shunned: Recent Episodes
shunned
Religious and cult ideologies often use the practice of shunning to silence their critics and to control their members through fear. This podcast sheds light on this practice through real life stories as told by the people that have lived through it. Learn what their lives were like and where they have ended up in life after shunning. Featuring stories from Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientology, Amish, Mennonite, FLDS, the Moonies, and more, you will learn about the real lives of former members that have been shunned.
In this episode Dennise recounts her upbringing with a strong-willed mother who rigorously enforced cult doctrines, leading to a childhood filled with anxiety, emotional, and physical abuse. She details her early disbelief in the dogma, her forced baptism and pioneering, and the isolating effects of her family’s strict adherence. She also explores her disfellowshipping after seeking freedom in another state, a subsequent brain tumor during pregnancy, and her parents’ attempt to deny her life-saving blood transfusions due to religious beliefs. Ultimately, Dennise shares her journey to healing and finding happiness after leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses and relocating, highlighting the lasting psychological impacts but also the joy of authenticity and forming healthy relationships.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
This episode explores Dianna’s life, starting with her family’s unconventional path into the faith, with her grandmother and later her mother and siblings becoming baptized, though her parents initially struggled with aspects like smoking. Dianna describes her own baptism at age 15, feeling it was the expected next step rather than a deep connection. She discusses her social life, including friendships within the Kingdom Hall and at public school, and her experience with pioneering. The interview details her marriage to a fellow Witness, his appointment as an elder, and the eventual downfall of their marriage due to his inappropriate relationship with another woman in the congregation, culminating in a tragic event involving the other woman’s husband. Finally, Dianna reflects on being disfellowshipped, reinstated, and ultimately drifting away, finding freedom and joy in her life outside the organization, particularly through motherhood and embracing her open-mindedness.
Dianna’s story is a compelling account of the impact of a high-control religious environment on an individual’s life. It highlights the themes of familial and social pressure, the superficiality of relationships within the organization, the detrimental effects of judgmentalism and control, and the challenges and joys of breaking free and finding personal identity and genuine connection in the outside world. Her experiences with shunning, the tragic events surrounding her divorce, and her journey of waking up and embracing a more open-minded and accepting perspective provide valuable insights into the realities of leaving a cult.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
This episode is an interview with Alex, formerly one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who shares his deeply personal experience of being raised in the organization and the profound impact it had on his life. He details his family’s multi-generational involvement, highlighting the emphasis on being “God’s chosen people” and the resulting feelings of being “special” yet also judgmental and isolated from the “worldly” people outside due to the black and white thinking and discouragement of those outside relationships. The core of his story revolves around his struggle to reconcile his inner desires and the forced external appearance of a loyal Witness, ultimately leading to being “shunned” after a seemingly minor infraction, a traumatic event that triggered severe depression, alcoholism, and a long period of self-destructive behavior, before finding a path toward self-discovery, genuine connection, and challenging the destructive beliefs he was raised with.
Alex’s story provides a powerful and deeply personal account of the profound and lasting impact of growing up in and eventually leaving the Jehovah’s Witness organization. It highlights the psychological toll of strict doctrines, manipulative practices, and the trauma of shunning. His journey underscores the difficulty of navigating the outside world without the necessary social and emotional tools and the importance of self-discovery and building authentic connections in the healing process. The inclusion of a song reflecting on his relationship with his father adds a poignant layer to the narrative, emphasizing the enduring pain and complex emotions associated with familial separation due to religious beliefs. Alex’s story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the possibility of finding happiness and purpose after leaving a high-control religious group.
The song featured at the end is “Sometimes Your Best Still Hurts” by Mrs. London’s Butler and the song and his channel can be found on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/iq_RoSyYoig?si=1XDKPNrRT9eIcw9C
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
This episode provides a powerful and heartbreaking account of growing up within the restrictive and often damaging environment of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Carol Anne’s story highlights the immense pressure of maintaining a generational heritage, the severe consequences of shunning, and the prevalence of abuse and trauma within families intertwined with the organization. The organization’s handling of serious issues like grooming and molestation, often prioritizing internal control over reporting to authorities, is a significant point of concern. Carol Anne’s experience of living a double life, suppressing her identity, and the limited social and educational opportunities are clear consequences of the JW lifestyle. Despite the profound challenges and betrayals she faced, particularly from her family, Carol Anne’s journey towards deconstruction, healing, and building healthy relationships offers a hopeful conclusion, emphasizing the possibility of breaking negative cycles and finding genuine happiness outside of the organization. The narrative serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of authoritarian religious control and the importance of individual agency and self-acceptance.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. The song that Johanna chose to represent her journey is Surface Pressure from Encanto.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Johanna was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Her story encompasses a childhood marked by secret abuse, a home environment with a dangerous and alcoholic father, and what could be considered a shocking and early marriage, ultimately leading to her being shunned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
• Secret Abuse: Johanna was molested by an older cousin for about a year and a half when she was around 8 or 9 years old. This was kept a family secret, and she was told not to tell anyone, not even her father. Her mother, upon finding out, questioned Johanna in a blaming way, asking “Why did you let him do that to you?”. This incident highlights a significant secret abuse that Johanna endured without adequate support or protection from her family.
• A Dangerous Dad: Johanna’s father is described as an alcoholic who became increasingly violent as she got older. There were instances where he would smash things, break into the house after being locked out, and Johanna would overhear him threatening to kill the entire family. The family would sometimes leave for short periods due to his violence, but were discouraged from permanently leaving by elders in the congregation. Ultimately, her father died by suicide using a homemade gun, and Johanna believed his plan involved killing the entire family as he had six bullets for six family members. This paints a picture of a dangerous father who created a volatile and fear-filled home environment.
• A Shocking Marriage: Johanna got engaged at 15 or 16 and married at 17 to a 22-year-old fellow Jehovah’s Witness. This occurred partly as an escape from her difficult home life, as her mother and stepfather did not want her there. The circumstances surrounding the engagement, where her mother suggested marriage as a solution to them being forbidden to talk, and the young age of Johanna, particularly within a non-Witness context, could be considered shocking. Johanna herself acknowledges her naivety about relationships due to her sheltered upbringing. • But Johanna is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Today she shares her story for herself and for her son that was featured on a previous episode.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show. The song that Johanna chose to represent her journey is Surface Pressure from Encanto.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
It’s been almost 8 years, a whole lot of work, and here we are sitting at episode 200 of the Shunned Podcast. Episode 100 featured 100 things you need to know to heal from Jehovah’s Witnesses, and this episode will feature a lot of ways that the cult may have impacted you that you never thought about. If you watch or listen to this episode, I’ll be surprised if you don’t walk away with something to think about, if not many things, for your own life. We’re going to talk about how we relate to others as we navigate a post JW world but we’ll also discuss how we relate to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then we’re going to talk about our relationship with self, and drop a lot of points for consideration. After that we’ll talk about the teachings and culture of Jehovah’s Witnesses and some of the more directly related impacts of their beliefs. And some might enjoy a bonus episode of my views that are often a bit unconventional on things like Norway, the ExJW community as a whole, violence and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and maybe a little interview of myself as well if they want.
I’m a cult recovery coach with my own lived experience as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and I’ve worked with hundreds and hundreds of individuals since 2019, often working with roughly 6 individuals daily in hour long sessions, diving into people’s lives, helping them to heal and move forward into a life that is reflective of who they are and who they want to be.
I also have three podcasts, This JW Life which is my story told in such a way as to help others process their own. We translated that into Spanish to help in that community where it’s known as Esta Vida Como Testigo De Jehovah. And This JW Life was also turned into a book called Becoming Jehovah, which is available to read for free online, links to everything mentioned here will be in the podcast or YouTube description. Today I’m the host of the Shunned Podcast where I help other people to tell their stories their way, which I’ve been doing since 2017 as one of the OG podcasters still out here doing their thing. My channels have been viewed, listened to, downloaded over 1.5 million times at this recording.
I have also developed an ExJW cart to take out to do street activism, and last year I went out to do a one man audio protest at a regional convention. I’ve also been privileged to speak at the University of Louisville in a psychology class, at the inaugural When Rights and Religions Collide conference, and I’ve done online and in person speaking for the International Cultic Studies Association. Oh, and I created fun trivia quiz website that I’ve been able to get active Jehovah’s Witnesses to interact with at JWTrivia.com that is in three languages and that introduces active Jws to new concepts if they take the simple quiz. I even ran a private Facebook group of ExJWs with a couple thousand members that was aimed at positivity and moving forward for a few years, and I’ve always been active in various Facebook groups and subreddits to try to offer a word of support or encouragement since I left Jehovah’s Witneses in 2015. In fact, we’re coming up on my 10th Shunniversary this September.
So when you listen to what I’m about to break down, these are my observations and lessons that you can take away from my experience in this community.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Life for Chelynn didn’t exactly get off to an auspicious start when her parents were marked as bad association in the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses as they had her. While is is hard enough to grow up exposed to a cult, further losses only compounded the tough path that she would have to walk. Facing the loss of more than one man that she loved, and addiction to various substances beginning with meth in high school, Chelynn has had to fight for everything that she’s had. Today she fights, not just for herself, but for her little boy as well. The prize? A happy life for herself, a loving environment for her little boy, and to give him things that she never had.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
It’s hard enough growing up different than everyone else because your family is in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Everyone wants to fit in, to belong, to feel seen and heard and validated. But what if you individually were singled out in the very isolated cult environment at the ripe age of 12 because of rumors started by children and carried out by adults? What if everyone labeled you as though you were demonized in some way over silly childhood games? What if you did the one thing that you thought you could do to get them to see you differently, and it didn’t work? This is the story of Alex.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
One of the highest goals for a young person that is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is to go to the Bethel headquarters located in New York, to work as a volunteer, serving their cult full time. But every person that goes there has a life before they go there, a life there, and for most, a life after as well. KJ has taken the time to share his story, one that involves the depths of emotional despair, the harsh realities of the most revered place on earth for Jehovah’s Witnesses, and how he came to realize that “we’re all just drones, following along thoughtlessly, because we’re afraid”. KJ is no longer a drone but has chosen to take flight in his own life, charting his own course, even though it has cost him dearly inside the life he once knew.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
The song that KJ chose to represent his journey is I Drink Wine by Adele
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
As a young teen, Maxwell had a unique opportunity to get into a Korean pre-group for need-greating locally as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Although that didn’t ultimately pan out, self-described “ultra zealot” Maxwell was given yet another chance at just 17 years of age to start a Hindi group, which grew to over 30 individuals. Eventually he would learn Indian sign language and act as a need-greater over Zoom. But like so many, Maxwell knew that he ultimately couldn’t be what the cult wanted him to be. When the time was right he would come out to a friend and later to his family, but this story doesn’t end like you think it would.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
The song that Maxwell chose to represent his journey is Easy On Me by Adele
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
In this episode I, once one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, interview Cass, a former Seventh Day Adventist. Both religions were born in the same time period, out of the same disappointments, and both are capable of creating tremendously negative impacts in the lives and families of their adherents. Growing up with an atheist parent that she knew would die at Armageddon caused great pain. As you listen, you will hear so many stories that resonate with former Jehovah’s Witnesses. And in a particularly poignant moment, a young Cass is in a standoff with a young JW girl in school, both desperately trying to save the other from the same Armageddon, both upset that they can’t make an impact for the other. Cass can be found online as an author at her website CLRowe.com
We mentioned the allegory of the cave by Plato, which can be observed on YouTube by clicking HERE
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Much like in the movie The Truman Show, young Tara was living a lie. In the 8th grade, at the age of 13, Tara would be told something by one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in her English class that would rock her world. Learning her family secret would open her mind to wondering what else might not be as true as portrayed, and it would take great strength to untangle things that she once held as true while at the same time trying to figure out who she was and what she wanted for herself. A strong person that learned at an early age to think for herself out of necessity, Tara has forged ahead in search for truth, leaving behind what she once called “The Truth”.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
The song that Tara chose to represent her journey is Damn It Feels Good To Be Me by Andy Grammer
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Treated terribly by those that were supposed to protect and love her, Sam looked to things like baptism and being “The Bible Girl” at school to escape into serving a god that she was also seeking love from. She tried desperately, even seeing herself as “Jephthah’s daughter”, trying to dedicate herself to Jehovah, nearly meeting a similar fate. Ultimately the congregation would take away everything that she wanted and leave her searching for identity in a marriage that mirrored the rest of the abuse that she had suffered at the hands of others that claimed to love her as well. In a desperately haunting moment she faced the end of everything, not knowing that it would work out a new beginning for her, one that she has seized as she has fought for survival.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
The song that Sam chose to represent her journey is Horseshoe Crab by Slothrust.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Dino, a Shunned Podcast veteran, came up with an idea to reach out to convention locations for Jehovah’s Witnesses to challenge their messaging that is featured, at times, even on the campuses of institutions that they condemn. You will learn who to contact and we’re even including a downloadable sample letter/email that you can use directly. This is something that anyone can do from the comfort of their own home to get involved in activism. At a minimum this is an educational campaign, but it could have impact that creates real tangible change as well.
You can find more activism options, and an email that you can literally copy and paste for this project, at the following link (this project is at the bottom of the page): https://exjwhelp.com/exjw-activism/
Dino’s family was featured on episode 146 here: https://youtu.be/pY8uJ4WSjp4?si=y9_wg95oPJ_uWuGP
Dino told his individual story on episode 90 here: https://youtu.be/ffa1yxXVaMU?si=pZeKE2qdnaHKMCxm
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Thank you to all of the wonderful people that donated this year for our “day” of giving. Because so much is received, it takes more than a day, but we were able to do the following in September and October 2024. An accounting is below, and mirrored in the video:
Amount Raised – $1525 plus $10 for $1535, explained in video (Thank you soooo much to all of you that gave generously!)
Accounting: $40 – Meal for Facebook group admin and pimo $105 – Pimo first birthday $40 – Tip at Mexican restaurant $200 – Bookkeeping marketing and business $500 – College scholarship $250 – Baby shower for ExJW couple $200 – First Christmas number one $200 – First Christmas number two
Total – $1535
We paid for all fees incurred for the collection and distribution of all monies, so the amounts are full amounts.
