{"podcast":{"title":"The Cult Next Door","slug":"the-cult-next-door-6582924","podcast_index_feed_id":6582924,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/5971327/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-cult-next-door","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2c50bfc8c4bfb7406147fa3fedb878e5.jpg","author":"The Cult Next Door","episode_count":88,"summary":"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.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-17T20:20:34.855446+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cult-next-door-6582924"},"episode":{"title":"Ep.66: \"That’s How My Brain Was Wired\"","slug":"ep-66-that-s-how-my-brain-was-wired","published_at":"2025-09-24T09:30:07+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cult-next-door-6582924/ep-66-that-s-how-my-brain-was-wired","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cult-next-door-6582924","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ep-66-that-s-how-my-brain-was-wired--67871177","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdcn.co/e/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67871177/mel_liz_part_3_breaks_flac.mp3","summary":"Click here to leave us a voice message! 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 trauma, and endures two abusive marriages before ultimately stepping away from church life altogether. Both sisters reflect on the lasting impact of their upbringing, the challenges of healing, and the importance of self-grace and understanding. Their stories highlight how shared experiences can lead to vastly different paths and the ongoing process of reclaiming autonomy and trust in oneself. #cultleaderfathers #cultleaders #psychologyofcults #authoritarianleaders #highcontrolgroups #religiousabuse #spiritualabuse #familytrauma #generationaltrauma #powerandcontrol #cultsurvivorstories #escapingcults #mindcontrol #psychologicalmanipulation #narcissisticabuse #truecrimepodcast #cultawareness #lifeaftercults #toxicleadership #thecultnextdoor","meta_description":"Click here to leave us a voice message! Liz and Mel share their journeys after leaving high-control churches. Mel finds initial comfort in a non-denominat…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3102,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-cult-next-door-6582924/episodes/ep-66-that-s-how-my-brain-was-wired/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cult-next-door-6582924/ep-66-that-s-how-my-brain-was-wired.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}