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November 17, 2025 86 mins

As a teenager, devoted to her faith, Carrie Saum felt being born a woman was a punishment. Her mother was a strongly devout Christian woman who implored on Carrie that if she didn’t go to Russia on a teen mission trip, Russians would go to Hell and their blood would be on her hands. These teen trips were mostly run by other young adults who put the kids in ill*gal and morally questionable situations. However, nothing was off the table when it came to showing your devotion to God. In fact, dying a martyr is what Carrie assumed would happen to her. She didn’t realize she had any other choice. Now she is committed to exposing the “Honor Academy” for what it is/was. A way to exploit teens for their time, money and labor, to create an army of unquestioning, obedient adults. 

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TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@carriesaum

IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriesaum

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**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

00:00:00 Intro

00:03:51 Carrie's part in the documentary

00:08:15 Carrie's upbringing

00:13:53 Acquire the Fire

00:20:52 Carrie drops out of college to join the internship program

00:28:58 What it was like when Carrie's parents moved out of state

00:32:17 Carrie's time in Russia

00:42:56 The Honor Academy

00:55:36 Columbine

00:59:24 ESOAL

01:10:09 How the martyr mindset affected Carrie

01:19:07 After deconstruction

01:21:49 What brings Carrie joy 

01:23:24 Linda Listen

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