1 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: When we talk about how people get out of these 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: groups and how they heal. That's part of the deep processing, 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: realizing that your actions are always imperfect and you're doing 4 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: the best you can with the information that you have, 5 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: and it's not some reflection of some broken part inside 6 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: of you. But boy, where we taught that. 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 2: Welcome back to forgive me for I have followed. I'm 8 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 2: Jess Costebetto and. 9 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 3: I'm Clia Gray. Our series explores the story of Robert Chin, 10 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 3: the Eli Basha kind of Church, and seven M films. 11 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: I'm excited about this week's guest. You know, we've had 12 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 2: a lot of conversations so far and they've been super 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 2: enlightening and really powerful, but thought it would be great 14 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 2: to get a little more context on the psychology level 15 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 2: and what attracts people to these high controlled groups and 16 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 2: the challenges that people face when they get out of that. 17 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 2: And also for allies and family members, what is that 18 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 2: experience like and what's maybe some the advice that we 19 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: can get. 20 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 3: And also even just the general public, because there are 21 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 3: a lot of people that are tuned into this story 22 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 3: that it might help them understand a little bit better. 23 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 3: Because I've seen that a lot in the comments of like, oh, 24 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 3: I just don't get it. And so I think having 25 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 3: someone that can really speak to more of like the 26 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 3: social the psychological aspect of it to give more like 27 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 3: understanding to it, and even for me myself and my 28 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 3: own healing journey, I have my own like question. So 29 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 3: I'm very excited for this. 30 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 2: So today we're speaking with doctor Quincy Gideon, doctor of 31 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 2: psychology and therapists who specializes in religious trauma. She also 32 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 2: aid survivors of high control groups to regain and rebuild 33 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 2: their lives. 34 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, let's get started with our conversation with doctor Gideon. 35 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 2: Well, thank you for doing this with us today. I 36 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 2: think initially when we had met, it was because your 37 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 2: page was shared with me by one of the parents 38 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: and they were looking to your page for answers and 39 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: they had a lot of peace and calming in that. 40 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 2: And so, Cleia, we had filmed with doctor Gideon a 41 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: few sessions because one of the parents wanted to meet 42 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 2: with her while she was in town and just had 43 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 2: so many questions and doctor Gideon was absolutely amazing for 44 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: helping kind of walk her through a few of those 45 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 2: things and helping participate. But ultimately we weren't able to 46 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 2: see that in the documentary, but I thought it was 47 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 2: so powerful and it was some of the most powerful 48 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 2: stuff that we had filmed, and elements that we really 49 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: noticed that the parents had kept throughout the entire process. 50 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: So I just wanted to give a little context for 51 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: Khalia and everyone else of how we all know each other. 52 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 2: But yes, your Instagram page and what you do is 53 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 2: absolutely amazing. So thank you again. 54 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,920 Speaker 1: Well, thank you, it's a privilege to be here. Thanks 55 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: for having me. 56 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:49,959 Speaker 2: So can you share with us a little bit about 57 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 2: your own experience in high controlled groups and what motivates 58 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 2: you to support others facing similar challenges. 59 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: Sure. So I grew up in what you would call 60 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 1: a fundamental badge church, which you know, they kind of 61 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: run the gamut. They have a very different presentation depending 62 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: on where they are in the country, who's leading that congregation, 63 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: but essentially they take a very hard line look at 64 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: some of the quote rules that they feel like are 65 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: very explicit in the Bible, and mostly that results in 66 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: the oppression of women, and it results in a whole 67 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:30,119 Speaker 1: lot of sanctifying and looking towards men to be sort 68 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: of the ultimate deciders of fate. Deciders of most things 69 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: that go on in life, including like the family structure 70 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: and the decisions that are made and who works and 71 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: where does the money go and how many children are there, 72 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: Like all of those decisions kind of fall on men. 73 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: So I grew up in this environment that was chronically 74 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: telling me that my options in life were to be 75 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: a wife and a mother or a missionary. They actually 76 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: gave you that option. You could go off to another 77 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: country and tell people the quote unquote good news about God, 78 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: our faith, the religion that I was a part of, 79 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: And those were my two options. And there was a 80 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: lot of rules, a lot of rules like the way 81 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: that you dated, you don't date, you court. It's very 82 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: dugg Or esque. If anyone has sort of seen how 83 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: that has played out on TLC for generations now, you 84 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: see that it's highly restrictive. Everything is sort of fear based, 85 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: like we're so afraid that, you know, these kids are 86 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: going to become this or they might behave in this way, 87 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: and so it's really fear mongering. There's a lot of 88 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,720 Speaker 1: that that goes on in the background. Ultimately, there were 89 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: kind of some ways in which it impacted my insights, 90 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: which were you know, a lot of worry and fear 91 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: about the future. I participated in my own oppression, so 92 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: I got to a point to where I had sort 93 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: of internalized the message so much that I didn't actually 94 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: need to be a part of a repressive group anymore. 