Professional one on one Cult Recovery Coaching services, helpful videos and articles, more information about ExJwHelp Day itself, and other resources can be found at: https://exjwhelp.com/
Find Bell’s Bookkeeping at the following link: https://bellsbookkeeping.net/
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you’re not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com
Please consider supporting the show’s Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories at: https://patreon.com/shunned
An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel
Imagine feeling that you have to run away from your family, leaving them physically, so that you can hope to continue to have them in your life through the bond of a cult. For Jodi, this was a reality. She knew that if she stayed where she lived and with the person that she was falling in love with, a person that was not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, it could cost her relationship with her family. So she left. But high control groups don’t always just let people leave, sometimes they reach 3000 miles away to send elders to try to bring you back. This Jodi’s story, but also that of family members that can’t speak for themselves, a life story involving tragedy, loss, and ultimate reclamation of life.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
The song that Jodi chose to represent her journey is Through Smoke by NEEDTOBREATHE
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Young Kenesha knew from the time that she was a teacher’s pet in school that she wanted to be “the good one”. Growing up in a life that she hated as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Kenesha continued trying to be “the good one”, but somehow found herself in situations where she was being backed into corners by people seeking to punish her, both at home and in the cult. Over and over again she would find that even being the good one wasn’t a protection in a world where nobody could never be good enough.
Kenesha’s website is https://keneshaantoine.com/
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Today we meet Mikey, aka Mikey J Havoc on the comedy stage, a stage that is very new for him in his life as he explores his past as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In this episode we explore that past together, from the “divided household” that he grew up in, to growing up having to mask not only the fact that he didn’t believe, but also masking his autism while in the Kingdom Hall. Despite his obstacles he was able to go to college and get a degree, and now he’s added comedy. And if you grew up JW, you won’t believe the reason that his dad eventually left the Witnesses behind.
Watch Mikey’s first ever comedy set after taking just a very short bootcamp here:
https://youtu.be/AhWPSRf06Ok?si=_Oh1Wl2G8xBIS0Dg
Check out Mikey's artwork here:
https://shunnedpodcast.com/188-an-autistic-bipolar-adhd-exjw-comedian-tells-his-story-shunned-by-jehovahs-witnesses/
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
The song that Mikey chose to represent his journey is Get Better by Frank Turner
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
When Kelsi was a young girl growing up in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, her head was filled with fears of great tribulations and doomsday scenarios. As most faithful Jehovah’s Witnesses would, her mom let her know that there would be no compromise, and that if push came to shove, she would choose her faith over her children. As she grew into her own person, Kelsi would realize that she would need the strength to to stand up for what she believed in, even if it wasn’t the same as what she had been taught, and even if it resulted in shunning. This is Kelsi’s story.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
After a life growing up in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, where she thought she was going to do something good but only found pain, Megan made changes. Today she may be shunned by a group that holds women down, but she has done something good with her life and wishes to inspire women to see the good that they can do too. Earlier this year she was recognized by Women’s Magazine as one of 70 Women Entrepreneurs of the Year, as her company provides sustainable solutions and furnishings for people in need, turning surplus into support.
Furniture Reuse Solutions
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
The song that Megan chose to represent her journey is Born For This by The Score.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
To participate by donating to the cause, you can donate here (I will personally match the first $200 dollar for dollar): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/shunnedrecovery
You can also Venmo to @michael-shemwell-1 (last four digits of phone are 3279 if needed)
To learn more about this day and how you can go out and participate on your own visit: https://exjwhelp.com/exjwhelpday/
Jason describes his life like a cult version of the Nickleback song Too Bad and the accompanying video. The house was a bad day away from being condemned. Home was a place where his parents hated each other. His dad had an affair, got disfellowshipped, and took off. Mom was working at a cafe. Jason had to go fend for himself, and eventually his 15 year old brother was shipped off to stay with him. This is Jason’s story of waking up and leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses and changing his life for himself and his own family today.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
The songs that Jason chose to represent his journey are Never Too Late by Three Days Grace, Awake and Alive by Skillet, Liberate by Disturbed, and Left Behind by Slipknot.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
It all started in 2017 when I first told my story as the podcast This JW Life, the podcast that kicked off everything that has happened since, including this channel. Now, years later, that podcast has been turned into the book Becoming Jehovah, a book that can be read online at https://becomingjehovah.com/ in both English and Spanish. In this episode I talk about how this came about, the work that went into it, and share my hopes that with its accessibility online it can be shared to people that might need to consume such helpful content, some that may even need to read it in secret.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
The song that Shayna chose to represent her journey is White Flag by Bishop Briggs
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Shayna was a person that stood up to bullies in school that were hurting other kids, but unfortunately the biggest bullies were the adults in charge of her care in life. A mother that left her with her alcoholic dad and that took the other kids when they split is just a small glimpse into what she was facing at home. But the later judicial committee discussing rape encapsulates why Jehovah’s Witnesses simply shouldn’t be allowed to exist. They should never have this much power. They should never be defined by any government as a charity. They are an abusive real estate corporation masquerading as a religion that truly destroys families and provides a narrative that buoys abusive individuals as well. This is truly one of the most egregious stories of abuse, and Shayna has had to be such a strong person to make it through.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
The song that Shayna chose to represent her journey is White Flag by Bishop Briggs
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Hali grew up in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but also in what was thought to be a trap house. One of her first memories, at just 5 years of age, was a SWAT team breaking into her house, taking everyone out, and holding her father at gunpoint to arrest him. So she experienced the shame of being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and having to be different from other kids at school, but she suffered a double layer of shame because her father suffered from addiction. Being third generation and born into a cult that is essentially a trap house for shame, that pattern would only continue throughout her life until she one day realized that she didn’t need to care what they thought anymore. She always felt like she wanted to go home but didn’t know what that meant for her, and although she has faced shunning, today she has found home in the form of a person, her husband, and the life that they are creating together, a life without shame.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
I have created a website with a trivia quiz to help reach Jehovah’s Witnesses online. The goal of the quiz is to get them sharing, talking, and above all, thinking. Through carefully crafted questions and answers, where even the wrong answer can introduce a person to something that they never knew, my hope is to help people have fun while learning about the very destructive thing that they are involved in. The website and quiz is available in English, Spanish, and Polish versions currently. It has been taken by people all over the world, and it was tested prior to release to make sure that at least some of those participants are active Jehovah’s Witnesses. You can find and share the quiz as part of your own activism at: https://jwtrivia.com/
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you’re not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com
I also have an ExJW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Please consider supporting the show’s Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories, and get yourself some exclusive bonuses, at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned
Show notes and information on how to be a guest or find other resources for the podcast can be found here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/episodes/
Music provide by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself
An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel
In the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, appearance means everything. It is your credibility, your social status, even your standing before god in their congregations. So when Daisy had moments that mirrored the pain she felt inside that manifested in a way that could be seen outwardly, her mother took that very personally. In fact, time and time again throughout Daisy’s story the need to look the part is put above the harsh realities of her daily experience. Eventually Daisy would have to find her way to freedom and real substance to leave the shallow and abusive environment of her past.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
I decided to go out this year to test some new ideas for activism and protest at conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Evansville Indiana. I wanted this to be a one man protest and planned to go alone. The goal was to give a voice to the voiceless, to create cognitive dissonance in people that wish to ignore actual truth in favor of “The Truth”, and to give them a chance to connect to the emotions of those on the outside. This was done by exposing them to real audio recordings from the Shunned Podcast here, featuring poignant moments from guests that I hope might resonate with someone there. Activism can take many forms, and this is my chosen form for the day in question.
In this episode I discuss my takeaways from this protest, which took place in three parts over two weekends in Evansville. Everything from what I felt to what I saw, from how people reacted at the protest to how they reacted online (including in the YouTube comments), and I give tips on how you can do something similar if you wish.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you’re not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com
I also have an ExJW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Please consider supporting the show’s Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories, and get yourself some exclusive bonuses, at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned
Show notes and information on how to be a guest or find other resources for the podcast can be found here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/episodes/
Music provide by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself
An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel
If you’re looking to buy the speaker that I used, here’s a link to the Doss Traveler on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKZCBYM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
If you’d be interested in any of the shirts that I wear on the podcast, they can be found here, and I do get a few bucks on each sale: https://shunnedpodcast.threadless.com/
When Felicity’s father left when she was just eight years old, life took a sudden turn as her mother fell into the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Struggling with her own mental and emotional health, her mother is described as a wild animal, hurling objects and abuse at her young daughter. Concerned outsiders could see what was going on at times, but not Jehovah’s Witnesses. In fact, young Felicity would walk to the Kingdom Hall and be passed by brothers and sisters in cars that refused to pick her up. She was even fostered for a time by an elder and his family, only to find them devoid of love as well. Ultimately Felicity would take a stand for herself and her children in an act of courage. This is her story.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Throughout Greg’s life in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he observed the hypocrisy and lack of love in the congregation. People were appointed to positions based on who they knew. They were dealt with judicially, with determinations of their fates being based on who they knew as well. Eventually Greg would have to leave his life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses behind to find himself.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Whether it is aligning people against you, telling you that you can’t trust people on the outside, or trying to convince you that you’re crazy, a person that is gaslighting you can wreak havoc on your relationships. When that person isn’t just one person but an entire cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses and it is everyone that you know, you don’t stand a chance at having good relationships with others or yourself.
This is the sixth in a series where I’ll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
In this episode we meet Kyle and Kari, a brave couple that has been a support (along with others) to their community of religious disaffiliates as they have been awakened to the realities of their group in shocking ways. What group are we talking about? Meet the Two By Twos, at times referred to as “the no name church”, a group that doesn’t necessarily have a specific designated name from within, but which has been given names primarily by the secular community. Much like Jehovah’s Witnesses, they often refer to their doctrine as The Truth, and they also use similar terminology, such as the friends, the meetings, elders, overseers, worldly, conventions, and more. Sadly, just like Jehovah’s Witnesses but more recent, they too have been devastated by allegations of child sex abuse that have come out of the darkness and into the light. This is the story of Kyle and Kari, and the group commonly known today as the 2x2s, the Two By Twos, and The Truth.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Gaslighting isn’t just a one time event, it is a pattern expressed over time, and Jehovah’s Witnesses use it with regularity in the cult. Love bombing, brainwashing, projecting what they’re doing onto others, hypocrisy, etc. are all a part of the experience.
This is the fifth in a series where I’ll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Catherine wasn’t born into the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. There was a lot of abuse and bullying that went on in her home, both parental and from her siblings. Her family was lacking love, and one day she thought that she found it when she met a young man. That young man ended up bringing her to Jehovah’s Witnesses, and she took to what she thought was “The Truth”. Eventually she would realize that both her husband and the Witnesses around her, including a sister that became her best friend, were narcissistic. Throughout her journey with them, she would look for love from emotionally unavailable people, mirroring her upbringing, only to eventually find a relationship through her ministry work that led her to realize that she was the one that needed help.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
The song that Catherine chose to represent her journey is Home by Three Days Grace.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Lying is integral to gaslighting, pushing the false realities that create confusion and lead to controlling behaviors. “The Truth”, as Jehovah’s Witnesses refer to their religious cult, is full of lies. The organization conveniently bends truth to create narratives to support and excuse their own behavior. The constant pressure to conform creates situations that lead to inauthenticity among members. Ultimately lies are a huge part of “The Truth”, as upholding the cult’s narrative is much more important than searching for actual truth.
This is the fourth in a series where I’ll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Waking up to the realities of life in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is hard enough to do even in the best of circumstances. But what if you were an active JW, and what if you were fighting another active JW for custody of your child? And what if, in doing so, your eyes were opened to the reality of everything that you were involved in through the behavior of others? What if, as lawyers asked you questions on the stand, it all started to fall apart? Darrin’s story is both incredibly unique, with so many twists and turns that you won’t see coming, but also so familiar to many that have fought for custody of their children within the cult.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
One hallmark of gaslighting is using what is near and dear to a person as ammunition against them. Jehovah’s Witnesses weaponize their relationships with you, your normal and natural desires, the expression of those desire, and more. They use shame to make you feel like a bad person for daring to want something outside of the approved list of personal expressions. A person that is beaten down and that has given up on what they want in life is easier to control. Often people lose their ability to form an identity apart from the group.
This is the third in a series where I’ll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Life happens, both for the better and for the worse. Being a kid is hard, especially as it relates to school. Families fight. Relationships come and go. Individuals have their own internal struggles. There are amazing people in this world that seek to uplift others, and also people that prey on others and hope to take them down. Cherie’s story highlights how these normal life events happen, but no matter how bad life can be, Jehovah’s Witnesses can always add stress and drama to the situation that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. In the end, Cherie had to choose herself in order to protect her own peace.
The song that Cherie chose to represent her story is Not Ready To Make Nice by The Chicks.
Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
One hallmark of gaslighting is the denial of what happened, even in the face of proof. Jehovah’s Witnesses are masters of spin, from the organization itself to the individual members of the cult. When you hold something dear and you call it “The Truth”, you need it to be true no matter the cost. Whether it is the denial of their systematic shunning policies, their failed predictions of the end of the world, their denial of the Australian Royal Commission inquiry into child sex abuse and Jehovah’s Witnesses, or any number of things, what happened didn’t really happen if you ask members of the cult. It is easy to claim truth if you deny any challengers to it, and it is easy to feel alone or crazy when you see things that don’t add up and everyone around you acts like you didn’t see what you saw. The denial can cause a person to question their own reality, thus making them more pliable in the face of such control.
