Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan

Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan

Steven Hassan, PhD, is one of the leading experts on cults and undue influence in the world. A former member of the right-wing Moonie cult, Hassan was deprogrammed 45 years ago and has dedicated his life to helping people out of cults and destructive situations. Dr. Hassan is a licensed mental health professional and has written four books, including The Cult of Trump and the seminal book Combating Cult Mind Control. On this podcast, Steve will explain HOW mind-control works, and how to protect yourself from its grips. He will also address ethical influence as the podcast will address the entire Influence Continuum. He’ll interview the biggest names in this field.

Episodes

Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire with Lisa Diamond

December 8, 2025 • 67 mins
Quick question. You’re born with your sexuality, and it stays the same your whole life... right? Well, no. This may be much further from the truth than initially thought. When I first watched Dr. Lisa Diamond’s TEDx talk on sexual fluidity, which began with a question very similar to mine, I immediately knew I wanted to interview her. Diamond is a psychologist and professor at the University of Utah whose groundbreaking research ch...
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If Scientology Ruled the World: Nazi Occultists, Sex Magick, Space Aliens, and the Second Coming with Jon Atack

December 1, 2025 • 68 mins
On this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I sat down with one of my most trusted colleagues and best friends, Jon Atack—author, artist, poet, musician, and the recognized world expert on Scientology. Jon’s latest book, If Scientology Ruled the World: Nazi Occultists, Sex Magick, Space Aliens, and the Second Coming, begins with a chilling thought experiment: what if Scientology actually took power? To be clear: Jon does not bel...
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The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology. Homeschool Ideologies in Evangelical Christianity With R.L. Stollar, M.H.S., M.A.

November 24, 2025 • 60 mins
There are many reasons why parents or guardians choose to homeschool their children for some portion or all of their educational years. This can range from a child having a disability or neurodiversity, concerns about the quality of education, to other topics like moral or religious conflict with traditional schools. Ryan Stollar shared the story of his experiences as a homeschooled child of an Evangelical family upbringing. He als...
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Empathy Goes on Tour: David Clayton’s Fight in North Carolina’s District 5

November 17, 2025 • 59 mins
David Clayton, known on Instagram as #officialempathytour, is running for North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District in the 2026 elections. The district is currently represented by Virginia Foxx, a Republican who has held the seat since 2005. David Clayton is the antithesis of the cult of Trump. He believes in women’s rights. As far as religion goes, he thinks everyone is free to believe in something or not believe in anything. H...
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Hold On: Poetic and Art-Based Lifelines for Suicide Prevention with Dr. Diane Kaufman, MD

November 10, 2025 • 63 mins
Even the smallest actions can change the course of someone’s life and, in turn, strengthen the broader community around them. Preventing a suicide or encouraging a person to hold on for just one more day can be influential acts when we know how to approach the subject. As a child psychiatrist, Dr. Diane Kaufman has dedicated her career to this very work. Diane described herself as a “poet, artist, internationally award-winning lyri...
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Crisis of Legitimacy: Fourth-Generation Warfare (4GW) as a Tactical Threat to the United States and Global Stability with James Scaminaci III, PhD

November 3, 2025 • 61 mins
The United States is facing a “crisis of legitimacy”, explained James Scaminaci III, PhD, an expert on fourth-generation psychological warfare. James earned his PhD from Stanford University, specializing in political sociology. I have done two previous interviews with him and wanted him to weigh in on current developments. He has a background as a former U.S. Naval intelligence officer, with specific expertise in the Soviet / Russi...
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Leaving the “Truman Show” of Scientology – with Tory Christman

October 27, 2025 • 72 mins
Interested in Scientology? Ever watch the “Truman Show” movie with Jim Carrey? Check out this long overdue interview with my longtime friend, the charming and resilient Tory “Magoo” Christman. Tory, was in Scientology for thirty years, had reached the uppermost levels of Hubbard’s “Bridge to Total Freedom,” specifically OT7 (OT8 is the highest) and was involved with John Travolta directly from the beginning of the Celebrity Centre....
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Body & Mind Cult: Dahn Yoga and High-Control Tactics With Former Member Alisa Daniels

October 20, 2025 • 57 mins
When the oldest son of Alisa Daniels had a hockey injury and simply wanted to stay in shape by starting a new yoga practice, she couldn’t have imagined what path this would lead her entire family down. She now seeks to help others become aware of Il Chi Lee’s Dahn Yoga cult, now rebranded as Body & Mind, that drained her family of money and took hold of their lives. On this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I talked with Alisa ...
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UNRECONCILED: A SOLO PLAY That Empowers Survivors of Catholic Church Childhood Sexual Abuse With Jay Sefton, LMHC

October 13, 2025 • 54 mins
One of the most powerful tools in healing from childhood sexual abuse is for a survivor to have the opportunity to share their story and truly be heard. Many survivors of early trauma at the hands of Catholic Church Priests went unheard or unbelieved for decades. Several Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigations and media discussions surrounding the findings were one of the first opportunities for many local survivors to recognize the...
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The Girl with the Duck Tattoo with Restaurateur Sarma Melngailis