95 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: I could do that all by myself. And then externally, 96 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,600 Speaker 1: there were some big consequences. I married the man that 97 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: I was supposed to marry according to this church, and 98 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: it was horrible. It was abusive in a lot of ways. 99 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: He was not straight. I was not aware of that 100 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: for a very long time, and obviously that ended really 101 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: terribly and there were a lot of consequences to that. 102 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: My entire life kind of blew up. And when it 103 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: blew up, I had to look at kind of what 104 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: had happened and say, I followed all of the rules 105 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 1: and it didn't protect me. I participated in my own 106 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: repression because I was so afraid of my power as 107 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: a woman. I was told that that was such a 108 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: fearful thing. Turns out I still got my heart broken. 109 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 1: Turns out my life is still a mess, and everything 110 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: fell apart. So it was sort of a long line 111 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: to get to this place, right, But it was a 112 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,159 Speaker 1: deeply lived experience for me, and I think once I 113 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 1: came out of it, I just decided that my entire 114 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: goal in life is to inoculate people from getting into 115 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: these groups. I want people to feel like they have 116 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: space to sort of sit back and observe for a 117 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: while and see if this is something that they want 118 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: to join. I want people to have language for how 119 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: they ask questions and how they show up in these groups, 120 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: how they challenge the leader, and when they start to 121 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: feel kind of yucky, they walk away, and they don't 122 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: feel like that's a reflection of them, It's just a 123 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: reflection of what they're willing to put up with in 124 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: this world. 125 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 3: Beautifully said, I am in full support of everything that 126 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 3: you are doing with your platform and how you're deciding 127 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 3: to really support other people that are facing challenges like 128 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 3: this and things that I've gone through. What parallels have 129 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 3: you seen in your line of work amongst individuals in 130 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 3: these high controlled situations. 131 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: I think the first thing I look for, and I 132 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,599 Speaker 1: teach people to look for, is fear, because it will 133 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: be evasive. It's like a terrible plant that you can't 134 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: get rid of. It just grows everywhere, and it will 135 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: be fear of what happens in relationships, fear of what 136 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: happens when you step outside the group, fear of what 137 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: happens when you challenge a leader, fear of what happens 138 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: when you think I want to be a little bit 139 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: separate from this group. Fear of how you spend money, 140 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: fear of where you spend your time. And so I 141 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: think that that's the first thing that people can look at, 142 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: is they can maybe sit back and think, what is 143 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: the primary thing that I feel most moments of the day. 144 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: And if in multiple spaces, you're feeling a whole lot 145 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: of fear, I would start asking questions like, how is 146 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: this group contributing to that? How are the messages that 147 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: I'm sitting here and listening to every week contributing to 148 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: this fear that just keeps growing, Right, because it's fear 149 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: of this very elusive thing. It'll be fear of hell, 150 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: It'll be fear of the afterlife, It'll be fear of 151 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: a god that you don't have interaction with every day. Right, 152 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: It's this very elusive thing that we're taught to fear. 153 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 2: Absolutely, Doctor Giddy and I know that we had had 154 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 2: some conversations during the filming of the documentary, But what 155 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 2: were your initial impressions after seeing it and having been 156 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 2: a little bit in it and having conversations with people 157 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 2: throughout the filming, was there anything that surprised you. 158 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: This is one of my favorite things to talk about, 159 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: because I want to make coercive groups and high control 160 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: groups un sexy in some way because they all follow 161 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: a script. So truly, when I watch documentaries, I am 162 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: in the background going yes, yes, say more of that 163 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,359 Speaker 1: because that's helpful. So I'm like cheering along. But absolutely 164 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: none of it is surprising. There is nothing that this 165 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: church has done or the leadership has done, that is 166 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 1: outside of the bounds of what is typically done in 167 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: these circumstances. You can just fill in the blanks and 168 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 1: it happens over and over and over again. Which is 169 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: not to say that the people that get pulled in 170 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: are somehow uneducated or goal or anything like that. It's 171 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: just to say that we aren't talking enough about how 172 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: these groups work in order to inoculate people from getting 173 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: into them. We still think that each one of them 174 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: is doing something different and new and nuanced, and it's 175 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: just not true. They're just all following a script. 176 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 3: And that's what was so surprising for me coming out 177 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 3: of it was hearing how similar all of these groups are, 178 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 3: and that was something that I had heard someone say. 179 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 3: It was like, it's like they pass out a pamphlet 180 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 3: and all of these leaders just have access to this 181 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 3: pamphlet because they're doing the same thing and the same tactics. 