This is the second in a series where I’ll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Jess grew up between two worlds, the one at her father’s house and the one at her mother’s. Both involved abuse and created much trauma for her, and as a child she would have to choose which home to stay at. That often meant staying at one home until she could no longer tolerate it, and then moving to the next. Add in bullying at school, by other family members, and the destructive cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Jess had to be stronger than she could ever realize to make it through.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
On March 15, 2024, Mark Sanderson of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses gave an update to his cult followers. This comes on the heels of a country like Norway taking the cult to task for their shunning policies, something that most Jehovah's Witnesses likely won't even know happened, and a court case that the JWs lost. As a result, funding was cut for their religion. This announcement of theirs was a lot of deflecting and obfuscating to make it look like they don't really shun individuals. They're just trying to help. They are the real victims of shunning, after all, not the people that they shun. However, some exciting things came out of this video, like the ability to say a quick greeting to a shunned person if they come back into their house of worship, the ability for grown women to decide if they want to wear pants or not, and grown men to decide if they want to wear a tie and jacket. When a man that has millions and millions of people hanging on his every word speaks, someone has to acknowledge what was really said, and I say the quiet parts out loud for him.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you're not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com
I also have an ExJW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com
Please consider supporting the show's Patreon if you appreciate the time, effort, and money that goes into producing these stories at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned
You can also join The Uprising Project and get help to grow in your career or small business with a private Facebook group, monthly group coaching call, resources, advertising opportunities, and more at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned
Show notes and information on how to be a guest or find other resources for the podcast can be found here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/episodes/
Music provide by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself
An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel #exjw #jehovahswitnesses #cult
Young Jacob was diagnosed with cancer at just 5 years of age and suddenly found himself in different environments that garnered attention. However, as he would move on throughout his life, Jacob would find himself on the outside looking in, trying to be good enough to qualify to do the things that he saw other Jehovah’s Witnesses doing around him. Jacob discusses these matters, living with autism in the congregation, and how he came to realize that he was raised in a cult.
The paper that Jacob wrote about the BITE model and Jehovah’s Witnesses can be found at: https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/bwi43n/jehovahs_witnesses_religious_cult/?share_id=X6gItqQ6FhpLimP6ExXvf&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1
The song that Jacob chose to represent his story is Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Through gaslighting, one person or one group of people can become the reality check for an individual, whether that person wanted that reality check or not. A person is systematically broken down, detaching from themselves and attaching to the one doing the gaslighting. Cults often employ gaslighting to get oneness of mind, unity, sameness. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t just tell you what to think and how you should feel, they also demonize what YOU actually think and how YOU actually feel. Your thoughts and feelings are gradually replaced with theirs, as you start to doubt yourself and look to them to tell you if you’re right or wrong in what you think, feel, and how you want to behave in this world. This is the first in a series where I’ll break down the ways that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses is actively breaking individuals down, from what they do to why they do it to the real fruitage that it produces in those impacted by it. Learning what it looks like can help us to see remnants that may lie within ourselves, and perhaps even relationships that we may have kept or gravitated toward in our post-cult lives.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Getting baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a forever contract with a cult. In Justin’s case, that decision to get dunked in a pool of water was made as a young man, a young man that knew he was gay. Because of that, ultimately he would never be able to be what they wanted him to be. He realized that if he were ever to be disfellowshipped from the cult because he was now an official member and they see being gay as a gross sin, he could now lose contact with his mother, the person that he cared about more than anything.
The song that Justin chose to represent his journey is Brand New Me by Alicia Keys.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
The Covid-19 pandemic brought a lot of change to the world. Many started to wear masks for protection. But for many Jehovah’s Witnesses, their facial freedom was about to be granted as a result of something that is seemingly totally unrelated. Will these bearded brothers continue to grow their beards bred in captivity, or will they eventually become the free range beards that we all wish for them? Only time will tell, but this pandemic left its mark on the formerly fresh faces of these men.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Finding a way out of a cult is one of the hardest things that a human can do. To find one’s own way free, to take a stand against everything you’ve ever known while knowing that it will cost you dearly, is hard. For many it costs them their entire family, and in this episode I talk with a couple that made it out together. That comes with its own unique challenges, and Natasha and Ben were open in discussing their struggles and victories along this path. Under the cover of Zoom meetings held during the height of Covid, Ben saw a path out of the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Listen to find out what that path was and how both of them found their way to freedom.
The song that Natasha chose to represent her journey is New Beginnings by Moonlight Scorpio, Equanimous, and Nyrus. The song that Ben chose to represent his journey is Anthem Part 2 by Blink 182.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel
Many people don’t realize that Jehovah’s Witnesses were among the many that were persecuted and brutally murdered by the German Nazi Party. Growing up, this was put to me as both a source of unusual pride but was also used to instill fear in me that someday this would likely happen again… to us, because it was always about us. We were told many JW centered stories about the event, and although I always knew intellectually that it was primarily the Jewish people that were targeted, it always felt like the event was really focused on us as Jehovah’s Witnesses. A trip in 2023 to St. Louis, and a spontaneous visit to the Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum that we didn’t know existed until we were there, sparked a lot of feelings about that event and the portrayal of it by the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is my personal experience.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ExJW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
An ExJw podcast
Tana was raised in a home where her parents weren’t on the same page. Her mother, a devout participant in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, raised her to follow that path. Her father, a racist man that struggled with alcohol and rode bikes, clearly had other views of life. These differences caused her tremendous problems growing up, but when a blood transfusion was needed for a 15 year old and disfellowshipped Tana after a horrific accident, it was Tana’s father that came in to save the day.
The song that Tana chose to represent her journey is Closer by Goapele.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ex-JW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Behold the tale of the Smurf doll and the Kingdom Hall. A legend told by adult Jehovah’s Witnesses that made it across the United States and to other continents as well. Learn about this legend, and share your own stories of demons and fear promoted by the cult below in the comments.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ex-JW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
When Caressa’s 18 year old sister started dating a “brother” from another congregation that was 37, an elder close to the family said that he didn’t like the guy and that he was bad news and that they shouldn’t be dating. No details were given, but it was foreboding. For the next few years Caressa, just 8 years of age, would face the abuse of that man. In time her story would come out, but unfortunately it would fall on deaf ears in the congregation, despite taking it to the police. A full decade later that “brother” in the congregation, still in good standing, would harm more innocent children and the congregation would disfellowship him. Who knows how many people he may have hurt in all of that time.
For Caressa, this life of abuse and manipulation from her family, the cult, and this predator, left her no safe space. At the age of 17 she would ghost her family in search of safety, and a life of her own. This is her story.
The song that Caressa chose to represent her story is Redemption Song by Bob Marley
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
You can apply to be included in The Uprising Project, where we will be working to lift the ex-JW community financially by bringing new opportunities to it, and get more information at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
The Uprising Project is a new initiative in the community of former Jehovah’s Witnesses to help these individuals with opportunities to find financial footing in a world that they were isolated from. According to one study by Pew Research of various religions and their incomes, Jehovah’s Witnesses had the lowest percentage of six figure household incomes at just 4%, while having the second highest percentage of household incomes below $30,000 per year at 48%*. As a cult that promotes financial control by discouraging the pursuit of education, demonizing networking with anyone that is not of the same faith, and encouraging a lifestyle of devoting as much time to their religious pursuits as possible, it is no wonder that the group would struggle financially. Add to all of that the psychological warfare of abuse that leaves many feeling like they have no intrinsic value as an individual, and the subsequent extreme shunning for those that leave the group, and many continue to struggle after leaving. Financial stability is the basic ability to survive, and people need to survive before they can truly ever heal and have a possibility to thrive. The Uprising Project seeks to bring resources into the community to help individuals rise from the effects of prior abuses.
Applications for inclusion in this project can be found at: https://exjwhelp.com/the-uprising-project/
The Rights and Religions Forum, and the Fellowship mentioned in the episode, can be found at: https://rarforum.org/fellows/
*https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/10/11/how-income-varies-among-u-s-religious-groups/ Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Natasha grew up in Belgium and found herself in a world of abuse at home. Others, noticing the outward countenance as a result of that abuse, referred to her as “the little girl without a smile”. Being raised in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, she would be pushed into baptism at 17 years of age under false pretenses. As a result, just 6 months after being baptized, Natasha disassociated and left the cult behind, resulting in her shunning. Although the adults around her couldn’t see what was really going on, a little girl named Yvette saw Natasha for who she really was and provided a safe space for her to be herself.
The song that Natasha chose to represent her story is What’s Up by the 4 Non Blondes.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is hard. Kids want to fit in and are forced to be different. For Andrea, the cult reinforced the authority of her mom, and her mom ruled with fear. Under the ever watchful eye of a mother looking to mete out corporal punishment, the beatings were so bad that her sister took some for her out of fear that she would be killed. Their mother would die of cancer while they were still young, and Andrea’s older sister cared for her while the congregation that had been silent about the abuse remained aloof. Only once it was thought that Andrea might need to be reprimanded by congregation elders did anyone reach out to her. Thus began the journey to freedom that she always wished to find.
The song that Andrea chose to represent her story is Luka by Suzanne Vega.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
So yeah, I created my own cart to help people get another side of the story that Jehovah's Witnesses try to tell. I felt it would be a good idea to have a companion to the JW carts, the Awake to one's Watchtower of sorts. Thank you to those in my local area, including several never JWs, for giving me tips on where to find the carts. You made this possible.
If you want to start your own cart, you can find all of the files and links to everything mentioned at the following link: https://exjwhelp.com/exjw-activism/
Please subscribe to follow the journey and as this project continues and grows, you'll be the first to know when I make adjustments to the cart or release new files on various subjects that you can download for your own cart.
These projects all have real costs attached to them. Parking, tolls, gas, cameras, equipment, carts, and so much more time than you would ever think editing and producing it all. Each episode of the regular Shunned Podcast takes probably 8 hours or so from start to finish, including fielding correspondence and making posts to share and production, editing, etc. My cart videos take a lot of time to produce. And I have websites and such that I put time and money into as well each month to host files for this project. So please consider supporting my Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you're not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com
I also have an ex-JW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com
When a person leaves the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses they may still find themselves attached in ways that they had not considered from a legal standpoint. This interview with a legal professional gives us insight into various topics, from going from our former no blood stance to a pro blood stance, what we need to consider when it comes to wills and insurance, as well as the topic of emancipation for minors.
In this episode the following resources are mentioned: 1. An advance directive notification card that you can carry in your wallet – Click Here
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The Jehovah’s Witness Blood Refusal Card: Ethical and Medicolegal Considerations for Emergency Physicians – Click Here
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Kenesha’s Website – Click Here
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
In the concept of gaslighting, one person is trying to create the reality for another person in order to gain or maintain control of them. Jehovah’s Witnesses are masters of gaslighting, weaponizing what is near and dear to others against them, shaming them for who they are and what they want in this life. For Taylor there was massive internal confusion as she got older and realized that there were parts of her personality that didn’t actually come from the cult’s influence. Those parts of her, such as the very normal and natural attraction to someone else, created great inner conflict and external turmoil in a world where her desires weren’t allowed. And thus the realization that gaslighting can be internalized and turned against ourselves felt overwhelming to a young person not equipped to deal with the ramifications and grief caused by a life lived according to the influence of those with power around her.
She realized that in order to continue to live the life she was given, she would have to gaslight herself out of things that she actually wanted. Ultimately she would come to grieve the parts of her that were lost during those times, the time lost, the people that could never truly love her for who she was but rather a vision of who they wanted her to be, and she would go on a quest to find herself. It is said that grief is just love without a home, so she went on a journey to find that home in herself by learning to love a person that others were incapable of loving because of their desire for control.
You can find Taylor and her work on Instagram as mothandmooncommunity at: https://www.instagram.com/mothandmooncommunity/
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Thank you to all of the wonderful people that donated this year for our “day” of giving. Because so much is received, it takes more than a day, but we were able to do the following in September 2023. An accounting is below, and mirrored in the video: Amount Raised – $707 (Thank you soooo much to all of you that gave generously!) Accounting: $200 – Ladies at thrift store $20 – Two libraries, book suprises $160 – Tips across two small local taco restaurants $53 – Basketballs from Walmart $274 – Soup, tuna pouches, snacks for little pantry from Walmart Total – $707 We paid for any meals, gas, tolls, etc. ourselves and used the amount donated that came in after fees and such charged by various payment processors like PayPal and Venmo for our totals. Professional one on one Cult Recovery Coaching services, helpful videos and articles, more information about ExJwHelp Day itself, and other resources can be found at: https://exjwhelp.com/ Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you’re not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com Please consider supporting the show’s Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned Here is the text used in our message to those that would find and read the ex-JW books in the library: If you’re reading this book, you’re likely in a spot where life is starting to look different. You might even be scared reading this, but if you are, that shows that what you’ve been taught is very fear based, and you should absolutely question why someone would do that. Why would someone want to control what information you are exposed to? Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but feeling the fear and doing it anyway. You are about to take a courageous step, one of many that can unlock a life that is founded in actual truth, not just what you’ve been told is true. So take heart that others like you are out here, that we love you, that we’ve been wherever you are today, and that you are doing the right thing for yourself even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment. There are other wonderful people out here that were hurt by something that was supposed to be good. Take this and go buy yourself your favorite coffee or treat. This money was donated by others that are out here. You are not alone. With real love that doesn’t shun, we send hugs and treats. ThisJwLife.com ShunnedPodcast.com ExJwHelp.com
Daniel knew from a young age that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses was supposed to come first in his life. In his teenage years Daniel would start to realize that something wasn’t right and that “The Truth” wasn’t actually true, and he took those doubts to his father. His mother would soon be diagnosed with cancer that would take her life, and in that time he would push his doubts aside and try to give his mom something by getting baptized, as the religion was the focal point for the family even as they rallied around his mom. Later in life, as a father himself, Daniel would start to realize his disconnect again as he tried to indoctrinate his own kids, which would lead him to the discoveries that real research can bring. Ultimately it would cost him certain relationships because of their stand for the religion, but he had to do what was right and not simply what the religion he was given pushed upon him.
