The Cult Next Door
Hosted by Mattie Lasiter and Ashleigh Teeter, siblings who were separated for more than 25 years due to the shadow of their shared past. Their father, a charismatic but enigmatic figure, led a cult that consumed the lives of its members, leaving their family torn apart and forbidden from contact. They have reunited to share their journey with you while unravelling the haunting tales of cults from around the world, shedding light on the warning signs that can help prevent others from falling into their grasp.
Episodes
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About Today's Episode: Our 2nd episode with guest Trisha Wilkerson, a former member of Mars Hill Church, a non-denominational evangelical Christian megachurch, founded in 1996 by Mark Driscoll, Lief Moi, and Mike Gunn in Seattle Washington.
She is an author, a certified nutrition & health...
Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast
About Today's Episode:
Our guest is Trisha Wilkerson, a former member of Mars Hill Church, a non-denominational evangelical Christian megachurch, founded in 1996 by Mark Driscoll, Lief Moi, and Mike Gunn in Seattle Washington.
She is an author, a certified nutrition & health coac...
Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast
About Today's Episode:
Our guest is Margarit Davtian, a social science researcher and content creator passionate about social change innovation. She actively works to raise consumer awareness about cult of personalities in the media, high-control group dynamics, unethical marketing practices, medical...
Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast
About Today's Episode:
Our guest is Margarit Davtian, a social science researcher and content creator passionate about social change innovation. She actively works to raise consumer awareness about cult of personalities in the media, high-control group dynamics, unethical marketing practices, med...
Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast
About Today's Episode:
In this episode, Mitzi and Jordan dive into the messy reality of leaving high-control religious environments and the "rot at the core" of systems that prioritize conformity over people. They reflect on the absurdity of purity culture—specifically revisiting a bizarre ...
Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast
About Today's Episode:
In this episode, Mitzi and Jordan open up about the painful reality of leaving their church and the "gut punch" of realizing they could no longer belong to that system and themselves at the same time.
They discuss the heavy silence that follows walking away, ...
Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast
About Today's Episode:
Jordan and Mitzi return to share the exhausting reality of living under the constant surveillance of church leadership, where every personal choice—from the music you listen to, to the "wrong kinds of kids" you attract to your youth group—is subject to an in...
Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast
About Today's Episode:
Jordan and Mitzi open up about the brutal physical and mental toll of full-time ministry, and what happens when your entire life is graded on an invisible social scorecard. They don't hold back on the reality of that world—from the "Monday migraines" that hit afte...
In this episode, Ashleigh & Mattie sit down with Mitzi and Jordan to explore the complex layers of growing up in high-control religious environments. Mitzi shares her journey from a fundamentalist upbringing in Alberta and Missouri—where horror movies were banned but Enya was "safe"—to her current work as a portrait photographer and coach helping others find...
We’re back! After being on break since last Halloween, we’re finally jumping back in to "get our feet wet" and remember how our microphones work.
In this episode, we catch you up on our seven-month hiatus, from finishing a master’s in counseling to our travels in Paris and the culture shock of returning to the U.S.
We also have a real conversation ...
Welcome back for a spooky episode that digs into the absolute dread of our childhood Halloweens!We kick off with teachings warning that a "prowling lion" (Satan) is out to devour us, and that our children must not "identify with the pagan holiday" of trick-or-treating.
We then reveal the extreme fear culture we were raised in, where everything from an antique ring to a shadow in...
We’re taking a short break from releasing episodes, but don’t worry — we’ll be back next week with our Halloween special: Everything Is Demons. 👻
In this one, we’re diving into the fear, superstition, and control that came from being told the world was full of demons — and how that shaped the way we saw everything from movies to music to holida...
In this final part of Mindy’s story, the truth finally comes crashing down—and her father literally runs from it. What began as suspicion turns into undeniable proof of a shocking betrayal: her dad, the pastor, pursuing a relationship with his own daughter-in-law just months after her mother’s death.
From the bizarre family “meeting” meant to confro...
In our 2nd episode with Mindy, she shares her journey growing up in a strict religious environment where purity culture shaped her early decisions, including marrying young at 19. She recounts the challenges of marrying a man struggling with alcoholism, the painful experience of domestic violence, and the difficult decision to divorce despite the heavy shame and guilt imposed by h...
Our guest, Mindy shares her experience growing up in a cult-like family led by her controlling pastor father. The family moved often due to financial struggles and her father’s various church roles. Mindy describes strict rules, harsh punishments, and emotional and physical abuse, alongside the influence of charismatic ministries and the chaotic "holy laughter" movement.
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Liz and Mel share their journeys after leaving high-control churches. Mel finds initial comfort in a non-denominational church, marries, and starts a family, but later becomes involved in another controlling Acts 29 church and the quiverful movement, leading to raising eight children under strict patriarchal rules.
Liz struggles with her identity outside the church, faces ...
In this episode, Liz and Mel open up about their contrasting experiences growing up on a highly controlled religious farm. Mel shares the difficulties she faced, including being accused of inappropriate behavior and enduring harsh treatment from elders, while Liz reflects on being seen as the favored "golden child".
They discuss the strict rules around music, social intera...
In this episode, sisters Liz and Melanie share their intertwined journey growing up in a high-control religious group known as "the Move." They discuss their family’s early involvement, the group’s strict hierarchy, and the intense teachings focused on being “set apart” and striving for sinless perfection.
From attending conventions to eventually moving t...
In this episode, Taylor shares her journey of deconstructing a high-control religion and escaping cult-like environments. She discusses her struggles with faith, reconciling science and religion, and the emotional challenges of breaking free from deeply ingrained beliefs. Topics include questioning religious dogma and critical thinking, learning about evolution and its impact on her worldview, ...
From our friends at Airship — the studio behind American Scandal, Business Movers, and History Daily — comes an exclusive episode of American Criminal. The show dives deep into the lives and misdeeds of history’s most notorious criminals, as well as some of the wildest crimes you’ve never heard of. Fraud, theft, murder, and worse — whate...
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