- 428
- Episodes
- 32
- Transcribed
- 356
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2017
- First episode
About Speaking of Cults
A podcast about cults, coercive control and recovery. Formerly called the Sensibly Speaking podcast, in this weekly show host Chris Shelton interviews cult survivors, psychologists and other professionals and specialists about the topics of cult recruitment, retention and recovery. This also includes non-religious cults and extreme political movements including the more divisive elements of MAGA and left-wing culture war issues. There is nothing off-limits but we always try to be respectful of the people involved even if we do not respect the beliefs or actions involved.
- Publisher
- Chris Shelton
- Category
- education · news · religion & spirituality
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- Yes
- First episode
- 16 Dec 2017
- Latest episode
- 17 Oct 2026
Latest episodes
32 of 428 episodes have a transcript.
17 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Speaking of Cults...Mormons and the Satanic Panic
10 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Speaking of Cults...Abusive Family Cults and the Foster System with Stella McCormick
7 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Speaking of Cults...The Scientology We Dug Up in Digger with Luke Y. Thompson
Inside a recent episode
Speaking of Cults...Mormons and the Satanic Panic
Published 17 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] This is a nod from the publishers to Alice in Wonderland. Because there was a point in it where the girl who's never named says things about the pill making her feel bigger or making her feel smaller. So that was sort of their nod to it. But it's a young teenager who's given LSD without her knowledge. The other kids that she's with guide her hallucinations so she has a good trip, and then she gets really hooked on it. She runs away a few times, actually starts selling LSD for her dealers, including to grade school kids, goes in and out of doing drugs, and ultimately ends her life with them. It sold really, really well because LSD was the scary thing. […]
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See plansWho has been a guest on Speaking of Cults
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Bryce Blankenagle
- Shannon Grover
- Stella McCormick
- Luke Y Thompson
- Sara Carson
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.7 / 5
- 271 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.7 / 5
- 85 ratings
Contact Speaking of Cults
- Guest appearances
- Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Questions about Speaking of Cults
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Speaking of Cults take guests?
The show does not typically feature guests, based on episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
32 of 428 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
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