Daniel referenced two resources in his episode: Carl Sagan – The Demon-Haunted World – Science as a Candle in the Dark The Great Courses , specifically a course on critical thinking. Upon researching it I found that Your Deceptive Mind – A Scientific Guide on Critical Thinking Skills can also be found on Amazon as an audiobook that looks much cheaper if you aren’t into all of The Great Courses and I’ll link that HERE
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
“I can’t express to you how crazy this house was, and yet the friends would come, it was perfect…showtime.” Trish and her kids were in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but their home too was a place where they didn’t feel safe. Although from the outside people may have seen them one way as they put on a good show, the realities didn’t match up at home. Instead of living out loud, they had to be silent and to hide themselves, becoming small so as not to be seen in a home environment that didn’t feel safe. Later in life Trish would be encouraged to even deny the existence of her sons by the wife of an elder, to make them invisible, as they were not who the cult wanted them to be either. This is a story of reclaiming a life that was a false show of something that wasn’t real underneath, and of finding oneself and being free to be authentic.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Chameleons change their appearance for many reasons, one of which is to avoid predators. Growing up in an abusive home with his stepdad, who was only 11 years older than him, Kevyn couldn’t be himself. At an early age he had to be who he needed to be to survive at home and to try to make friends with the limited opportunities that he had as an isolated member of the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Eventually he would finally earn positive attention from his stepdad because he made it to Bethel, cult headquarters, where he quickly learned that not everyone there was who they appeared to be either. Finding the “degenerate” Bethelites, he learned that there was a world outside to explore, and eventually through several more changes he would find himself enlisting in the Army to leave the life that he had behind as he changed yet again to save himself.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
To participate by donating to the cause, you can donate here (I will personally match the first $200 dollar for dollar): PayPal.me/shunnedrecovery
You can also Venmo to @michael-shemwell-1 (last four digits of phone are 3279 if needed)
To learn more about this day and how you can go out and participate on your own visit:
https://exjwhelp.com/exjwhelpday/
Tara grew up in a family where fear ruled, whether that was of the cult indoctrinated teaching of Armageddon, or whether it was fearing abuse from those entrusted with her care. Future relationships for her sister and herself would involve men that were abusive as well, and the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses would come up woefully short of supporting them in healthy ways. In the end, despite her prayers, despite her pleas with the elders for help, it would be Tara that would break the patterns herself and change the course of her life.
Tara’s art can be found @artbytaraworthing on Instagram
Her husband’s music can be found at Analog Smokeshow on Facebook
The song that Tara chose to represent her journey is How by Lisa Loeb
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Between being told that she was an accident that ruined her mother’s opportunity to be a “regular pioneer” as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and eventually being shunned, Alyssa was baptized into the cult at the ripe age of 9 years old. This is the story of what it is like to have the pressure of expectations to be an adult at such a young age, worried about the end of the world. This is the story of trying to be what your parents want you to be in order to try to earn their love. This is the story of feeling so desperate that you consider doing something absolutely life changing in the face of one of the secret “judicial committees” where your fate is held in the hands of three men. This is the story of growing up and moving forward while others remain stuck in dysfunction.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Many have heard the phrase “what would you do if you knew you could not fail”. Inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, opportunities for failure abound and the constant refrain of “I’m never good enough” echoes in the minds of those exposed to it. But what if a family that started out in the cult started to change the narrative? What would it be like to change the way you see the world as parents, and to then try to implement that change with your own children so as to give everyone a chance at success, instead of abundant focus on failing? How would you feel as that parent? What challenges would arise that perhaps you never even considered if you grew up JW yourself? What beautiful possibilities could lie ahead? This is one family’s story.
The charity mentioned in this episode can be found at https://tbbcf.org/
Support today’s guests by leaving them a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Arthur was introduced to the concept of extreme shunning by the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses when he was just six years of age and was forced to shun his sixteen year old big sister. This moment would send him on a course that was opposed to the path that his parents had set out for him, one that would leave him in a place to face his own disfellowshipping and shunning. However, in a surprise turn of events, Arthur’s baptism was invalidated and annulled rather than being disfellowshipped. Did that make any difference? This is Arthur’s story.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
This is a recording of my presentation at the 2023 International Cultic Studies Association annual convention in Louisville, Kentucky. It was recorded on Friday July 30 in front of a live audience, as well as streamed online for those with tickets to the event. The theme of the conference was "The Cult Phenomenon in the Covid World". My presentation was about the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses and their response to the pandemic. If you would like to watch the full video, you can see that on my YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/ADem_-x19XU
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
I'll be speaking at the conference on Friday July 30 and there won't be a regular release of the podcast this week. I do hope to record my presentation and to be able to share it afterward if all goes well.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you're not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com
I also have an ex-JW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com
Please consider supporting the show's Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned
Growing up, Rachel moved roughly 15 times between the ages of 5 and 19. Without much stability other than the consistency of the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses and her parents in her life, she was forced to move and adapt to new situations without attaching to anything. The out of control feelings and trauma stood to threaten her very existence, but eventually Rachel found better days outside of the cult and more stability in her life. This is Rachel’s story.
The songs that Rachel chose to represent her journey are I Did Something Bad by Taylor Swift, My Tears Ricochet by Taylor Swift, and I’m Not Angry Anymore by Paramore.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Behind the scenes of a rock concert for Saves The Day, Spencer gets to interact with these “worldly” people that weren’t Jehovah’s Witnesses, and he sees that he doesn’t need to save them like he had been told his whole life by the cult. Eventually Spencer comes to realize that the only person he truly needs to save is himself.
The song that Spencer chose to represent his journey is Even If It Kills Me by Motion City Soundtrack.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
While some religions speak about the concept of grace, the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses has another term for it… “undeserved kindness”. This is the underpinning of what it is to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to know that you don’t deserve any chance at salvation as a good for nothing sinner, and to know that you don’t even deserve the life that you have now. For Joel, he had something else going on internally that served as yet an extra obstacle to his existence in the cult, and he was left wondering how that could possibly be fair. Why would he have something above and beyond what others had to contend with to try to be good enough for a God that hated a part of who he was.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
If your true thoughts and feelings were put on display in a lineup of Jehovah’s Witnesses, would your own parents be able to pick you out? Like so many, Jarvis knew that who he was and who he was expected to be were not necessarily congruent. He found himself living for others because he just wanted to make his parents proud, but in the end he came to realize that when everything broke down, they didn’t even know their own son. Unlike them, he came to the defense of a gay friend, he struggled to judge people with the harsh judgment of the cult, and ultimately he stood up for himself, a self that nobody ever knew.
You can find Jarvis on Instagram @jarvis_tha_artist The song that Jarvis chose to represent his journey is What’s Normal Anyway by Miguel.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a form of mental illness and child abuse whereby a caretaker may make a child think that they are sick or may cause real symptoms in a child to make them sick. The caretaker gets attention through their sick children. In this episode we meet Israel and his caretakers that get attention by making him feel like he is wrong and needs to do what they want him to do in order to be well, resulting in attention for those that are pushing him to believe he must overcome his spiritual sickness by doing things that shine positive attention on them.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
In this episode I talk about what's in store for 2023. From what's going on with This JW Life and Shunned to new projects and old, I let you in on the realities of the work that I do and will be doing for the upcoming year.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Today Tamara MC, PhD is an author and activist for women and girls. Growing up, Tamara’s father joined a Sufi cult that took her father away and left her with the women of the community at the age of just five years old. Caught between two worlds between her home with her mother and her new home with her father, she would find herself a child bride when she was twelve. This is her story. You can find her online at https://tamaramc.com/
The song that Tamara chose to represent her journey is Heaven by Bryan Adams.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
A little girl on a bike ride. A car with a man in it that seems familiar in an unfamiliar place. The result is a long custody battle, a lot of brainwashing, and ultimately a woman that realizes she was raised by Watchtower and the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Imagine being five years old and having your dad reading you scary stories about the Nazi persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses to send you off to sleep. Those stories were often tied into the fiery Armageddon that would accompany the persecution and violence to come into the lives of Witnesses as the world would come to an end. Johanna had those stories firmly in mind in 2020, when the world descended into fear around the Covid 19 pandemic. The fear had come full circle, and it was a pivotal moment in her life. This is Johanna’s story.
The song that Johanna chose to represent her journey is Grey Street by Dave Matthews Band.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but rather feeling the fear and doing what you want or need to do anyway. Karen grew up in a lot of fear, the fear of a doomsday cult, the fear of not fitting in because her household was religiously divided, and ultimately the fear for her own life due to a cult policy against blood transfusions when surgery was required. Ultimately Karen’s courage would win out and she would work her own process, a “beautiful process” as she refers to it, one that would get her where she wanted to go despite a lack of help or healthy modeling from the adults around her. Karen is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses, but she kept going through it all and built a life for herself, largely by herself.
The songs that Karen chose to represent her journey are Broken by lovelytheband and Unstoppable by Sia.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Like many, Daniel was both gay and one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. That reality creates dissonance between who one is and who they have been raised and pressured to be by the adults around them. In this episode you’ll learn about the fork in the road for Daniel where he had to choose between who he truly was, something he finally got to have a taste of, and who he was expected to be. He could actually realize all of the things that he ever wanted, or continue to be who other people wanted him to be. This was his point of no return, and the point at which he would be shunned.
You can find Daniel’s art and more at his website https://www.danieldewolfe.com/ and his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/danieldewolfe/
The song that Daniel chose to represent his journey is Fourth Of July by Sufjan Stevens.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Coming from a cult that discouraged education and that even discouraged pursuing an upward trajectory in a career, as the cult activity itself was seen as our primary career, it can be hard to know where to start to find one. In this episode of the ExJwHelp series we will explore many career options that others have found that don’t require a college education. There are many paths and perhaps seeing what others have found will be an inspiration to you. We don’t have to settle for the default settings offered to us by a cult. Instead, we can learn from one another and find ways to move up and better the only lives that we actually have instead of waiting for false promises of a future that isn’t coming.
Download a list of the career options mentioned for your own exploration HERE
Feel free to leave a comment of support for participants on the Shunned Podcast website HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Fostered by a woman in the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, little Ashley caught the eye of the person that would adopt her as a part of their family. All Ashley wanted was to be “normal”, but her adoptive parents were in a cult that didn’t allow for such. She would do all of the things asked of her by her adoptive family and tried to connect to the performative spirituality around her while ultimately feeling empty in that environment. Sadly, as Jehovah’s Witnesses do, the very people that made the choice to adopt her into their family would also make the choice to shun her later when she wasn’t who they wanted her to be.
As mentioned in the episode, here’s a link to Episode 120 on How To Go To College .
The songs that Ashley chose to represent her journey are God Must Hate Me by Catie Turner and Faith by The Weeknd.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our NEW Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Like the 1944 film “Gaslight”, and the resultant term “gaslighting”, those with the power around Lexi growing up tried their best to create a reality for her that didn’t match the one she had internally. Loss and pain was used against her, and whether it was her own family or other members of the cult, she was being manipulated to think that she was depressed, struggling, and even suicidal. Gaslighting is used against all Jehovah’s Witnesses through the doctrine and culture prevalent in the organization, including the family arrangement, but Lexi’s story really highlights the depths that they will go to in order to maintain control.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our NEW Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Catherine did all the things that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses wanted her to do, but she could never find connection with it. Though she was held out at times by “spiritual men” as an example of someone to imitate by her works, those actions only made her doubt more as she knew she wasn’t sincere. She was sincere in trying, and dreaming that someday she might connect to this thing that was so important to everyone around her, but she just couldn’t do it, and nobody else in this supposedly holy spirit directed organization could see it.
Catherine’s cannabis podcast, mentioned in the show, can be found by clicking HERE for The M News Now
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our NEW Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are a performance based cult that are all about “what have you done for me lately”. Your actions are everything to them. Sadly it is the same with relationships when it comes to JWs, you either do what they want you to do or you cease to exist to them. You, by yourself, are not enough. You must be who and what they want you to be. Jose was a super sincere person that just wanted to love and be loved, but sadly that can’t happen because those around him have other expectations of who he would have to be in order to be worthy of their affection.
The song that Jose chose to represent his journey is Jumping Someone Else’s Train by The Cure.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our NEW Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
“I had these huge dreams and aspirations of what I wanted to do, where the attention was all on me. But in my actual life I was so afraid to be noticed because, in my experience, being noticed wasn’t necessarily a good thing. You want to fit in with the mold… standing out in that context can be dangerous.”
Listen to find out what Trevor is referencing in his quote above. A young man with big dreams, he didn’t fit in with a cult that had keeping him small as one of its primary goals. Jehovah’s Witnesses want to keep you small and at the Kingdom Hall. This is one man’s story of finally beginning to realize parts of his big dreams as he realizes that those dreams are not only achievable, but far more real than anything he was promised by his former faith.
The song that Trevor chose to represent his story is One Five and Four by Hospital Socks, a song that he gets to sing second vocal on.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our NEW Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Whether it was giving his first talk or becoming an unbaptized publisher or getting baptized, Nate knew what was expected of him as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. With a desire to please his parents and a desire to get them off of his back, Nate did what he had to do to get by, hoping that it would alleviate the pressure. But every step just leads to the expectation of yet another, as nothing is ever good enough for the cult. Ultimately it never mattered what Nate did, however, because Nate knew something about himself that would never be accepted.
The song that Nate chose to represent his story is Rainbow by Kesha.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our NEW Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
During a meeting with the congregation elders about her abusive husband, JoHannah asked the question that is the title of this episode. Trying to get the elders to understand the severity of the abuse in her home, words that fell on deaf ears, she would take the courageous step of leaving her marriage only to be looked down upon for doing so. Such is life when you’ve been conditioned to tolerate abuse from an early age to endure the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In this episode you will learn JoHannah’s story, sadly full of abuse in a cult that protects abusers (her dad was shunned for smoking while her childhood abuser ran free), but more than that you’ll learn about the indomitable person and spirit that is JoHannah and her path out.
You can learn more about her on her own YouTube channel at A is for Apostate Here
The song that she chose to represent her journey is Forgiven by Alanis Morissette
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Harrison lived a life full of change and drama growing up. A mother that was dependent on alcohol and disfellowshipped from the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses twice, move after move after move, including living with a grandmother that was also eventually disfellowshipped, there was a lot of chaos at times. Having not really been interested in “The Truth” as JWs call it, a chance month of field ministry around the age of 16 with a young couple that showed him interest would change everything. Well, not quite everything, as Harrison was gay and knew it, but he would end up serving at the headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Bethel. You’ll learn about Harrison as a person, as a JW, and as a Bethelite, along with some insights into the culture of Bethel, a place that is idolized by members of the cult.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
After a night spent with her boyfriend talking, a relationship that as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses she wasn’t supposed to have because he wasn’t in the cult, a phone call comes in from Elizabeth’s father wanting to know where she is. After replying that she was at Waffle House planning a wedding with her friend and that she just lost track of time, she told her boyfriend that now they had to go to Waffle House. Why? Because she had to “make it be true”.
