Wow episode with Sam & Elise hit home! They described my experience with high control religion. I keep saying I left a cult and now I can prove it. Thanks for your work in exposing the cults

Could not get through this one - as unfortunately is the case with many of the episodes lately. While I’m sure Sarah had the best intentions of being supportive and helpful, it came across as condescending and know-it-all. Also, the editors could have stepped in to mitigate the extremely long pauses when the guest was speaking. Sarah and Nippy have done great work in this space and it’s a shame to hear the quality decline.

I was liking this pod but something felt off. Little comments here and there gave me the sense that these two have more work to do on their recuperation. Platforming Tolle was what broke the shelf. I wish them the best but I’ll be moving on. Steven Hassan doesn’t have a smooth voice or interviewing style but he’s the real deal. If you’re recovering from cult abuse, listen to a pro. If you decide to stay with this pod, listen with caution and use your best critical thinking skills.

I love the premise of the podcast and some episodes are great, but a constant theme is how much Sarah and Nippy interrupt their guests. I get to the end of most episodes feeling like I didn’t learn as much about the guest as you would expect based on the length of the episode. I’m trying to hang in there, but I’m skipping episodes more often.

Always really interesting conversations. But Nippy… Dylan is not “a-political.” Dude. Come on, now. He just has a mind of his own.

Coming from a person who is educated and is hyper alert to red flags, and yet has still been a person who can get fooled by someone. Your podcast and especially the last one with Mark is crucial for combatting these type of people. Great job! Love you guys.

The earlier episodes where they could relate to the guests and topic because of the parallels of what they went through were great listens, informative. The problem for me started when their experiences were no longer relevant to later guests/topics, yet still shoe-horned it in. Then the continual plugging of the books, The Vow, etc in nearly every episode was tiring as it was predictable. The listener‑feedback episodes killed it for me. They gushed over praise and sneered at anything negative. It was embarrassing to listen to. Reacting to feedback as episodes is not great content. Review offline and implement feedback that can help the show. After that I barely listened to any episodes; very few were good. Plus the continually splitting of episodes, needlessly, into two parts was grating. It’s a shame. The podcast had value and potential to be more but now it just feels off the rails grasping to stay relevant.

Great show overall, but the episode on Baha’i felt like an overreach. Your guest suffered horrific abuse from his sadistic father, but he conflated that abuse with an entire religion without giving clear information on what Bahai teachings or governing structures promote abuse or the protection of predators. If the point of your podcast is to highlight groups that use coercive control and manipulation to conceal exploitative behavior, it seems like the dad himself was the one doing that. The guest had a lot of raw emotion and was hard to follow; the hosts could have done a better job better job separating the personal trauma from the claims about the religion itself.  

This podcast is one of the best! It’s personally helped me recognize and better cope with an abusive childhood and how/why I remained loyal to my abusers for so many years and kept falling for their obvious lies. It seems like most cult leaders are very much like abusive parents, only on a much larger scale. What makes this podcast different is the insight and honesty that the hosts share about their daily struggles in re-entering a cult free life. Their banter is delightful and funny. I would love to see a series, possibly a dramedy based on their new and better life.

I’ve listened to this show for many years, and I’ve really enjoyed its breadth and evolution. Nippy and Sarah bring a nice balance and variety through their “same church different pew” perspectives, to borrow an expression from my gramma. I’ve had some culty experiences in my life and this show has helped me parse out my questions and doubts. Plus, these two have zero interest in blowing smoke or posturing. Very, very refreshing. Thanks Sarah and Nip!

They couldn’t tell when they joined a cult, but we’re supposed to take their advice on other “cult” type things? Uh, that’s alright.

Always interesting but the hosts often divert from the guest to amplify their projects or center their experience. Which- doesn’t make for the most fruitful interview…..my humble opinion. 💜

I have learned so much from Sarah, Nippy and their guests. Great conversations, harrowing stories.

I’d join a cult for that awesome theme song. This podcast is fascinating and informative. The hosts have great banter and, because of their own experience, have great discussions with the guests. I appreciate the wisdom and humor! One particularly poignant statement was from Andrew-Ryan on the Love has won episodes. He said “ cults aren’t really fringe- they are a magnified version of what society already does which is sell fear, sell belonging, and punish doubt.” WOW. Just wow. So true. We all need to take care, keep hyper alert, and be strong in breaking out of any group that is controlling and abusive.

I’m very impressed with Sarah and Nippy giving Sofia May a platform to tell her story. She was bold in a way that was so incredibly refreshing. I don’t always agree with Sarah and Nippy, but I’m still here listening because you are willing to listen to all survivors and experts. I have been personally helped by past guests including both their experience and expertise.

