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Welcome to the World: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Ryan Lee
This podcast is dedicated to all things related to the process of waking up, walking out and moving on from life in a Christian cult or high control religion.Its host, Dr Ryan Lee, is a former Jehovah's Witness with a doctorate in clinical psychology and a practicing therapist, specializing in helping former JWs and other cult survivors move through the recovery and rebuilding processDr Lee covers a range of topics relating to coming to terms and healing from religious trauma and rebuilding a life after leaving a cult
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- 2 weeks ago52 min
Cult of Personality...Disorders
I've mentioned before on the program how unusually high the rate of personality disorders is among Jehovah's Witnesses, which always begs the question: Why? Well today's guest, in addition to being an ex-JW, also happens to be a counselor with a special interest in personality disorders, so after spending a little time hearing her story, we're gonna dive in and talk some shop on pds within the Jehovah's Witnesses. Along the way, we'll explore the chicken or egg question of whether the organization attracts narcissists, or creates them "collective narcissism" (a concept describing how an organization can function as a narcissistic entity) And how the narcissistic entity + individual reinforce the needs of each other
- 3 weeks ago57 min
#47 No Victims Here
Another straight up banger of a guest! (no hype) Michaela is not only charismatic and deeply fascinating, but after hearing the 9 levels of hell she crawled through to break free, you'll be left with the same question I had: How the hell did she turn out so great?! We're gonna try to suss out the answer to that question, and explore some remaining wounds that have yet to fully close Along the way we'll touch on: what we mean by the word victim why we still care what the people from the cult think of us and why sometimes, when you're not ready to climb out of the hole, your best bet might be to dig yourself deeper
- Oct 5, 202646 min
#46 Burning Bridges & Building Boundaries
After working with over a thousand ex-cult members, I thought I'd heard it all. I was wrong... On today's episode, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to "Manon"—a ferocious, badass mother (literally & figuratively) and the owner of the best cult-quitting story I've ever heard. We also go deep on what it means to have parents who are still in the cult. Parents who don't see you. Maybe never have. Probably never will. And yet, somehow, we still hold onto the fantasy that one day they might. You're not gonna wanna skip this one. It does not disappoint.
- Sep 17, 202647 min
#45 What if they were right?
If you're reading this, chances are you're already fairly certain that the cult you escaped from was a flaming pile of fecal matter. Well... fairly certain Because knowing about the failed prophecies, the abuse scandals, and recognizing the sheer absurdity of the story they're selling still doesn't quite squash that tiny, but annoyingly persistent voice that asks: "Yeah... but what if though? What if they were right?" Given that absolute certainty isn't really on the menu in this plane of existence, I can't promise to get you too 100%. But if you're hovering around 80%, give me an hour. Let's see if we can't bump that number into the high 90s
- Jun 4, 202630 min
#44 Socializing Without a Script
In this episode, I explore the strange social vertigo that can follow life in a high-control group, why authentic connection often feels riskier than performance, and how we can shift from to less theater, more improv. Along the way, I share a few stories from my own attempts to navigate life without a script—some insightful, some awkward, and at least one involving psychedelics and questionable decision-making. If you've ever wondered whether you're doing relationships correctly, this episode is for you.
- May 22, 202644 min
#43 From Certainty to Discernment
Another underdeveloped muscle in former cult members: Discernment The cult taught us that every thought and action falls into a neat little black and white category of right and wrong, regardless of the situation. And what a shock... turns out that's not actually the way the world works, and it can be quite difficult to leave that warm snuggly feeling of certainty behind. Fear not my friends, because letting go of certainty is the start of developing discernment, which is an infinitely more useful way of approaching the inherent instabilities of life.
- Jan 19, 202633 min
#42 You are NOT normal
We start by confirming what you already suspect: If you were raised in a cult or high control religion, you are most certainly not normal, and will most likely never achieve the status of such. We follow up with all the reasons "normal" is a shit thing to aim for, and why the road less traveled is often the most alive
- Jul 28, 202533 min
#41 BOOM! Ghosted!
A whole episode devoted to the feeling of being ghosted (transitive style) and how to sort through that grief
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About Welcome to the World
This podcast is dedicated to all things related to the process of waking up, walking out and moving on from life in a Christian cult or high control religion.Its host, Dr Ryan Lee, is a former Jehovah's Witness with a doctorate in clinical psychology and a practicing therapist, specializing in helping former JWs and other cult survivors move through the recovery and rebuilding processDr Lee covers a range of topics relating to coming to terms and healing from religious trauma and rebuilding a life after leaving a cult
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