Tales From A Cult Insider

So it's not like the story of my life in the cult and then out of the cult is ever really going to end. I am who I am due to my circumstances and my choices and I wouldn't go back for anything. That said, we're winding up this big arc and the podcast is going to come to an end soon - with some epilogues here and there over the next few months or so.  This episode is where I share anecdotes and situations and funny and even important experiences in my immediately post-cult life. In fact, I share the story of my very first actual girlfriend. And frankly, I'll never not be grateful to the people of Kanab, Utah, for being warm, welcoming, and just exactly weird enough for me as I fought to find my feet.  Remember you can support this podcast via: listening, sharing, word of mouth, reviewing, and rating. And everything you do, I appreciate. Reach me at jared@jaredgarrett.com or on Twitter @jaredgarrett. #CultInsider --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

It's the episode you might have been waiting for! I talk about how I finally actually got out of the cult. For a guy whose bread and butter is telling stories, I recognize that this story might be somewhat anti-climactic, but it's not. It's true in all the right ways. I made my choices all the way along and those choices helped me get out of the negative, abusive situation and start healing.  So give it a listen and find out how I found the physical freedom I'd sought for so long - although I'd found emotional freedom sometime before.  As always, tell your friends, family, and enemies. And hug your loved ones.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

Okay friends, we're closing in on the story of my escape. But before that, some things changed for us kids. This episode focuses on all of us kids in the Dallas Branch-- also called the Children's Center. I mention a few things I've talked about in the past and put it all together, doing my best to share what it felt like to be an older teenager in this cult. There was a normalcy, even though it was still bizarre. The conversations I had with new friends were a bit of a taste of what I would experience for the rest of my life when making new friends-- the cult was the focus.  Enjoy the anecdotes and such. Fans of Peter Gabriel will appreciate the final story.  As always, thank you for listening. Don't forget: sharing is caring.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

I share another chapter of my memoir, in which I tell some stories about learning who my real father is, how my biological family sort of evolved, being a ring-bearer at a cult wedding, and more.  I also pose some questions to you, dear listener. I await your response.  Merry Christmas!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

If I were a clickbait headline writer, this episode's title would be: Hypocrisy Made Him This. Click To Be Shocked!  The truth is that the name The Children's Ministry might not mean what you think it means. And in this episode, I finally reveal a deep, dark secret that perhaps two people outside of the Dallas Branch kids know. Or really, those two people might not even remember me telling them.  So you get to find it out.  Also, this episode covers one of the most bizarre disconnects that I experienced growing up. But through that disconnect, I found I had a talent for performing, so that's okay. And I tie balloons very well. And I teach you how to use a helium tank.  Just listen already. And support this podcast and review it and share with your crew. Posse? Tribe? What do the kids say these days?  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

Given how sort of all over the place the history of the cult is being told in this podcast, I thought it might be useful to really hone the thing's evolution down into a simple explanation of facts, with my own perspective on some of the popular myths about the cult. For example, was it a Satanist cult? Answer in the podcast (spoiler: no).  Also, even in major trauma or very harsh conditions, the human spirit is strong and will find joy. Luckily, this cult was not good but was nowhere near as bad as millions in this world have it. And there were sometimes some really fun things that we got to do. I talk about those here.  As always, thanks for your support, your reviews, and your word of mouth!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

If you're a long time listener (first time caller :-) ), you know I've written my memoir. I'm revising it now preparatory to sending it to agents. I wanted to share chapter 22 with you, in which I sum up the cult's evolution, and mine as well. It's also a chapter in which I give the cult's founders a much needed message. This chapter was incredibly healing for me to write. I hope you enjoy it.  Remember you can email me, support this podcast, review it, and share it with your crew!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

It's episode 31 and I'm talking all about being robbed. I also share some interesting experiences I had with old cult cronies over the last weekend and I answer a listener's excellent question about holidays.  The being robbed thing was ongoing, really. But this episode is also about the actual thing when our home was burgled. Crazy, right?  As always, thanks for tuning in. Remember to review and share!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

This title will become self-explanatory, but spoiler: this episode will especially please theater geeks. Stage acting and everything associated with it blessed my life and changed it fundamentally. My baby face might have gotten me roles, but my roles helped me find a voice.  I tell the stories of my very first ever part in a play, along with my very first solo act, and sort of getting paid to act professionally for a time. Also, theater helped me meet and marry a great lady. Not kidding.  Enjoy. Thanks for stopping by. May I suggest you review this podcast and talk about it with your pals?  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