I originally had belief that this brave couple would become important voices in the lexicon of modern cult awareness, and perhaps if Sarah were to cut loose, she still will. But Nippy’s ongoing refusal to wrestle with concepts of his radical levels of privilege (‘I don’t engage with that white male privilege stuff’), unwillingness to stand a clear political stand against radical human rights abuses (‘both sides are equally bad’), and strangely coded language that indicates plenty of libertarian/red pill content still at play in his psyche, I’m out. I wish them the best as humans, but no longer believe that together they will be the liberation advocates we’d once imagined.

Tía Levings new episode is so healing and validating to me. Thank you for sharing it!

I have no doubt that Sophia experienced several issues with the Tara Mandala group, but in the beginning, and throughout this episode, she says extremely false things about Buddhism, such as, “you are taught to believe that everything is your fault”. That is completely false and dangerous. Sophia could use her words more carefully about how she describes Buddhism versus what Tara Mandela taught her.

They have interesting guests, and I have learned a lot from the show. However… equating an opinion on a tv show to opinions on human rights is nonsense. It’s shallow and thoughtless. I understand if they don’t want to talk about the current climate at all and would rather leave this space for the topic of cults, but that and a few other offhand comments have made me think twice about supporting the show. Yes, there’s extremism on both sides but who is out there killing people in the streets and deporting children/immigrants who are doing all the “right things” to be here legally? Unfortunately several Democratic politicians did vote to fund ICE, which is also wrong, but we all know whose ideology is behind this. The hosts seem like very intelligent people and I can’t believe that they *really* can’t see what’s happening right in front of us, right now. Be honest with yourselves and cut the “but both sides” 🤪bs. I do understand that being heavily involved in a cult might make you think twice before taking a stand on something. But. There is still a wrong and right, and your politics are informed by your morality. I’m unsubscribing, still might listen to a show if they have a guest I’m interested in, but it now seems like they’re just trying to pander to people burying their heads in the sand about what this country is becoming. It’s gross and disappointing. Too bad because I used to recommend the show to a lot of my friends, but there are other podcasts that are more in line with my values. Even ones where I may not agree, if the hosts take a good faith approach to the topics at hand and don’t just blow off what’s happening in our country from this sheltered, privileged, perspective.

I’ve been listening to this podcast for quite some time. I’ve been following the stories of the creators, and I can say with full sincerity, that I deeply respect their experiences and their voices and I think I understand where they’re coming from. It’s also been both interesting and sad to watch as their efforts to maintain autonomy and free themselves from under the yoke of what’s been done to them has turned them into such skeptics of everything, that it seems like they no longer believe in anything. When they discuss this sort of neutral stance towards politics, they deny the fact that they are indeed taking a stance. It’s actually quite disheartening. I hope they both continue to heal. For their own sakes and for the people they inspire.

As a longtime casual listener in Minneapolis, having Good’s killing by ICE obliquely referenced in such a dismissive “who can say” way in the 1/22 episode was horrifying to hear from a podcast purporting to examine high control thinking. I understand the desire to not alienate people who are dallying with cultic groups, but Steven Hassan’s approach is the way to do it, not this abdication of any moral compass or objective reality under the guise of “maintaining neutrality.” Really shines an extremely negative light on this show and whether the hosts are in this for helping build a freer world and encourage critical thinking. I have many friends and family who are scared to leave home because they aren’t white. My white neighbors (including elderly) are being tear gassed and having chemical weapons deployed against them in our local playground literally for trying to bear witness to others being taken from their homes without warrants (or just stepping outside to see what’s going on). It’s really really bad here, particularly if you care about things like due process, democracy, freedom, free speech, free movement, freedom of assembly, etc. Please, don’t be so flippant about what’s happening now, when there are so many people being actively harmed by an authoritarian arm of the government aiming to eliminate dissent through increasingly draconian means. That hurtful attitude is the antithesis of what your own experiences would lead you to, I would think/hope.

Was a long time listener despite creeping red-pill-flavored libertarianism because of the guests and their stories, but in this week’s episode, Nippy (unprompted) compared disagreements over the ongoing assault on our rights by ICE and the murder of an innocent mother to disagreeing over Seinfeld. I don’t believe this podcast truly cares about helping vulnerable people avoid or escape control, oppression, and harm. Plenty of other shows that are in alignment with my values!

I’ve been listening for a while and love the podcast. As someone who had these experiences, it’s helpful to learn more - it’s good to hear while healing (which is a long term process). I’m moved to make a review today because of your episode on Kashi. My experience was in atlanta, and while on the mild side (aside from being hit), I got enough grooming to then wind up in a horrific family cult. Thanks for covering “Ma” and I’ll look forward to your guest’s book.

