the baby in the bathwater

Anke Richter is a German-born, New Zealand-based journalist and author of the book "Cult Trip: Inside the world of coercion & control" published by Harper Collins in 2022 covers three high control groups, Centrepoint and Gloriavale in New Zealand, and Agama Yoga in Thailand. With stops along the way at Osho's "cashram" in India, the Taste of Love Festival in Byron Bay, an "OM House" in San Francisco, and the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) Conference in Manchester.

In Part 2 of my chat with Freya we cover: Why I don’t want to learn from any more white men. Why compassionate/empathetic people are attracted to cults. The “rescuer” archetype and the “drama triangle” Fawning/friending/pleasing/fornicating/“tend and befriend” and your nervous system. The danger of unchecked charisma. How to use charisma responsibly and not become a cult leader. Using “presence” as a weapon. The difference between energetic states and stages of psychological development. “Human-denying philosophies.” The difference between victim consciousness and victimization. Hyper personal responsibility. Critical race theory and epigenetics. Schizotypal personality disorder and “ideas or reference” and “creating your own reality.”

Welcome to Season 2 of The Baby in The Bathwater Podcast. Exciting things are coming! Stay tuned for chats with Taylor Lorenz, Anke Richter, Mangala Holland, Darrin Drda and more. In this season opener Annie talks with award-winning writer and broadcaster Daniel James. Daniel is a Yorta Yorta man based on Wurundjeri land in Naarm/Melbourne. They discuss the upcoming Australian Constitutional Referendum which seeks to create an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Sadly, this issue has become a hotbed of disinformation and conspiracy theories from the far right, including influences from far beyond Australia's shores.

Part 2 of a chat with Andey Fellowes, ex-New-Ager and online cult survivor.  Annie and Andey delve deep into the toxicity and conspiracism of New Age ideology including Andey's experience with Teal Swan and how to reconcile life and spirituality after leaving the cult.  Topics discussed include purity culture, vaccines, veganism, Teal Swan, JP Sears, Del Bigtree, right-wing politics, racism, “lizard people”, conspiracies vs conspiracy theories, and gaslighting.

Books referenced:

A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy by Nancy L. Rosenblum and Russell Muirhead.

Websites referenced:

This is a co-produced episode with Leilah Vision of "The Stripper's Guide" Podcast.  Leila is a life/leadership/relationship coach for queers/creatives/sx workers.  In this episode Annie and Leilah cover everything from neurodivergence and late diagnosis autism to human design, astrology, sx work, sx trafficking, conspiracies, antisemitism, the history of witch hunts, to cults, relationship dynamics, self-care and much more.

Tom Tanuki is an Australian activist, comedian, writer and YouTuber who has been doing in depth analysis of the anti-lockdown protests in Australia.  

Annie mentioned the "Sounds Like a Cult" Podcast episode about the connection between Betsy DeVos and Amway: https://www.soundslikeacult.com/episodes (Episode 7: The Cult of Multi-Level Marketing).

Tom mentioned the book: "Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories" by Rob Brotherton.

Annie chats with Melissa Abrahams about life, the universe and everything, including their shared experience of transitioning from lawyers to bodyworkers. Melissa Abrahams is a medicine weaver and an intuitive healer, a Women's Mysteries teacher, and a ceremonial space-holder. With a great capacity for deep listening and bearing witness, Melissa walks between the worlds, weaving her unique witchy wisdom in the service of liberation and freedom. Melissa is a fully qualified acupuncturist, with degrees in Psychology, Law and Chinese Medicine. Melissa has been training and working in the fields of healing and transformation for more than 20 years, and runs a private healing practice in Windsor, Victoria. Melissa facilitates many sorts of ritual spaces including women’s circles, rites of passage circles, seasonal cycle ceremonies and sacred drum journeys.

The podcast referenced is the TCM segment by Derek Beres in Episode 38 of the Conspirituality Podcast, "Natural Hopes, Natural Fallacies".

In this episode Annie provides some background of her story and experiences coming to grips with the rise of racist conspiracy theories in the spirituality and wellness sphere, AKA "conspirituality".

Resources: