Episodes 300
Avg. Duration 1h 28m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.7 (267)
Since Jan 2020
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Features Guests

Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
83%
Hosting
www.speakingofcults.com

About This Podcast

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. This also includes non-religious cults and extreme political movements including the more divisive elements of MAGA and left-wing culture war issues. There is nothing off-limits but we always try to be respectful of the people involved even if we do not respect the beliefs or actions involved.

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Recent Episodes

Speaking of Cults...Scientology, WISE and Delphi with Natalia Hirsch

Jun 13, 2026 1h 48m

This week I welcome back former Scientologist Natalia Hirsch, originally from Ecuador but who had a wide-ranging life and Scientology experience she is sharing with us. In today's final episode, we…

Speaking of Cults...The Scientology Experience with Natalia Hirsch (Part 3)

Jun 06, 2026 1h 16m

This week I welcome back former Scientologist Natalia Hirsch, originally from Ecuador but who had a wide-ranging life and Scientology experience she is sharing with us. In today's show we cover what…

Speaking of Cults...Carlos Castaneda the Guru Cult Leader

May 30, 2026 1h 11m

This week I welcome Ru Marshall, author of the new book American Trickster which is on sale now, about the infamous 1970s cult guru Carlos Castaneda, a man who is still fooling professional academics…

Speaking of Cults...Taking Cults to Court with Carol Merchasin

May 23, 2026 1h 34m

This week I welcome Carol Merchasin, the Board President of the International Cultic Studies Association and also known as the "Cult Assassin" for her legal work against cultic enterprises in…

Speaking of Cults...Scientology and the Arts with Geoff Levin

May 16, 2026 1h 18m

This week I welcome back former Scientologists and musician Geoff Levin to discuss the Art Series and L. Ron Hubbard from a different perspective, that of an artist. There's a lot to say and some…

Speaking of Cults...The Scientology Experience with Natalia Hirsch (Part 2)

May 09, 2026 1h 45m

This week I welcome back former Scientologist Natalia Hirsch, originally from Ecuador but who had a wide-ranging life and Scientology experience she is sharing with us. In today's show we cover a lot…

Speaking of Cults...Scientology Beliefs Debunked (part 2)

May 02, 2026 1h 53m

Today I welcome back Jon Atack to continue our series of podcasts to debunk the "basics" of Scientology, one bit at a time. This is a wide-ranging and hopefully interesting discussion where we pull…

Speaking of Cults...The Scientology Experience with Natalia Hirsch (Part 1)

Apr 25, 2026 1h 34m

This week I welcome former Scientologist Natalia Hirsch, originally from Ecuador but who had a wide-ranging life and Scientology experience she is sharing with us starting in today's first part. We…

Speaking of Cults...Scientology's Musical Phase with Geoff Levin

Apr 18, 2026 1h 50m

This week I welcome back former Scientologists and musician Geoff Levin to discuss a period of time in Scientology when L. Ron Hubbard was fascinated with and was producing music for PR purposes back…

Speaking of Cults...A Different Look at Narcissism & Cults

Apr 11, 2026 26m

Today I am sharing some recent observations and learning on the subject of narcissism - a timely topic given our current world situation - and relate observations of political philosopher…

Speaking of Cults...I Belong to Me - A Discussion with Tia Levings

Apr 04, 2026 1h 12m

Today I welcome back author and cult survivor Tia Levings, who discuses her upcoming book "I Belong to Me" about her recovery journey and advice for anyone on the same path. Enjoy! Tia's website:…

Speaking of Cults...7th Day Adventists and Holy Disobedience with Melissa Duge Spiers

Mar 28, 2026 1h 13m

Today I welcome Melissa Duge Spiers, author of the new book Holy Disobedience, which is her story of being raised in and dealing with the religious abuse of the 7th Day Adventist cult. We discuss how…

Speaking of Cults...Brothers Broken and Scientology with Geoff Levin

Mar 14, 2026 1h 10m

Today I welcome back musician and artist Geoff Levin, former Scientologist, who has produced a new feature-length documentary, Brothers Broken, telling his story of Scientology abuse and…

Speaking of Cults...Debunking Scientology with Jon Atack

Mar 07, 2026 1h 47m

Today I welcome back Jon Atack for a new series of podcasts we'll be doing to debunk the "basics" of Scientology, one bit at a time. This is a wide-ranging and hopefully interesting discussion where…

Speaking of Cults...Helping People Escape Scientology with Phil Jones

Feb 28, 2026 53m

Today I welcome Phil Jones, the Executive Director of the Aftermath Foundation, to discuss its purpose, activities and an upcoming fundraiser being held here in Denver on March 11th. Enjoy! The…

Speaking of Cults...Body Language and Manipulation

Feb 21, 2026 1h 19m

Today I welcome back Zach Elwood to discuss body language and how it really works to "read" someone, understand their tells and how to accurately predict what they are going to do. It's a bit more…

Speaking of Cults...What are MAGA Christians Thinking?

Feb 14, 2026 58m

Today I welcome back Dr. Clint Heacock, a former evangelical minister who was born and raised in an evangelical community and has done a great deal of research on what the Christian Nationalist…

Speaking of Cults...Transforming Landmark with Ben Eisenberg

Feb 07, 2026 1h 55m

This week I welcome Ben Eisenberg, someone who grew up in and around Landmark and its teachings, which did not help him in his early life. He's spent quite some time sorting this out and shares his…

Speaking of Cults...You Can't Save Everyone - What 100 Podcasts Taught Me about People

Feb 01, 2026 44m

This week we went live for the 100th episode of the Speaking of Cults podcast. I have some personal reflections and experiences to share as a cult expert and human in this world which I hope will be…

Speaking of Cults...The Unpaid Army of God

Jan 24, 2026 1h 38m

This week I welcome back Shannon Grover and Bryce Blankenagel to discuss the details of Mormon missionaries and what they actually are called upon to do. It's straight up slave labor under the guise…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Speaking of Cults have?

Speaking of Cults has published 300 episodes since January 2020, covering topics in Education, News.

Is Speaking of Cults still active?

Speaking of Cults is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 1h 28m.

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