182 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 3: Are there any common traps that you see for people 183 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 3: that end up in these cult like communities? 184 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: So research sort of shows that there are a couple 185 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: of things that we like to look for. Number One, 186 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: there's usually a big life shift that has happened, So 187 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: there might be a breakup. There might be a divorce, 188 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: a death, getting laid off, something that causes someone to 189 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: go out in the world and look for something to 190 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,559 Speaker 1: I'll either relieve the pain that they're in or make 191 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: sense of the pain. Not everyone is in a whole 192 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 1: lot of pain in those moments, but they might be 193 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: more open to like, why do things like this happen? 194 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: Why did I even want to get married? And then 195 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: you walk into a space where there's a leader that says, 196 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: I have all the answers for you. Let me break 197 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 1: it down for you. And they're usually pretty concise about 198 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: how they break that down. They usually center themselves on 199 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: being a part of the solution right to that pain 200 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: or that upset in some way, and they will also 201 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: align other things that you've used in the past to cope, 202 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: and so that starts to set them apart. And when 203 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: you're in these moments in life, you're going to look 204 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: at something like that and you're going to say, well, 205 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: I've tried it every other way, so maybe I'm the problem, 206 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 1: and maybe they have a solution that I have not 207 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: thought of yet. So we're already kind of giving them 208 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: credence when they haven't earned it, just by them differentiating 209 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: themselves a little bit from the pack from other things 210 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: that we've tried in the past. So there's usually some 211 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: life transition that's happened. The other thing that can go 212 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: on is that typically folks that get into these groups 213 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: have a desire to make the world a better place. 214 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: So that thing that we want in every single human 215 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: we desire it. We need people to be good people 216 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: that want the world to be a better place. They 217 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: are more apt to getting pulled into groups like this 218 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: because these groups promise that we are making the world 219 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: a better place, We're saving people from hell, right, So 220 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,680 Speaker 1: even the character that might be on the main stage, 221 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: even if that person is not lovable in some way, 222 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: the overall desire of the group to make the world 223 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,200 Speaker 1: a better place, to save people from themselves, to make 224 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: suffering go away, to get people into heaven, like whatever 225 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: the selling point is. Folks that want the world to 226 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:56,439 Speaker 1: be a better place are going to be a little 227 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: bit more apt to say yes to a group like that. 228 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:01,719 Speaker 1: You combine those two things and you've kind of got 229 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: a recipe for a whole lot of manipulation and coercion. 230 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,719 Speaker 3: Honestly, that made me a little emotional because I'm just 231 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 3: thinking about a lot of my friends that are still there, 232 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 3: and you know, those qualities are within them. They do 233 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 3: want to make the world a better place. They are 234 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 3: very kind hearted. I even think not to speak for everybody, 235 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 3: but you know, COVID had just happened, and a lot 236 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 3: of the dancers that we were working with now it's 237 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 3: like the work that they did, they had to find 238 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,680 Speaker 3: a whole different way, And so it even has me wondering, like, 239 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,079 Speaker 3: outside of this situation, there must have been so many 240 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 3: other like groups and cult like communities that really capitalized 241 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 3: on the disaster that was COVID. 242 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 2: That makes so much sense that it would target this 243 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 2: life transitional moment. But also it is good people. And 244 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 2: that's what's so heartbreaking about it is that you have 245 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 2: someone taking advantage of good people and then knowing that 246 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 2: those people then have to work through that for however 247 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,719 Speaker 2: long it takes them when they get out of a 248 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 2: sitchuation like that, And that really breaks my heart that 249 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 2: someone can see that and take advantage of that. But 250 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 2: it makes perfect sense. 251 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, if anyone is sort of out there in the 252 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 1: world thinking I really do long for a better world, 253 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: I think that is just an invitation to take a 254 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: beat before you join anything. I mean, this is part 255 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:23,680 Speaker 1: of the inoculation, right, just take a second before you 256 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: join anything, because it's going to feel so good for 257 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 1: you to walk into a group that promises something, and 258 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 1: you're more likely to kind of miss some of the 259 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:36,440 Speaker 1: red flags. We all would. This is human behavior. This 260 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: is nothing to be mad at yourself over. It's just 261 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: something to know that you're going to need to protect 262 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: yourself a little bit more from. 263 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,439 Speaker 3: After the break, we continue our conversation with doctor Gideon. 