Speaking of Cults

Chris Shelton spent 25 years inside Scientology before getting out, and that firsthand experience gives his interviews a quality most cult podcasters just cannot replicate. He knows the right questions to ask because he lived through the manipulation himself. Originally called Sensibly Speaking, the show rebranded to Speaking of Cults and now runs 300 episodes covering everything from NXIVM and Scientology to the Jehovah's Witnesses and politically coercive movements. The weekly format pairs Shelton with cult survivors, psychologists, exit counselors, and researchers. His conversations with former NXIVM members are particularly strong because he understands the shame and confusion that comes with admitting you were controlled. He does not treat guests like curiosities to be gawked at. There is a genuine therapeutic quality to how he conducts interviews, even though the show is firmly in the education category rather than the self-help space. Shelton also tackles subjects most cult podcasts avoid -- body language analysis of cult leaders, the overlap between political extremism and cult dynamics, and why intelligent, well-educated people are actually more susceptible to recruitment than you might expect. His episodes on coercive control mechanisms are some of the most clear-eyed explanations you will find in podcast form. He manages to be both respectful of people still processing their experiences and unflinching about the organizations that harmed them. With a 4.7-star rating from 265 reviews, the audience clearly agrees that his approach works.