Cult Chat

11/02/2025

Does shunning kill? Episode 53 is serious discussion where your hosts wrap-up the shunning mini-series, unpacking what they’ve learned from Craig, Lindy, Windy & Savin. This topic has been given four episodes because the costs for individuals, families and communities who experience this cruel tactic of control is devastating and poorly understood. Mandated shunning destroys lives, destroys communities, and there are no laws to protect people from falling victim to it. Join the Cult Chat team as they debrief for the final episode on this topic.

You Tube: https://youtu.be/FvckVt5nkyo

Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/cult-chat/episodes/Episode-53-Shunning-Kills-Mini-Series-Part-4-e2umbnb

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/episode-53-shunning-kills-mini-series-part-4/id1693307722?i=1000690913644

Today our co-hosts wrap-up the shunning mini-series, unpacking what they’ve learned from Craig, Lindy, Windy & Savin. This topic has been given four episodes because the costs for individuals, families and communities who experience this cruel tactic of control is devastating and poorly understood...

10/02/2025

We love hearing from our listeners, especially those who send warm fuzzies our way! This listener sent us a lovely message today, and the encouragement is warmly recieved. Not only do we love encouragement, we highly appreciate hearing what you like about the show, what differences you are seeing it make for you and those you have contact with, and any areas you think we should cover in upcoming episodes. Thanks so much to this kind soul, for the heart-warming words 🙌🥰🥹

04/02/2025

Our podcast this week is the 3rd episode in the shunning series. Craig Hoyle, author of “Excommunicated” shares about growing up in the Exclusive Brethren, aware that many members of his family have disappeared and been painted by the church as evil. Ultimately Craig faces his own sudden excommunication. This conversation between Lindy Jacomb and Craig at Decult shows powerfully the inter-generational impacts of shunning, both for those who are obliterated from the family tree, and those who are left behind.

You Tube: https://youtu.be/HIJVd9sTmkE

Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/cult-chat/episodes/Episode-52-Multigenerational-Impacts-of-Shunning-with-Craig-Hoyle-Mini-Series-Part-3-e2ucdd3

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/vn/podcast/episode-52-multigenerational-impacts-of-shunning/id1693307722?i=1000688700672

Plains FM: https://player.accessmedia.nz/Player.aspx?eid=081b1385-7616-4e76-9d59-f894b2d4464b

In this 3rd episode on shunning, Craig Hoyle, author of “Excommunicated” shares about growing up in the Exclusive Brethren, aware that many members of his fa...

27/01/2025

Not strictly true - but we aren’t loading up our next episode for another two weeks. Make sure you join us for Part Three of the Shunning series soon!

If you just can’t wait to hear our voices, tune in to Plains FM today at 1pm to hear a Gloriavale Update with Liz and guest lawyers Steve Patterson and Dennis Gates. This will be loaded onto our podcast platforms after the shunning series. 👍

25/01/2025

Caz popped by to visit me (Liz) in Timaru today. I was busy laying flooring in the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust office while hubby was welcoming a menagerie of chickens and ducks!! We know Lindy will be disappointed she missed out! 😀

14/01/2025

Episode 51 Surviving Shunning is now live!
Savin says, “Shunning is not a one-off event,” - indeed it is a trauma that affects a whole life.

Listen in to the second half of Lindy’s interview with Drs Windy and Savin, who share findings from their research on shunning including the serious life-long impacts for both the individual and their communities. Our guests share insights for those affected by shunning, and discuss ways to reframe and grow through the experience. This episode is the second of four in a mini series on shunning.

You Tube: https://youtu.be/fs3z4EODwC0
Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/cult-chat/episodes/Episode-51-Surviving-Shunning-Part-2-with-Dr-Windy-Grendele--Dr--Savin-Bapir-Tardy-e2tfk23
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/episode-51-surviving-shunning-part-2-with-dr-windy/id1693307722?i=1000683975375
Plains FM: https://player.accessmedia.nz/Player.aspx?eid=85585cb6-2529-450d-b4b8-0cf49dd43767

Listen in to the second half of Lindy’s interview with Drs Windy and Savin, who share findings from their research on shunning including the serious life-lon...

31/12/2024

New 4-part mini-series starts! Is shunning the most insidious of all cult practices? In Part One Lindy and our guests, researchers Windy and Savin from Roehampton University, define shunning and discuss how it's used deliberately as a tool by coercively controlling groups to threaten and impose social death for those who question the rules. Savin and Windy introduce listeners to their research, and the movement sweeping the world to make mandated shunning a crime. This episode is the first of four in a mini series on shunning.

You Tube: https://youtu.be/UrFjLOdrsD4

Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/cult-chat/episodes/Episode-50-What-is-Mandated-Shunning--Part-1-with-Dr-Windy-Grendele--Dr-Savin-Bapir-Tardy-e2su69k

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/episode-50-what-is-mandated-shunning-part-1-with-dr/id1693307722?i=1000682260450

Plains FM: https://player.accessmedia.nz/Player.aspx?eid=603298a0-09d9-422f-ae58-7331054af115

Is shunning the most insidious of all cult practices? In today’s episode Lindy and our guests, researchers Windy and Savin from Roehampton University, defin...

20/12/2024

The last two episodes of Cult Chat have been about health neglect in cults, and are aimed at our listeners who are health professionals. If you want more content of this nature you could download the whole Decult presentation package for only $50 and if you watch my Health Neglect & Cults presentation you’ll get to hear me talk about this topic with a live audience!

18/12/2024

Feeling loved 😍. Huge thanks to Gina Catena for her contribution on our recent healthcare episodes - and then her extremely kind feedback on You Tube 🙌.

