**Live Show in San Francisco: Season 4 finale**
Generation Cult
Generation Cult's live show and literary event happened on stage at in front of a fabulous audience on June 26, 2025. If you missed it, you're in luck because the recording is finally out now! It was a late night in North Beach deep down in the Victorian speakeasy-style venue that hosted our show and book signing featuring the three authors who were our guests: and . Host Dhyana Levey moderated the discussion about children raised in cults, the authors' books, and what to watch out for in a potentially abusive group. Sure, the conversations got a bit intense. But everyone still had a good...
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Opening the 2X2s Floodgates with Mike
Generation Cult
grew up going to something they called "the truth" or "the way" or sometimes it didn't have a name at all. But it wasn't a church. A church was something the other kids attended. They went to "meetings" at people's houses and had leaders called "workers" who stayed with them. After they got married and left the religion, or whatever it was, they felt isolated from friends and family, which was understandable -- they, too, had broken contact with people who left when they were in it. They felt bad about that, though, and started a support group for other people who walked away...
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Special Film Edition: Beyond the Fence with Lindsey and Ashlen
Generation Cult
We're dropping back in with a Special Film Edition as Generation Cult's Season 4 draws to a close! For this bonus episode, we're bringing back our old friend and former Season 3 co-host , who's been hard at work helping people recover from controlling groups through her LLC , and has become a source of education on the topic in the media. In addition to appearing on the latest Hulu docuseries "," Ashlen is now an executive producer on the film "," which is now in development. Our other guest is the writer, director and producer of this film, Lindsey Paulette, who is going to tell us more about...
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System Breakdowns & Perpetual Coercion with Brenda
Generation Cult
Brenda was "mentored" by the former leader of Students of Light, a Toronto-based esoteric group inspired by teachings by Carl Jung and H.P. Blavatsky, from the age of 11 to almost 17. She pursued legal action against him in 1997, and he was eventually and to be charged with rape and assault of a minor. Her case was plagued with delays and procedural mishaps from the get go, and her abuser went free in 2023 on a technicality. Now Brenda is due back in court this month to face the Canadian police constable accused of neglecting her case. But she's already lived a lifetime of...
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Another Legal Chat with Carol!
Generation Cult
We've brought back a fan favorite from Season 3 for an update on litigation cult survivors can bring against their abusers, and this time we're also tackling the dreaded topic of defamation. , an attorney with the firm , has had some success bringing lawsuits on behalf of people who were sexually abused in Buddhist, yoga and cult-like groups. Her focus has expanded to other types of organizations and litigation, so we're ready for an update. Do you want to speak out but have concerns about a defamation suit being brought against you? You aren't alone. Let's talk about ways to protect yourself...
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Estranged from Mormon Royalty with Lynn
Generation Cult
Estrangement is a traumatic topic, no matter your family of origin, but it feels unavoidable when you reject your tribe’s religious ideologies. knows this well. She was raised in Salt Lake City on a Mormon pedestal: the great-great grand-niece of , founder of the . It was a bit like being royalty. But then she rejected the whole thing. No one of her family status had done that before. Everyone was shocked. It was even more surprising when the big, whole divided family agreed to go therapy together. Join us to discuss Lynn’s struggles with perfectionism and the discoveries she made that...
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The Cult of Oregon with Jesse
Generation Cult
Jesse grew up in "," or so he was told. The small, albeit pushy congregation his life centered around in the town of seemed almost ideal as a small child. But then the immortal leader died. She didn't come back to life like she was supposed to. And the new leader liked restrictions. There were so many restrictions. Jesse found himself trapped in a cycle of punishment, abuse and humiliation that made his teen years a prison -- both literally and figuratively. Although he eventually got away, there are certain things (like felonies on his permanent record) that he'll never be able to shake....
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Leaving Christian Science Pod with Hilary
Generation Cult
Most people have heard of Christian Science and passed by the reading rooms, but how much do you know about it? Hilary grew up as a radical reliant Christian Scientist, which meant her family avoided medical intervention in favor of prayer to try to cure ailments. She lived to talk about it, but others weren't so lucky. As an adult, Hilary became an atheist and started the on . Join us to talk about the history of this group, which is primarily made up of families who have stayed connected to it since its early days. We'll also discuss the medical neglect of children and how much...
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Sharing the Knowledge with Susan
Generation Cult
When Susan was 13, her stepdad brought her into what was then known as the Divine Light Mission, an organization led by Prem Rawat (aka Guru Maharaj Ji, aka The Boy Guru, aka Lord of the Universe, aka The Perfect Master. ... etc.) She became a believer and eventually moved into one of the ashrams while she was still a teen. By that time, Susan was grappling with a disturbing incident she and another young girl had experienced. And they weren't the only ones who had problems with a certain mahatma. Susan tried to tell the guru. She tried so hard. But there was no accountability. When the...
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3HO Reparations with Philip and Stacie
Generation Cult
and wrote about a recent reparations program meant to address complaints made for decades against 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy Organization), led by the late Yogi Bhajan, who started Kundalini Yoga. Join us for a discussion with these two writers about the second generation of 3HO. The children of those who joined the organization felt like they were screaming into a void about the abuses they had suffered, especially when they were sent off to boarding schools in India. The complaints reached a crescendo in 2020, and 3HO offered a reparations program to its former second generation...
info_outlineGeneration Cult's live show and literary event happened on stage at The Lost Church San Francisco in front of a fabulous audience on June 26, 2025. If you missed it, you're in luck because the recording is finally out now!
It was a late night in North Beach deep down in the Victorian speakeasy-style venue that hosted our show and book signing featuring the three authors who were our guests: Sarito Carroll, Anke Richter and Janja Lalich. Host Dhyana Levey moderated the discussion about children raised in cults, the authors' books, and what to watch out for in a potentially abusive group.
Sure, the conversations got a bit intense. But everyone still had a good time. How could we not with Johnny Tripod bartending and cool tunes on the sound system by local SF Bay Area band The Chaw?
Sarito celebrated the release of her new memoir, In the Shadow of Enlightenment, detailing her upbringing in the Osho Rajneesh cult 40 years after the infamous commune’s collapse. And, yeah, we talked a little about the Netflix documentary "Wild Wild Country" and its star Ma Anand Sheela ... but there is just so much more to this story. You'll have to listen to this episode and read Sarito's book to find out. saritocarroll.com
We also got a big-time expert to weigh in on our discussions and share a bit about the harsh political cult she spent a decade in. Researcher, educator and author Janja Lalich graced the stage with insight and stayed overtime to sign her book Escaping Utopia, based on interviews with 65 people who grew up in high-demand groups. janjalalich.com
And tying the whole night together, we had German investigative journalist and author Anke Richter in town to visit all the way from her home base in New Zealand. Her book Cult Trip: Inside the world of coercion & control (Harper Collins), researched the aftermath of sex cults around the world. ankerichter.net
What a night! And you didn't even have to buy tickets. Enjoy the Generation Cult podcast Season 4 finale recorded in front of a live audience.
Includes discussions of child sexual abuse, please listen with discretion
*stage recording by Peter Clarke
*set up/other audio by Brett Cline
*editing by Dhyana Levey
*photography by Laura Casey and Nic Roethlisberger
*music by The Chaw
