Generation Cult

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Generation Cult A podcast about people who grew up in controlling, high-demand groups, also known as "cults," and their relationship with mainstream society after they left.

Generation Cult is a podcast that shares stories about adults who grew up in authoritarian, high-demand organizations, focusing on how these people adjusted to mainstream society once they got out and about in the world. The idea for the show evolved from book project by journalist Dhyana Levey, who began by researching the commune she was raised within. The project evolved to include information

about people who grew up in other groups considered to be cults. Despite vast differences in each group’s ideology (bible based, Eastern, political, UFO, etc.) children raised within these organizations appeared to experience similar struggles once they left their cults. Some of these problems include a lack of education and experience with social norms, no money or family support and psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. We made this project into a podcast because we thought that the inclusion of sound combined with an episodic format would be a good way to share these stories. The point is not to judge anyone’s religious or political beliefs but to shine a light on human rights abuses that can occur within isolated communities controlled by a single interest.

An English version of Anke Richter’s article about Sarito Carroll’s childhood in the Rajneesh (Osho) movement, her memoi...
12/09/2025

An English version of Anke Richter’s article about Sarito Carroll’s childhood in the Rajneesh (Osho) movement, her memoir and even a few shout outs to our event from June is out in the Fair Observer!

https://www.fairobserver.com/culture/40-years-after-the-oregon-cult-commune-the-girl-from-the-osho-ranch/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAMwSfxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHpGJC5eFw99DjiUkl4sR9XjjiQnJQfrRFflr6X6cYNPQ4B583odpcfggPP6Q_aem_ta87Rqs4hJgphOAtsA2wVg

Indian spiritual leader Osho’s communes drew thousands of seekers to India and the US, where children like Sarito Carroll endured...

New episode! Our show at The Lost Church - San Francisco featuring three guests: Sarito Carroll, Anke Richter and Janja ...
23/07/2025

New episode! Our show at The Lost Church - San Francisco featuring three guests: Sarito Carroll, Anke Richter and Janja Lalich of the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion is now available for download. Hear the Generation Cult podcast Season 4 finale recorded in front of a live audience.

Generation Cult's live show and literary event happened on stage at in front of a fabulous audience on June 26, 2025. If you missed it, you're in luck because the recording is finally out now! It was a late night in North Beach deep down in the Victorian speakeasy-style venue that hosted our show an...

Thank you to everyone who came out to our first recorded live show (air date tbd) that went late into the evening on a T...
27/06/2025

Thank you to everyone who came out to our first recorded live show (air date tbd) that went late into the evening on a Thursday in the middle of busy SF North Beach! Phew!
It was a big ask of both our guests and audience but the night turned out great: Fascinating discussions about children raised in coercive groups, s*x cults, our authors’ books and much more …. and of course we ran out of time.
So many insightful questions from an awesome crowd and we’re sorry we didn’t get to all of you. We’re grateful for the chance to bring this difficult subject matter to a wider audience!

✨Our live show is happening TOMORROW (Thursday, 6/26)✨ Visit The Lost Church - San Francisco to see Sarito Carroll — aut...
25/06/2025

✨Our live show is happening TOMORROW (Thursday, 6/26)✨
Visit The Lost Church - San Francisco to see Sarito Carroll — author of “In the Shadow of Enlightenment: A Girl’s Journey Through the Osho Rajneesh Cult,” Anke Richter Writer — author of “Cult Trip: Inside the world of coercion & control,” and Janja Lalich — author of “Escaping Utopia: Growing Up in a Cult, Getting Out, and Starting Over,” hosted by Dhyana Levey onstage for an episode to be aired later.
Tickets: $18
https://tinyurl.com/ChildrenfromCults
Doors at 7:30 pm
988 Columbus Ave., San Francisco (North Beach)

Have you ever visited The Lost Church - San Francisco? It's an awesome space (and not just because we are having our liv...
18/06/2025

Have you ever visited The Lost Church - San Francisco? It's an awesome space (and not just because we are having our live show there next week 6/26 - doors @7:30 - tickets: https://tinyurl.com/ChildrenfromCults). For one thing, it's NOT a church (we wouldn't do that to you, friends), it's a unique performing arts theater described as possessing a charming haunted Victorian vibe (with great sound). Check out their calendar and come see for yourself.
https://thelostchurch.org/san-francisco/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLAD31leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF6RU03b0VOOXV0U09BRmE4AR6Qh8e53IxX0k5ozFTyfp_FGb-1U8L1rQDn8F_jg0c6vG0x-BOFdzsUUjwDHQ_aem_FNRHpBocoik6qI81zhb4nA

988 Columbus Avenue, SF, CA 94103 (where Columbus, Chestnut, and Taylor meet)

We can’t believe our live show is coming up next week! Tickets are still available. 🖐️ Thursday, 6/26 Children from Cult...
17/06/2025

We can’t believe our live show is coming up next week! Tickets are still available.

