Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan

In this enlightening episode, I speak to Ryan McBeth, an experienced military veteran and a recognized figure in cybersecurity, military analysis, and artificial intelligence, to explore a range of thought-provoking topics. Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge from his 20 years of service as an anti-armor and heavy weapons infantryman and his prolific work as a software architect, novelist, and YouTube content creator. Ryan appears on NEWSMAX as an intelligence consultant and consults for Veloxxity on Information Warfare and OSINT. He also performed C4ISR intelligence collection for various government customers and currently consults on intelligence collection and analysis methods. He has 856K subscribers on his YouTube channel and it is always educational learning from him. @RyanMcBethProgramming Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Davis is a British broadcaster, journalist, and voiceover artist. He was born in London and has been based in Los Angeles since 2017, where he works remotely from his home studio with networks worldwide. Since November 2021, his collaborations with the MeidasTouch media network, including the Five-Minute News, The Weekend Show, and America Uncovered, have exploded his reach across the US as a trusted voice in news commentary. Anthony argues that inviting religious far-right speakers into the very heart of American democracy shows the shift to unionize the right-wing church and state. Anthony feels America fell to a dictator when Trump’s misinformation about the election campaign was spread, and peaceful protestors in Portland were militarized. This erosion of democratic values poses a grave threat to the foundation of American governance, necessitating concerted efforts to safeguard the integrity of democratic institutions and uphold the principles of justice and equality upon which the Constitution was founded.Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Stuart Shulman, a data scientist and CEO of Texifter, dives into the murky waters of online radicalization. He reveals how Twitter fuels movements like QAnon and explores the alarming presence of foreign influence in Canadian politics. Shulman discusses the dangerous blend of real and fake users in shaping narratives and the prevalence of anti-vaccine content among extremist groups. He warns of the risks posed by unregulated AI in the digital landscape and emphasizes the importance of civic engagement to combat disinformation.

The Trump University grift followed the same playbook as many predatory organizations, like Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) organizations. Victims are hooked through legitimate sounding offers, like a weekend sales course for $1,500. However, once the victims attend the weekend sales course, they are pressured into buying more courses for more money to achieve goals too good to be true. It’s a classic bait-and-switch. So, how can regular people receive justice when high-powered people and organizations wield deception and cult-like practices? That’s where Tristan Snell comes in. Snell is a lawyer and legal commentator featured on MSNBC, NPR, in the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. He served as Assistant Attorney General for New York State, leading the investigation and prosecution of Trump University. Snell has developed a playbook for going up against Trump and others like Trump in court. This is a unique interview that you won’t want to miss!Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this era of political polarization, the landscape in the United States is marked by the rise of Donald Trump as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election. This despite Trump facing numerous legal challenges–including over his involvement in the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol. However, Trump and his supporters are but the most visible element. The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is increasingly taking over the religious right movement and, in turn, influencing the Republican Party, which holds implications for Christianity and the future of democracy. The NAR is closely aligned with those who are on a mission to take over democracy worldwide under the guise of “religious freedom.” Not only are they backing Trump, but Trump is backing them. This movement of politicized Neo-Charismatic Pentecostals (NCP) seeks to assert dominance through their Seven Mountain Mandate, which we’ve previously discussed. There is a possibility that Trump could once again serve as a conduit for their agenda at the nation’s highest office, amplifying the impact of this cult movement towards religious theocracy through the legislative and judicial branches of government at all levels. The theocratic end goals are clearly laid out through Project Blitz, a state-level legislative program primarily led by NAR operatives. André Gagné and Frederick Clarkson returned to my show to discuss the NAR, its background, and ways to educate people worldwide about it. This is a very special interview of major importance.Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neşe Devenot is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Institute for Research in Sensing (IRiS) at the University of Cincinnati and the Medicine, Society & Culture Research Fellow at Psymposia. I decided to use the title of her profoundly important journal article for this podcast. Psychedelics are all the rage. When I gave a talk at the American Psychiatric Association, there were many, many talks about the studies being done to see how drugs like psilocybin, ketamine, and MDMA might assist psychotherapeutically. However, many people are experimenting on their own. Some get caught up with a malignant narcissist “shaman” or teacher and experience horrendous trauma and abuse. While the public is doing widespread experimentation, Silicon Valley billionaires reportedly use large quantities of these substances. Devenot points out these tech billionaires appear to believe, in her words, a “TESCREAL bundle of ideologies, which describes an interrelated cluster of belief systems: transhumanism, Extropianism, singularitarianism, cosmism, Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and longtermism.” This is an utterly fascinating discussion about how the super-wealthy promotes these beliefs, and either people follow the leaders or they will be left behind. Listen to this brilliant researcher on bioethics!Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Melanie Trowbridge, a licensed naturopathic physician and acupuncturist, discusses the complexity of discerning scams from reality in natural health communities. They also explore the intersection of technology, ethics, and medical fields, concerns about emergent technology, and the manipulation of distrust in holistic medicine. The podcast highlights the importance of mental well-being, authentic connections, and community support, as well as raising awareness about human trafficking and the responsibility to learn about undue influence. Finally, they delve into AI, technology, and mind control in natural wellness and spiritual communities.

Louise Dubé, CEO of iCivics and former lawyer/ed-tech leader, leads national nonpartisan civics efforts. She discusses why civics must be taught early and throughout life. She covers research showing students spark family political talk, digital literacy and fact-checking in classrooms, scaling civics through policy, and ways communities can strengthen democratic participation.

Dr. Laura E. Anderson, a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, shares her journey from a strict Christian upbringing to healing from religious trauma. She discusses her experiences with spiritual abuse and explores how political figures can trigger deconstruction. Laura emphasizes the unique aspects of religious trauma, the importance of grief in rebuilding relationships, and cautions against viewing atheism as a one-size-fits-all solution. Her insights provide a valuable perspective on navigating the complexities of faith and trauma.

Alva Johnson, former 2016 Trump outreach director who organized rallies and coalitions, breaks silence about cult-like campaign tactics. She recounts hypnotic rally rituals, data-targeted mobilization, Russian coordination, and the rise of identity-based networks. Short, vivid stories reveal how recruitment, messaging, and media amplified radicalization.