209 Wanting to return to a cult ... is normal Discussing why people want to return to a cult and the period in time in which this is most likely, plus how to avoid doing this. Using examples from others & my own time in Adidam (following Adi Da Samraj). Live 3/4/2026.0:00 – Intro to discussing leaving & returning to a cult2:18 – Time when most likely to return to a cult | not knowing/out of touch with the world outside a cult | loss of comfort zone outside cult6:07 – Break | offering french fries for covid shot7:54 – Situation leading to my leaving Adidam cult | questioning Adidam stories11:49 – Formally leaving Adidam14:16 – Wanting to return to Adidam in months following departure due to all feelings that led me to join | joining a cult due to depression & bad life | looking for place of hope & solutions17:46 – Joining the world outside a cult is scary | growing up in a cult & not prepared to deal with real world19:55 – Break | Elvis Whiskey20:48 – What happens immediately after leaving a cult | positive vs negative situations | Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center story | replacing cult with positive alcoholic26:14 – Cult is a comfort zone | natural instinct to return to cult, like staying in abusive relationships27:46 – My attempt to return to Adidam via Facebook, keeping Adi Da Samraj as part of my spirituality & returning depression | gaslighting by Adidam devotees | Sri Dharma Pravatarka Acharya of DharmaNation helped break me of Adidam's immature teachings | breaking emotionally | leaving Sri Acharya 36:14 – Many want to return to cults | dealing with our cult past & issues & emotions | questioning personal beliefs39:25 – Being in a cult is 24/7 | Satya Sai Baba cult story | woke progressives are a cult44:31 – Responding to comments | Stray Kids K-Pop group | not "crying about libs" when liberal politicians act like babiesThis podcast was a 2025 People's Choice Podcast Award nominee. On Apple Podcasts it's been the #1 most listened to show in the Philippines, and in the top 20 in France, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Israel, Switzerland and Australia.REGULAR LIVE SHOW for independent thinkers who’ve outgrown spiritual, cultural and political fluff. Unfiltered commentary on politics, culture, music, religion, and society from a rational, historical and politically conservative perspective.I’m Aaron Joy in Portland, Maine, USA (also known in spiritual circles as Premanand Das Bhagat). I'm a writer, musician, ultra-runner, and former thespian. Visit my website for my books. I'm also trained as an Integral Vedic Counselor, Certified Spiritual Life Coach and Ayurveda Specialist, and follow the spiritual path of Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma). This channel formerly known as Practical Spirituality: Hinduism & Current Events with Premanand Das BhagatEmail: aronmatyas@hotmail.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/aaronmjoyLive show available on YouTube, Bitchute, Rumble, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, allfeeds.ai, Audacy, ca.radio.net, Castbox, Chromecast, Everend, fyyd.de, Goodpods, Listen Notes, Panoply Podcast Network, People Ai, Pocket Casts, Podbay, Podcast Addict, Podcast Ranking, Podcast Republic, Podcastai, Podcast.app, Podchaser, Poddtoppen, Podscan.fm, Podtail, Rephonic, Zeno.FM

"209 Wanting to Return to a #Cult ... Is Normal"
Unfiltered Society With Aaron Joy
5 Apr 2026 [0:48:34]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #SathyaSaiBaba #SaiBaba
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/AcuAphmib0Gvq00kFuZhqg

"209 Wanting to Return to a #Cult ... Is Normal!"
Hinduism & Current Events w/ Premanand Das Bhagat
4 Apr 2026 [0:48:29]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #SathyaSaiBaba #SaiBaba
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/OzwK5iASRkOHub6wuos28w

Jonathan Hirsch, Part 2 - Meditation, Getting Blessed, and Leaving Adidam In part 2 with podcaster & writer Jonathan Hirsch (creator of podcasts like Dear Franklin Jones), Lola & Meagan discuss life in the cult of Franklin Jones, aka Adi Da. They discuss the dramatic meditation rituals in the group, what it felt like to get blessed by the leader, and how different members saw some of the same things that had happened completely differently, depending on whether they still believed in him later or not.They discuss the lawsuits and allegations against Jones and how the cult panic of the time impacted the way his followers saw them, the importance of being able to admit when you’re wrong, and how ultimately Jonathan left. SOURCES Dear Franklin Jones The Mind Is Burning  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Jonathan Hirsch, part 2 - Meditation, Getting Blessed, & Leaving #Adidam"
Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, & Manipulation
28 Jan 2026 [1:03:55]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/T6IvIF1I4ESCVGEU7on_9A

