# Dr. Steven Hassan: Are You In a Cult and Don't Even Know It?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-now-with-trevor-noah-6654482/dr-steven-hassan-are-you-in-a-cult-and-don-t-even-know-it
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-now-with-trevor-noah-6654482/dr-steven-hassan-are-you-in-a-cult-and-don-t-even-know-it.md
Podcast: [What Now? with Trevor Noah](https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-now-with-trevor-noah-6654482)
Published: 2026-02-19T05:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.siriusxm.com
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/db3d2831-8a34-43cf-bb21-e30f543e31c7/episodes/d2914be8-326e-4051-8c1e-4182f614c430/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=db3d2831-8a34-43cf-bb21-e30f543e31c7&awEpisodeId=d2914be8-326e-4051-8c1e-4182f614c430&feed=LNIsL2kT
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Duration seconds: 6393

## Resource

In a conversation that’s equal parts psychological thriller and masterclass in influence, Trevor and Eugene sit down with world-renowned cult expert Dr. Steven Hassan. Recruited into the Unification Church (aka the Moonies) as a college student, Hassan rose through its ranks before ultimately breaking free — an experience that reshaped his life’s work and inspired his bestselling book The Cult of Trump. From fringe groups to social media echo chambers, the trio unpack how and why ordinary people get swept into systems of extreme belief, the ways loyalty is engineered, and what separates healthy persuasion from manipulation. They also explore why the line between conviction and control is thinner and closer to home than we think.

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## Transcript

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