🖐️ Thursday, 6/26 Children from Cults: Authors & Experts Discuss Osho and Other S*x Gurus by Dhyana Levey of Generation Cult is bringing authors Anke Richter, Janja Lalich and Sarito Carroll to The Lost Church - San Francisco. ⚓

🎫 Tickets & info: tinyurl.com/ChildrenfromCults 🎫

The latest episode of Generation Cult is out now! Find out what happened when Mike and Abbi left the 2x2s, a secretive C...
23/05/2025

The latest episode of Generation Cult is out now! Find out what happened when Mike and Abbi left the 2x2s, a secretive Christian sect that they grew up in. Leaving wasn’t really the dramatic part of the story — but when they started a support group, an avalanche of accusations against the church spilled forward. Then the FBI got involved.

➡️ Keep an ear out for the announcement in this episode about our Season 4 finale live show coming up June 26 at The Lost Church in San Francisco. Tickets on sale now! https://tinyurl.com/ChildrenfromCults ⬅️

Podcast Episode · Generation Cult · 05/23/2025 · 38m

A new episode of Generation Cult is dropping this week, and it's already available to our Patreon subscribers!
22/05/2025

A new episode of Generation Cult is dropping this week, and it's already available to our Patreon subscribers!

Get more from Generation Cult on Patreon

Reminder about our fab event coming up next month in San Francisco! That's going to be a live recording of the Generatio...
18/05/2025

Reminder about our fab event coming up next month in San Francisco! That's going to be a live recording of the Generation Cult podcast Season 4 finale featuring THREE AUTHORS on stage at The Lost Church in the city's North Beach neighborhood on JUNE 26 -- doors at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets now!

Get more from Generation Cult on Patreon

28/04/2025

Sarito Carroll's memoir brings to light the untold story of the children who lived in Oregon's infamous commune.

We’re excited, too, Anke! And The Lost Church is not only a great name but the cool sort of speakeasy-style San Francisc...
28/04/2025

We’re excited, too, Anke! And The Lost Church is not only a great name but the cool sort of speakeasy-style San Francisco spot you’d want to spend an evening in! Get your tickets to our live literary event and podcast recording coming up on June 26.

Very excited to participate on this cult book panel at “The Lost Church” (perfect name!) in San Francisco on 26 June – a live recording for Dhyana Levey's podcast Generation Cult.

Join cult expert Janja Lalich, "In the Shadow of Enlightenment" author Carroll and me to discuss the reality and aftermath of kids in cults – especially those (like Sarito) who were harmed in the Osho/Bhagwan movement. This September marks 40 years after the collapse of the disastrous commune Rajneeshpuram in Oregon - the Ranch which many know from the doco “Wild Wild Country”.

Time to speak up, raise awareness and demand justice for the survivors. Spread the word and book your tickets here:
https://thelostchurch.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJz3TZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMUTUxRGRQcFpacFVCcjdxAR64bhUowLz8VivOY32HBiRblVTTVRyyM7ieniwXA9HRyzbOxE-j9TY7tnvtRw_aem_f5Rebbu6yTWjFv3I9ZnpJg #/instances/a0FTU00000JCoZB2A1

FB event link in comments.

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What is Generation Cult?

Generation Cult is a podcast that shares stories about adults who grew up in authoritarian, high-demand organizations, focusing on how these people adjusted to mainstream society once they got out and about in the world.

The idea for the show evolved from book project by journalist Dhyana Levey, who began by researching the commune she was raised within. The project evolved to include information about people who grew up in other groups considered to be cults. Despite vast differences in each group’s ideology (bible based, Eastern, political, UFO, etc.) children raised within these organizations appeared to experience similar struggles once they left their cults. Some of these problems include a lack of education and experience with social norms, no money or family support and psychological problems such as anxiety and depression.

We made this project into a podcast because we thought that the inclusion of sound combined with an episodic format would be a good way to share these stories. The point is not to judge anyone’s religious or political beliefs but to shine a light on human rights abuses that can occur within isolated communities controlled by a single interest.