264 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 3: This is forgive me for I have followed. We'll be 265 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 3: right back. 266 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 2: Welcome back to forgive me for I have followed. Now 267 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 2: back to our conversation with doctor Gideon. Doctor Gidden, you've 268 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 2: mentioned inoculate a couple times in our conversation. What do 269 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 2: you mean by that? 270 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: So inoculation is just this idea of protecting someone from 271 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: getting sick in the future. So it initially kind of 272 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: came about with vaccinations, Right, we like, expose someone to 273 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: something and it prevents them from getting sick in the future. 274 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: So when we think about inoculating someone against saying yes 275 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 1: to some of these groups, what I mean by that 276 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: is exposing them to the information that takes the power 277 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 1: away from these groups. So when someone you know, kind 278 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: of shows up to these churches or shows up to 279 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: these groups and they hear some of the things that 280 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: we have sort of prepped them with, right, We've said 281 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: some of this information that that person might sit there 282 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: and be like, hmm, this is not for me, thank 283 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: you so much, goodbye, and they're able to walk away 284 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: from that because they're empowered with the information that we're 285 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: giving them. 286 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 3: I guess got to switch gears a little bit. When 287 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 3: we were prepping for this episode. There was a phrase 288 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 3: that really stood out to me and I would love 289 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 3: to hear a little bit more about it was the 290 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 3: concept of cult hopping. There's some individuals that had been 291 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 3: in a prior situation that was very similar to the 292 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 3: one that we were in. So it's just like kind 293 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 3: of this transition from one cult like group to another 294 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 3: cult like group. So could you explain a little bit 295 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 3: more about that. I'm very intrigued. 296 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, totally. So it kind of goes back to those 297 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: needs that we were just talking about, that there's a 298 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: life transition. You're wanting more from the world. You want to, 299 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: you know, change the world for the better, and this 300 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: group offers that, and then you decide somewhere along the 301 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: way that this group is actually unhealthy, but you don't 302 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: address what is going on that got you into that 303 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: place in the first place, right into that like vulnerable space. 304 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: I will also say that cult hopping at the bottom 305 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: of all of this is that need, right, and these 306 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: groups kind of function in the same way, but inevitably 307 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: the next group will be just enough different. Just think 308 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: about like that maybe terrible relationship pattern you might have 309 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: been in where you're like, I am so tired of 310 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: dating people that do X, Y and Z and the 311 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 1: next person. It's like they never do X, Y and Z. 312 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: They do, they just do a different version of it, 313 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: but it looks different enough that we kind of get 314 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: pulled in. This is the same pattern that's playing out 315 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 1: with just group dynamics rather than relational dynamics. You're not 316 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: addressing what kind of pulls you to that person, that group, 317 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: that thing that they're promising, and so you'll get into 318 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: another group. They'll look different at first, and then you'll 319 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: discover that they're not different at all. 320 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 3: That was really beautifully said. It's the lack of reflection, 321 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 3: because that is some of the things that I've heard 322 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 3: from some of the members is that refusal almost to reflect. 323 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 3: So when half of us had left, there were people 324 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 3: that were like, I'm going to die on this hill. 325 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 1: I just want to say a little bit about how 326 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: dangerous self reflection feels. When you're in a group like this, 327 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: you are taught that self reflection, the feelings that you 328 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: have going with your gut is actually the most dangerous 329 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 1: thing that you can do because it lends to your 330 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:08,439 Speaker 1: evil side, right, and that you actually have to listen 331 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: to the leadership, listen to scripture, listen to anyone outside 332 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: of yourself to get guidance on what you should do next, 333 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 1: because you cannot trust yourself. So self reflection is actually 334 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 1: one of those things that these cult like groups will 335 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 1: take away from members because it makes them more likely 336 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: to stay in for a long time. And so if 337 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,120 Speaker 1: you think about that, not only have they been taught 338 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: that it's dangerous, but it actually feels quite dangerous because 339 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: then you're going to have to pay attention to how 340 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:40,719 Speaker 1: you participated not only in your own oppression, but also 341 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: the oppression of others, and that breaks people. That is 342 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 1: such a hard thing that we as members of these 343 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 1: groups eventually have to come to the understanding that we 344 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: participated in the pain of other people, by recruiting, by 345 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: bringing people in, talking them out of leaving, by all 346 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: of these things, right, we have to pay attention to that. 347 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: We have to admit that and take accountability. And when 348 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: you're still in the group and you're still living according 349 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 1: to what these groups are telling you to do, like 350 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: avoid self reflection, this becomes the most dangerous thing that 351 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 1: you can do. 352 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think with this group too, and CLEI, 353 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 2: I'm sure you can speak more to this. Is that 354 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,719 Speaker 2: there's the mentorship program that's in place. 