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S1E9 Jon Atack (Pt 2 of 2): From Theosophy to Scientology to Neo-Tantra
S1E9 Jon Atack (Pt 2 of 2): From Theosophy to Scientology to Neo-Tantra What do Scientology, Nazism, and neo-tantra have in common? Cult researcher Jon Atack traces the hidden lineage through Theosophy, Aleister Crowley, and early 20th century occultism. Jon explains how L. Ron Hubbard stole from Crowley's sex magick, how Alice Bailey's "ascended masters" influenced both Scientology and Bruce Lyon's Highden Temple, and why Blavatsky's Aryan race fantasies became foundational to Nazi ideology and modern spiritual movements. Jon and Cara discuss manipulation techniques shared across cults, gangs, and terrorist groups—love bombing, finding your ruin, weaponized meditation, and why certainty is a red flag. Jon shares stories from helping 600 people recover, why he shifted from Scientology-specific work to understanding all coercive relationships, and the dangerous normalization of unproven spiritual practices. Content Note: Discussion of cult manipulation, Nazi ideology, sexual abuse, and authoritarian control. BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Jon Atack's Books: If Scientology Ruled the World: Nazi Occultists, Sex Magick, Space Aliens, and the Second Coming (2025) Opening Our Minds: The Secret World of Manipulation, Brainwashing, and Undue Influence (2015) Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky (1990) Other Books Discussed: Bare-Faced Messiah by Russell Miller (Hubbard biography) The Secret Doctrine by Helena Blavatsky (1888) Isis Unveiled by Helena Blavatsky The Red Book by Carl Gustav Jung Ghost Hunters by Deborah Blum The Wrong Way Home: Uncovering the Patterns of Cult Behavior in American Society by Arthur Deikman, MD Them and Us by Arthur Deikman The Myth of Genesis by Robert Graves and Raphael Patai Oxford Handbook of Meditation edited by Miguel Farias ABOUT JON ATACK: Jon Atack has been recognized as a leading expert on authoritarian cults since 1990, when his best-selling Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky was first published. After nine years in Scientology, Jon left in 1983 and has since helped about 600 people recover from cult abuse. He has been consulted in over 150 court cases worldwide and recognized as an expert witness by the English High Court. In 2015, Opening Our Minds became the first book to explore manipulative techniques from advertising and propaganda to cults, gangs, and terrorist groups. His 2025 book If Scientology Ruled the World exposes the origins of the Aryan Race fantasy and the relationship between cult groups and Nazi ideology, tracing the lineage from Theosophy through Crowley to modern movements. Jon has published over 500 articles and co-authored academic chapters with Steven Hassan, PhD. Website: https://jonatack.co.uk YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jonatackfamilyfriends6176 Books: If Scientology Ruled the World, Opening Our Minds, A Piece of Blue Sky Connect with Jon: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jon_atack/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonatack.bsky.social Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/atack_jon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJonAtack RESOURCES: Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.Community ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.org Freedom of Mind (Steven Hassan): freedomofmind.com Seek Safely: https://seeksafely.org/ Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 CONNECT: Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together. If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you. Questions or feedback: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoni Like what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations. CREDITS: Graphics: Pax Scarberry | Music: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app) Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

"Jon Atack (Pt 2 of 2): From #Theosophy to #Scientology to Neo-Tantra"
Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift @jonatack.bsky.social
31 Mar 2026 [0:58:06]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #ISTA #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/GeYywsTRh0aHL_ZAkuERLQ

