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Cults and the Culting of America

Cults and the Culting of America

By: Daniella Claire Mestyanek Young and Scot Loyd
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 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 scholar of cults, extreme groups, and toxic leadership, leveraging her unique experiences to illuminate the dynamics of cults and the manipulative tactics of charismatic leaders. Together with fellow cult survivor Scot Loyd, Daniella delves into the intricacies of some of the world's most notorious cults and reveals how these same manipulative techniques are present in various aspects of our society.2024 Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady & Dr. Scot Loyd | 57 | Born and Razed

    Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady & Dr. Scot Loyd | 57 | Born and Razed
    Nov 11 2025
    Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of religious and institutional abuse, child abuse, disordered eating, family estrangement, mental illness, trauma recovery, and medication withdrawal. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America, hosts Dr. Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young speak with Beth Granger, author of Born and RAZED: Surviving the Cult Was Only Half the Battle. Beth shares her experience growing up at Grenville Christian College, a Canadian boarding school later revealed to be a religious cult connected to the Community of Jesus. She describes the systematic control, emotional and physical abuse, and the long process of recovery and rediscovery that followed her escape. The conversation dives into the complexities of grief, family estrangement, and the enduring impact of coercive religious systems. Beth also discusses her role as a representative plaintiff in a landmark class-action lawsuit against the institution, and how advocacy, writing, and community have shaped her healing. The episode ends with a reflective discussion about deconstruction, the search for meaning after leaving high-control groups, and what it means to "live with it" as an adult survivor. Disclaimer: This conversation is for educational and storytelling purposes only. It is not medical, legal, or therapeutic advice. If you or someone you know is struggling, resources are available: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 1-800-950-6264 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (US) National Eating Disorders Association Helpline: 1-800-931-2237 Beth's Book: Amazon Daniella's Links: Preorder for Culting of America: The Culting of America PRE-SALE (SHIPS BY JANUARY 20, 2026) – Knitting Cult Lady Daniella Mestyanek Young's book: From Bookshop.org Uncultured Autographed: Connect with Daniella on social media TikTok Patreon Instagram Youtube Other Podcasts Daniella's other podcast: Hey White Women Scot's Socials TikTok: @thescotloyd Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thescotloyd Haley's Tiktok @nuancedmasculinities Religious abuse can hide in plain sight: Grenville Christian College operated for decades as a "prestigious" Anglican school while functioning as a coercive cult. Systemic control dismantled family bonds: Children were separated from parents, spied upon, and punished under the guise of spiritual discipline. Recovery is lifelong: Leaving a cult is only the beginning—true healing often unfolds over decades. Grief is complex for survivors: Survivors grieve not only their past but also the version of themselves and families they never got to fully have. Weaponized religion causes lasting harm: Faith can be used as a tool of control, and rebuilding a healthy spiritual or secular identity takes time. Community resilience matters: The class-action lawsuit gave survivors both validation and voice, setting legal precedent in Canada. Art and storytelling as healing: Beth's memoir and Daniella's creative work illustrate how expression can help survivors reclaim their narratives. Ambiguity is part of recovery: Many survivors find peace not in certainty, but in learning to live with doubt. Intergenerational healing is possible: Rebuilding family connection and emotional fluency can break the cycle of silence. Living with it: Healing doesn't erase trauma—it integrates it into a fuller, more authentic life. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Cult Experiences 01:39 Beth Granger's Journey as a Cult Survivor 03:02 Life Inside the Cult: A Personal Account 05:16 Surviving and Recovering from Cult Life 10:17 The Importance of Recovery Narratives 11:27 The Breaking Point: Realizations and Escape 18:44 Grief and Loss After Leaving the Cult 24:43 Navigating Faith and Doubt Post-Cult 26:37 Navigating Personal Beliefs and Cult Influence 31:30 The Role of Music in Healing and Identity 37:36 Grief and Family Dynamics Post-Cult 40:59 Community Resilience Against Coercive Organizations 47:54 The Impact of Trauma and the Journey to Healing Produced by Haley Phillips, Meghan Picmann, and Lizy Freudmann
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    52 mins
  • Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 56 | Brazilian Dictatorship and Resilience

    Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 56 | Brazilian Dictatorship and Resilience
    Nov 4 2025
    In this special episode, Daniella Mestyanek Young ("Knitting Cult Lady") speaks with Dr. Bryan Pitts, Assistant Director of UCLA's Latin American Institute, about the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964–1985) and how studying Brazil's political history can help Americans understand current threats to democracy. They compare U.S. and Brazilian political systems, the cultural myths that obscure inequality (the "American Dream" vs. Brazil's "racial democracy"), and the interplay between religion, class, and authoritarianism. The discussion explores how political elites, class structures, and the military shaped Brazil's dictatorship and its fall, how the U.S. normalizes corruption through legality, and why Americans struggle to recognize creeping authoritarianism. The episode ends with reflections on community resilience, the dangers of individualism, and lessons from Brazil on defending democracy. Dr. Pitts' Book: Amazon Daniella's Links: Preorder for Culting of America: The Culting of America PRE-SALE (SHIPS BY JANUARY 20, 2026) – Knitting Cult Lady Daniella Mestyanek Young's book: From Bookshop.org Uncultured Autographed: Connect with Daniella on social media TikTok Patreon Instagram Youtube Other Podcasts Daniella's other podcast: Hey White Women Scot's Socials TikTok: @thescotloyd Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thescotloyd Haley's Tiktok @nuancedmasculinities Key Takeaways U.S. comparisons to Nazi Germany miss nuances—Latin American dictatorships, especially Brazil's, offer more relevant parallels. Brazil's 1964 coup was not purely CIA-driven but enabled by U.S. encouragement and anti-communist ideology. The Brazilian dictatorship's fall was driven by local politicians regaining influence and citizens mobilizing for democracy. Brazil's political class and military were both hereditary systems that reinforced inequality and control. Corruption in Brazil was often criminalized campaign funding—whereas in the U.S., "legal corruption" (e.g., Citizens United) plays a similar role. National myths—America's "classless society" and Brazil's "racial democracy"—mask systemic inequality and prevent honest reckoning. Daniella and Bryan compare cult structures to political systems: authoritarian control thrives on isolation, hierarchy, and sacred assumptions. Bureaucracy and decentralization (local politics, paperwork, institutional rules) often protect democracy better than charismatic leadership. The Brazilian opposition's shift from abstract "save democracy" rhetoric to focusing on people's material needs (poverty, inequality) was pivotal to defeating authoritarianism. Americans may not recognize creeping dictatorship because they lack collective memory of one; Brazil's experience offers a warning and a roadmap. The U.S. military's apolitical stance may protect against coups but limits civic intervention when democracy erodes. Building community and mutual aid networks is crucial as a counter to isolation and authoritarian individualism. Both guests reflect on how growing up in cults or authoritarian systems gave them insight into manipulation, obedience, and ideological rigidity. Authoritarianism can appear on the left or right; unquestioning certainty is itself cult-like. Brazilians unified quickly to defend democracy after Bolsonaro's attempted coup—contrasting sharply with U.S. responses after January 6th. Americans over-trust institutions and underestimate the need for civic defense of democracy. Brazil's "relative democracy" under dictatorship reveals how regimes justify authoritarian control in the name of "protection." Structural inequality, not individual failure, drives poverty—an insight both guests developed from missionary childhoods. Both guests emphasize that understanding other nations' histories is vital to preventing tyranny at home.
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 55 | The Power of Story Telling

    Cults & The Culting of America w/ Knitting Cult Lady | 55 | The Power of Story Telling
    Oct 28 2025

    In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America, Daniella Mestyanek Young (aka Knitting Cult Lady) speaks with Chicago educator and social work student Jamal Bruce about his experiences teaching, navigating race and identity, and how her memoir Uncultured influenced his career pivot from education to social work. Their conversation explores how America's educational and social systems function as cult-like institutions that condition compliance, suppress individuality, and reflect deeper cultural hierarchies. Together, they draw parallels between trauma survival, masking behaviors, racial inequity, and the ways storytelling can challenge systemic norms. They also discuss how white privilege manifests in subtle daily ways, the importance of listening across difference, and the transformative power of reading beyond one's own identity.

    Daniella's Links:

    Preorder for Culting of America: The Culting of America PRE-SALE (SHIPS BY JANUARY 20, 2026) – Knitting Cult Lady

    Daniella Mestyanek Young's book:

    • From Bookshop.org

    • Uncultured Autograph:

    Connect with Daniella on social media

    • TikTok, Patreon, Instagram
    • Youtube

    Other Podcasts

    Daniella's other podcast: Hey White Women

    Scot's Socials

    TikTok: @thescotloyd

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thescotloyd

    Haley's Tiktok

    @nuancedmasculinities

    Key Takeaways:

    • Jamal Bruce, a Black high school teacher in Chicago, found Uncultured profoundly validating and inspiring, prompting his shift toward social work.

    • Daniella and Jamal discuss how schools often mirror cult-like systems that demand conformity and suppress individuality.

    • Both highlight how trauma survivors often overachieve as a coping mechanism—seeking safety in perfection and compliance.

    • Educators of color are more likely to "see" marginalized students and advocate for them because of shared systemic experiences.

    • The U.S. educational model has roots in Puritan indoctrination and continues to prioritize obedience over humanity.

    • White privilege shows up in small, everyday ways—like who gets questioned, believed, or celebrated for multilingualism.

    • The conversation emphasizes the need to believe marginalized voices rather than debate their experiences.

    • Daniella reflects on how publishing, like education, gatekeeps whose stories are told and deemed "marketable."

    • Both guests stress reading broadly and engaging with diverse perspectives as a way to dismantle bias and foster empathy.

    • Uncultured demonstrates how personal trauma can illuminate collective social conditioning, inviting broader discussions of power, race, and belonging.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to Uncultured Perspectives
    02:41 The Role of Educators in Social Change
    05:26 Personal Stories of Advocacy and Support
    08:19 The Cult-like Nature of Education
    11:20 Navigating Identity and Trauma in Education
    14:10 The Intersection of Race and Education
    16:44 The Impact of Trauma on Academic Performance
    19:35 The Complexity of Privilege and Identity
    22:33 The Need for Authenticity in Education
    25:27 Conclusion: Shared Experiences and Collective Growth
    29:03 Finding Your Audience in Storytelling
    30:25 Relating Through Shared Emotions
    32:33 Understanding Different Perspectives
    34:53 The Importance of Believing Experiences
    37:32 Recognizing Privilege in Society
    40:32 Bilingualism and Perceptions of Intelligence
    44:06 Challenging Gender and Racial Stereotypes
    48:18 The Journey of Deconstructing Worldviews
    51:06 The Power of Diverse Narratives

    Produced by Haley Phillips, Lizy Freudmann, and Meghan Picmann
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    57 mins
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