355 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: And so it's. 356 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 2: Interesting too, because your meant to always want to trust 357 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 2: your gut and then to have someone say like, don't 358 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 2: trust your gut. That's ultimately the things that are negative, 359 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 2: and that's the evil that's trying to push you into 360 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 2: a different direction. That can be very confusing. And I 361 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 2: think Clea you mentioned you know, at some point when 362 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 2: people were wanting to leave, some people said, I'm dying 363 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 2: on this hill. Do you think that the mentor's involvement 364 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 2: in the church had anything to contribute with some of 365 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 2: those people staying? 366 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that most of these groups actually have 367 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: some sort of mentorship program because the leader has given 368 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: these messages so consistently that people have internalized them, and 369 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:05,439 Speaker 1: then they go out and they do the quote dirty 370 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: work of the leader. Right, So there's kind of this 371 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: hierarchy that usually develops in groups like this, and the 372 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: mentorship programs usually function in two different ways. Number one, 373 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 1: to disseminate this information so that the leader doesn't have 374 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: to do all of this work anymore. Right, they can 375 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 1: sort of wash their hands and even kind of separate 376 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 1: themselves like well, I didn't say that, or I didn't 377 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:29,199 Speaker 1: do that. I don't hurt people. I just bring the 378 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: good message of what God wants me to say, right, 379 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,399 Speaker 1: so they kind of have a separation. And then secondly 380 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: it functions as a confessional. So let me break that down. 381 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: There are ways in which these groups function to participate 382 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 1: in mind control and thought reform. This is an idea 383 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: that was put forward by Robert liften years ago whenever 384 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: he was researching folks in China in how their thoughts 385 00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 1: actually changed after years of being in coercive environments. And 386 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,160 Speaker 1: so we look at some of these factors. There's eight 387 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 1: factors and thought control, and one of them is forced 388 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: confession or confession, and so this can mean a couple 389 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 1: of different things. We saw this in other groups like 390 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 1: NEXTM and things like that, where people would tell on 391 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 1: each other. Right, So you then became really nervous about 392 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 1: who was watching you, who was seeing your behavior, Who's 393 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: going to catch me doing something? And it actually worked 394 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:31,159 Speaker 1: really well for getting people's behavior in line, right, because 395 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: anyone could tell on you. It's not just the leader 396 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 1: seeing you, it's not just the parent seeing you. Now 397 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: your siblings are telling on you too. But then there's 398 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: usually also in these groups this sort of idea that 399 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 1: you must confess in order to stay good with God. 400 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 1: So then members are also confessing to their sins on themselves. 401 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 1: So now we have a hierarchy of mentorship where you 402 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: are having to tell your mentor everything for accountability, everything 403 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: that you're doing wrong, and they're telling on you to 404 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,680 Speaker 1: the leader, and then you are also participating in the like. 405 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: But I need this. This is the only way that 406 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: I'm sanctified. This is the only way that I am 407 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 1: a good person. This is the only way that I 408 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,360 Speaker 1: stay in God's favor because I again can't trust myself. 409 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: My behaviors were always going to bend towards the evil, 410 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 1: bend towards the bad, and I need this amount of 411 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: babysitting in order to stay on the right track. 412 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 3: Is there any advice that you would have for former 413 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 3: cult members like myself to help us with social rehabilitation 414 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 3: things like that. 415 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: Yeah. So the first thing that I recommend for anyone 416 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,159 Speaker 1: that has gotten out of a group like this is 417 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,879 Speaker 1: just start with your basic needs. You're going to need money, 418 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: you're going to need food, you're going to need shelter, 419 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: and you're going to need safety. Those are the four 420 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,360 Speaker 1: things that we have to get you before you can 421 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: do any of the emotional processing. So although when someone 422 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: comes out of these groups they had I've typically been 423 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:05,639 Speaker 1: taught that this deep emotional processing where you're mad at 424 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: yourself all of the time, is a part of everyday life. 425 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:11,479 Speaker 1: I actually encourage people to not do that for just 426 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:13,679 Speaker 1: a short period of time. Let's just get your basic 427 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,879 Speaker 1: needs taken care of, safety being the one that we 428 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: have to focus on. If you don't feel safe in 429 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: the space that you're staying, if you don't feel safe 430 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 1: like you're not going to have food the next day, 431 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: this emotional processing is going to lead to much worse outcomes. 432 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: So taking care of those most basic needs is really 433 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: where we need to start for anyone that's getting out 434 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: of these groups. And the groups kind of run the gamut, right, 435 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 1: So a lot of people will like sign over all 436 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 1: of their financial wealth, right, and they really have nothing. 