October 6, 2025 • 66 mins
In her book, Sarma tells her story of how a successful businesswoman, co-founder and owner of the acclaimed NYC restaurant Pure Food and Wine and the brand One Lucky Duck, could fall for a con artist using a fictitious name, a covert backstory, and fantastical promises. Humans are social beings, and it’s that social aspect that manipulative and abusive characters can learn to exploit for their self-interest. With an increase in onl...
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Irene’s Entropy: Coffee as Courage and Ritual as Repair

September 29, 2025 • 63 mins
In this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I had the pleasure of speaking with Irene of Irene’s Entropy. Irene is a mechanical engineer turned musician, storyteller, pilot, and entrepreneur. Raised in a strict Mormon household where she underwent the experience of a recruitment mission, she left in her early 20s. She began documenting the honest rebuild of her identity as Irene’s Entropy.Her work blends songs, narrative, and a r...
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Compassion Over Conversion: Continuing Science-based Research for Queer and Trans Health with Matthew D. Skinta PhD ABPP

September 22, 2025 • 59 mins
Compassion, empathy, and science have all been under rapid-fire attack during the second Trump Administration. This is especially true towards Queer and Transgender communities, though other minority communities within the United States are also being targeted. Dr. Matthew D. Skinta, PhD, ABPP, is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Affiliated Faculty of Women and Gender Studies at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He helped us...
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Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR with John Andrew Collins

September 15, 2025 • 62 mins
Radicalization, and the Minnesota Murder Cases John Collins grew up inside William Branham’s “Message” world, left it, then spent years mapping how the theology and network morphed into today’s authoritarian ecosystems. I welcomed him back to The Influence Continuum to speak about the murders and share his knowledge surrounding the twisted networks of doctrine and influence that may have influenced them. Collins’ most recent book i...
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The Much More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump with Dr. Bandy X. Lee, M.D., M.Div.

September 8, 2025 • 63 mins
The attack on experts and science itself is part of the mind control strategy to control citizens. Before Trump came to power, the media would regularly call on me and top experts like Dr. Lee to shed light on issues concerning mental health and public health. This authoritarian control of information forces citizens concerned with the public good to do what we can to message. I have interviewed Dr. Lee previously, but as the world...
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Red Orchestra: The Story of the Berlin Underground and the Circle of Friends Who Resisted Hitler with Anne Nelson

September 1, 2025 • 65 mins
Anne began our discussion by dispelling the myth that everyone in Nazi Germany simply went along with Hitler’s plans. She examined these resisters in her book Red Orchestra: The Story of the Berlin Underground and the Circle of Friends Who Resisted Hitler. When I read the book, it didn’t become clear to me how vitally important it was that there was a vast resistance movement. One I had never heard about. She hopes that the past mi...
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The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion with Dr. Rebecca Lemov

August 25, 2025 • 56 mins
History provides a developmental framework for understanding the evolution of ideas, allowing us to trace their origins and track societal impact. Dr. Rebecca Lemov is a Professor of History of Science at Harvard University and a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. Her timely 2025 book, The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion, offers valuable insights into how ...
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"We Will Dance Again: Documenting the Nova Music Festival Terror Attack by Hamas Terrorists." with Yariv Mozer

August 18, 2025 • 49 mins
Watching the Emmy award-winning documentary We Will Dance Again was really really difficult. This 2024 documentary captures Hamas terrorists brutally attacking the Nova music festival attendees on October 7th, 2023, and shows the horrifying events that followed, including hostages taking. Documenting a Terrorist Attack by Hamas from Multiple Perspectives is not an easy task. “I think that this is a terror attack that you can see fo...
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Strategic Cultural Communications: Competent Messaging to Latino Communities With Evelyn Pérez-Verdia

August 11, 2025 • 65 mins
Words matter, and how words or phrases are used may present completely different meanings to diverse cultural demographics depending on topics like history and associated symbolic language. That’s why having a leading bilingual female strategist such as Evelyn Pérez-Verdia on the side of truth in messaging is vital to organizations seeking to break down barriers with Latino communities. She is the Founder and Chief of Strategy for ...
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Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity With Sander van der Linden Ph.D.

August 4, 2025 • 62 mins
“Misinformation spreads like a virus,” explained Sander van der Linden, Ph.D., a Professor of Social Psychology in Society and Director of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge. He asked the question, “Is there a way to inoculate or immunize people?” His award-winning book Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity explores this topic u...
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Ending Corporate Harm: Undue Influence Within Corporate Product Health and Safety with Dr. Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH

July 28, 2025 • 64 mins
Did you know that environmental factors, rather than hereditary factors, are taking the lead in driving illness and early mortality? That shift is primarily due to the harm caused by corporations and their products, says Dr. Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Services at the University of California, San Francisco, and Director of the Program on Reproductive Health a...
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