{"podcast":{"title":"Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation","slug":"trust-me-cults-extreme-belief-and-manipulation-1320347","podcast_index_feed_id":1320347,"rss_url":"https://www.omnycontent.com/d/playlist/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/f804eed6-dd2f-4bf9-ba37-b2de011a8b27/462fb424-93c4-4e4b-8e00-b2de011a8b44/podcast.rss","website_url":"https://art19.com/shows/trust-me","image_url":"https://www.omnycontent.com/d/playlist/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/f804eed6-dd2f-4bf9-ba37-b2de011a8b27/462fb424-93c4-4e4b-8e00-b2de011a8b44/image.jpg?t=1749574865&size=Large","author":"Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts","episode_count":270,"summary":"Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between. Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-22T16:18:33.645391+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/trust-me-cults-extreme-belief-and-manipulation-1320347"},"episode":{"title":"Nikki G, Part 2 - The Seven Mountain Mandate, “Church Hurt,” and Why Cults Aren’t Just a White People Problem","slug":"nikki-g-part-2-the-seven-mountain-mandate-church-hurt-and-why-cults-aren-t-just-a-white-people-problem","published_at":"2026-06-24T07:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/trust-me-cults-extreme-belief-and-manipulation-1320347/nikki-g-part-2-the-seven-mountain-mandate-church-hurt-and-why-cults-aren-t-just-a-white-people-problem","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/trust-me-cults-extreme-belief-and-manipulation-1320347","url":"https://omny.fm/shows/trust-me-cults-extreme-belief-and-manipulation/nikki-g-part-2-the-seven-mountain-mandate-church-hurt-and-why-cults-aren-t-just-a-white-people-problem","audio_url":"https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/f804eed6-dd2f-4bf9-ba37-b2de011a8b27/70df164a-a37a-4b46-be9b-b4720136b447/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=462fb424-93c4-4e4b-8e00-b2de011a8b44","summary":"In part two with Nikki G., she discusses more of the high-control groups she joined, the political project of the Seven Mountain Mandate that she was part of, the connection between biblical concepts of obedience and white supremacy, and how everyone joins cults, even if white people are the biggest group talking about it. Plus, the difference between “church hurt” and religious trauma. SOURCES Surviving the Black Church Podcast Black Religious Trauma Recovery Network Nikki G. Speaks See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.","meta_description":"In part two with Nikki G., she discusses more of the high-control groups she joined, the political project of the Seven Mountain Mandate that she was part…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3702,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/trust-me-cults-extreme-belief-and-manipulation-1320347/episodes/nikki-g-part-2-the-seven-mountain-mandate-church-hurt-and-why-cults-aren-t-just-a-white-people-problem/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/trust-me-cults-extreme-belief-and-manipulation-1320347/nikki-g-part-2-the-seven-mountain-mandate-church-hurt-and-why-cults-aren-t-just-a-white-people-problem.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}