I really enjoy this podcast but today I had to turn it off - I had listened to part 1 and almost didn’t listen to part 2 at all - the guest’s story is very compelling BUT- Jared’s use of the F word became extremely grating and distracting. I say the F word and other salty words all the time but this was really really too much - I had to turn part 2 off just a few minutes into the interview. I of course will still tune in - but this one was too much.

The arguments to support anti vax behaviors are not factual or scientific. Very disappointed.

I have been listening to A Little Bit Culty for a few years. The discussions and guests give insight beyond cult awareness speaking to the tenets of good health and self value.

I've been listening to Sarah and Nippy on and off for a few years. One thing that really struck me was the episode on Landmark. About 10 years ago, a former supervisor of mine (we were both laid off from work) emailed me about it, and I went to the website. It didn't take long for me to conclude "oh this sounds so culty." Fast-forward a few years and guess what, my gut was right. This is something Sarah and Nippy also emphasize a lot. Still, I wish I thought to copyright the word! lol live and keep learning.

I look forward to every episode and I’ve gotten something out of every episode. Highly recommend this podcast to any human being whether you’ve been in a cult, you find cults interesting, or you love someone that’s in a cult. Be prepared to get something out of every episode.

Love all of it — except the ads, the ads that you voice. Sorry but it sounds like you’re lying.

My dad and his 2nd family were members of CUT and my stepmom was one of the last people living on the ranch in MT. In 2007, I visited them and got to explore one of the bunkers. I have been listening to all the different podcast episodes about CUT. Yours with Sean Prophet were very good.

ALBC is informative in one major way. They remind me with each story how easy it is to fall under control of ideas not your own. how easy it is to fall into groups that monetize and try to take your lives over. They never stop reminding their listeners to treat each other “kindly.” To ask questions and to listen. You don’t need to agree with everything. They don’t expect it. They just ask that you listen. We need more truth telling to power. Keep going!

I’ve listened since season one and I recognize personal growth in the hosts. Nippy is a bit patriarchal, but I do see that he tries to fight it. In the past, I would say he tried to mask it. Although, in a recent episode with Dr. Ingrid, Sarah asked Nippy if it was scary when she got angry. She should know better than to expect Nippy to admit any sort of weakness. It only comes out if he’s in control of the narrative. That would be my only negative mark against the show. Nippy, listen to learn and show vulnerability, because that’s what people relate to. Especially people listening to a cult podcast. To both of you: keep bringing forth the education and awareness! Thank you!

I love listening to Sarah and Nippy-I would say I have listened to just about every podcast they have done. They have a knack for picking guests. They are great bantering back and forth -and great at interviewing guests!

There's so much in these episodes that helps me reflect on my life, consider my choices, learn why i do what i do and understand humanity better.

Thank you for everything you do! I just finished listening to the AMAZING two parter with Ingrid Clayton. It was so great and I felt like captured her and her work so beautifully. I also just finished reading Little Bosses Everywhere after listing to their episode with Bridget Read and it was so great. A million years ago I grew up in Lifespring and the founder of that started in Holiday Magic and well, I can see the similarities. I didn’t grow up in an MLM or a cult but I grew in something and this podcast has really helped me. Thank you!💗

All of a sudden my Apple feed no longer will give me the current programs. It is giving me very old programs starting with the Mike Rinder interview.

I was in a women’s group led by a guy whose “teacher” was David Deida. Like many personal growth groups, it got a “little bit culty” and I left the group. One of the things about these groups is the “othering”, manipulation and ostracization you feel when you dare to question the doctrine or decide it’s not for you anymore. Around the time I left the documentary came out and then the podcast. I started listening and following and just loved and still love it! I have reached out from time to time to Sarah and Nippy and they have always responded and been so helpful and kind. It’s wild to see some of the comments calling them slurs for questioning or having someone who agrees with RFK on the show. It’s this kind of close mindedness and name calling that has brought this country to a cold civil war. It’s ironic to see reviews like this for a podcast that is all about questioning culty beliefs and thinking. If your beliefs, politics, and opinions are so imbedded that hearing opinions you don’t agree with causes this sort of reaction then you’re probably the exact kind of person that needs to listen to this podcast! And dare I say YOU are the one who is not a little but but VERY culty!!!

I've been bingeing the "A Little Bit Culty" podcast by Sarah Edmondson and Anthony Ames and I recommend you do the same. It was started about four years ago during the pandemic, but those first episodes are still highly relevant and features interviews with heavy hitters like Dr. Janja Anne Lalich and Steven Hassan, PhD. Five stars.

I really enjoy the topics and learning about all the culty things and MLM's right under our noses. What I hate is the snarky political references. Why can't you leave that out? Obviously you are still culty in the way you have to inflict insult on anyone who doesn't think your way. Sad bc you have great guests.

