Joseph L. Flatley, author and creator, introduces "The Inner Empire," exploring how modern platforms automatically install beliefs, tracing this mechanism through history to understand its control over our lives.
26 Aug 2021
BONUS: New Age Grifter
Joshua Lilly is a former follower of Gabriel of Urantia, the subject of this podcast as well as my latest book, New Age Grifter. He’s also something of a “fan favorite,” so — due to popular demand — I am giving him an (almost 2 hours long!) episode of my FAILED STATE UPDATE podcast to tell us about his life and times in (and out of) a religious cult.
This is a preview of an episode for FAILED STATE UPDATE newsletter subscribers. To subscribe for free, go to: https://lennyflatley.substack.com/ (https://lennyflatley.substack.com/)
My book on the group, titled New Age Grifter: The True Story of Gabriel of Urantia and his Cosmic Family is available now on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106/ref=sr_1_2).
18 Feb 2020
Part 8: Mr. Image Man
My new book about Gabriel of Urantia is available for preorder on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106 (https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106)
This is the final episode of the series (for now) and probably the best one yet. It's definitely the most upsetting. Topics covered include incidents of sexual abuse and the mistreatment of children in the GCCA. I also take a trip to the guru's childhood home and recount the story of his former son-in-law (and how he wound up in prison).Thanks for listening. And don't unsubscribe, as I'll be uploading plenty of bonus content into the near future.Warning: this episode includes discussion of sexual abuse.
11 Feb 2020
Part 7: Celestial Healing
My new book about Gabriel of Urantia is available for preorder on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106 (https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106)
What are the spiritual implications of hydrogen and oxygen? How does the GCCA make its money? And what (or who) does this group have in common with the infamous California rehab cult Synanon? These questions and more will be answered on this episode of The So-Called Prophet From Pittsburgh.
4 Feb 2020
Part 6: David / Alveed
My new book about Gabriel of Urantia is available for preorder on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106 (https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106)
David (cosmic name: Alveed) was a member of Gabriel's Aquarian Concepts Community from 1999-2009. In this interview, we talk about how he came to join the community, its use of coercive psychology, and how he fled with his son after ten years of cult life.
28 Jan 2020
Part 5: Personal Transmission
My new book about Gabriel of Urantia is available for preorder on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106 (https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106)
When Gabriel of Urantia makes contact with the voices in his head, he calls this a "transmission." Sometimes these messages are meant for a particular member of his cult—this is a "personal transmission," and it is quite an honor. In this episode, various members of the Negative Network will give us their theories about the nature of this phenomenon. We will also hear from someone who knew Gabriel in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Lastly, we will meet Joshua Lilly, an ex-follower of Gabriel who lost his family to Gabriel's cult.
21 Jan 2020
Part 4: Aquarian Concepts
My new book about Gabriel of Urantia is available for preorder on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106 (https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106)
The Global Community Communications Alliance was founded in 1989 under its original name, Aquarian Concepts Community. In this episode, we talk to one early member about community life. We also speak to cult expert Rick Alan Ross about cults in general and Gabriel's in particular, before learning about the revelation that Gabriel has adopted, The Urantia Book.
14 Jan 2020
Part 3: The Shift
My new book about Gabriel of Urantia is available for preorder on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106 (https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106)
Sanskrita DellErba is the daughter of Gabriel and Niann, the founders of the Global Community Communications Alliance. In this episode, she tells us where the cult came from and what it was like to grow up in that environment—and shares a lot of stories about her father in the process. We also hear from people who knew Gabriel and Niann before they were the highest spiritual beings on the planet.
7 Jan 2020
Part 2: The Negative Network
My new book about Gabriel of Urantia is available for preorder on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106 (https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106)
The first full-length episode begins with a trip to Gabriel's compound. After that, a former follower and one of Gabriel's most outspoken critics, Laird Scott, talks about discovering, joining, and eventually fleeing the group. Finally, a former colleague of Gabriel talks about working with him in Tucson in the 1970s.
6 Jan 2020
Part 1: Series introduction
My new book about Gabriel of Urantia is available for preorder on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106 (https://www.amazon.com/New-Age-Grifter-Gabriel-Urantia/dp/1627311106)
The So-Called Prophet from Pittsburgh is Gabriel of Urantia, a self-proclaimed holy man who currently presides over a spiritual community (some call it a cult) in the desert of Southern Arizona. In a fenced-in compound, three generations of the Global Community Communications Alliance soak in Gabriel's teachings as they wait for the end of the world. Join investigative journalist Joseph L. Flatley as he travels around the country, speaking to Gabriel's ex-followers, cult experts, and people who knew him before he was a so-called prophet. You'll learn why people join a group like this, why they stay as long as they do, and the challenges they face when they decide to leave. And you’ll hear some groovy music in the process. In the premiere episode, we meet Tony Delevin from Pittsburgh. He first started hearing voices in the 1980s, after his second marriage fell apart. Eventually, the voices told him to change his name to Gabriel and move to Arizona, where he lives today with his 100-plus followers.
Inside a recent episode
Introducing The Inner Empire
Published 15 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Every one of these stories illustrates the same three-part mechanism. Attention, association, expectation. Install the right images, charge them with the right emotion, repeat them long enough, and you don't have to convince anyone of anything. Attention determines what enters the system, shaping what you notice. Association links what you attend to with existing emotional and cognitive structures. And once that loop is running, it keeps running whether or not anyone is left standing at the controls. A Renaissance philosopher named Giordano Bruno described this mechanism 500 years ago in detail and was later burned at the stake. […]
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