Jonathan Hirsch, Part 1 - A Guru, a Compound, and the Cult of Adi Da This week’s guest is Jonathan Hirsch, podcaster, producer, and author who grew up in Adidam, a cult led by new age guru Franklin Jones - also known as Adi Da. In this week’s episode, Jonathan explains how his parents joined the group while on a spiritual journey that started with them following a different guru, how many of Jones’s followers were indoctrinated by listening to his tapes, and the cult’s constantly changing belief system.They discuss one follower’s fascinating experience seeing the doctrine differently after translating it into another language, what it was like growing up on the cult’s compound (with parents that were acupuncturists for the leader), and how helpful it is to know that there are other “cult kids” out there.SOURCES Dear Franklin JonesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Jonathan Hirsch, part 1 - A Guru, a Compound, & the #Cult of #AdiDa"
Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, & Manipulation
21 Jan 2026 [0:59:11]
#FranklinJones
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/inQy2EpB6U_R0PS2taTbtA

Jonathan Hirsch, Part 1 - A Guru, a Compound, and the Cult of Adi Da This week’s guest is Jonathan Hirsch, podcaster, producer, and author who grew up in Adidam, a cult led by new age guru Franklin Jones - also known as Adi Da. In this week’s episode, Jonathan explains how his parents joined the group while on a spiritual journey that started with them following a different guru, how many of Jones’s followers were indoctrinated by listening to his tapes, and the cult’s constantly changing belief system.They discuss one follower’s fascinating experience seeing the doctrine differently after translating it into another language, what it was like growing up on the cult’s compound (with parents that were acupuncturists for the leader), and how helpful it is to know that there are other “cult kids” out there.SOURCES Dear Franklin JonesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Jonathan Hirsch, part 1 - A Guru, a Compound, & the #Cult of #AdiDa"
Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, & Manipulation
21 Jan 2026 [0:59:11]
#FranklinJones
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/inQy2EpB6U_R0PS2taTbtA

"I Joined the most Hidden #Cult you Never Heard of || #Adidam"
Emir Baller
11 Jan 2026 [0:36:42]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/d_7rW6Mcekqitn5o3KXukQ

"Messianic Con Men, Past & Present: #Cult History & the Cult of Tr…"
Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan @cultexpert.freedomofmind.com
15 Dec 2025 [0:55:54]
#Jonestown #PeoplesTemple #OneTaste #AdiDa #FranklinJones
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/SE4ZUtjDikuxZ-6LeStHRQ

When You Lose Your Father To A Cult And Dementia Jonathan Hirsch's The Mind Is Burning THE MIND IS BURNING is the continued story of the Hirsch family whom we first met in the beloved cult podcast, Dear Franklin Jones. Stranger than fiction, this audiobook memoir follows Jonathan Hirsch’s childhood in a cult in Northern California, experience caring for his father battling dementia, and the complicated journey of losing a loved one who mistreated you.On April 9th, 2019, Jonathan got the dreaded call: his father Thomas had been rushed to the ER. He’d known for a while that Thomas’s health was in decline, but at this pivotal moment, he had no choice but to step into the role of caretaker—a role Thomas himself was never able to grasp.Thomas was a Hungarian refugee turned spiritual seeker, and Jonathan was along for the ride as his parents chased the high of enlightenment. Thomas’s quest eventually led the family to Franklin Jones: known as either a charismatic, eccentric guru or a cult leader and sexual predator, depending on whether you were inside or outside his orbit. Although Jonathan left home the day he turned eighteen, almost twenty years later, he was pulled back into the chaotic fold when Thomas was diagnosed with dementia. This poetic yet propulsive audiobook memoir was created for the listening experience given Hirsch’s expertise as an expert aural storytelling, and poses the question: What do we owe each other as family? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-view-from-the-writing-instrument--1023245/support.

"When you Lose your Father to a #Cult And Dementia Jonathan Hirsch's the Mind is Burning"
Arroe Collins: Unplugged & Totally Uncut
9 Jul 2025 [0:22:31]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/lU2ZnZavnkmoDm_kUXfLFQ

The Mind Is Burning: Epilogue A preview of my memoir for Dear Franklin Jones listeners. THE MIND IS BURNING: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia is available as an audiobook. You can order your copy now from TheMindisBurning.com or wherever audiobooks are sold.