Absolutely love the work Sarah and Nippy do. Their podcast should be required listening so that everyone can educated themselves against the dangers of coercive control. Wish I’d had access to their knowledge when I was younger—could have saved me a lot of grief!

I’ve listened to ALBC since the beginning. Didn’t realize Nippy was a part of Zionist/racist cult. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Ive realized they’re both just entitled capitalist twats. Unsubscribed and unfollowed. Nippy and Sarah expose their privilege and ignorance every episode. Hard pass. Ignorant bourgeoise

What are they talking about? They’re interviewing a professor and she’s talking to them as if everyone knows the story. I don’t know anything about this case and it’s not being explained at all. I started on part 2 and was totally confused. Then I started on part 1 and I’m just as confused. Terrible story telling. I have no knowledge of whatever case they are referring to. They’re jumping into some sort of details and I have no context. What happened? Who knows. This is a drag to listen to.

This is my fav podcast!!! I’ve been following Sarah and nippys story since the nytimes article and have admired their story as well as their resilience and tenacity to share cult recovery stories, tips and tricks. What makes nxivm so fasicinating is not Keith who must not be fully named or even allison Mack, what makes it so incredible is Sarah nippy and the whistleblowers that took this monstrosity down. That’s the story. That’s where the healing begins. I am just catching up on my fav podcast aka A Little Bit Culty and especially loving the bonus episodes part 1 and 2! For us nxvim nerds, sakari and I are just SO grateful to Sarah and nippy and all are willing to share your stories from the cult. There’s something healing and electrifying hearing all four of you on these episodes sort of puzzle pieces together and unlock the healing and it’s emotional to listen to being on this journey with all of you this entire time! Love that they are healing and hope more nvixm members will come on to share theirs bc it’s riveting and also emotional to listen to. Bravo! ❤️❤️❤️

genocidal ignorance & lies. all holocausts are bad. & it's spelled "keffiyeh". directly from their transcript: nippy: “I have a question. I try not to be controversial on our podcast because I want to reach people, but I have some strong feelings about some stuff that's going. You're in academia. If I were to drop my son off at some of the schools that I went to, or Columbia, and he comes back a year later and he's wearing a kaffir and protesting and not letting Jews into dorms or whatever, and he comes home, that's alarming to me, particularly in a place that is ostensibly trying to teach critical thought, something that he probably just learns about and ends up doing something like that. What recourse would parents have on that, regardless of what it is? That's just a content point that I'm somewhat objectionable to, and to think that that stuff is going to make a real difference in the Middle East, I think, is narcissistic at the very least and naïve, and has a naïve arrogance to it, that I had at that age, right? I just didn't have a cause on my campus that I was willing to be malevolent about. So what then?"

Extremism exists in so many places today. Hearing "If you don't know your programming, you're probably being programmed" opened my eyes. I SO APPRECIATE how Sarah & Nippy are navigating & carefully speaking to us all to encourage scrutiny without becoming negative & jaded. Stay in the love, take care of ourselves & keep an eye out for coercive behaviors & learn the warning signs AND the tools to handle them. I just can't imagine anyone doing a more careful, thoughtful job of encouraging an audience to stay open & to continue to dialogue. These 2 are doing an exceptional job. Thank you for opening my eyes & bringing a microscope, care & positive outlook to the world!

Sarah and Nippy have a way of finding the common threads of the cult experience in virtually any setting, and helping the listener learn to recognize, emancipate and heal from the cult experience. Give this show a listen!

The conversation with Jasmin is one of the best!! Do I disagree with some stuff? Yes! Is that a bad thing!! GOD NO, I want my beliefs challenged!! I thought the conversation was balanced, informed and did what we miss so much in the US society: healthy debate, not extremes yelling at each other. Thanks for this great conversation!!

I absolutely love this podcast! I’ve been a loyal listener for many years now and by far Sarah and Nippy are the best at unpacking this Culty world!

Could barely get through this episode today. When the word “like” is used every 10 seconds, it’s nails on a chalkboard. Thank you Nippy and Sarah for being articulate and well spoken to get through the pain of your guest.

I was the biggest fan of this podcast until one night. A story was posted on nippy‘s social media, and he had posted an Islamophobic post called soft jihad. basically, a racist conspiracy theory that alleges all Islamic immigrants are part of some sort of plot. Basically the great replacement theory. When I sent a DM to suggest maybe he shouldn’t post this he got extremely defensive. he stood by every word of the post, and honestly it felt like I was speaking to someone who is in a cult.I blocked him as soon as I could. With all the racism we have seen in the past 8+ years there needs to be zero tolerance for this. This was The best podcast to learn about cults without question. It gave a voice to so many victims. But now by supporting this podcast You are supporting a racist, and elevating a platform to spread hate. I hope he can see the error of his way and make amends to those hurt by that post but until then I do not recommend this podcast.