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S1E9 Jon Atack (Pt 1 of 2): From Theosophy to Scientology to Neo-Tantra
S1E9 Jon Atack (Pt 1 of 2): From Theosophy to Scientology to Neo-Tantra What do Scientology, Nazism, and neo-tantra have in common? Cult researcher Jon Atack traces the hidden lineage through Theosophy, Aleister Crowley, and early 20th century occultism. Jon explains how L. Ron Hubbard stole from Crowley's sex magick, how Alice Bailey's "ascended masters" influenced both Scientology and Bruce Lyon's Highden Temple, and why Blavatsky's Aryan race fantasies became foundational to Nazi ideology and modern spiritual movements. Jon and Cara discuss manipulation techniques shared across cults, gangs, and terrorist groups—love bombing, finding your ruin, weaponized meditation, and why certainty is a red flag. Jon shares stories from helping 600 people recover, why he shifted from Scientology-specific work to understanding all coercive relationships, and the dangerous normalization of unproven spiritual practices. Content Note: Discussion of cult manipulation, Nazi ideology, sexual abuse, and authoritarian control. BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Jon Atack's Books: If Scientology Ruled the World: Nazi Occultists, Sex Magick, Space Aliens, and the Second Coming (2025) Opening Our Minds: The Secret World of Manipulation, Brainwashing, and Undue Influence (2015) Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky (1990) Other Books Discussed: Bare-Faced Messiah by Russell Miller (Hubbard biography) The Secret Doctrine by Helena Blavatsky (1888) Isis Unveiled by Helena Blavatsky The Red Book by Carl Gustav Jung Ghost Hunters by Deborah Blum The Wrong Way Home: Uncovering the Patterns of Cult Behavior in American Society by Arthur Deikman, MD Them and Us by Arthur Deikman The Myth of Genesis by Robert Graves and Raphael Patai Oxford Handbook of Meditation edited by Miguel Farias ABOUT JON ATACK: Jon Atack has been recognized as a leading expert on authoritarian cults since 1990, when his best-selling Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky was first published. After nine years in Scientology, Jon left in 1983 and has since helped about 600 people recover from cult abuse. He has been consulted in over 150 court cases worldwide and recognized as an expert witness by the English High Court. In 2015, Opening Our Minds became the first book to explore manipulative techniques from advertising and propaganda to cults, gangs, and terrorist groups. His 2025 book If Scientology Ruled the World exposes the origins of the Aryan Race fantasy and the relationship between cult groups and Nazi ideology, tracing the lineage from Theosophy through Crowley to modern movements. Jon has published over 500 articles and co-authored academic chapters with Steven Hassan, PhD. Website: https://jonatack.co.uk YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jonatackfamilyfriends6176 Books: If Scientology Ruled the World, Opening Our Minds, A Piece of Blue Sky Connect with Jon: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jon_atack/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonatack.bsky.social Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/atack_jon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJonAtack RESOURCES: Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.Community ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.org Freedom of Mind (Steven Hassan): freedomofmind.com Seek Safely: https://seeksafely.org/ Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 CONNECT: Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together. If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you. Questions or feedback: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoni Like what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations. CREDITS: Graphics: Paxton Scarberry | Music: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app) Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

"Jon Atack (Pt 1 of 2): From #Theosophy to #Scientology to Neo-Tantra"
Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift @jonatack.bsky.social
31 Mar 2026 [1:06:10]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #ISTA #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/tbpQ6801ckqaP0X_GllP0A

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How to dedicate your 0rg@sm - with guest host Cara Cordoni
How to dedicate your 0rg@sm - with guest host Cara Cordoni a fascinating chat with Cara Cordoni, who escaped a tantric sex cult and is now working to help others make safer choices. Visit Cara's new channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD1NXf-w1uruXKsY8rZsZZA Listen to her podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fools-gold-discernment-in-the-age-of-grift/id1871791383 and on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4K33wltK6PizkA6yzxyeLs and check out Cara's Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com buy Jon's latest book, If Scientology Ruled the World, here: https://mybook.to/8CIggd And listen to a free sample here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOprfY0DnRsbcKUUlDl2FAyL9kPbVtrlu FREE download of our "human predator" poster: https://jonatack.co.uk/predator-posters/ Jon's site: https://jonatack.co.uk Ira Chaleff's "Blink, Think, Choice, Voice" video: https://youtu.be/RdKPIK71SP8?si=Gi4S1hn4IOCgyrM_ and the song Spike wrote for Ira: https://youtu.be/La2NnQVwJXE?si=XBfcOqbMrIF_HizW Jon joins Steve Hassan, Christian Szurko and Chris Shelton in Toronto in 2015 doing an amazing breakdown of the Scientology "Training Routines." https://youtu.be/paCTIlAMByE

"How to Dedicate your 0Rgsm - With Guest Host Cara Cordoni"
Jon Atack, Family & Friends @jonatack.bsky.social
14 Mar 2026 [2:01:43]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #ISTA #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/mcLvuAEbxkWRBm6KLtlQoQ

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Preview
Up To Chance, by ISTA track by ISTA


🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on #BBC6Music's #NewMusicFix