If those four words aren’t the epitome of what it is to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I don’t know what is. The desire to “make it be true”, to ignore all evidence to the contrary, to continue to uphold a dedication coerced through cult influence often as children, and to justify the sunk cost at all costs, is what leads so many to stay in something that isn’t good for them. It leads to people living an inauthentic life because they’re in so far that they have to “make it be true” because the cost of leaving is so high although they’ve already lost so much while being in. Elizabeth has such a story of her own to share, including a harrowing experience with a predatory cult member that she was saved from just before it got much worse.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Amanda travels the United States but is not allowed to have friends as a kid, both outside OR inside of the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Amanda isn’t home schooled to further her isolation but is sent to school because her dad teaches. Amanda can’t play sports at school but her dad coaches some of them. Amanda’s dad screams and even gets physical but everyone outside of the home sees a different side of him and loves him. Amanda is forced to hide her body with oversized clothes yet is called a slut at home. And when Amanda is starting to get in trouble with the cult as an adult, her dad does something that is perhaps the most confusing in a life of contradictions.
The song that she chose to represent her journey is Conqueror by the Empire Cast.
Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
To participate by donating to the cause, you can donate here (I will personally match the first $200 dollar for dollar): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/shunnedrecovery
You can also Venmo to @michael-shemwell-1 (last four digits of phone are 3279 if needed)
To learn more about this day and how you can go out and participate on your own visit: https://exjwhelp.com/exjwhelpday/
To watch this on YouTube, go to: https://youtu.be/HgX1ApWPl5s
The cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses has some interesting takes on life and death. On one hand, as today’s guest puts it, Jehovah’s Witnesses give up on life before it even starts because to them this world is going to end and this life is but a means to that end. On the other hand, they believe that they have the “real life” talked about in scripture, even sporting the hashtag bestlifeever on some of their social media posts. And when someone no longer believes in the doctrine of their group, that person is viewed as dead to them. They are shunned and treated as though they are no longer living.
In a 1952 Watchtower magazine, a question from the readers was answered as follows:
“● In the case of where a father or mother or son or daughter is disfellowshiped, how should such person be treated by members of the family in their family relationship?—P. C., Ontario, Canada.
We are not living today among theocratic nations where such members of our fleshly family relationship could be exterminated for apostasy from God and his theocratic organization, as was possible and was ordered in the nation of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai and in the land of Palestine. “Thou shalt surely kill him; thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him to death with stones, because he hath sought to draw thee away from Jehovah thy God, . . . And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is in the midst of thee.”—Deut. 13:6-11, AS.
Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God’s law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshiped from his congregation, and this despite the fact that the law of the land in which we live requires us under some natural obligation to live with and have dealings with such apostates under the same roof.”
As you can see, Jehovah’s Witnesses almost lament the fact that they can’t kill apostates, people that leave their cult. Today’s guest, at just 19 years of age, is very much on death row, so to speak. He is PIMO, or physically in the cult but mentally out. Because he no longer believes what he was brought up to believe, he knows that eventually he will be disfellowshipped, executed as it were. In fact, doing this interview could be that very death knell for him. His bravery in speaking out shows the depth of his desire to live free from the bonds put upon him as a child by his family. He hopes to inspire and encourage others to live free too. Everyone deserves that chance.
The songs that he chose to represent his journey are In The End by Linkin Park and The Nights by Avicii.
Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Chris comes from a large family of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Montgomery Alabama area. Being from a big family can result in big family drama though, especially when everyone is in a cult that dictates behavior and divides families. In this episode you’ll learn about Chris, his family, his story, and how his story overlaps other things going on in the family as well.
The song that Chris chose to represent his journey is I Wanna Live by Fifth featuring P. Black
Support Chris by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Sitting at a meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses, during the circuit overseer’s visit, a young Dylan was facing a crisis of disconnection. As he realized that he did not belong there once again, and as he felt this darkness in the Kingdom Hall, Dylan would do something that would change the course of his life. On the congregation’s wifi while the meeting was going on, Dylan took a chance on Dylan for the first time. He took a chance to open a door that would lead him to eventual freedom even while sitting in a mental prison with everyone else. Listen to his story to learn about his family that was a constant in the congregation, his mother that married an ex-Scientologist and ended up in Africa, and what pushed him to have the courage on that fateful day to do something unthinkable for most in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The song that Dylan chose to represent his journey is I’m Not Okay But I Know I’m Going To Be by Raleigh Ritchie.
Dylan has his own music single on Spotify as Gem Fresh, entitled Bluefin, found HERE
Support Dylan by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook Support Group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Coming from a cult that actively discouraged even basic education at times, it can be daunting to even contemplate trying to pursue higher education. What is it like to be a non-traditional student? How can I afford to go? Are there ways to pursue this without the support of my parents? How do I even apply? In this episode we answer your questions as submitted through the Shunned Podcast Facebook group, r/exjw on reddit and so much more.
We talk strategies on how to finance your education, how to figure out what you even want to pursue, the unexpected benefits of the college experience, etc. You will hear the real world experiences of not just our main guest as she shares her experience and expertise in this field, but you will also get to hear four other short real world stories at the end to help round out your knowledge as you understand what this is like from people that have actually done it.
This is the first in our ExJwHelp series. The goal is to do a follow-up episode on careers that one can pursue without a college education if that isn’t for you, as well as self-employed or small business endeavors that you can strive for. The ExJwHelp series is part of the Cult Recovery Coaching program offered at ExJwHelp.com and the hope is to grow it to include a wide variety of topics that can help as you move forward in real and actionable ways.
Resources Mentioned:
Everything Starts With FAFSA for Federal Student Aid – FAFSA
Scholarships – National Merit Scholarship Corporation, AmeriCorps, myFuture
Career Exploration Assessment Tool – O*Net OnLine
Places to brush up on skills or learn about various skills: OutSchool, Khan Academy, Udemy, SkillShare
Feel free to leave a comment of support for participants on the Shunned Podcast website HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Being raised in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses involves being taught to chase love. If a person can only be good enough, one day their god will love them. But being taught this can lead to people going back to things that treat them poorly, whether it is their god, their religion, their family, etc. as a part of chasing that love. Aaron was both disfellowshipped and divorced and each time he went back, something that many have done, always holding out hope that this time will be different. It is tough to learn this lesson and many have been held in suspension, but Aaron has found more solid ground today and has learned his lessons from going back.
The song that Aaron chose to represent his journey is Amazing by Aerosmith. He also added Take Me To Church by Hosier.
Support Aaron by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
From the time he was 12, Matt had to work. With his father’s vices taking the family’s money and groceries to put on the table, Matt stepped up. That started young Matt down the path to workaholism which would be put to the test as he went through life, at times taking care of his dad after his parents divorced, and later taking that same dedication to his dad on to the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Serving at one of the highest esteemed places in the organization, within the headquarters facilities, Matt’s ability to continue dedicating his everything to others that gave him little in return would be pushed beyond its limits.
The song that Matt chose to represent his journey is Never Going Back by Skillet.
Support Matt by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Jehovah’s Witnesses promote men to the role of head of the family, and of the congregation. Keion, as a brother in the congregation and also as a family head later in life, faced certain blowback for his actions due to this position that he was elevated to simply for being male. This is an interesting story of one man’s journey to find himself and his place in relationships without any healthy examples and input from those that claimed the position of teachers for young men like him.
This is the video that Keion mentions in his episode, CLICK HERE
Support Keion by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you’re not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here:
Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook Support Group group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Growing up with parents that were not only Jehovah’s Witnesses but also suffering from their own addictions and mental/emotional struggles, Aubrey felt invisible. When he realized his sexual orientation and needed support, he was again ignored and felt invisible. But the reality is that there were invisible things going on within Aubrey as well, Aubrey is intersex. Listen as Aubrey is open about life after never speaking of these things for over 30 years so that he and others no longer have to feel invisible.
Support Aubrey by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Five year old boys should be walking around full of wonder about dinosaurs and big trucks, not full of shame. Imagine stumbling on things at such a young age that would kick off shame that would haunt your every thought and action for years. And all of this because you were in a cult like Jehovah’s Witnesses who shame human exploration and lack any understanding of how people truly work. Eventually Keagen would have to learn the lesson that he is enough, and he always was, it was the cult and the people in it that let him down.
The song that Keagen chose to represent his journey are The Light by Disturbed and Revival by Selena Gomez.
Support Keagen by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Wayne was never one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and had nothing to do with the cult. Later in life circumstances would change, however, as his sister would fall prey to their teachings. Her enthusiasm for sharing what she learned with him would eventually lead him to researching the realities of the cult, and ultimately end with him being shunned because he knew too much and asked too many uncomfortable questions. You don’t have to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses to have shunning touch your life, and Wayne graciously volunteered to share his story to shine light on that for others that may feel alone in their similar journey.
The song that Wayne chose to represent his journey is one of his own, Just Another Bad Day, by Wayne Marshall and the Jericho Riders.
Support Wayne by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Going back five generations in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, back to the origins of what we know today by that name, Heath’s family runs deep in it. His great grandfather was of the anointed with the heavenly hope back in the 1930s when the option of an earthly hope was brought to the fore, his great grandmother holding that earthly hope. So this cult has its fingerprints all over the family, and Heath grew up only knowing one way of life.
“There was no doubt. There was no room to doubt. There was no way to doubt.” The prescribed path of a JW was set out before him, but a moment in 2003 changed everything for Heath. That “spiritual paradise” that he lived in was shaken up through some experiences, and over time Heath would have to find another path, one divergent from the one that his entire family had invested so deeply in.
The song that Heath chose to represent his story is Heaven Go Easy On Me by The Head and the Heart.
Support Heath by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Amber never knew her dad growing up. She looked around and saw other people with dads, including her step-siblings, and wanted the same. So when she was pressed by her mother to apologize to the School Overseer in her congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses one day, little Amber asked that brother to be her dad. This would touch off years of control and grooming at the hands of an elder in the Kingdom Hall. It took years for the truth to come out and for Amber to know who her real father was. Listen to the end and you will know too.
The song that Amber chose to represent her story is I Don’t Need You To by Samantha Mumba.
Support Amber by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
If you’ve ever watched the show Seinfeld then you know that sometimes spite is a good motivator. In Jared’s case, spite motivated him to attend Ministerial Training School, an exclusive school for Jehovah’s Witnesses that taught men to lead congregations in various ways. Find out how that went for him, how he got there in the first place, and why he is now telling his story.
The song that Jared chose to represent his journey is Doses & Mimosas by Cherub.
Support Jared by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
At just 12 years of age, Jacelly got baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses with the promise of a great life. Shortly thereafter her illusions were shattered as she was promptly sexually assaulted within the congregation and met with apathy regarding her plight. Over and over again in her life with her family and the cult, Jacelly would find herself let down and confused, wondering how people could act as they did around her. Repeating the cycles of abuse as a victim, eventually she would have to come to grips with harsh realities in order to grow and hope to live a good life.
The song that Jacelly chose to represent her journey is Bless The Broken Road by Rascal Flatts.
Support Jacelly by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of self-harm.
The words spoken by her therapist in rehab, “In this religion, what do you really have”, made Mackenzie look at the harsh realities of her life in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Worried about what she would lose, she had to first take a look at what she really had. Sadly, what she had was a life that was so traumatic she developed DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and that had driven her to self harm. Failing to receive any real help from her family and the congregation, with a mother encouraging her to cut again because she was better to be around when self-harming, Mackenzie would find help with others that were working through their own pains that finally brought real support to her life.
The song that Mackenzie chose to represent her journey is Waiting For My Real Life To Begin by Colin Hay.
Support Mackenzie by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Like most kids growing up, Ali wanted to know that someone was in her corner. But the adults in her life had their own issues, issues that would prevent her from being allowed to have friends stay over at her house. Issues that would result in her, her sister, and her mother being moved out under the cover of darkness away from their father. Issues that never really went away, that were seen over and over again in patterns repeated that left Ali looking for a way out, ANY way out, more than once at different times in her life. Where do you find support when even an overdose of pills is met with a cold admonishment to go throw up? Jehovah’s Witnesses often grow up in an emotional desert, thirsty for real love and support.
The song that Ali chose to represent her story is This Is Me Trying by Taylor Swift.
Support Ali by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Many Jehovah’s Witnesses are holding secrets. In Chevoy’s life, the secrecy around her father’s actions meant that she would have to learn to find her voice in order to heal. Now she’s sharing her story, shining a light on what once lived in the darkness.
The song that Chevoy chose to represent her story is Warrior by Demi Lovato.
Support Chevoy by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Struggling in school with dyslexia, struggling at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses because her family was looked down on as being spiritually weak, and severely abused at home, young Michelle had no safe place to go for relief. Pushed into a caregiver’s role later in life, she would once again find that Jehovah’s Witnesses weren’t safe as they would fight and steal to maintain control of her parents and family if necessary. In the end safety could only come from Michelle taking care of Michelle.
The song that Michelle chose to represent her story is This Is Me from The Greatest Showman.
Support Michelle by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
When we lose the ones we love, we say some words. We remember them. We reminisce about the good times, and it’s for the memory of the ones we lose as well as for ourselves. Sarah was not given a proper funeral. This was due to her status of being Shunned (Disfellowshipped) from her religion, and as her husband I’ve not had closure. Because of this I’ve carried a burden and words unspoken for the last few years, and no one knows her full story – her struggles and final moments. Thank you to Michael Shemwell for helping me work through my loss and for putting together a way to remember Sarah and share her story.
Sarah Nelson Harding will always be remembered by many as the light in the room, and the life of the group! She had such energy, and fun about her, a love for life and desire to grow. She was very artistic and expressed her feelings through drawing and painting, and had a wide range of loved music that was close to her heart to cover all of the emotions.
She was adventurous and outgoing, and more so than I thought I ever was! Nearly every amazing memory I have was with her, and she only graced my life for less than 5 years. We polar plunged in the Fox River in the middle of a Chicago winter, and dove from the tops of cliffs into Cenotes in Mexico!! We rode a catamaran in the Caribbean and went Skydiving (indoor though)! She introduced me to karaoke and my own love of music, even meeting a political figure while singing karaoke one night, which turned into a dear friend of ours! She had a way about her, even when she sang in front on a crowd of strangers, she had no inhibitions and would belt out Journey as if she was on tour!! I would never have known that someone could sing so beautifully and be out of key!! Every time, she would get standing applause from the entire room!!
