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June 27, 2025 90 mins
CW:  CSA, SA, Mentions of drug use- From the ages of 6 to 12, up to when the cult leader, Berg, died, Serena Kelley hid her identity.  She was born as a chiId celebrity in the notorious The Children of God cult, known for their extreme abuse practices of polygamy, pedophilia, forced chiId marriages, religious prostitution, and chiId trafficking.  Daughter to Sara Kelley— part of leadership, and writer of “The Davidito Book”(CSA manuscript)— when Serena left the compound she continued to lie about who she was.  As she had been brainwashed to lie, it was hard for her to track when she should tell the truth, which created a warped sense of identity.  Serena describes how she worked her way back into the cult to retrieve a boy that she liked, what it was like escaping for a second time, and what it was like being out in the world, on her own, free to do whatever she wanted for the first time.  Going from the sex cult to now a fully sexually charged environment in a club, she explains her methods at the time of processing the horrific things she went through as a child, involving numbing with drug use, and dancing away the trauma. Serena also recounts what it was like when just months before his murder-suicide, an adult Ricky Rodriguez, whom “The Davidito Book" was written about, contacted her wanting to know where the author (her mother) was.   Serena reveals her journey with healing from the trauma, dealing with ill-equipped therapists, to ultimately finding plant medicine.  Serena is now a writer and Trauma Recovery Specialist, helping others heal past traumas using methods to connect the mind, body, and soul to find peace and purpose in life. Click here to watch on YouTube Watch pt 1 of Serena’s interview Serena dives further, answering your questions LIVE Find Serena: IG: @serkelley Substack: https://substack.com/@serenakelley YT:  https://www.youtube.com/@serkelley Website: https://serenakelley.com/ We want to meet you in real life!  Come adventure with us on our 2nd C2C VACATION!  Click here to go to the official booking page Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness  Host Instagram @sheliseann  Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_  TikTok @cults.to.consciousness  Twitter @cultstocon  **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.** Chapter Marks 00:08:15 CW: CSA, ChiId Traff*cking, CA, the Moment Serena Knew She Wanted to Leave the Cult 00:11:55 CW: ChiId Marriage, Serena Rebelling & Engagement to Berg 00:24:02 CW: CSA, Serena Realizing How Much Better Things Were Outside the Cult 00:32:50 CW: SA, Serena Finds Freedom in the Club Scene 00:37:20 CW: SA, Serena Takes Positive Lessons About Her Worth from Her Negative Cult Programming 01:21:03 CW: CSA, SA, Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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