Ista:
🎵 Up To Chance

#6music #Ista
#newRelease - 🆕 single

▶️ 🆕🪄 Automagic 📻 playlist: 👉 New releases played on #Radio6Music 👈

▶️ Song/Cover on #Bandcamp:

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S1E8: Dr. John Hunter: The Neuroscience of LGAT Experiences
S1E8: Dr. John Hunter: The Neuroscience of LGAT Experiences What if the "transformation" promised by week-long retreats is really activating a defense mechanism to stress? Dr. John Hunter joins Cara to explain the dopaminergic defense hypothesis, his research connecting large group awareness trainings (LGATs) to bipolar-like states. John traces LGAT history from Mind Dynamics (1967) through EST, Lifespring, and Landmark, explaining how these organizations evolved from overt abuse to covert manipulation. He and Cara discuss ISTA's format, the weaponization of personal responsibility, why educated people are vulnerable, and the industry's financial incentives to ignore harm. John shares his Fight Club research, federal court testimony, and why publishing cult research is risky but necessary. Content Note: Discussion of psychological manipulation, induced mania, sexual assault, and institutional harm. ABOUT DR. JOHN HUNTER: Dr. John Hunter is a South African researcher and lecturer based in Johannesburg. His interest in large group awareness trainings (LGATs) stems from personal experience with bipolar disorder and LGAT participation in 2010. He completed a PhD in psychology (2017) proposing the dopaminergic-defense hypothesis, explaining both "transformational" experiences and psychological harm associated with LGATs. Dr. Hunter published this research in the Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion (2022), presented at ICSA (2023), and testified as expert witness in US federal court (2024). His book Manufacturing Mania: The Dopamine Hypothesis of Religious Experience is now available. Website: https://johnhunterphd.com/#about-me Book: Manufacturing Mania - [link needed] Article: "LGATs and Fight Club: Dissecting a Delusion" - https://thefincheranalyst.com/articles/lgats-and-fight-club-dissecting-a-delusion/ RESOURCES: Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.Community ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.org Freedom of Mind (Steven Hassan): freedomofmind.com Seek Safely: https://seeksafely.org/ Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 CONNECT: Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together. If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you. Questions or feedback: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoni Like what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations, especially because this is a new show. CREDITS: Graphics: Paxton Scarberry | Music: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app) Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

"Dr. John Hunter: The Neuroscience of LGAT Experiences"
Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift
22 Mar 2026 [1:31:12]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #ISTA #LandmarkForum #Landmark #Lifespring #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/pijoVR6osU_6KHQaHaUFDQ

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S1E7: Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism and ISTA
S1E7: Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism and ISTA Award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz joins Cara to discuss her February 2025 New York Magazine investigation of The International School of Temple Arts, ISTA. Anya explains how she came to the story through friends who loved ISTA, attending an ISTA-adjacent retreat, and hearing whispers of a "Me Too problem" the organization was supposedly addressing. What began as a story about accountability done right became something else as facts emerged during the year-long reporting process. Anya walks through the challenges of trauma-informed interviewing with seven survivors, the editorial process at a major publication (fact-checkers, lawyers, revisions), and ISTA's responses both public and private. She addresses accusations of bias and "bait and switch." Cara and Anya name what survivors received from ISTA’s Accountability efforts versus what perpetrators got, the devastating impact of ISTA's post-publication response, and why Anya regrets editors cut her disclosure of attending an ISTA-like retreat, herself. Content Note: Discussion of sexual assault, organizational harm, and cult dynamics. Link to the New York Marazine article: https://3sc.community/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Neo-Tantric-Sex-Group-That-Promised-to-Change.pdf Link to Cara reading the article aloud: https://youtu.be/MvUBYqOO8GM ABOUT ANYA KAMENETZ: Anya Kamenetz is an award-winning journalist, author, and speaker who has worked for National Public Radio and contributed to The New Yorker, New York Magazine, the New York Times, the Atlantic and many other publications. As an advisor to Climate Mental Health Network, she co-created the Climate Emotions Wheel. Her Substack _The Golden Hour_ and her forthcoming book _Falling In Love With The World Again_ (Bloomsbury, 2027) explore how to cope and thrive in a time of rapid change and intersecting crises. Website: http://anyakamenetz.net/ Substack: http://thegoldenhour.substack.com RESOURCES: * Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: http://3SC.Community * ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): http://ICSA.org * Seek Safely: Seek Safely: https://seeksafely.org/ * Freedom of Mind: freedomofmind.com CONNECT: Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together. If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you. Questions or feedback: mailto:foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: http://calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack:https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoni Like what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations, especially because this is a new show. CREDITS: *Graphics: Paxton Scarberry *Music: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (http://ende.app) Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

"Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism & #ISTA"
Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift @anya1anya.bsky.social
10 Mar 2026 [0:54:31]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/ErsFx0L7kk_eOUdGMg7XYg

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𝗕𝗠𝗪 𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 • 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 • 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗧𝗦

AutoHex, AVDI, BMW Explorer
Genuine ICOM + ISTA Online
DIS + Yellow Head for older cars

Keys, modules, CarPlay, headunit repairs and more

Done properly, in house

#bmw #coding #ista #bmwretrofit #carplay #wales

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Preview
Gods In Heat, by ISTA track by ISTA


🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on #BBC6Music's #NewMusicFix

Ista:
🎵 Gods In Heat

#6music #Ista

▶️ 🪄 Automagic 🔊 show 📻 playlist on Spotify

▶️ Song/Cover on #Bandcamp:

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Preview
Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism and ISTA Award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz joins Cara to discuss her February 2024 New York Magazine investigation of The International School of Temple Arts, ISTA. Anya explains how she came to the story through friends who loved ISTA, attending an ISTA-adjacent retreat, and hearing whispers of a "Me Too problem" the organization was supposedly addressing. What began as a story about accountability done right became something else as facts emerged during the year-long reporting process.Anya walks through the challenges of trauma-informed interviewing with seven survivors, the editorial process at a major publication (fact-checkers, lawyers, revisions), and ISTA's responses both public and private. She addresses accusations of bias and "bait and switch." Cara and Anya name what survivors received from ISTA’s Accountability efforts versus what perpetrators got, the devastating impact of ISTA's post-publication response, and why Anya regrets editors cut her disclosure of attending an ISTA-like retreat, herself.Content Note: Discussion of sexual assault, organizational harm, and cult dynamics.Read Anya's ISTA investigationListen to her article on YouTubeABOUT ANYA KAMENETZ:Anya Kamenetz is an award-winning journalist, author, and speaker who has worked for National Public Radio and contributed to The New Yorker, New York Magazine, the New York Times, the Atlantic and many other publications. As an advisor to Climate Mental Health Network, she co-created the Climate Emotions Wheel. Her Substack The Golden Hour and her forthcoming book Falling In Love With The World Again (Bloomsbury, 2027) explore how to cope and thrive in a time of rapid change and intersecting crises. Website: http://anyakamenetz.net/ Substack: thegoldenhour.substack.comRESOURCES:Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.CommunityICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.orgCONNECT:Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together.If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you.Questions or feedback: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoniLike what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations, especially because this is a new show.CREDITS:Graphics: Paxton ScarberryMusic: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app)Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

"Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism & #ISTA"
Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift @anya1anya.bsky.social
10 Mar 2026 [0:54:31]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/ErsFx0L7kk_eOUdGMg7XYg

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Preview
Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism and ISTA Award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz joins Cara to discuss her February 2024 New York Magazine investigation of The International School of Temple Arts, ISTA. Anya explains how she came to the story through friends who loved ISTA, attending an ISTA-adjacent retreat, and hearing whispers of a "Me Too problem" the organization was supposedly addressing. What began as a story about accountability done right became something else as facts emerged during the year-long reporting process.Anya walks through the challenges of trauma-informed interviewing with seven survivors, the editorial process at a major publication (fact-checkers, lawyers, revisions), and ISTA's responses both public and private. She addresses accusations of bias and "bait and switch." Cara and Anya name what survivors received from ISTA’s Accountability efforts versus what perpetrators got, the devastating impact of ISTA's post-publication response, and why Anya regrets editors cut her disclosure of attending an ISTA-like retreat, herself.Content Note: Discussion of sexual assault, organizational harm, and cult dynamics.Read Anya's ISTA investigationListen to her article on YouTubeABOUT ANYA KAMENETZ:Anya Kamenetz is an award-winning journalist, author, and speaker who has worked for National Public Radio and contributed to The New Yorker, New York Magazine, the New York Times, the Atlantic and many other publications. As an advisor to Climate Mental Health Network, she co-created the Climate Emotions Wheel. Her Substack The Golden Hour and her forthcoming book Falling In Love With The World Again (Bloomsbury, 2027) explore how to cope and thrive in a time of rapid change and intersecting crises. Website: http://anyakamenetz.net/ Substack: thegoldenhour.substack.comRESOURCES:Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.CommunityICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.orgCONNECT:Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together.If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you.Questions or feedback: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoniLike what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations, especially because this is a new show.CREDITS:Graphics: Paxton ScarberryMusic: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app)Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

"Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism & #ISTA"
Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift @anya1anya.bsky.social
10 Mar 2026 [0:54:31]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/ErsFx0L7kk_eOUdGMg7XYg

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Preview
Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism and ISTA Award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz joins Cara to discuss her February 2024 New York Magazine investigation of The International School of Temple Arts, ISTA. Anya explains how she came to the story through friends who loved ISTA, attending an ISTA-adjacent retreat, and hearing whispers of a "Me Too problem" the organization was supposedly addressing. What began as a story about accountability done right became something else as facts emerged during the year-long reporting process.Anya walks through the challenges of trauma-informed interviewing with seven survivors, the editorial process at a major publication (fact-checkers, lawyers, revisions), and ISTA's responses both public and private. She addresses accusations of bias and "bait and switch." Cara and Anya name what survivors received from ISTA’s Accountability efforts versus what perpetrators got, the devastating impact of ISTA's post-publication response, and why Anya regrets editors cut her disclosure of attending an ISTA-like retreat, herself.Content Note: Discussion of sexual assault, organizational harm, and cult dynamics.Read Anya's ISTA investigationListen to her article on YouTubeABOUT ANYA KAMENETZ:Anya Kamenetz is an award-winning journalist, author, and speaker who has worked for National Public Radio and contributed to The New Yorker, New York Magazine, the New York Times, the Atlantic and many other publications. As an advisor to Climate Mental Health Network, she co-created the Climate Emotions Wheel. Her Substack The Golden Hour and her forthcoming book Falling In Love With The World Again (Bloomsbury, 2027) explore how to cope and thrive in a time of rapid change and intersecting crises. Website: http://anyakamenetz.net/ Substack: thegoldenhour.substack.comRESOURCES:Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.CommunityICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.orgCONNECT:Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together.If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you.Questions or feedback: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoniLike what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations, especially because this is a new show.CREDITS:Graphics: Paxton ScarberryMusic: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app)Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

"Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism & #ISTA"
Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift @anya1anya.bsky.social
10 Mar 2026 [0:54:31]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/ErsFx0L7kk_eOUdGMg7XYg

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Preview
Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism and ISTA Award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz joins Cara to discuss her February 2024 New York Magazine investigation of The International School of Temple Arts, ISTA. Anya explains how she came to the story through friends who loved ISTA, attending an ISTA-adjacent retreat, and hearing whispers of a "Me Too problem" the organization was supposedly addressing. What began as a story about accountability done right became something else as facts emerged during the year-long reporting process.Anya walks through the challenges of trauma-informed interviewing with seven survivors, the editorial process at a major publication (fact-checkers, lawyers, revisions), and ISTA's responses both public and private. She addresses accusations of bias and "bait and switch." Cara and Anya name what survivors received from ISTA’s Accountability efforts versus what perpetrators got, the devastating impact of ISTA's post-publication response, and why Anya regrets editors cut her disclosure of attending an ISTA-like retreat, herself.Content Note: Discussion of sexual assault, organizational harm, and cult dynamics.Read Anya's ISTA investigationListen to her article on YouTubeABOUT ANYA KAMENETZ:Anya Kamenetz is an award-winning journalist, author, and speaker who has worked for National Public Radio and contributed to The New Yorker, New York Magazine, the New York Times, the Atlantic and many other publications. As an advisor to Climate Mental Health Network, she co-created the Climate Emotions Wheel. Her Substack The Golden Hour and her forthcoming book Falling In Love With The World Again (Bloomsbury, 2027) explore how to cope and thrive in a time of rapid change and intersecting crises. Website: http://anyakamenetz.net/ Substack: thegoldenhour.substack.comRESOURCES:Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.CommunityICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.orgCONNECT:Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together.If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you.Questions or feedback: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoniLike what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations, especially because this is a new show.CREDITS:Graphics: Paxton ScarberryMusic: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app)Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

"Anya Kamenetz on Investigative Journalism & #ISTA"
Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift @anya1anya.bsky.social
10 Mar 2026 [0:54:31]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/ErsFx0L7kk_eOUdGMg7XYg

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Diese Woche war ich für ein Video-Projekt an der #TUWien und am #ISTA in Klosterneuburg im Einsatz. Im Auftrag von #WebsEdge durfte ich #Dreharbeiten für ein Video über Aktuelles aus der Welt der Quantenphysik umsetzen. Der Film wird Ende März beim APS Global Physics Summit in Denver präsentiert.