We had a practice of eating healthy and being active, and that woman was very strong! Her red hair gave her the nickname of Red Beast!! And I was Uber Beast, to follow suit with the nickname and not necessarily because I was fit.
She couldn’t have children of her own, but she fiercely loved her niece and nephew, and her friends children that she referred to as her minions! But she would have been a wonderful mother had she had the opportunity.
Sarah had so much life ahead of her! And I miss her every day, as many do. I can only imagine the pain in the heart of her family and friends that willfully shunned her and caused her great pain. They believe they were doing what God wanted them to do. I do not blame them. Rather, I encourage them to be WILLING to ask questions and seek answers. Shunning someone you love does not feel good, because it isn’t. Someone else is telling you to lose your natural affection for someone in order to blackmail them to come back on hands and knees for an offense that you are not allowed to know the details of. Don’t be manipulated.
Truth does not mind being questioned. A lie does not like being challenged.
– Cameron
The song that Cameron chose to represent Sarah’s story is Far Behind by Candlebox.
Support Cameron by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
College is not the place for a Jehovah’s Witness youth. That message was received by a 7 year old Lin, the very first time something seemed like it wasn’t quite right to him. However, when a scholarship to Emory University would open for him later in life, he would have a choice to make. Jehovah’s Witnesses discourage their youth from obtaining a good education, even seeing such as dangerous.
Support Lin by leaving him a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Trigger Warning – This episode deals with abuse and suicide.
Born in raised in a family that looked the part of good Jehovah’s Witnesses, Nicole knew the truth. Her father was a violent alcoholic, her mother suffered from dissociative identity disorder (multiple personalities), and her escape was to spend time with another JW family on weekends that put her in the clutches of a sexual predator. When she reported what happened, she was threatened with disfellowshipping and shunning if she cooperated with the police. Sadly, this is just the beginning of a life spent dealing with cycles of abuse, and Nicole has had to put in a lifetime worth of effort to rise above circumstances while learning what a healthy life can be through it all.
Support Nicole by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Some people that were Jehovah’s Witnesses simply hated every second of it. Jael is one such person. From an early age she knew that it wasn’t for her, but her mother let her know that she would never help her out if she wasn’t a JW later in life and that pressure was intense. Because of that Jael would find herself going in and out of the cult. In the end she finds that continued exposure to the cult only leads to drama as couple from the local Kingdom Hall tries to steal her uncle’s estate from the family. Sometimes it is okay not to fit in with the people that you’ve been exposed to in life.
The song that Jael chose to represent her story is How To Disappear Completely by Radiohead.
Support Jael by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
At the age of 11 or 12 Nia saw something happen that many Jehovah’s Witnesses see, one of the teenagers in her congregation was disfellowshipped. But what she also experienced was her mother’s reaction, a reaction that lacked care or compassion for the person that was now seen as lost, a reaction that lacked any real care for Nia as well. “Don’t you EVER embarrass me the way she embarrassed her mother!”
And there you have a relationship summed up in one quick remark, a relationship that would leave Nia trying desperately to earn her mother’s love, a love that should be natural and without conditions based on a particular cult belief system, but a love that Jehovah’s Witnesses lack. If a person has to earn that love through performance based measures in a cult, that love can just as easily be lost. In this episode you’ll follow Nia’s journey from a little girl trying to earn her mother’s love to a woman learning to love herself.
The new song that Nia chose to represent her story is Pray by Sam Smith.
Support Nia by leaving her a comment HERE
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
With four years of long-form personal stories from ten different cults and over 615,000 individual listens and views across many platforms, Shunned has become something more than I ever dreamed. Between the Cult Recovery Coaching Services that I offer, the Facebook support group, the Shunned Recovery Project online meetups, and all of these interviews, there is much to be learned. So for number 100, in this episode I take you through 100 things that could help change your life in some meaningful way as you recover from the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you’re from another cult you will likely find many things that can apply to you too, and if you’ve never been in a cult but you’d like to live a happier life, there is something for you in here as well.
The new theme song for Shunned is Save Myself by Jane and the Boy.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Often when we grow up we are given roles to play in life. Whether we pick these up by observing the adults around us or we pick them up in our response to those same people, it isn’t unusual to find ourselves repeating patterns from our past. Chelsea’s story is one of living in confusion and eventually becoming strong enough to break out of the roles given to her by her family and the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (With love to Levi, may he rest in peace.)
The song that Chelsea chose to represent her journey is Walk by Foo Fighters. She also chose the song My Hero by Foo Fighters for Levi.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Chelsea by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Trigger Warning: This episode contains frank discussions of sexual abuse and suicide.
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of taking items like broken pottery and repairing the cracks with gold. It is an acknowledgement of the scars that a piece has as part of its history. Drew has some scars, but he’s not afraid to be vulnerable and talk about his life. From involvement with the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses to many situations in life that could have broken him irreparably, Drew has picked up the pieces and made something out of them over and over again with his heart of gold.
The song that Drew chose to represent his journey is Escape by Metallica.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Drew by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Join in on the inaugural Ex-JW Help Day event on September 2 2021 by performing random acts of kindness in your community. For more information see:
https://exjwhelp.com/index.php/exjwhelpday/
“The only reason I got baptized was…….I wanted to save my ass.”
The cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses promote fear of death at the hands of their genocidal god. Unfortunately for Raene, from the time she was molested at the age of seven by someone in her congregation, she would spend her days trying to save herself in many ways. Saving herself from that violent god. Saving herself from the people around her that would never listen to a young girl that seemingly knew more than the adults around her. Raene had to save herself in more ways than the one that came up and prompted her baptism into this cult.
The song that Raene chose to represent her journey is Under The Table by Fiona Apple.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Raene by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“So I can never change my mind. I can never leave. And I remember having the thought that I am trapped. That was the first time I realized that you can’t just leave, ever, for any reason.”
Jake, known on YouTube and other platforms as AltWorldly, had to face a harsh realization that as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses you can’t just leave. It has been referred to as a “captive organization” at times because, like most cults, there is no easy way out without losing things that may matter deeply to you. Married to an active Witness that he loves dearly, his journey to awakening was fraught with many perils, including a life threatening moment that forced him to face down one of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ most controversial and destructive beliefs.
You can follow the AltWorldly channel on YouTube by CLICKING HERE.
The song that Jake chose to represent his journey is Harmony Hall by Vampire Weekend.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Jake by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
From an early age Cindy experienced loss as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. From hidden abuse to trying to live up to the expectations of high achieving family members in the cult, this set her up to search for her own identity. Whether through the cult teachings or through her career or relationships, Cindy was looking for something that she couldn’t find within those confines.
The song that Cindy chose to represent her story is After the Storm by Mumford & Sons.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Cindy by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“Honestly I just always felt horrible about going, it never felt like this was my calling or this was where I needed to be. It was quite the opposite actually.”
Baptized at 15 as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christina knew that this really wasn’t the place for her but did what she needed to do in order to get by. When her life took twists and turns over the years, she would at one point find herself living with her father and stepmother in strange circumstances. Medications were pushed on her, they would refuse to use the same dishes as her or share a bathroom with her, and of course shunning came into the relationship as well.
The song that Christina chose to represent her story is Beautiful Pain by Eminem.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Christina by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Rama was a spiritual teacher in the 80s and 90s who inspired many of his students while leading what many of his detractors would call a cult. He defied the typical vision of a New Age leader, trading in minimalism in favor of wealth and celebrity. He was also a man ahead of his time, encouraging his students to develop careers in computer science before that was mainstream.
For some, following Rama's lead worked out spiritually and financially. But for others, Rama's actions contradicted the version of him that he projected, others vanished, whistleblowers went to the media, and the group began to shrink and splinter.
In this 10 part investigative series, Jonathan Hirsch explores the life, death and and impact of Rama, also known as Dr. Frederick Lenz.
Search for the Smoke Screen Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, or for the title of this second season "I Am Rama", to listen.
“It’s all F.E.A.R. They have that over your head with everything. Fear of Armageddon, fear of being shunned, fear of not doing enough, and at that age of 11, 12, 13, fear of being persecuted was so big……..From 2 or three up to 10 or 11 years old, life was fun, just being a kid….but once we were in it, life became scary.”
Justin’s life changed when his family was introduced to the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. A happy and carefree life suddenly became entrenched in the fear that the cult held over their head. One by one Justin’s family would leave the cult until he was the last man standing, and he had some tough choices to make as he faced some of those fears to find freedom once again.
The song that Justin chose to represent his story is New Person, Same Old Mistakes by Tame Impala.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Justin by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Raised by a mother that wasn’t truly one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in practice but that still made her children live a JW lifestyle, Za’kaeda had trouble fitting in. When her mother finally got serious about “The Truth”, she had a rare opportunity to make her mom proud as her mom asked her to study, and she obliged. Za’kaeda’s story is one of trying hard to be someone she wasn’t for people that didn’t truly appreciate it only to be shunned in the end and then told by elders in her congregation not to dare trying to talk to her mother because this is already hard enough on her. The perpetual victimhood of Jehovah’s Witnesses came to the fore and this story has a very interesting twist at the end.
The song that Za’kaeda chose to represent her story is How To Save A Life by The Fray.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Za’kaeda by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“I remember my husband saying ‘you are a sex addict’ but I’m not. I just waited 21 years of my life for this thing and I thought it was going to happen because I did everything right and it’s not happening and I don’t know why.” Sex is something that is repressed and shamed anyway, but what if you married someone that was trying to be someone that they weren’t? In Brandi’s story we’ll learn the impact that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses can have on the sexual expression of individuals and the complications put upon it by the demands of a cult that doesn’t allow people to be who they are.
The song that Brandi chose to represent her story is You Don’t Own Me by SAYGRACE.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Brandi by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“I’m a nuts and bolts kind of guy. I see how people are treated. Doctrine can be twisted and turned and however you want to interpret the Bible is however you want to interpret the Bible. For me what’s important is how you treat your people.” Follow Dino’s story and you’ll see that people are what matter to him most. From his time in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses to his time helping rebuild after the F5 tornado that rocked Joplin Missouri, to his time working at Habitat For Humanity, Dino cares about how people are treated. For that reason and others Dino could no longer be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The song that Dino chose to represent his story is What A Shame by Shinedown.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Dino by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Note: This is the second of back to back episodes on the Unification Church, often referred to as the Moonies, named after their leader Sun Myung Moon.
Lisa spent her time playing with the children of the Messiah while living with Satan. Her mother went into the Unification Church, leaving Lisa and her brother behind with their father, a man living a lifestyle completely opposite of what they were to believe in. However on weekends Lisa would go play with the children of the Messiah, Sun Myung Moon, at times while she was visiting her mom in the church. Torn between two worlds, and really between who she was and who she felt she had to be in order for God to love her, Lisa went on a journey of exploration that ultimately led her to the depths of despair and eventual freedom.
To follow Lisa and her writings, you can click here.
The songs that Lisa chose to represent her story are Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen and You Don’t Own Me by Joan Jett.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Lisa by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Note: This is the first of back to back episodes on the Unification Church, often referred to as the Moonies, named after their leader Sun Myung Moon.
Jen Kiaba is an award winning artist and an educator, and in this episode she educates us on this particular group. You will learn how the group worked, the unique terminology of the group, but above all you will meet Jen herself as she details her story of growing up in the Church and eventually escaping a forced arranged marriage. As she tried so hard to be what they wanted her to be she was also carrying a huge secret that threatened her very worthiness inside the Church. Jen is yet another example of someone with the strength to leave everything she was for everything that she could be.
To follow Jen and her art, you can click here.
The song that Jen chose to represent her story is The Sound of Failure by The Flaming Lips
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Jen by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be a religion guided by love. Throughout Joe’s story a common them arises though: “where is the love?”. We know that they practice shunning and call that love, but daily life inside of the cult also shows it to be sorely lacking. Joe’s story involves a lack of love starting in the congregation and only gets more personal from there, as it does for many former Jehovah’s Witnesses. Note: There is an update to Joe’s story available for those watching on YouTube. The link is in the description for this episode at the shunnedpodcast YouTube Channel.
The song that Joe chose to represent his story is The Day That Never Comes by Metallica.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Joe by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“In a way I felt like I was better than everyone else in the world, because I knew the truth. I was one of the few that was going to be saved at Armageddon, but at the same time I felt like I was worthless because no matter what I did it was never enough, and I could never truly compensate for being gay. That was never going to go away and I couldn’t do anything about it. So I felt worthless and better than everyone else at the same time.” – Patrick
The songs that Patrick chose to represent his story are Let It Go by Idina Menzel and How Far I’ll Go from Auli’i Cravalho
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Patrick by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
At just 19 years old, when others are experiencing life for the first time after high school whether going to college or starting their lives, Isaiah was leaving a cult. That decision to take a stand didn’t come without the predictably terrible reaction from family and friends that are swept up in a cult that controls their behavior.
The song that Isaiah chose to represent his story is Out of Sight by Chelou
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Isaiah by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“Have you ever wondered if this is actually the truth?” Such a simple question. Something that one would think might be a natural question when a person calls their doctrine “The Truth”. This question was the end of a relationship, and just a small part of a larger story that involved so much change and some moments of pure heartbreak.
The song that Malina chose to represent her story is Wide Open Spaces by Dixie Chicks.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Malina by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
What is it like to grow up as a child in Scientology? Not as a celebrity, nor anyone with clout, but as an average person going to a local church and trying to assimilate into the only life that you know? Laurel tells her personal story of growing up as a Scientologist, joining the Sea Org at just 13 years of age, getting married, her path toward becoming a “word clearer”, and one particular way to leave the Sea Org to obtain freedom.
This isn’t just a story about Scientology though, this is a story about how a belief system can impact a family, and ultimately this is a human story about a little girl growing up and facing some things that most people will never have to face. From the normal desire to fit in and make friends to her life being pulled into the extreme emotional control of the group, to having to stare into someone else’s eyes without breaking gaze for hours at a time, Laurel has an experience to share.
The song that Laurel chose to represent her story is Pay No Rent by Turnpike Troubadours.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Laurel by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
The underground. As Jehovah’s Witnesses we were trained for the possibility that someday we would have to go underground and do our public preaching work in secret. Most of us would never actually do that. Geoff did.