"The Mind is Burning: Epilogue"
Dear Franklin Jones
7 Jul 2025 [0:06:22]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/am1Tb9hoaUamK7DaMh0mZA

"The Mind is Burning with Jonathan Hirsch"
IndoctriNation
11 Jun 2025 [1:07:24]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/tJxrbJ-PwUap-j5f-cAQfA

"'Satanic Panic' Facts & Fiction"
Cults & the Culting of America
27 May 2025 [1:04:41]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/JH1q12XoB0uuv_t2hKMPaA

"Forum from the Archives: Jonathan Hirsch on Losing his Father to 'A #Cult & Dementia'"
KQED's Forum
26 May 2025 [0:56:43]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/51u9IKqNKEeTZhXtJ_6ECQ

Jonathan Hirsch on Losing His Father to ‘A Cult and Dementia’ In his popular podcast “Dear Franklin Jones,” radio producer Jonathan Hirsch tried to make sense of a Northern California childhood dominated by his parents’ spiritual guru. In a new memoir he more deeply explores his relationship with his father and the complexity of providing care for a parent who didn’t take care of him. We talk to him about his audio memoir, “The Mind is Burning: Losing My Father to a Cult and Dementia” Guests: Jonathan Hirsch, author of the audiobook memoir, "The Mind Is Burning: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia"; podcast producer, "Dear Franklin Jones"; founder, Neon Hum Media, a partner company with Sony Music Entertainment; creator, original series "Smoke Screen" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Jonathan Hirsch on Losing his Father to 'A #Cult & Dementia'"
KQED's Forum
15 May 2025 [0:57:47]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/JgrhEMC4eUqs5MW6C4eKAQ

Just a moment...

"The Mind is Burning: Chapter 1"
Dear Franklin Jones
13 May 2025 [0:19:02]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/g3ugB5EbKEq8uGjAL34cAA

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Zb39yuhn8AtGUjgj40vEp

"The Mind is Burning: Losing my Father to a #Cult… by Jonathan Hirsch · Audiobook Preview"
Google Play Books
13 May 2025 [0:10:24]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/pnPTjnzOokuHwdhbhIU21g

When You Lose Your Father To A Cult And Dementia Jonathan Hirsch's The Mind Is Burning THE MIND IS BURNING is the continued story of the Hirsch family whom we first met in the beloved cult podcast, Dear Franklin Jones. Stranger than fiction, this audiobook memoir follows Jonathan Hirsch’s childhood in a cult in Northern California, experience caring for his father battling dementia, and the complicated journey of losing a loved one who mistreated you.On April 9th, 2019, Jonathan got the dreaded call: his father Thomas had been rushed to the ER. He’d known for a while that Thomas’s health was in decline, but at this pivotal moment, he had no choice but to step into the role of caretaker—a role Thomas himself was never able to grasp.Thomas was a Hungarian refugee turned spiritual seeker, and Jonathan was along for the ride as his parents chased the high of enlightenment. Thomas’s quest eventually led the family to Franklin Jones: known as either a charismatic, eccentric guru or a cult leader and sexual predator, depending on whether you were inside or outside his orbit. Although Jonathan left home the day he turned eighteen, almost twenty years later, he was pulled back into the chaotic fold when Thomas was diagnosed with dementia. This poetic yet propulsive audiobook memoir was created for the listening experience given Hirsch’s expertise as an expert aural storytelling, and poses the question: What do we owe each other as family? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

"When you Lose your Father to a #Cult And Dementia Jonathan Hirsch's the Mind is Burning"
Arroe Collins Like It's Live
8 May 2025 [0:22:31]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/ruYkpLXbHEuBcTnaxqrEqw

"Caring for Relatives when they didn't Care for you"
Cults & the Culting of America
6 May 2025 [0:51:09]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/vGX-LUqwf0at-k8NrZdNoA

The Mind Is Burning: Prologue A preview of my memoir for Dear Franklin Jones listeners. THE MIND IS BURNING: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia is on sale May 13th and will only be available as an audiobook. You can pre-order your copy now from TheMindisBurning.com or wherever audiobooks are sold.

"The Mind is Burning: Prologue"
Dear Franklin Jones
22 Apr 2025 [0:08:13]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/o02W_Lv64EqFNnPCn6pl9w

Introducing: The Mind Is Burning A very special announcement for fans of Dear Franklin Jones. Introducing my memoir and audiobook. THE MIND IS BURNING: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia is on sale May 13th and will only be available as an audiobook. You can pre-order your copy now from TheMindisBurning.com or wherever audiobooks are sold.

"Introducing: The Mind is Burning"
Dear Franklin Jones
11 Apr 2025 [0:02:10]
#AdiDa #FranklinJones #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/Jh8FMh4VIEmDTX0K0tc7vw