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Frontseite der Bedienungsanleitung des ista u3.0s (T230), der eine schematische schwarz/weiß Zeichnung des Wärmemengenzählers zeigt.

Frontseite der Bedienungsanleitung des ista u3.0s (T230), der eine schematische schwarz/weiß Zeichnung des Wärmemengenzählers zeigt.

Ich habe nun einen ista u3.0s radio als Wärmemengenzähler. Der hat die Funkschnittstelle fest eingebaut. Damit ist der optische Ausgang frei. Der Techniker meinte, das wäre nur noch Deko, aber die Bedienungsanleitung sagt, das wäre ein optischer Ausgang. Ich […]

[Original post on social.tchncs.de]

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Journalist Anke Richter's Cult Trips
Journalist Anke Richter's Cult Trips What happens when a cult journalist finds themselves in a cult? Anke Richter, author of Cult Trip and founder of DECULT, joins Cara to explore the disorienting experience of researching sex cults while simultaneously participating in ISTA, The International School of Temple Arts. Anke describes the dopamine hook of intense retreats that made mundane life feel flat, and the embarrassing realization: "I am one of them." Anke and Cara examine how organizations systematically dismantle consent through "nature selection" rituals and teachings that reframe physical revulsion as spiritual blockage requiring "work." Anke traces these patterns from Rajneeshpuram to Centerpoint to ISTA, discusses her transition from participant to journalist-activist networker, and shares her current work organizing Australasia's first cult awareness conference through DECULT. Content Note: Discussion of sexual coercion, child sexual abuse in cults, and consent violations. Anke Richter is an international journalist based in New Zealand and the author of four non-fiction books. Her last one, Cult Trip: Inside the world of coercion & control (HarperCollins, 2023) is an investigative and personal exploration of former and current sex cults. She is now the founder and pro bono director of DECULT, a grassroots charity that organised the first cult awareness conference in Australasia and won the Champion of Change Advocate Award from the Freedom Train Project in 2025. Anke received their Ethical Media Award for her work. https://ankerichter.net/ https://decult.net/ Anke's Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/ankerichterwriter https://www.instagram.com/ankerichterwriter/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/anke-richter-writer/ RESOURCES: Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.Community ICSA: ICSA.org Seek Safely: https://seeksafely.org/ CONNECT: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: caracordoni.substack.com Instagram: @caracordoni Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. CREDITS: Graphics: Paxton Scarberry | Music: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app) Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

"Journalist Anke Richter's #Cult Trips"
Cara Cordoni
3 Mar 2026 [1:08:22]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #ISTA #OSHO #STOPQuotingOSHO #Centrepoint
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/EEn_KRzucU6cwh52zmWljg