Geoff went to China to work underground as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in a country in which the cult is banned. Secret meetings, smuggling cult propaganda into the country, specious credentials, etc. But doing this work would backfire as it forced Geoff to realize certain things about the cult that he was involved in. Even bigger, living this underground life would force parts of his authentic self to come out and be exposed to the light of day in ways he could no longer hide.
The song chosen by Geoff to represent his journey is The Weight of Lies by The Avett Brothers.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Geoff by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“How do you get kicked out of church?” These are the words of Suzanna’s brother as he tried to wrap his mind around her shunning. Her journey starts as a 14 year old girl with two real options to get out of her abusive home, joining a local gang or getting involved with Jehovah’s Witnesses. The choice she made would lead to decades of trying to make that choice work. All while living a life outside of that decision as she went back and forth between the choice she made so young and the life she really wanted to live.
The song chosen by Suzanna to represent her story is La Vida Es Un Carnaval by Celia Cruz.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Suzanna by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
What is it like to move around the country multiple times as a child? To not have a consistent place to live? To be placed into foster care at times? To do all of this while growing up exposed to a cult, and then to have a catastrophic moment that pushes you farther in? Ramil’s story involves all of this, and much more. He found solace in cult teachings, found a place to belong by pioneering and getting involved in the ASL congregations, but then he also had a secret all along, part of his identity that he tried so hard to deny. This is a story of overcoming a lot of instability and the strength it takes to build an authentic and stable life.
The song chosen by Ramil to represent his story is Beautiful by P.O.D.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Ramil by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
One of the things that really stands out at times is how much people put into following these high control groups, or cults, and how little it takes to get a person kicked out and shunned. Years, even decades can be spent serving faithfully, but one simple statement by a once sincere follower can be all it takes to start the path to shunning. “I wish they were just more open minded”, a reasonable remark and a personal feeling expressed to the wrong person who told the elders started the process for Allison. Her answer to the infamous question often asked in their secret judicial committees, “do you view Jehovah’s organization as your authority”, would seal her fate. A fourth generation Jehovah’s Witness, and everything changed so quickly. There’s often no credit for time served in a cult.
The song chosen by Allison to represent her story is Let The Mystery Be by Iris DeMent.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Allison by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
y Jehovah’s Witnesses “God isn’t with you. Don’t kill yourself. You can get through this even if you have to do it alone.” Those are the words of 10 year old Z (Z Olvero, formerly Whitney Blackburn). Today Z is a gender non-binary person that has found themselves after a life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses that tried to force conformity rather than authenticity. They knew that their life wasn’t going to fit the mold but they still tried to make it work. After being disassociated from the cult their reaction was bliss, a feeling that finally it was done, and now they get to pursue the life that they want.
The song chosen by Z to represent their story is Cost of Doin’ Business by Fifth.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Zee by leaving them a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Kim grew up in a home where she was to be seen and not heard. Her family was also in a cult where people are to be seen and not heard. Jehovah’s Witnesses are obsessed with appearance over substance, and Kim had to eventually leave that behind in order to find something real. She had to grow up fast to leave abusive situations and to give herself a chance at a real life of her own, becoming a CNA at just 15 years old. Listen to find out how she overcame those struggles, and how she’s gotten involved in some interesting things after leaving.
The song chosen by Kim to represent her story is Hairline Fracture by Rise Against .
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Kim by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“They weren’t there to help me; I’m not going to let them judge me.” These were Seth’s words as so much in his life came to a head. The loss of his mother early in life, the abuse from his father, homeless at just 14 years of age, Seth had so many things against him. As an adult he would lose siblings to suicide and face a marriage rife with issues while turning back to the cult that he was exposed to as a child only to find it lacking. Through it all Seth proved himself resilient and caring while being failed by those around him, leading him to eventual freedom.
The song chosen by Seth to represent his story is Popular Monster by Falling In Reverse .
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Seth by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Note: This episode gets very real, including potential triggers surrounding suicide and sexual assault. It is important to discuss the realities of these things and we hope that it helps others. Kayla was very brave in sharing her life story.
Sadly a cycle of abuse is often like a role that gets played over and over again. We typically think of it in the role of abusers that repeat patterns, but so do those who are abused. Kayla’s story includes abusive behaviors from parents, her husband at the time, and of course the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. At every turn when she needed something healthy she was met with unhealthy toxic behavior. This wasn’t limited to her but also included some of her siblings. From growing up to being married to custody battles to dealing with pedophiles, the JWs sided with and allowed abuse to perpetuate on their watch.
Kayla is a strong person that not only made it through these situations but she’s actively working to better her life as she heals from the trauma caused by members of a group claiming to have not only “The Truth” doctrinally but also to have the happiest families on earth. They even use a hashtag for their cult, #bestlifeever. By their fruits you will recognize the true religion, according to them. Kayla’s story shows yet again that their fruitage is not just rotten, but poisonous, as Jehovah’s Witnesses utterly destroy families and individuals alike with their corrupt practices.
The song that Kayla chose to represent her journey is Heaven is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Kayla by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Kidnapped at the age of 6 years old by her mother, LaShanda’s life had a rough start. Many around her were struggling with mental health issues, substances, and of course, the toxic environment of Jehovah’s Witnesses eventually came into play as she got older. She felt different for issues due to race, the circumstances of her life, and eventually joined a group that gave her a sense of belonging for a time while all the while trying to isolate her even more.
The song chosen by LaShanda to represent her story is Alive by Sia.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support LaShanda by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
At just 19 years old Jen had a moment where she realized that “this is going to be the rest of my life”. That thought made her shudder. Listen to find out what it was that she didn’t want for the rest of her life, what that moment was like, and an unexpected place that she turned to in order to get space to grow. Jen has been told no by the people that were once close to her but she’s learned to say yes in her life and to explore and grow on her own even if family chose to stay behind.
The song that Jen chose to represent her journey is Wildflowers by Tom Petty.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Jen by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“From an early age I accepted that I was garbage. I was not going to survive Armageddon. I knew I wasn’t going to make it. I knew I wasn’t good enough. I knew I was letting Jehovah down.”
How does someone get to this place so young? Ramo was baptized at just 8 years old into a cult that denies one the ability to be themselves, that forces children into a mold whether it fits or not, and that lets them know from early on how defective they are. The only cure is to serve Jehovah by following whatever the cult says.
“The crazier you sound, the better a witness you are.” Ramo learned over time how to work the system to survive mentally and emotionally in a dysfunctional environment in both his family and the cult. Eventually he found his way to freedom and now he tells his story to help others see the realities found inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The song that Ramo chose to represent his journey is The Rapture by Senses Fail.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Ramo by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“I’m not sorry for who I am.” When you think about that statement and life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, it holds certain weight. But what if you were born into a body that didn’t fit the person that you knew yourself to be? Meet Mitch, a trans man that had to go on quite a journey to be himself. When you grow up in a cult, where you are supposed to be like everyone else, it takes tremendous courage to be yourself. Sadly it often comes with a heavy price as well, but that freedom to be oneself is priceless.
Note: There were some technical issues recording this episode in video format via Zoom so both the video and audio versions have an awkward moment or three where we had trouble syncing up and one or the other of us ended up talking over the other. We did our best to overcome the lagging that we dealt with.
The songs that Mitch chose to represent his journey are My Immortal and also Bring Me To Life by Evanescence. He also chose the song In The End by Linkin Park.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Mitch by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Angela was a born-in member of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Although it was all that she ever knew, she could see that some things didn’t add up from an early age and struggled to adopt everything she had been told. She was told to shun her own mother by her father, while at the same time all she wanted was love and attention from her parents like any normal child. In her story you will learn what woke her up and her path out. This story does involve suicide attempts and sexual abuse. Sadly, these things are all too common among Jehovah’s supposedly happy and loving people.
The song that Angela chose to represent her journey is Best of You by Foo Fighters.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Angela by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence. As Jehovah’s Witnesses we were taught endurance, how to put up with things externally that weren’t what we wanted to achieve a goal we were given. As ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses we have the opportunity to learn persistence in working toward goals that we set for ourselves because we want them bad enough.
Through toil and tears, big moves and lots of hustle, Jack was able to connect with his own passions in his business. Always a fan of nature Jack wanted to do something to give back in some way, to help clean up the planet that he cared so much for even as a child, and started his own recycling business. You’ll see the persistence that is embodied throughout his story as he reached for his own personal goals.
Support Jack by leaving him a comment HERE
Are you struggling in some area of life and looking for your own success and happiness? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
One reason that people are attracted to cults is that they are looking for stability in life. They may feel vulnerable and are looking for answers, something to hold on to that allows them to leave their troubles behind. Unfortunately the reality of what cults offer is nothing more than a surface level illusion of stability covering over deep dysfunction, beliefs that people use as an escape for their problems. It is like quicksand. It looks like firm ground but once you take the first step things just slowly get worse and worse.
Stephanie grew up in a somewhat chaotic environment. She could be found beating her dolls while “playing meeting” because the dolls weren’t listening. At fourteen her father started suffering from mental issues that altered his view of reality at times. Her home wasn’t stable from the environment in it to where she physically lived, even moving in with another family at eighteen. Then in her pursuit of stability she would look for it in marriage and find anything but that. Disfellowshipped three times, Stephanie finally realized that what she was seeking could only truly be found in another life and she had to go find it.
The song that Stephanie chose to represent her journey is Praying by Kesha.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Stephanie by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“I should have gotten the abortion”, the words of Mario’s mother when he was disfellowshipped at a young age from the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some would equate shunning to exactly that, essentially aborting someone from your life and treating them as though they are dead. All because a person, even a mother’s own son, simply chose another path.
“I just want to be normal”, the words of a depressed 15 year old Mario growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Living in a self-described “police state” in his own home, the harsh fundamentalist upbringing resulted in a life of frustration and anger where nothing was ever good enough in that environment to garner trust.
Mario overcame so much to finally have a chance to find himself, and he shares his story today to help others going through similar circumstances. We talk about his time growing up JW, how he was treated in his own home growing up after the shunning started, his time spent after being pushed out and the impact it had on him, and how he has continued to work on himself to grow into someone that he can be proud of.
The song that Mario chose to represent his journey is The Unforgiven by Metallica.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Mario by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
For many of us most of our lives were spent devoting our assets to “Kingdom interests” as Jehovah’s Witnesses. We literally counted the hours spent pushing literature door to door and gave our everything to the belief that in doing so we were helping people. Tim took his time, treasure and talents in another direction, using them in the nonprofit world to make a real difference today. From helping cats as a kid to preventing pediatric accidents to helping burn victims in Ghana and now working to help with adoptions, he has seen real needs and worked to address them while growing as a individual at the same time.
Support Tim by leaving him a comment HERE
Are you struggling in some area of life and looking for your own success and happiness? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Either you get baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses or you die. These are the two options presented to most young kids growing up in the cult. Often times people will say “it’s not like you had a gun to your head so you had a choice”, but they’re wrong on both counts. JWs hold a god to your head, a god that will let you live if you make the right choice and that will kill you if you choose any other path. What kind of choice is that? It sounds more like extortion.
Ryan’s baptism was just part of his story of looking for connection and stability. Instead of people talking to him they far more often talked about him. He tried everything to be what they wanted him to be, including undergoing conversion therapy to try to suppress his sexuality. Ultimately Ryan had to make a choice to be himself.
The song that Ryan chose to represent his journey is It’s Not My Time by 3 Doors Down.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Ryan by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have a practice called “disfellowshipping” that at one point long ago even Watchtower estimated at costing them 70,000 members per year. Tens of thousands of people are cast out of their group and shunned to an extreme degree. They tell their members that the practice is one of love. Is that true? They also have a narrative about shunning that they tell the general public through the FAQ section of their official website. Are those answers true?
A letter was leaked on Twitter from a JW circuit overseer. Per direction from the organization he was looking for positive stories of shunning inside the organization. In particular they wanted to hear from those that openly express their confidence that the disfellowshipping arrangement is loving, and that they had personally benefited from this discipline. Preferably, the experiences should illustrate the points in the second, third, and fourth paragraphs in the article Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Shun Those Who Used To Belong To Their Religion (from their official website). That’s exactly what they asked for word for word in their letter. That’s exactly what we’re going to look at.
So follow along as we examine their words. As we do you’ll hear from real life stories of people that volunteered to call in and leave voicemails in response to questions asked regarding the claims made by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower. Those familiar with the cult know that they refer to their doctrine as “The Truth”. Let’s see how honest they really are in the narrative that they sell the general public.
I want to thank Andy, Chris, Stephanie, M.K., Patrick, Mario, Lydia, Lisa, “J”, Vicki, and Rebecca for lending their voice and personal experiences to this project voluntarily.
You can leave a comment of support HERE
Are you struggling in some area of life and looking for your own success and happiness? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life and shunning? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Welcome to the first episode of the Shunned Success Stories series. In this episode we meet Kelsey and get to learn from her path as she went from a homeschooled member of Jehovah’s Witnesses to recently being accepted to attend MIT. You’ll learn about her struggles on this path as she is shunned by her family and former friends, how she overcame that for this part of her journey, and the new opportunities that she’s found. Success as defined by these episodes is personal happiness, so look for the lessons you can take on your own journey to find more happiness in your life.
Support Kelsey by leaving her a comment HERE
Are you struggling in some area of life and looking for your own success and happiness? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
A third generation Jehovah’s Witness from Puerto Rico, Daniel often had an identity crisis despite being surrounded by a cult that dominated so much of his life. He loved people and wanted desperately to fit in so he tried on different personas to try to make that happen. At one point a brother named “Mr. J” comes into his life and you’ll meet this character too as he tells his story.
The song that Daniel chose to represent his journey is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Daniel by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
The year was 2014. The event was the annual meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses streamed all over the world. And then it happened…….”Tight Pants Tony” was born. A young Karamat was watching, and if stumbling someone results in the person doing the stumbling being cast into the water with a millstone around his neck, ol’ Tony Morris of the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses might need a bigger neck for all of the stumbling he did that day.
