Cover of Hidden Cults

Hidden Cults

Hidden Cults

By: Nik Hunter
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From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place. New episodes weekly. Listener stories always welcome. Anonymity guaranteed.

Listener stories: hiddencultspodcast@gmail.com

International Resources
  • International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)
    https://www.icsahome.com
    Provides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families.
  • Open Minds Foundation
    https://www.openmindsfoundation.org
    Offers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations.
  • The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse)
    https://www.thehotline.org
    📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse.
  • Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan)
    https://freedomofmind.com
    Resources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education.
  • FaithTrust Institute
    https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org
    Support and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.
United States
  • Cult Recovery Hotline (ICSA)
    📞 1-239-514-3081
    Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers.
  • RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
    https://www.rainn.org
    📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.
Canada
  • Cult & Trauma Support Resources 🧠
  • Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.org
  • Phone: 📞 514-274-2333
  • Email: infosecte@qc.aira.com
  • Canada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse.
  • Offers confidential support, referrals, and information in English and French.

United Kingdom
  • The Family Survival Trust
    https://familysurvivaltrust.org
    Support and advocacy for those affected by cults and coercive control.
  • Cults Information Centre and Family Support
    https://cults.org.uk
    UK-based information and guidance for cult survivors and families.
  • Mind UK (Mental Health Support)
    https://www.mind.org.uk
    📞 0300 123 3393 — Non-judgmental mental health advice and support.
Australia
  • Cult Information and Family Support (CIFS)
    https://www.cifs.org.au
    National support for individuals and families affected by cults.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hidden-cults--6633392/support.Copyright Nik Hunter Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Ep.63 The Saints

    Ep.63 The Saints
    26 Jul 2026
    In Toowoomba, Australia, a small Christian sect led by Brendan Stevens rejected medicine in favour of divine healing. In January 2022, those beliefs ended in tragedy when nine-year-old Elizabeth Struhs died after her insulin was withheld. This episode examines the rise of The Saints, life inside the group, Elizabeth's death, and the extraordinary trial that saw all fourteen adult members convicted of manslaughter.Part 1 – Brendan Stevens: Pentecostal Roots, the Break from RCI, and the Formation of The SaintsPart 2 – Becoming the True Family: Recruitment, Baptism, and Separation from the Outside World Part 3 – Elizabeth Struhs: Diabetes, the 2019 Warning, and the Escalation After Kerrie’s ReleasePart 4 – Six Days Without Insulin: Elizabeth's Death and the Thirty-Six-Hour Wait for ResurrectionPart 5 – Fourteen Defendants: The Supreme Court Trial, Manslaughter Convictions, and the End of The Saints From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place.New episodes weeklyListener stories always welcomeAnonymity guaranteed.Listener stories: hiddencultspodcast@gmail.comInternational ResourcesInternational Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)https://www.icsahome.comProvides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families.Open Minds Foundationhttps://www.openmindsfoundation.orgOffers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations.The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse)https://www.thehotline.org📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse.Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan)https://freedomofmind.comResources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education.FaithTrust Institutehttps://www.faithtrustinstitute.orgSupport and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.United StatesCult Recovery Hotline (ICSA)📞 1-239-514-3081Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers.RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)https://www.rainn.org📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.Canada Cult & Trauma Support Resources Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.orgPhone: 📞 514-274-2333Email: infosecte@qc.aira.comCanada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse.Offers confidential support, referrals, and information in English and French.United KingdomThe Family Survival Trusthttps://familysurvivaltrust.orgSupport and advocacy for those affected by cults and coercive control.Cults Information Centre and Family Supporthttps://cults.org.ukUK-based information and guidance for cult survivors and families.Mind UK (Mental Health Support)https://www.mind.org.uk📞 0300 123 3393 — Non-judgmental mental health advice and support.AustraliaCult Information and Family Support (CIFS)https://www.cifs.org.auNational support for individuals and families affected by cults.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hidden-cults--6633392/support.This episode includes AI-generated content.
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    53 min
  • Ep.62 Lev Tahor