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Ellie Wilde's Journey, former ISTA Facilitator
Ellie Wilde's Journey, former ISTA Facilitator Former ISTA facilitator Ellie Wilde joins Cara to share her 11-year journey through the organization—from participant to inner circle to speaking out about harm. Ellie arrived at 40, seeking tools for better relationships and sexuality, and found a community where she felt she could finally belong. She traces how she moved from the outer circle into facilitation, exploring what it meant to be part of a world that seemed to offer healing, empowerment, and belonging. Ellie and Cara discuss themes that emerge in high-control groups: power dynamics between teachers and students, the difference between genuine empowerment and pseudo-importance, and the long work of recovery after leaving. They explore what it takes to find your voice after years of silence, the spiral nature of healing rather than linear progress, and the tension of holding both harm experienced and harm perpetuated. CONTENT NOTE Contains discussion of sexual relationships between teachers and students, power dynamics, and grooming. Brief references to emotional collapse and recovery work. DISCLAIMER Views expressed represent individual opinions and experiences, not official positions of the podcast or producers. Content is not intended to malign any religion, group, organization, business, individual, or entity. ABOUT GUEST Ellie Wilde is a somatic facilitator, educator, and long-time insider of contemporary tantric and spiritual culture who brings a rare combination of lived experience, depth, and discernment to conversations about power, intimacy, and integrity. For over a decade, Ellie was a facilitator with the International School of Temple Arts (ISTA), working internationally in immersive trainings focused on sexuality, spirituality, and relational awakening. Her years inside these spaces gave her an intimate understanding of both the profound potential and the serious distortions that can arise when embodiment work, trauma, eros, and spiritual authority are mixed without sufficient maturity, accountability, or nervous-system awareness. Today, Ellie works primarily with men in one-to-one settings, supporting them to develop emotional literacy, grounded masculinity, and ethical relational capacity. Her work helps men move beyond performance-based spirituality and bypassing, into genuine presence, responsibility, and self-regulation — especially in intimacy, sexuality, and leadership. In group spaces, Ellie is drawn to facilitating environments that prioritise safety, consent, clarity, and nervous-system coherence. She is particularly passionate about dismantling charismatic power dynamics, reclaiming discernment as a sacred skill, and helping people separate authentic spiritual growth from coercion, fantasy, and unintegrated trauma. Ellie's voice is informed, compassionate, and unflinching. She speaks not as an outsider throwing stones, but as someone who has loved these worlds, participated deeply in them, and is now committed to telling the truth - so that what is genuinely healing can remain, and what is harmful can finally be named. www.essentialtantra.org ellie@essentialtantra.org RESOURCES Jane Goodall's Final Message to Humanity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=your-link-here Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.Community ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.org CONNECT Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together. If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you. Questions or feedback: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoni Like what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations, especially because this is a new show. CREDITS Opening Graphics: Paxton Scarberry Theme Music: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app) Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0

"Ellie Wilde's Journey, Former #ISTA Facilitator"
Cara Cordoni
24 Feb 2026 [1:02:58]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/x713smKwy0K2--hhYLYS5Q

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#Sevice
#ista kündigt sich an zur Zählerablösung. ista kommt widerholt nicht. Vermieter bittet nun um direkte Terminvereinbarung.
Ista-Zentrale: nur Servicepartner machen Termine.
Wir: Kontaktdaten bitte ?
ista: geht nicht, da nicht klar, welcher Servicepartner zuständig.
"I got you babe.."🎶

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My ISTA Story Pt 2 with guest interviewer Jack Rikess
My ISTA Story Pt 2 with guest interviewer Jack Rikess CONTENT NOTE Contains discussion of coercion, manipulation, organizational abuse, and victim-blaming. Jack's direct, confrontational interviewing style may be activating for survivors. In Part 2 (of 2), Cara and Jack explore what comes after you recognize harm in a community you loved. Cara shares her two-year journey attempting accountability through mediation—believing transformation was possible, documenting patterns of harm, and slowly realizing the organization wasn't interested in genuine change. The conversation moves through the stages of disillusionment: from hopeful participant to concerned insider to reluctant whistleblower. Cara reflects on why she stayed in dialogue so long and what it took to finally walk away from the dream of accountability. Jack and Cara discuss the mechanics of institutional betrayal—how organizations respond to harm reports, the ways victims get blamed for their own trauma, and what happens when mediation becomes performance. Cara describes her current work supporting survivors and building alternative models for community and leadership. Part 2 of 2. For Cara's full ISTA origin story, start with Part 1. DISCLAIMER Views expressed represent individual opinions and experiences, not official positions of the podcast or producers. Content is not intended to malign any religion, group, organization, business, individual, or entity. ABOUT JACK RIKESS Jack Rikess was a stand-up comic for twenty-five years performing across the USA. Along the way he became a producer of comedy shows and other productions, including two years as an Operational Manager for The Emerald Cup. In the early 2000s, he wrote about the Northern California Cannabis scene. That led to a column with Village Voice Media, "Toke of the Town" which was distributed in twenty American cities including LA Weekly, SF Weekly, and City Pages in his hometown of Minneapolis. His work is featured in Stephen Sparks and Tom Allman's book, "Out There In The Woods"—an account of being embedded with law enforcement in the 36-day manhunt for a double-murderer hiding in the hills of Mendocino County. His first novel, "Just For A Couple Of Weeks" will be published in spring of 2026. Connect with Jack: RESOURCES Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.Community ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.org New York Magazine Article: http://3sc.community/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Neo-Tantric-Sex-Group-That-Promised-to-Change.pdf CONNECT Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together. If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you. Questions or feedback: foolsgoldpodcast@proton.me Schedule a 30 min curiosity call with Cara: calendly.com/caracordonicoaching Substack: https://caracordoni.substack.com/ Instagram: @caracordoni Like what you're hearing? Please consider subscribing, sharing with someone who might benefit, and leaving a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations, especially because this is a new show. CREDITS Opening Graphics: Paxton Scarberry Theme Music: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app) Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0