437 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: Some people have been in these groups for so long, 438 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:50,880 Speaker 1: and housing was a part of these groups. They don't 439 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:52,719 Speaker 1: know how to get a lease, they don't even know 440 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: how to prove, you know, that they can pay for it. 441 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: They don't know how to go out there and get 442 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: a job, and so sometimes these things are going to 443 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,159 Speaker 1: take longer than just a days or a few weeks, 444 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 1: but they really are necessary before any of the deep 445 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: deprogramming happens and the emotional processing happens. Once we have safety, 446 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,360 Speaker 1: then we start working on mild reflection. If we don't 447 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: need to go deep yet, you just start with the 448 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: things that are most obvious to you, maybe the things 449 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 1: that have come up the most often while you're trying 450 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:27,440 Speaker 1: to re establish safety in your life right and getting 451 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: those basic needs. Once you've gotten some of those things 452 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: like Okay, I don't think I trust what he was 453 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: saying anymore. That's the sort of processing I'm talking about, 454 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:41,159 Speaker 1: Like was he a reliable source of information? No, So 455 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: those things that keep coming up in my head, I 456 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: don't need to trust those right now. I don't need 457 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 1: to listen to those right now. And then once you 458 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 1: kind of have a little bit of momentum you're starting 459 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: to feel like you can get through a day without 460 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:54,120 Speaker 1: feeling like you're going to fall apart, then we can 461 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: start moving through, you know, the things like we really 462 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: got to talk about some thought reform and really to 463 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: talk about all of the different layers of coercion that 464 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: we're happening and we've really got to talk about how 465 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: you might have participated in someone else's oppression and how 466 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: that leaves you feeling. Right now, we can start doing 467 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 1: sort of the deeper work now for people that come 468 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:18,439 Speaker 1: into my office and work with my therapists that you know, 469 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 1: kind of specialize in cult recovery and religious trauma. Sometimes 470 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:26,880 Speaker 1: that can take like a year out before you're actually 471 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: asking yourself the deeper questions because it took six to 472 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: nine months to figure out how to do all of 473 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: this like daily living stuff and to feel calm while 474 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: doing it. Like that's the that's the big part, is 475 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,200 Speaker 1: that we want you to feel like you're not falling 476 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: apart every day. 477 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,440 Speaker 2: Do you have any advice on how to maybe mitigate 478 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 2: some of the potential triggers for former members after they've 479 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 2: left a situation like that? 480 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I think we have to identify where 481 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: the triggers lie. So for some people, the triggers are 482 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: going to be language, right, Like the words that are 483 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 1: used are going to be extra triggering and on different levels, 484 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: Like maybe using the word cult can feel really triggering 485 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 1: to someone. Maybe it's using a phrase right, like they 486 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 1: go out in the world and they hear someone else 487 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 1: say you really have to die to yourself. Now, that 488 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: was language that was used inside of the group, right 489 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,879 Speaker 1: of Chicina. Okay, that's triggering. We don't need to hear that. 490 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: So you need to be aware that you've got to 491 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,439 Speaker 1: take yourself out of situations where that's going to come up. 492 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 1: So let me say something that's really hard for people 493 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:32,160 Speaker 1: that come out of these groups, especially if they're religious 494 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: in nature. You might need to take a break from 495 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:39,679 Speaker 1: church for a while because the messages that are very 496 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: common in churches in our area, that language is going 497 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: to be used. Now in your group, it was manipulated 498 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 1: and it was used against you, and so going to 499 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 1: a different church, even if they are not using it 500 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 1: to manipulate you, hearing that same phrase used over and 501 00:25:57,640 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 1: over and over again is likely going to be triggering. 502 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: It's likely going to kind of set you back from 503 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: all this hard work that you're doing to kind of 504 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,879 Speaker 1: get your life back on track. So you might just 505 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: need to take a break from these sort of things. Now, 506 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 1: that seems counterintuitive to a lot of people because when 507 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 1: they get out of these groups, they're thinking, I need community, 508 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: I feel so alone. Yes, you do need community. But 509 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: likely not at another church that's using the same language 510 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: that was used to abuse you. 511 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:24,919 Speaker 3: That makes sense, you know. 512 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 2: Throughout this process, I had many conversations and I needed 513 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 2: to be aware of those triggers as well to make 514 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 2: sure that I was navigating those conversations sensitively. At times, 515 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:38,199 Speaker 2: I could just be you know, asking a question, and 516 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 2: maybe I brought up the church's name and that was 517 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 2: a trigger for someone and there's like, please, please don't 518 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 2: say the name of the church, and I had to shift. 519 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 2: It could have been you know, Robert's name, and yes, 520 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 2: I can imagine how die to yourself or if someone 521 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 2: said that, how that could be triggering for a person 522 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 2: in this particular group. 