Erica Bailey

Great talking to you.

Great talking to you.

Thank you so much for having me.

Thank you so much for having me.

Thank you so much for having me.

So this was a small religious group in central Ohio. It was related through my parents and people that they knew. It had all of the earmarks, I would say, of what you would consider a cult in terms of being a very high control group, having really strict ideologies, and a lot of isolation from people who are not part of the group.

So this was a small religious group in central Ohio. It was related through my parents and people that they knew. It had all of the earmarks, I would say, of what you would consider a cult in terms of being a very high control group, having really strict ideologies, and a lot of isolation from people who are not part of the group.

So this was a small religious group in central Ohio. It was related through my parents and people that they knew. It had all of the earmarks, I would say, of what you would consider a cult in terms of being a very high control group, having really strict ideologies, and a lot of isolation from people who are not part of the group.

It started off sort of smaller or a little bit distanced from us. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so a couple hours away. It gradually increased to become an incredibly central part of my life. It was a place we would spend hours and hours every week. with people from the community in the church itself. And by the time I was 19, 20, I was kind of all in.

It started off sort of smaller or a little bit distanced from us. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so a couple hours away. It gradually increased to become an incredibly central part of my life. It was a place we would spend hours and hours every week. with people from the community in the church itself. And by the time I was 19, 20, I was kind of all in.

It started off sort of smaller or a little bit distanced from us. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so a couple hours away. It gradually increased to become an incredibly central part of my life. It was a place we would spend hours and hours every week. with people from the community in the church itself. And by the time I was 19, 20, I was kind of all in.

I was living full time with people from the group. I was evangelizing on behalf of the group. And it really kind of took up my whole identity.

I was living full time with people from the group. I was evangelizing on behalf of the group. And it really kind of took up my whole identity.

I was living full time with people from the group. I was evangelizing on behalf of the group. And it really kind of took up my whole identity.

Almost entirely, my social community was this group itself. They really discouraged having outside relationships and really told you or taught you both implicitly and explicitly that this should be your whole life, that this message that they had was so important, it was worth sort of forsaking any outside connections that might distract you from what the group was really about.

Almost entirely, my social community was this group itself. They really discouraged having outside relationships and really told you or taught you both implicitly and explicitly that this should be your whole life, that this message that they had was so important, it was worth sort of forsaking any outside connections that might distract you from what the group was really about.

Almost entirely, my social community was this group itself. They really discouraged having outside relationships and really told you or taught you both implicitly and explicitly that this should be your whole life, that this message that they had was so important, it was worth sort of forsaking any outside connections that might distract you from what the group was really about.

Most people are drawn to a group like this, I think, because we are incredibly curious and maybe a little insecure about what is this life all about? What am I all about? What's my purpose? What's my meaning in life? And we're looking for someone who could help provide those answers for us. And the group provided a really appealing idea that we have all of the answers.

Most people are drawn to a group like this, I think, because we are incredibly curious and maybe a little insecure about what is this life all about? What am I all about? What's my purpose? What's my meaning in life? And we're looking for someone who could help provide those answers for us. And the group provided a really appealing idea that we have all of the answers.

Most people are drawn to a group like this, I think, because we are incredibly curious and maybe a little insecure about what is this life all about? What am I all about? What's my purpose? What's my meaning in life? And we're looking for someone who could help provide those answers for us. And the group provided a really appealing idea that we have all of the answers.