    Ep.62 Lev Tahor
    12 Jul 2026
    Founded in Israel in 1988, Lev Tahor presented itself as a return to pure Judaism under the leadership of Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans. Over the following decades, the group crossed continents, relocating from Israel to the United States, Canada, Guatemala and beyond as legal pressure and child welfare investigations followed. Members described a world of extreme isolation, rigid religious rules, arranged child marriages, severe punishments and complete separation from mainstream society. As survivors escaped and spoke publicly, allegations of abuse, neglect, kidnapping, human trafficking and child exploitation led to international investigations involving authorities across multiple countries. Today, Lev Tahor remains one of the most controversial and heavily investigated ultra-Orthodox sects in the modern world, with its leaders facing criminal convictions while former members continue helping authorities expose what they say happened behind the community's closed doors.Part 1 – Shlomo Helbrans: Jerusalem, Religious Conversion, and the Birth of Lev TahorPart 2 – America, Kidnapping, Prison, Canada, and the Growth of the SectPart 3 – Child Welfare Investigations, International Flight, and Criminal InvestigationsPart 4 – Nachman Helbrans, International Raids, Convictions, and the Collapse of the Leadership From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place.New episodes weeklyListener stories always welcomeAnonymity guaranteed.Listener stories: hiddencultspodcast@gmail.comInternational ResourcesInternational Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)https://www.icsahome.comProvides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families.Open Minds Foundationhttps://www.openmindsfoundation.orgOffers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations.The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse)https://www.thehotline.org📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse.Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan)https://freedomofmind.comResources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education.FaithTrust Institutehttps://www.faithtrustinstitute.orgSupport and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.United StatesCult Recovery Hotline (ICSA)📞 1-239-514-3081Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers.RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)https://www.rainn.org📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.Canada Cult & Trauma Support Resources Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.orgPhone: 📞 514-274-2333Email: infosecte@qc.aira.comCanada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse.Offers confidential support, referrals, and information in English and French.United KingdomThe Family Survival Trusthttps://familysurvivaltrust.orgSupport and advocacy for those affected by cults and coercive control.Cults Information Centre and Family Supporthttps://cults.org.ukUK-based information and guidance for cult survivors and families.Mind UK (Mental Health Support)https://www.mind.org.uk📞 0300 123 3393 — Non-judgmental mental health advice and support.AustraliaCult Information and Family Support (CIFS)https://www.cifs.org.auNational support for individuals and families affected by cults.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hidden-cults--6633392/support.This episode includes AI-generated content.
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    40 min
  • Ep.61 The Superior Universal Alignment

    Ep.61 The Superior Universal Alignment
    5 Jul 2026
    The Superior Universal Alignment began in Brazil in 1981 as a small UFO-inspired religious movement led by the self-proclaimed prophet Valentina de Andrade. Promising spiritual enlightenment, extraterrestrial salvation, and escape from an approaching apocalypse, the group rejected traditional Christianity and embraced increasingly extreme beliefs that isolated its followers from the outside world. When a series of horrific crimes shocked the city of Altamira. Between 1989 and 1993, young boys began disappearing before many were found brutally mutilated and murdered, while others survived unimaginable attacks. As investigators searched for answers, attention turned toward respected local professionals connected to the Superior Universal Alignment and the movement's disturbing teachings about children born after 1981.Part 1 – Valentina de Andrade: Prophecy, UFO Beliefs, and the Birth of a New ReligionPart 2 – Building Superior Universal Alignment: Doctrine, Followers, Rituals, and IsolationPart 3 – The Altamira Child Emasculations Part 4 – Trials, Convictions, Acquittals, and the Search for JusticePart 5 – Decline, Dissolution, and the End of Superior Universal AlignmentFrom silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place.New episodes weeklyListener stories always welcomeAnonymity guaranteed.Listener stories: hiddencultspodcast@gmail.comInternational ResourcesInternational Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)https://www.icsahome.comProvides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families.Open Minds Foundationhttps://www.openmindsfoundation.orgOffers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations.The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse)https://www.thehotline.org📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse.Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan)https://freedomofmind.comResources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education.FaithTrust Institutehttps://www.faithtrustinstitute.orgSupport and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.United StatesCult Recovery Hotline (ICSA)📞 1-239-514-3081Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers.RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)https://www.rainn.org📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.Canada Cult & Trauma Support Resources Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.orgPhone: 📞 514-274-2333Email: infosecte@qc.aira.comCanada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse.Offers confidential support, referrals, and information in English and French.United KingdomThe Family Survival Trusthttps://familysurvivaltrust.orgSupport and advocacy for those affected by cults and coercive control.Cults Information Centre and Family Supporthttps://cults.org.ukUK-based information and guidance for cult survivors and families.Mind UK (Mental Health Support)https://www.mind.org.uk📞 0300 123 3393 — Non-judgmental mental health advice and support.AustraliaCult Information and Family Support (CIFS)https://www.cifs.org.auNational support for individuals and families affected by cults.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hidden-cults--6633392/support.This episode includes AI-generated content.
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    34 min
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