523 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I'll just say, like ask. This is one 524 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,439 Speaker 1: of the things that doesn't happen inside of these groups 525 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 1: is that people are not asked how things are impacting 526 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,919 Speaker 1: them negatively, and they're just told like, you're the problem 527 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,120 Speaker 1: for feeling that way because I said this thing. Now, 528 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: that might be your ego, that might be the evil 529 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: inside of you, that might be a lot of different things, 530 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 1: but it's never the problem of the person who said 531 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:19,719 Speaker 1: the triggering thing. And so we've got to like switch 532 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,200 Speaker 1: that up and so being a good steward of these 533 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: conversations might be just asking, like I saw you sort 534 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: of flinch there. Did I say something that was painful? 535 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: How could I refer to this group without it being painful? 536 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: Is there something I can say? Can I just say 537 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,680 Speaker 1: the church? Can I just say the group? Is there 538 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,200 Speaker 1: some other way that I can use language that would 539 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 1: be a little bit more supportive? Most people are dying 540 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: for you to just ask right when you see their pain. 541 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,640 Speaker 2: When we return the conclusion of our conversation with doctor Gideon, 542 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 2: this is forgive me for I have followed. 543 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 3: Welcome back to forgive me for I have followed. Here's 544 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 3: the conclusion of our conversation with doctor Gideon. 545 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,640 Speaker 2: Do you think that there are any actions that allies 546 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 2: take that can have the adverse effect when supporting former members? 547 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: Depends on the group. So my advice is to take 548 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:26,920 Speaker 1: imperfect action, ask questions, take a compassionate and curious stance, 549 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: and seeing how your actions are perhaps impacting someone, and 550 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: then be willing to shift. Because I can sit with 551 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: people in my office and I can do the same 552 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: thing that I do most of the time, but this 553 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: particular person has an adverse response to something that I've 554 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: said or done or something, and you just have to 555 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: be curious about that. You have to be compassionate about 556 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:53,480 Speaker 1: how it comes up, and then be willing to shift 557 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: and knowing that there's no shame in needing to shift 558 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: for the person who needs the shift, for the person 559 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: who's willing to do the shifting. We're all just trying 560 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: to figure this out, but we never want to try 561 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: to get this so perfect that we don't take action. 562 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: Because people are hurting in these groups and they're dying 563 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 1: for some sort of connection, and we need to be 564 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: willing to kind of step into that and mess up 565 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 1: a lot along the way and then be willing to 566 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: just sort of like, oh, good to know. I'll change 567 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: that and I'll do something different. 568 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 3: I love that phrase that you use of taking imperfect action, 569 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 3: because one of the things in Chiquina that was talked 570 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 3: about a lot was having to be perfect. The only 571 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 3: people who are allowed in the Kingdom of Christ are perfect. 572 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, we somehow in these groups, we're usually taught that 573 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: imperfection is somehow a reflection of something really broken inside 574 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 1: of you. And when we talk about how people get 575 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: out of these groups and how they heal that's part 576 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 1: of the deep processing, realizing that your actions are always 577 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: imperfect and you're doing the best you can with the 578 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: information that you have and it's not some reflection of 579 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 1: some broken part and you. But boy, were we taught that. 580 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 1: I did. 581 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 2: Want to just quickly go back to one thing that 582 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 2: you mentioned along the lines of the hardship of coping 583 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 2: with the idea that someone could have oppressed another person, 584 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 2: because that's one thing that I think a lot about 585 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 2: for people that leave high control groups and how difficult 586 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 2: that must be because they're still victims of this person 587 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 2: or this organization. But then at times those people can 588 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 2: have been sucked in and caught up in situations that 589 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 2: are oppressing other people. So what's an advice that maybe 590 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,719 Speaker 2: you would give that person that might have been removing 591 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 2: themselves from that situation but might be struggling with that. 592 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: So when someone is inside of these groups and they 593 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 1: move away from their victimhood and more towards being a perpetrator, right, 594 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: because they're kind of contributing to the ongoing pain of 595 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: other people now because they've internalized the messages so much. 596 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: You know, when we start to look at those sort 597 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: of instances, it can be full of shame and guilt 598 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 1: and all kinds of lucky feelings. Right, But if we 599 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:05,120 Speaker 1: can just start to gently have a conversation of I 600 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 1: can acknowledge that your intention was to do X, Y 601 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: and Z, save this person, bring them back into the fold, 602 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: help them not be in trouble so much with leadership. 603 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 1: That's oftentimes what some of this mentorship stuff is about. Right, Like, 604 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:21,440 Speaker 1: you keep getting yelled at and it's really hard for 605 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 1: me to tolerate. So just do it this way because 606 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: the leader won't be so mad at you. You have 607 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: a wonderful intention, but that's not the impact. Right. This 608 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 1: is a great parenting lesson for people when your intention 609 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: is to do one thing, but the impact that you 610 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,720 Speaker 1: have on your child is something totally different. And when 611 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: they bring that impact to you, you actually have to say, 612 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:44,360 Speaker 1: I can see that this has had a really negative 613 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 1: impact on you, Like this has hurt you, and that 614 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: that in some way does not make you a bad person. 