36-Brittany Hart on IHOPKC, Spiritual Abuse, and Rebuilding Faith

36-Brittany Hart on IHOPKC, Spiritual Abuse, and Rebuilding Faith

In this episode, Derek and Trent sit down with Brittany Hart, writer, poet, and author of Surviving Wonderland: A Journey Beyond Control. Brittany Hart is an author and poet who writes at the intersection of spiritual trauma and recovery. Her debut collection, Surviving Wonderland: A Journey Beyond Control, transforms her experience in a high-control religious group into art for anyone reclaiming their voice and finding their way back to themselves. She now supports fellow survivors through creative writing, online guides, and spaces of gentle, grounded healing. Brittany shares her experience inside the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, also known as IHOPKC, and how a high-control religious environment shaped her sense of identity, time, purpose, and faith. What began as a sincere search for God slowly became wrapped in fear, urgency, end-times messaging, intense worship culture, and the belief that rest, normal life, and even questioning could mean spiritual failure. Through her book, Brittany uses poetry and the imagery of Alice in Wonderland to describe the process of going down the rabbit hole, waking up, and finding language for what happened. This conversation explores spiritual abuse, the power of music and repetition, the grief of lost time, the role of therapy, and what it can look like to rebuild faith in a way that is no longer rooted in fear. This is a conversation about control, healing, and the courage it takes to come back to yourself.   Brittany’s poetry collection, Surviving Wonderland: A Journey Beyond Control, is now available on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Wonderland-Journey-Beyond-Control/dp/1966655584] Untangle from end times anxiety with help from Brittany here [https://brittanyhart.samcart.com/products/end-times-anxiety-checkout] Follow Brittany on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/brittanyhartwrites/]   Support cult.ture pod over on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/Cultturepod] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cult.ture.pod/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cult.ture.podcast] thanks for rating us 5 stars 🫶     Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.

35-They Reinstated an Apostate | Jeron's Story

Jeron Benton joins cult.ture to share his journey growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, becoming inactive, returning to the organization after a near-death experience, and ultimately waking up after a shocking judicial committee experience. In this conversation, Jeron opens up about being disfellowshipped after spending two years trying to return to the faith, the moment he realized the system wasn't what he believed it was, and the bold plan that led him to be reinstated after he had already become an apostate. We also explore the deeper realities of leaving a high-control religion: losing family, rebuilding identity, navigating grief, finding authentic friendships, and learning to trust yourself after years of being taught not to. Most importantly, this episode is about healing. Jeron shares what freedom looks like today, the struggles that still remain, and the practices that help him move forward. Topics include: • Jehovah's Witness upbringing • Disfellowshipping and shunning • Judicial committees • Family loss after leaving • Cult recovery and deconstruction • Emotional healing and men's mental health • Authenticity and personal freedom • Rebuilding life after a high-control group Follow Jeron: YouTube: Jeron Benton [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa_5DdLZoTxyWVIbQCQ83Zw] Instagram: @jerons_world [https://www.instagram.com/jerons_world/]   Support cult.ture pod over on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/Cultturepod] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cult.ture.pod/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cult.ture.podcast] thanks for rating us 5 stars 🫶     Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.

34-Stop the Shunning: A Conversation with Bethany Leger

In this episode of cult.ture, Derek sits down with author, speaker, and Stop the Shunning creator Bethany Leger. Raised as a Jehovah's Witness, Bethany shares her journey from questioning the organization to ultimately leaving alongside her husband. Together, they explore the emotional realities of shunning, the complexities of family estrangement, and what it means to rebuild a life after a high-control environment. The conversation dives into Bethany's books, Physically and Mentally Out and her newest release, Burning Down the House, which examines toxic family dynamics, boundaries, conditional love, and healing after emotional control. Topics include: • Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses • The impact of shunning • Family estrangement • Toxic family systems • Setting healthy boundaries • Identity after high-control groups • Activism and recovery • Finding authenticity after trauma Whether you're navigating religious trauma, family estrangement, or simply learning how to reclaim your voice, Bethany offers insight, honesty, and hope for the journey forward. Connect with Bethany: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@stoptheshunning] Website [https://bethanyleger.com/] Email [stoptheshunning@gmail.com] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bethanylegerwriter/?hl=en] Support cult.ture pod over on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/Cultturepod] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cult.ture.pod/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cult.ture.podcast] thanks for rating us 5 stars 🫶     Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.

33-Novice Enthusiasm: Creativity After Control — with Sean Miller

In this episode of cult.ture pod, Derek and Trent sit down with artist, writer, and former Jehovah’s Witness Sean Miller for a raw, grounded, and deeply human conversation about life after high‑control religion. Sean grew up as a born‑in JW, the son of a respected elder, and followed the expected path of baptism at 16, auxiliary pioneering, regular pioneering, ministerial servant. But beneath the surface, he carried a creative drive that the organization repeatedly framed as selfish, dangerous, or worldly. As he puts it in the episode, “Go try to take a passion project and throw it into the creative industry when you’ve been taught you don’t even deserve kindness.” Together, we explore: * What it’s like to rediscover your identity after leaving a high‑control group * How creativity becomes both a survival tool and a reclamation of self * The psychological cost of being an artist in a restrictive religious environment * The difference between “what the cult took” and “where we land afterward” * Why Sean finally finished his book Novice Enthusiasm — and how this podcast played a role * The strange, beautiful ways the universe nudges us forward This conversation is honest, funny, grounded, and refreshingly free of bitterness. It’s about growth, not grievance  and about the creative life that becomes possible once you step outside the boundaries someone else drew for you. If you’ve ever left a high‑control group, struggled with self‑worth, or tried to reclaim your creative voice, this episode will resonate.   Find Sean Here: Website: www.seangregorymiller.com [https://www.seangregorymiller.com/] Book: Novice Enthusiasm [https://a.co/d/0hHqe80g] Socials: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/seangregorymiller?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]     Support cult.ture pod over on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/Cultturepod] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cult.ture.pod/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cult.ture.podcast] thanks for rating us 5 stars 🫶     Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.

32-Blood Doctrine, Programming & Conditional Love | Audrey’s Story

Audrey joins Trent and Derek to share her experience growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness and what ultimately led her to leave in 2025. In this episode, Audrey opens up about the emotional pressure of trying to live a “perfect” life inside the organization, the fear surrounding blood transfusions, purity culture, elder involvement in marriage and sexuality, conditional relationships, and the difficult process of rebuilding life outside the religion. We also explore what it’s like waking up while married to a non-Witness, the emotional pull to return, navigating family dynamics, and learning how to trust yourself after years inside a high-control belief system. Audrey’s story is raw, honest, emotional, and deeply human. If you’ve ever questioned a system of control or struggled with rebuilding your identity after leaving one, this conversation may resonate with you.   Follow Audrey: TikTok: @audrey.breaks.free [https://www.tiktok.com/@audrey.breaks.free?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] Instagram: @_audrey_la_latinga_ [https://www.instagram.com/_audrey_la_latinga_?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]   Support cult.ture pod over on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/Cultturepod] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cult.ture.pod/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cult.ture.podcast] thanks for rating us 5 stars 🫶     Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.