jon atack, family and friends
Episodes
After a Cult, Who am I? - with Frances Peters
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It is vital to form your own identity after leaving an abusive relationship or group. Why 'narcissism' is the wrong word and the importance of growing...
Robert J. Liftons "eight deadly sins" of Thought Control
30 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Spike joins Jon to break down a seminal model of thought control - Robert Jay Lifton's classic "eight deadly sins" - a list of behaviors and tactics u...
decision-making under stress with Jessica Terwiel
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Psychotherapist Jessica Terwiel talks with Jon about the effect of fear, threat and PTSD on decision-making and prioritizing. Some helpful suggestions...
culty geek: Encanto – when good families do culty things, or, why don’t we talk about Bruno?
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone's talking about not talking about Bruno, and with all this family dysfunction, there's bound to be something culty going on, right? &nb...
cults and the authoritarian spectrum - with Hoyt Richards
17 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
there are many forms of authoritarian relationship - from the reverence given to a dictator to submission to an intimate partner. Documentarian and ac...
Jon talks about Scientology (and the perils of investigating it) at Eton College
10 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Eton College is perhaps the world's most prestigious school. The college's journalism society invited Jon to give a full and frank talk on the perils ...
Scientology erodes love and destroys family – with Karen De La Carriere
09 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hubbard taught nothing about love or compassion. Just as Mao transformed traditional family loyalty into devotion of the Communist Party, Hubbard dema...
is it really complex PTSD? - with Jessica Terwiel
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
psychotherapist Jessica Terwiel talks with Jon about Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and her perception from significant clinical experience th...
Scientology Sells Selfishness! with Jeffrey Augustine
13 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite its many claims, Scientology is the opposite of Buddhism because it encourages selfishness and erodes compassion. Scientology enslaves its fol...
Scientology 101 on implants: explaining their core doctrine - with Karen De La Carriere
06 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This video describes the core doctrine of Scientology which is IMPLANTS. OT 2 to OT 8 is excorcism which is ritual and procedures to get r...
Cults and culture - with Mark Laxer
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
author and cult expert Mark Laxer talks with Jon about cult education. We tend to see our own culture as normal and reject other people's as cultic. M...
Culty Geek - the Gilmore Girls, or, copiously caffeinated culture
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Monia has got Spike watching the "Gilmore Girls," and, boy, is there a lot to rant on about! Even in this delightful, wholesome, witty masterpiece the...
false friendship in cults & post-traumatic growth – with Hoyt Richards
20 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Director and documentarian Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about the growth made possible by traumatic cult experiences and the false friendships found i...
cults and pro-social behavior - with Jessica Terwiel
19 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Membership of an authoritarian group demands a different set of rules to those of the larger society. Members often adopt anti-social behaviors. Psych...
Scientology: sex magick, Lucifer, and the Antichrist
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hubbard's lifelong commitment to Crowleyite Sex Magick led to him proclaiming himself Lucifer the Antichrist in Scientology's most secret teachings. A...
Jon and Karen uncover some Scientology lies
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jon and Karen talk about how language is used to control thought – particularly in Scientology and especially in its paramilitary branch, &nbs...
Scientology arrives in Clearwater - part 3 of Mike Rinder’s Scientology story
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Rinder continues his account of his life in Scientology, focusing this week on the first years ashore in Florida, when Scientology began &n...
Karen De La Carriere speaks out against Scientology
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Karen De La Carriere is one of a handful of people who achieved the pinnacle of Scientology training, the Class XII auditor course. In this &nbs...
polarization vs. cooperation - with Joe Szimhart
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
concepts of "left" and "right" have become meaningless, thought-stopping labels; Joe Szimhart joins Jon to deconstruct what is really meant by &...
cult recruitment and the autistic spectrum - with Richard Turner
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Counsellor Richard Turner talks with Jon about how cults take advantage of people who are, like him, on the autistic spectrum. For more on Bhuta...
Mike Rinder on Scientology: deception, delusion, and cognitive dissonance
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mike and Jon explore the striking difference between Hubbard’s public pose as a benefactor and the reality of his rage, illness, sadism and &n...
QAnon, fervor, and being certain with Yuval Laor, PhD
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
what is the difference between casual and fervent belief? how does the feeling of certainty drive a believer’s sense of reality? Yuval Laor, PhD, jo...
Mike Rinder's first months on Hubbard's flagship Apollo
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An astonishing series of revelations about Scientology's abuse of its members. Mike Rinder describes his arrival on Scientology's flagship the A...
apologies, self-esteem, and other esteem with Jessica Terwiel
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
often apologies are not really apologies. Psychologist Jessica Terwiel also talks with Jon about the importance of self-esteem and the need for ...
art, virtuosity, and the stuff in the middle - with Rio Harada-Parr
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rio joins Jon to chat about virtuosity, art, ego and talent. As usual, they make a whistle-stop tour of art and music history. See Jon's paintin...
elfcam: Big Santa is watching you!
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Light-hearted Christmas fun or cold-blooded manipulation? In the age of Big Brother, is it sensible to trick our children into believing they’...
Ron Hubbard: Black Magic, Dianetics and the Creation of Scientology
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jon’s opening talks from the legendary 2015 Getting Clear conference. Jon gives an overview of Hubbard’s own history – including his  ...
do we make a difference?
27 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jon talks with his good friend Chris Shelton about whether our work makes a difference. As ever, we touch on many topics, including recovery &nb...
New Kadampa Tradition - a talk with Michelle Haslam
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
jon is joined by special guest Dr. Michelle Haslam; they discuss her time in the authoritarian group known as "new kadampa tradition", her  ...
parental alienation and prevention with Nick Child
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when after separating, one parent turns the children against the other? Retired psychiatrist Nick Child talks to Jon about th...
truth and certainty with Mike Rinder
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Rinder joins Jon again to answer some viewer questions and address L. Ron Hubbard's problematic relationship to the truth. They also ...
possible origins of Dianetics and Scientology, part two
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
the second part of Jon's paper about Ron Hubbard's plagiarism. Hubbard was not the 'sole source' of Dianetics and Scientology, nor did all of &n...
possible origins of Dianetics and Scientology, part one
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Does Scientology have origins in Sex Magick and Psychoanalysis? Is Ron Hubbard’s claim to have been the only “source” of Dianetics and &nb...
manipulation by gaslighting - a talk with Spike Robinson
20 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
gaslighting is the “royal road” to exerting control – but can you spot it? Spike joins Jon to talk about gaslighting and the major techniq...
the Kazan seminar on cults with Professor Alexander Dvorikin
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jon joins Professor Alexander Dvorkin for the Kazan seminar in Kazan, in the republic of Tatarstan, Russia, speaking remotely to an audience of ...
moving beyond the guru - with Joe Kelly
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Kelly spent nine years in Transcendental Meditation and then five more with a rival swami, who convinced his former TM followers to sue &nbs...
brainwashing
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
jon and sam talk about the concept of brainwashing, as it is understood - and misunderstood - by academics and governments. they consider the &n...
human predators
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
jon and sam atack discuss what we mean by the term "human predator", and how to spot and avoid those people who hurt others for their own gain &...
recruitment and seduction
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
jon and sam atack discuss how people get seduced or recruited into high-control groups or relationships.
Types of predator
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
jon and sam discuss the types of predatory people, how people become predatory, and what they would like to see done to guard the world from &nb...