Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

About Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between. Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

Publisher

Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

Category

comedy · society & culture · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Oct 2020

Latest episode

24 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

47 of 266 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   24 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Nikki G, Part 2 - The Seven Mountain Mandate, “Church Hurt,” and Why Cults Aren’t Just a White People Problem

   Host [Host Name] interviews Nikki G. as she reveals her experiences in high-control groups, the Seven Mountain Mandate, and the intersection of faith and white supremacy, offering insights into church hurt versus religious trauma.

2. 

   17 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Nikki G, Part 1 - Down the Rabbit Hole, Cult Hopping, and Surviving the Black Church

   Nikki G., host of Surviving the Black Church, shares her harrowing journey through cults, detailing her initial descent and experiences with high-control groups in this interview.

3. 

   10 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Maria Bamford - 12 Step Programs, OCD, and How to Join Every Group

   Lola and Meagan interview Maria Bamford about her OCD, intrusive thoughts, and how these experiences led her to find belonging in 12-step programs and other groups.

Inside a recent episode

Nikki G, Part 2 - The Seven Mountain Mandate, “Church Hurt,” and Why Cults Aren’t Just a White People Problem

Published 24 Jun 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And I'm not trying to be morbid, but, you know, people like, oh, my gosh, you were in five different cults. I'm like, have you ever been in a cult? No, I ain't never been in a cult. I said, yes, you have. We're in a cult right now in this country. You know, it may not hit you fully personally, but a lot of what's going on is very cultish, you know. But, you know, to get back to your question, you know, in the black church, it's just crazy. Not having these conversations. Now, they may talk politics, they may talk religion, but they won't talk about abuse that's been in the family system because somebody might have been abused in the church system and it started to intersect into the family. […]

Who has been a guest on Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Nikki G
• Maria Bamford
• Sarah Edmondson
• Nomzia Bistline
• Nomz Bistline

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

10,737,782

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

2,527 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

1,625 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 84 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

93

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

93

Pitching Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting pitches.

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