615 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: It just means that you were participating in something as 616 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: best as you could, and you contributed to someone's pain. 617 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 1: And good luck finding a person out there that has 618 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: not contributed to someone's pain. They don't exist, right, so welcome. 619 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:07,320 Speaker 1: You're in humanity now. Your cult group told you that 620 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 1: you should not be a part of humanity, that you 621 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: should separate yourself from humanity, that you should be better 622 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 1: than the rest of humanity, and it turns out that 623 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 1: that's not possible. So welcome back into a group of 624 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 1: us that are doing the best we can with the 625 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: information that we have, and we mess up. Sometimes this 626 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 1: is like a part of what you're doing. The second 627 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 1: thing that I will say, and this is oftentimes some 628 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:32,719 Speaker 1: of the work that we do in our clinical setting. 629 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 1: It's getting used to the idea that being a perpetrator 630 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: does not take away from your victimhood. You are both, 631 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 1: and you are both at the same time, and that 632 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 1: there's no way that we can separate those things because 633 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,520 Speaker 1: they were happening simultaneously, and just being allowed to say 634 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: that to yourself and accept that in small doses and 635 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 1: go back and sort of look at some of your 636 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: behavior and realize, here's my victimhood and and here's where 637 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 1: I was a perpetrator. That can be very very powerful 638 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: in someone's healing. It is not the first step to healing. 639 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: Please don't start there. Start with taking care of yourself, 640 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 1: right start with some of this, like do I trust 641 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: what he says from the pull pit anymore? No? Okay, 642 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 1: then I can stop saying that stuff to myself right 643 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:22,280 Speaker 1: in my everyday life when I'm sitting at a stoplight 644 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: just trying to get groceries. 645 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:23,760 Speaker 3: Right. 646 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 1: This is like much more in the later part of processing, 647 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: but saying some of those things to yourself that I 648 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 1: am both a victim and a perpetrator at the very 649 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 1: same time can be very helpful and empowering. 650 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 3: So, doctor Gideon, are there any resources that you think 651 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 3: would be really helpful for people regarding these types of situations? 652 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:47,120 Speaker 1: Yeah? Absolutely, I would say exposing yourself to a little 653 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 1: bit of information as if it comes available to you. 654 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 1: You can do that very easily online on my page. 655 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: I'm at doctor Quincy on Instagram and on TikTok, and 656 00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 1: you can find me there. I'm sharing information like this 657 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: all of the time, and my hope is to be 658 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 1: supportive there and to build community, because I know that 659 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: there's a lot of people that need to know that 660 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:09,239 Speaker 1: there's others that have been through this, right, especially when 661 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:12,160 Speaker 1: they first get out of groups like this. If you're 662 00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 1: wanting to do a little bit more of that deeper processing. 663 00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: I have a community for survivors. We have a program 664 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: that I walk you through over a year's time. It's 665 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 1: called a Year of Non Magical Thinking for Survivors, and 666 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: this is where folks that are getting out of groups 667 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:30,080 Speaker 1: like this can come. We establish safety. We talk about 668 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:32,799 Speaker 1: how to rebuild your life, but I also talk through 669 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:34,960 Speaker 1: a lot of what we've talked about today, but I 670 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:37,319 Speaker 1: tell you the science behind it. I walk you through 671 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:39,399 Speaker 1: how to actually take some of those steps to walk 672 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 1: away from thought reform, to say no to coercive behavior, 673 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:46,239 Speaker 1: to spot emotional manipulation from a mile off, and you 674 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:48,879 Speaker 1: can do that. You can find me at traumastery dot 675 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 1: com like Monastery, but for trauma get it. 676 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 2: Oh what what you did there? 677 00:34:55,120 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 3: Yeah? So we want to just express our sincere gratitude 678 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 3: for having doctor Gideon on. I know for me it's 679 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 3: been extremely insightful, a little bit emotional at times because 680 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,239 Speaker 3: it was really confronting some of those things that I 681 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 3: have had to experience and seeing loved ones experience as well. 682 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,399 Speaker 3: So having this insight I think will really help as 683 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 3: we continue on our conversations with this platform. 684 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:30,120 Speaker 2: Absolutely, she just gave so much enlightening information, and it's 685 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,360 Speaker 2: just so grateful for her time. So thank you, doctor Gideon. 686 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 2: This has been Forgive Me For I Have Followed. We'll 687 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:36,800 Speaker 2: be back next week. 688 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 3: Forgive Me For I Have Followed is a production from 689 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:45,360 Speaker 3: wv Sound, Dirty Robert and iHeartMedia's Michael Tore podcast Network, 690 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 3: hosted by Me, Khalia Gray, hen Me, Jess Cossabetto Forgive 691 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:51,400 Speaker 3: Me For I Have Followed is produced by Aaron Burlson 692 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 3: and Sophie Spencer Zabos. Our executive producers are Khalia Gray, myself, 693 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:59,200 Speaker 3: Walmer Valderrama, Leo Klam and Aaron Burlison. 694 00:35:58,840 --> 00:35:59,840 Speaker 2: At wv Sound. 695 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:03,360 Speaker 3: This episode was edited by Sean Tracy and features original 696 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 3: music by Madison Davenport and Halo Boy. For more podcasts 697 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:10,920 Speaker 3: from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 698 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,439 Speaker 3: you listen to your favorite shows. See you next week, 699 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 3: See you next week,