Daniella Mestyanek Young is a captivating figure in the study of cults and group psychology. Raised in the notorious Children of God cult, she escaped as a teenager and later joined the U.S. military, where she specialized in studying terrorists and other extreme groups as a military intelligence officer. Daniella holds a master's degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Harvard Extension School and is the author of "Uncultured," a critically acclaimed memoir. Today, she is a scho ...
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Episode 8: Cult Speak and Clichés; Unpacking the Language of Control
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Summary In this conversation, Daniella and Scot discuss the use of specialized language or vernacular in cults and high control groups. They explore how cults develop their own language to create a sense of belonging and isolation from the outside world. They also discuss the impact of language on communication and the difficulty of finding communi…
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Episode 6: Take One for the Team (Self-Sacrifice of Members
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In this episode of *Cults and the Culting of America*, hosts Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young delve into the complex dynamics of self-sacrifice within cults and high-control groups. Drawing from their personal experiences and extensive research, they explore how cults exploit their members’ labor under the guise of a transcendent mission, enf…
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Episode 5: The Transcendent Mission
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### Summary of Cults and the Culting of America Podcast - Episode on Transcendent Mission In this episode of "Cults and the Culting of America," hosts Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young delve into the concept of the transcendent mission within cults and high-control groups. They discuss how cult leaders use vague, life-and-death missions to man…
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In this episode of the Cults and the Culting of America podcast, hosts Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young dive into the concept of the "sacred assumption," a core belief that underpins a cult's worldview. Daniella explains how cult leaders create and manipulate these worldviews to control their followers, emphasizing that these assumptions don'…
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Daniella Mestyanek Young's book: · From Bookshop.org Uncultured Autograph: Connect with Daniella on social media TikTok, Patreon, Instagram Youtube Connect with Scot Loyd's social media (TikTok) Daniella's other podcast: Hey White Women Episode Summary: Cults and the Culting of America - Episode on The Skinny White Woman in Cults **Episode Title:**…
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Episode Two: From Charisma to Control: Understanding Cult Leaders
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In this episode of "Cults and the Culting of America," hosts Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young delve into the concept of charismatic leadership within cults. They begin by discussing how the idea of a charismatic leader is often associated with cults, highlighting that many of these leaders are typically perceived as white males. Daniella expl…
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Patriot Pains: I Joined the Army, and All I Got Was This Lousy Trauma
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Summary: In this inaugural episode of "Cults and the Culting of America," hosts Daniella Mestyanek Young and Scott Loyd introduce the podcast, discussing their experiences with high-control groups and how these experiences shape their understanding of cult-like behaviors in various organizations. Daniella, a scholar of cults and author of the memoi…
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Who We Are, and Why We Talk About Cults So Much
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Welcome to the inaugural episode of "Cults and the Culting of America" podcast! Join hosts Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young as they dive into the fascinating world of cults, extreme groups, and toxic leadership. In this episode, Daniella shares her journey from growing up in the notorious Children of God cult to joining the U.S. Army and beco…
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