, Dr Caroline Ansley, a medical doctor and founder of the Centrepoint Restoration Project, shares her insights about the specific health needs of those inside cultic groups and those who left them. She explains the unique physical and emotional challenges they face and the critical professional support that is needed for recovery. A must-listen for health workers!
Recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, and produced as a podcast by Plains Media.
Tune in for a valuable conversation on the journey toward healing and restoration after cult involvement.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
Gloriavale - or Gloriafail: The infamous New Zealand cult has been in the courts and in the headlines recently. For how much longer can it keep going?
In this powerful episode of Decult Talks, Liz Gregory from the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust hosts a moving panel with lawyer Dennis Gates and Gloriavale survivors Pearl Valor and Virginia Courage. Together, they explore the complex legal, emotional and social challenges faced by those rebuilding their lives after leaving the fundamentalist Christian community.
Recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, and produced as a podcast by Plains Media.
Tune in for a heart-wrenching yet hopeful discussion about survival, justice, and the journey to freedom.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
How do you recover from having lived in a cult? This kind of complex trauma requires a specialised approach.
In this insightful episode of Decult Talks, UK psychotherapist Dr Gillie Jenkinson delivers a powerful keynote on cult recovery therapy. Drawing on her extensive research, lived experience and groundbreaking handbook, Dr Jenkinson outlines the critical aspects of healing and recovery for individuals who have escaped cults and the therapeutic approaches that can support their journey.
Recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, and produced as a podcast by Plains Media.
Tune in for a profoundly informative discussion that sheds light on the therapeutic processes behind cult recovery.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have come under scrutiny in New Zealand and around the world. This powerful episode of Decult Talks brings those together who have exposed and transmuted cultic harm in their own ways.
Hosted by RNZ reporter Anusha Bradley, the international panel features Australian activist Lara Kaput, US filmmaker Scott Homan and NZ victim advocate Shayne Mechen, with powerful video insights from Micki McAllen (also known as Apostate Barbie). Together, they explore the complex intersections of control, resistance, and healing after leaving the JWs.
Recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand and produced as a podcast by Plains Media.
Tune in for an eye-opening discussion that blends activism, storytelling and advocacy to illuminate these critical issues.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
What does it take to stand up to an influential religious leader?
At just 20 years old, Rachel Lees did precisely that. She took legal action against Bill Gothard, leader of the US-based fundamentalist group IBLP (Institute in Basic Life Principles), exposing the manipulative tactics hidden within the organization.
Her story of grooming and escape, shared on Decult Talks, is one of extraordinary courage, resilience and the pursuit of justice in the face of systemic control.
Recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, and produced as a podcast by Plains Media.
Tune in for an eye-opening discussion about courage, legal battles and the fight for justice in the face of systemic manipulation.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
In this gripping episode of Decult Talks, Laura McConnell Conti shares her personal story of growing up in the secretive sect “The Truth” (or 2x2s), a group currently under investigation by the FBI for pedophilia. Laura takes us through her journey of leaving the cult, shedding light on the control tactics and the psychological impact of being raised within such a closed and abusive environment.
Recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand and produced as a podcast by Plains Media.
Tune in for a powerful and eye-opening discussion that will leave you reflecting on the far-reaching effects of cult influence.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
What is the overlap of disinformation, cults and online radicalisation?
Stephen Judd from FACT Aotearoa leads a compelling panel discussion on Decult Talks, joined by experts in cult dynamics and extremism: Prof Ekant Veer (University of Canterbury), Austrian cult expert Ulrike Schiesser, Australian-Egyptian human rights activist Adam Elmasri and Auckland psychotherapist Paul Wilson.
Together, they unpack the social and psychological forces that pull people into dangerous rabbit holes, offering insights into how individuals and societies are affected.
Recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, and produced as a podcast by Plains Media.
Tune in for a deep dive into the intersection of cults and disinformation spreading.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
In this powerful episode of Decult Talks, Bec Sonkkila, a survivor of the esoteric tantra yoga school MISA, shares her incredible journey and the vital role she played in bringing their controversial guru, Gregorian Bivolaru, to justice. Bivolaru was arrested in 2023, and Bec’s courage and perseverance were instrumental in exposing the truth behind the Romanian cult that hides behind different names across Europe.
This compelling presentation was recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, and produced as a podcast by Plains Media.
Tune in for an inspiring and eye-opening discussion about justice, healing and the fight against cult manipulation.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
In this eye-opening episode of Decult Talks, we hear from Laura Muir, a former member of the Korean Bible cult Shincheonji. Laura shares her personal experience and provides an in-depth look at the cult's recruitment tactics, shedding light on the psychological manipulation and strategies used to draw people in.
This powerful presentation was recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, and produced as a podcast by Plains Media. Tune in for a thought-provoking presentation that will challenge what you know about how cults operate in our communities.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
Get ready for a powerful and thought-provoking conversation in this episode of Decult Talks. Hosted by journalist Adam Dudding, this dynamic panel discussion was recorded live at the first Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, and has been produced by Plains Media.
Join Dr. Caroline Ansley from the Centrepoint Restoration Project, Maria Esguerra, a psychologist and Children of God survivor, Luke Hollis, a former Jehovah’s Witness, and Dr Janja Lalich, a leading US cult expert, as they delve deep into the personal and psychological impacts of cults on children born or raised in them.
This conversation brings together powerful stories of survival, recovery, and expertise in the fight against coercion and manipulation. Don’t miss this eye-opening episode that will leave you with a new perspective on complex human rights and mental health issues.
Tune in now for an unforgettable discussion that uncovers the truth behind cults.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
Get ready for an eye-opening presentation by Dr. Janja Lalich, one of the world’s leading experts on cults and extremism and the author of “Take Back Your Life” and “Escaping Utopia”. As a Professor Emerita of Sociology and an international authority in her field, Dr. Lalich delivered the first keynote at the groundbreaking Decult Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand. Hosted by the insightful Andre Afamasaga, this episode explores Dr. Lalich’s “Bounded Choice” model and her fascinating insights into the psychological and social dynamics behind cults.
Don’t miss this chance to hear from a true pioneer in the field. Tune in now for a powerful and thought-provoking talk that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about cults.
Stay connected with Decult!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky, and visit our website to sign up for our newsletter. Be the first to know about our next conference in 2026 by preregistering now, check out all the Decult 2024 highlights, and stay tuned for our documentary!
Decult is a small charity run by volunteers. You can help us immensely by supporting our work with a donation. Thank you for your support!
Explore the highlights of Decult Conference 2024 with our new podcast series on Spotify. Stay tuned for in-depth coverage and insights!