"My #ISTA Story Pt 2 with Guest Interviewer Jack Rikess"
Cara Cordoni
17 Feb 2026 [0:51:24]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/agbt-o1nIkWvsUkWtY_WDg

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Hoosier Teachers, especially ISTA members, what should we be doing on the racial, social, and labor justice fronts? I am on the committee and would love feedback before our next meeting.

#indiana #teachers #union #ista

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Reading The News: "ISTA in Cyprus: Sacred Sexuality or a Pattern of Harm?"
Reading The News: "ISTA in Cyprus: Sacred Sexuality or a Pattern of Harm?" Fool's Gold 'Reading The News' Bonus episodes launch with the Politis article, "ISTA in Cyprus: Sacred Sexuality or a Pattern of Harm?" by Katerina Nicolaou, Nov 23, 2025. https://en.politis.com.cy/culture/culture-soul-scene/970088/ista-in-cyprus-sacred-sexuality-or-a-pattern-of-harm No commentary, just the article as written, read aloud to you by Cara Cordoni.

"Reading the News: '#ISTA in Cyprus: Sacred Sexuality or a Pattern of Harm?'"
Cara Cordoni
11 Feb 2026 [0:21:35]
#InternationalSchoolOfTempleArts #Cult
https://s.cultpodcasts.com/_GlPyFapLkq8Ih_fF_4khA

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KARAKAR Web Tasarım ve Yazılım Ajansı

Kurumsal web siteniz satışa gerçekten katkı sağlıyor mu? Hız, güvenlik ve SEO birlikte tasarlanmalıdır.
Biz bunu tek projede, uçtan uca kuruyoruz. 

İnceleyin: https://karakar.web.tr

#karakarweb #webtasarim #webyazilim #kurumsalwebtasarim #seo #teknikseo #ista

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KARAKAR Web Tasarım ve Yazılım Ajansı

Kurumsal web siteniz satışa gerçekten katkı sağlıyor mu? Hız, güvenlik ve SEO birlikte tasarlanmalıdır.
Biz bunu tek projede, uçtan uca kuruyoruz. 

İnceleyin: https://karakar.web.tr

#karakarweb #webtasarim #webyazilim #kurumsalwebtasarim #seo #teknikseo #ista

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#ISTA State Board Meeting: Solidarity with #ICEOutMinneapolis #IamISTA #UnionStrong

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If you are in Indiana and would like the link to attend tomorrow evening’s legislative update Zoom link to register, let me know.

#Indiana #ISTA #education #publicschools

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#idw #ISTA scientists detect new #climate pattern in the tropics

Institute of Science and Technology Austria

Tropical cyclones can unleash extensive devastation, as recent storms that swept over #Jamaica and the #Philippines made unmistakably clear.
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Original post on nrw.social

#idw #ISTA scientists detect new #climate pattern in the tropics

Tropical cyclones can unleash extensive devastation, as recent storms that swept over #Jamaica and the #Philippines made unmistakably clear. Accurate weather forecasts that buy more time to prepare are crucial for saving lives and […]

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For today and always, I am thankful for my union siblings and union colleagues. Together, we advance.

#thankful #union #unionstrong #ista #nea

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First retreat of our #DynaTrans @erc.europa.eu synergy consortium. Great science and interactions, (little) wine testing and (lots of-) Poisson distributions with the Gregor @pasteur.fr, Tkacik #ISTA and our @college-de-france.fr labs, in wonderful #Ermenonville castle🤘

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"Liebe junge Väter, vielleicht, oder angehende haben sie Mut. Nennen Sie Ihre Neuankömmlinge des heutigen Tages ruhig Christa. Chr #ista ist da!"

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