Being sick in the Foundation Faith of God was not fun. Especially when it was an ongoing anxiety about sleeping. I mean, think about it. Who do you tell when you haven't slept well? Your spouse? Your parent? Your coworker or siblings?  I didn't have any of that. We were all just trying to make it through, man.  So enjoy the stories about ailments in the Foundation. Cringe at your leisure. I'm fine now, so don't worry about it.  And don't forget to review, share, and support this podcast!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

You'd think that a cult would have a single, controlling doctrine that informed every moment and every action in the lives of its adherents, wouldn't you? Something like this world is an illusion, so everything we do is an attempt to break the illusion. Or our existence is a simulation. Or animals are the actual gods.  Or something else.  But the Foundation Faith of God didn't really, in my experience, have a single uniting doctrine. I explore more about this, why it was the case, and more about the evolution of the cult/commune from Scientology offshoot to, ultimately, the very productive and wonderful Best Friends Animal Society.  Remember to review, share with your friends, and support this podcast!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

Part of my growing up in a cult has actually been the growing up I've done outside of the cult. This is a story about good, friendly, generous people helping me find my feet, find my voice a little, and also start finding myself. Because when I got out of that cult, I was in a thick, shy shell. But that wasn't my end form, friends. That was me in embryo, and this story is the story of me breaking free.  At least a little.  So join me at high school dances full of bangs and perms. And remember to review this podcast and tell your friends about it.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

Let's get into some of the intricacies of the day-to-day of cult/commune living. In this episode, I share some of the bizarre, sometimes alienating double standards propagated by the Foundation and its members. Things to do with sex, the terrible outside world, and more. Tune in and remember to leave a review! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

I'm usually down with just telling my stories and being as chill as possible. But several things combined to make this episode necessary. And talking about being essentially erased over and over again by the people who 'raised' me was necessary- because voices will be heard. I will be heard. There appears to be a little anger left in the basement, which I'd like to excise, so this episode was even therapeutic.  Please understand, my intent is not to tear down or deliver a scathing indictment or even to write an exposé of the organization the cult has become. I admire their work. But I can admire their work and want it to continue and still speak the truth. We were there. They had us, abandoned us, used us to do hard labor, and neglected and even abused many of us. All that mixed in with plenty of good times.  Truth needs to be spoken. I have committed to not live a life of fear. So I spoke the truth- with no animosity for anyone.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult

For the final episode of Season 1, a lengthy story about a major crush I had. Yes, a crush. On a Scottish girl. The years that I carried this torch became incredibly formative for me and I'm grateful for all I learned and all I did to improve myself.  The last little bit of the episode is a reflection on a moment I had tonight with one of my kids and the juxtaposition of that moment with my life growing up. I get a little... energetic about that.  As always, thank you for tuning in. Thank you for sharing. Remember to click on the support link below. And on Instagram and Twitter and other social media, you can use #TalesFromACultInsider and #CultInsider to find a community of listeners.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

It's part two of the short series about my mother. Our relationship, as I tried to describe in the last episode, was odd at best. We ate Chinese food sometimes. We both read horror novels. We spoke sometimes. But when I shared my honest feelings, it made her angry, so I learned to not do that. She had a life full of what was important to her and surprised me by a late-in-life emergence as a businesswoman. Listen and you will soon discover I have mommy issues.  As always, I'd love your support. Rate, review, share. You can share on Twitter and Instagram, and if you use #CultInsider as a hashtag, I'll see it.  See you next week for the next episode!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

Now for two episodes about my mother. There's a lot of me doing my level best to get across the experience/relationship I had with my mother- which wasn't all bad, but was not what most people would understand. So listen and you'll probably get a new appreciation for your own parents ( I really hope so at least) and you will also find out that this world is full of so many variations and relationships. Maybe this will help us all gain more empathy for those we inhabit this world with.  Don't forget to share, review, rate, and support this podcast. Thank you for being a #cultinsider.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

I love water today. I was scared of it when I was younger. Here's where I tell you why and take the opportunity to share some specific stories about how we commune kids spent our days. The YWCA in Dallas features prominently, as does weird, ritualistic baptism.  Remember to review!  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support

"I'm an equal-opportunity weirdo." Ah, the joys of an unscripted podcast. In this milestone 20th episode, I share lots of details about the school I spent seven years attending. The one created by the cult because of... reasons I can only really speculate about. In many ways, it was awesome. In a few ways, it was meh. It was basically home school, but with less home.  Don't forget to review, tell your friends about, and maybe even support this podcast! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tales-from-a-cult-insider/support