Make sure you listen up to Epsidoes 48 and 49 (Healthcare and Cults). Links below:

https://youtu.be/vytkhynv8bI?si=YKzZBfWKk7OVlDJA

https://youtu.be/00exKZIpg5s?si=83xHirwwVAQY_nET

17/12/2024

Listen up to our newest episode on cults and healthcare.

This is the second episode with Gina, who was raised in a cult which discourages members from seeking medical care. In episode two she describes how she slowly changed her view of health to the scientific world view, as she trained to be a medical professional. She shares stories of working as a clinician with people from cults, and some helpful tips for how medical professionals can gain the trust of people who have faulty health beliefs.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uPtIHU6602diLegLf995g

You Tube: https://youtu.be/00exKZIpg5s

This is the second episode with Gina, who was raised in a cult which discourages members from seeking medical care. In episode two she describes how she slow...

13/12/2024

Here’s an interesting thing to listen too.

Some Gloriavale leavers chat to media and talk-back radio after the BNZ ruling gives the green light to shut their bank accounts. John Ready, Pearl Valor, Dan Pilgrim have interesting insights, along with their lawyer Brian Henry.

https://youtu.be/UJy4SpEr1vY?si=Umg8xm-uk9wGDyPz

(Please note that the opinions expressed are that of the speaker alone and may or not represent the opinions of others.)

Monday 9th December, 2024 Gloriavale lost its bid to keep its bank accounts open with BNZ. They have fought this issue in the courts for two years after BNZ ...

09/12/2024

Take 1 min to understand something that former cultists want you to know ... (This is a teaser for an upcoming Cult Chat Episode with Gina Catena)

05/12/2024

We have a series on shunning coming to you early in the New Year. How’s this for a quote, “Shunning is a social construct and then they (cults) use God, religion and spirituality to endorse it and add authority to it”.

We’ll examine the use of shunning in all sorts of cult contexts, the mechanisms at play and the harmful impacts of social death.

03/12/2024

Episode 48 has landed!! Listen up as Caz interviews Gina, a nurse practitioner & midwife from California. Gina grew up in a cult which discouraged mainstream evidence-based health treatments, in favour of non-scientific treatments. Gina talks about growing up in the group and watching people die to su***de, or suffering from treatable health conditions because the group did not allow Western medical care. This first episode of two starts the conversation about how cults can damage the body, as well as the mind.

Listen up below:
You Tube: https://youtu.be/vytkhynv8bI?si=wqSU7yHe7jQ8JYOb
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4GRgfGyp83BGE3tfM8k9x4?si=00RmI9gfQpCQQAi3Ve1DQA
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/episode-48-healthcare-and-cults-part-1-with-gina-catena/id1693307722?i=1000678976335
Plains FM: https://player.accessmedia.nz/Player.aspx?eid=589b777a-515a-4879-a1ba-5e00e5e06781

Today Caz interviews Gina, a nurse practitioner & midwife from California. Gina grew up in a cult which discouraged mainstream evidence-based health treatmen...

19/11/2024

Episode #47 is ready to go! Listen up as we chat about our innovative initiative to head to Parliament and unmask cults at an evening dinner event. We were delighted that a range of dignitaries, ministers, and representatives of key services in New Zealand were interested in hearing about, and hopefully take action to address, the harms that cults cause across New Zealand. Listen to our hosts - along with guest host Dr Janja Lalich - share some of their recollections of this event at the Beehive, outline some of the other presentations, and offer their hopes for future change driven from the center of power in New Zealand.

You Tube: https://youtu.be/j9vLPwGf5Vc
Spotify: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/4cOHIMpIDOb

On 23 October Liz, Lindy and Caz hosted a dinner event at Parliament called "Unmasking Cults." We were delighted that a range of dignitaries, ministers, and...

19/11/2024

Prepping up for our next episode and noticed this encouraging statistic from Spotify … That doesn’t include YouTube or our massive Plains FM and community radio audience. 💕

12/11/2024

We think that cult-like groups qualify as care-settings - after all, the Whanaketia report made it clear that those who have a relationship of authority and/or 'pastoral care' over others of any age are considered responsible for what happens in the context of that relationship. This is regardless of whether or not the person giving the 'care' has a title, is employed or not, and even if abuse happens in a personal or private setting like a home, a working bee or a holiday.
Here at Cult Chat we will continue to watch this space to see if there will be any genuine changes made to ensure that all people, including those in high-control and/or cult-like groups, are made more safe.

It was an important day yesterday as the Prime Minister and other officials gave public acknowledgment and apologies for the many abuses and injustices named by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care. At the Olive Leaf Network we hear about injustices and abuses on a regular basis from former members of high-demand religious groups and care settings - many of these are not confined to the past but are current lived realities. Many of the survivors of abuse in care (including faith-based settings) are grateful for the public acknowledgement of harm and the apologies, but there is also an enormous amount of scepticism and disillusionment as to whether the apologies will precede any real change for past, present and future victims of abuse in care. In particular, those concerned about abuse in faith-based and so-called 'pastoral care' settings have huge concern about churches/religious institutions being allowed to design/manage their own abuse complaints handling processes and/or redress and compensation schemes. Whanaketia made it extremely clear that some of the religious institutions and leaders in this country are abusive and harmful - in what world does it make sense to hand reparation and accountability work over to the very same people responsible for the abuse? There absolutely must be another way, or Whanaketia's recommendations will fall to the ground and fail.

Photo: from page 3 of the New Zealand Herald, November 13th, 2024. Protesters in the photo are wearing t-shirts spelling out 'ACCOUNTABLE?' and holding placards including faces of religious and other leaders evading accountability, despite Whanaketia's damning findings. The protesters are from the Network of Survivors of Faith-Based Abuse in Care, which the Olive Leaf Network supports.