Karamat was a young enthusiastic member of Jehovah’s Witnesses but he also had friends outside of the organization and could never embrace the JW teaching that his friends would be killed in a fiery Armageddon by his God. He was an intelligent young man, one that started to wake up around the time of the annual meeting whereby Tony Morris ranted unintelligibly about women wearing “spanx” and men wearing tight pants designed by the homosexuals. Let’s also not forget his hatred of colorful or fun socks. On the world stage when he could have encouraged people in any way he saw fit, he went on a homophobic rant about clothing. He also railed against amusement parks if cult followers weren’t spending time visiting the Watchtower headquarters, among other inane assertions such as what standing one should have in the congregation in order to be considered marriage material.
A young man of intelligence and emotional/mental honesty, Karamat would go on a journey toward more education and less ignorance. He couldn’t abide by the elder’s warnings to give up his “worldly” friends on the outside, and of course he had an interest in relationships beyond friendships as a normal young man. He also had questions for which the elders didn’t have answers. This resulted in him being kicked out of his home, being homeless for a time, suffering depression, losing people he thought were his friends because Jehovah’s Witnesses truly shoot their wounded, and he started his life over at a young age.
The song that Karamat chose to represent his journey is Toussaint L’Overture by Santana.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Karamat by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
The last episode was the story of Aaron, and in it he mentioned a particular couple in the congregation that he was close to. That friendship ended in much drama for him and his status with the congregation. In this episode Dani, the wife in that relationship tells her life story and gives details of what led to her eventual shunning from the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The parties, the relationship she had with her husband, and the relationships that he had outside of their relationship. You’ll learn how she went from someone that always doubted the cult doctrine to the pressure to get baptized and how it all got worse after that. Through adversity often comes strength and Dani has earned hers.
The song that Dani chose to represent her journey is Last Hope by Paramore.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Dani by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Aaron was born into the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses and never fully bought into the life that he was given. Knowing from a young age that he was gay he knew that he couldn’t fully be himself in the religion. A tight group of friends later in life would lead him into situations that eventually resulted in his shunning. Although it would still take several years to wake up even after shunning, Aaron has the opportunity to live as his authentic self.
The song that Aaron chose to represent his journey is Summer Storm by Joel P West.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Aaron by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Joseph’s story starts at the beginning, no not his beginning, all the way back at the beginning of the organization now known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. We start discussing some history of the Bible Students that I then researched later myself personally and found fascinating. But this story is much more than a throwback, this story features much of the modern issues within the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Joseph got caught up in a bad situation with an elder and his wife, ending up married to that elder’s wife. Just like he got caught up as an adult with a cult, he was caught up in another bad relationship. He also saw other abuse while in the organization and knew that he wanted out of all of it.
The song that Joseph chose to represent his journey is El Ultimo Renglon by Estopa.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Joseph by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“All of your worth is only as a JW” is a quote and common theme from Laura’s story of falling for a young man that was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in high school. Meeting this person at just 16 years of age would send her down an intense path of self-denial at the behest of him and others that would come into her life. Ultimately she was manipulated into doing what they wanted. For a religion that calls itself “The Truth” this story involves so many lies, the ones told to others, the ones she told to herself, and the ones told to her. The cult dynamics were seen in her relationship early on. This 16 year old girl unknowingly entered a world that would take her from her family, take years of her life, and things got even worse when she met an elder that took advantage of her. Today Laura is an educated woman pursuing things that she values in freedom.
The song that Laura chose to represent her journey is Bird Set Free by Sia.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Laura by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
It is tough enough to be born into a cult and to not fit in with the people surrounding you outside the group, but sometimes you’re born into a family in a cult that is not particularly well liked in a congregation for whatever reason, and that adds an even heavier layer of isolation with nowhere to go. Throw in home schooling and a mother that teaches you not to trust people, and you have a recipe for destroying a young girl’s sense of self and belonging in the world. Cassandra has had to battle so much to find her place, people that care about her without the conditions of a cult, and she’s finding a life of her own now as she finds her own strength to knock down the walls that were built to keep her in.
The song that Cassandra chose to represent her journey is Only a Memory by Icon For Hire.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Cassandra by leaving her a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
People get baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses for a myriad of reasons. Peer pressure, parental pressure, sometimes people feel like it will fix something in their lives. For Derek there was the hope that this 11 year old boy could erase the damage and shame he felt from the abuse he suffered at the hands of some of the girls in his life. The hope that somehow baptism would make him whole and feel safe. Derek has been through a lot in his life but he’s now got a life of his own that he can be proud of and he offers some of the lessons he’s learned to help others. This is a story of overcoming the past and the strength to create the things that a person wants in the present.
The song that Derek chose to represent his journey is Wash It Away by Nahko and Medicine for the People.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Derek by leaving him a comment HERE
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Alexa was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses but never baptized, and she faces shunning for a life she didn’t want and never officially even joined. Her story involves being homeless, sexually assaulted followed by a cover up, and trying to find a life of her own that ultimately has her rejected by people that she cared for. Despite the odds Alexa is working hard to rise above her circumstances to live a good life, determined not to repeat the patterns in her family.
The song that Alexa chose to represent her journey is Warrior by Demi Lovato.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Alexa by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Disfellowshipped twice by the age of 18 and reproved multiple times as well, Nina lived a very tumultuous life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Hers was often the perfect looking family on the outside that wasn’t what they appeared to be, something that is very common among the group. Her first memories were images of the earth opening up and swallowing people, and she would spend much of her life trying not to be swallowed mentally and emotionally by unhealthy people that lacked proper boundaries around her.
The song that Nina chose to represent her journey is Losing My Religion by R.E.M.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Nina by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Disfellowshipped for her second time at the age of 19, Rebecca was kicked out of her house. She had always led a double life, the one that she wanted, and the one that she was being forced into as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As a child with no young people in her congregation her only friends were those older than her at the Kingdom Hall, or the occasional “worldly” kid that she could have over as long as she spent that time studying and trying to indoctrinate them.
This is a story of a person that knew that they didn’t want to live a life that they were given and that eventually was pushed so far mentally and emotionally that she gave in and truly became sincere in her efforts to be everything that everyone had always wanted her to be. She finally wanted it. They had succeeded in making her low enough that she truly wanted to be one of them, and you will find out how that went through Rebecca’s story in this episode.
The song that Rebecca chose to represent her journey is Worthy by Jacob Banks.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Rebecca by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Joaquin had a life like many as one of Jehovah’s witnesses. Trying to please a parent, trying to stay within the lines, but struggling as he got older to do so. Eventually he found passion in music and culinary school, leading to his eventual freedom and finding himself.
The song that Joaquin chose to represent his journey is Your Friends Are Gone by Circa Survive.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Joaquin by leaving him a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
There are aspects of life that we typically see as something we should encourage people to do, like fostering and/or adopting children. We all want to see these children find love and belonging in a home. What happens when one of Jehovah’s Witnesses happens to be the foster parent? This is one person’s story of being introduced to the cult through a foster parent.
Taira begins her journey into it at the ages of nine through eleven and it created a bond between herself and her foster parent, but also Jehovah, and that would stick with her for years as she searched for a permanent family. This is a really interesting personal story that gives insights into a situation that is very seldom talked about, and I think that there are lessons to be taken away from it. There are obvious issues such as the impact on a child that is seeking unconditional love and belonging only to find themselves in an extremely conditional relationship with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The song that Taira chose to represent her journey is Honey Bee by Zee Avi.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Taira by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“I never felt like I could be good enough” is a common refrain among former Jehovah’s Witnesses, and it is how Serena felt in her life when she was a JW. This feeling leads to a lot of depression, anxiety, and at times suicide. In Serena’s story we’re going to talk about that reality and two attempts that were made. We’re going to talk about how JWs deal with mental illness and the fallout that comes from it. Serena is a strong person that has overcome growing up with mental, emotional, and physical abuse and some really sad circumstances that could have kept her from the beautiful life that she has today.
The song that Serena chose to represent her journey is Remember Everything by Five Finger Death Punch.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Serena by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Fifty episodes. Fifty long form discussions looking into the lives of people that share the pain of shunning from cults or high-control religious groups. Fifty families that have been torn apart, fifty people that have had to grieve the loss of people that are still alive. Today we close in on roughly 200,000 individual downloads from people that have been touched by these fifty brave people that have chosen to speak up. Shunning is designed to take your voice away and by participating you’re not only taking it back but you’re amplifying it and people are listening.
I get the emails from people that listen because it gives them a greater understanding of their friend or relative that is in a cult. I get the emails from people that have been negatively impacted by these groups though never involved. I get the emails from people that have lost people that they cared about to suicide, or that have attempted themselves, or are feeling that way right now because of involvement with these religious groups. I also get the emails from people that have found these stories inspiring and healing, as well as emails from those that told their stories and found the experience cathartic and empowering.
In a world where bullying is universally condemned, shunning is still not only practiced, but encouraged by large organizations that are given charitable status by the governments of this world. They need to see what kind of real “charity” these cults are about. The world at large needs to wake up to the realities of these groups and they should not be rewarded for their bigotry.
In this episode we will hear what telling their story has done for a handful of people that were generous enough to come back on the podcast to give some updates. It can be truly healing for the individual, and also through these stories we affect change. These people have impacted the lives of others in a positive way by telling their stories and sharing with the world.
You will hear from David, Sydney, Torah, “V”, Jenny, and myself in this episode. Life after shunning goes on, and we can find better things and happiness if we keep moving forward.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Leave a comment for anyone in this episode HERE
Resources Mentioned:
This JW Life – The podcast that started this movement.
Petition to make education a federal right for all children – Amish Heritage Foundation
Marshall ‘n Moore Crafting Studios
Xitlalitl was raised in a family impacted by borderline personality disorder as well as the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The former created many issues in the latter for young Xitlalitl as she struggled to fit in as they moved from place to place when her mom would have issues with people in the congregation. In the end when the constant gaslighting and the buy-in from congregation elders created a desperation to leave the situation, those feelings almost cost her everything. This is a callback to episode 29 with Nico as the two are in a relationship now and he helped her escape in more ways than one. This episode deals with BPD, depression, suicide, and the realities of the way the cult appeals to authority and recognizes title and position over people, from their beliefs to the way they “help” those in their midst.
The song that Xitlalitl chose to represent her journey is Thunderclap by Stefan Alexander.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Xitlalitl by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Kelsey was a kid that grew up sincere as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses but that ultimately followed his heart and lived a “double life”. He always felt like something was off with the Witnesses but when he started being authentic they showed him who they truly were. He tells about waking up at 15 years old, his last time ever in the field ministry and how he left the cult behind, as well as how his life has gone since leaving. His is a story of trying to live someone else’s life and then finding his own. Now he even has his own little life to look out for without any support or interest from the people that once called him family.
The song Kelsey chose to represent his journey is Unanswered by Suicide Silence.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want more resources or to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Go to my new website exjwHelp.com
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Kelsey by leaving him a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Four siblings, all free from the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, all with their own paths out. In this interview you will meet all of them and get their stories. A common theme seems to be the emotional desert that they all grew up in, a dearth of emotional health which is a hallmark of the JW faith. A lack of authenticity, not talking about the things that matter, pushing your feelings away, these are all ways to survive in a high control environment where daring to be yourself can have dire consequences.
Heather – Varlets.org is her theater company. Knock Knock, Jesus Calling is her original show.
The song she chose to represent her journey is Tainted Love by Soft Cell.
Aubrey’s song is My Church by Maren Morris
Kelly’s song is Yesterday by Atmosphere
Renny’s song is Return to Innocence by Enigma
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support the Fangsrud siblings by leaving them a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
First let’s acknowledge that this is my first ever video interview as well as being in podcast form. So if you want you can watch the two of us talk over video chat on Youtube on the shunnedpodcast channel. You can watch the interview HERE if you like.
Candace was the bad kid growing up. Marked by those around her for being too funny, asking too many questions, and not coming from the right family. She wanted to have a good life, a life that she thought would come if she did the right things, just like Jehovah’s Witnesses often teach. If she could be the perfect JW and marry a brother with privileges and be a pioneer then her life would be all that she imagined as a kid, when her family life wasn’t what she wanted and she blamed her parents’ shortcomings in life on their lack of JW activity.
After we finished the interview she shared a story about her uncle that is touching, so stick around for that even after it sounds like we’ve wound down.
The song that Candace chose to represent her journey is Victory by N.E.R.D..
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Candace by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
“I love you with all my heart but I have to leave before it turns into anything less than love.” This beautiful sentiment was expressed by a 17 year old Tamara as she left her home and life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This story has a number of twists and turns but ultimately ends in freedom and awakening.
The song that Tamara chose to represent her journey is Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog from The Muppet Movie.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Tamara by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
This episode is being released today, November 16, in honor of Cassie’s brother Brandon. One of the things that Jehovah’s Witnesses do poorly is supporting and looking out for the mental and emotional well-being of their members. Cassie experienced multiple changes in her life where she needed to be seen and helped within the congregation in a real way and they never managed to connect to her until later in life when they reached out in a judicial manner. She was ultimately saved in many ways by a high school cooking competition and the passion that she found. Cassie’s brother suffered in his life as well and isn’t with us today to tell his story, but we honor him by releasing this story today. For Brandon….
The song that Cassie chose to represent her journey is “Got It In You” by Banners.
In honor of her brother Brandon, she shared two songs that he liked. The first is Beautiful Tragedy by In This Moment and the second is My Curse by Killswitch Engage.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Cassie by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Today we’re going to meet Matthew from Australia. For a lot of Jehovah’s Witnesses they find themselves just riding the wave, doing what they have to do to get by. They may not ever really “reach out” for more and more “privileges” in the congregation but just seek to make it through from one day to the next. Matthew was one such JW, trying to get by, trying to make his very serious JW mom happy as a kid, trying to keep his head down and to not be noticed. One day when he had his own children he realized that he couldn’t make them live that same existence that he had and that things had to change.
The song that Matthew chose to represent his journey is Let Me Be by Xavier Rudd.
Speaking of music, you can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Matthew by leaving him a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
You can tell in this conversation that Daniel is a really humble and sincere guy. This conversation deal with the way Jehovah’s Witnesses make natural things seem unnatural, how bipolar disorder can impact a person inside the organization, and he has some great insights at the end regarding things that have helped him since leaving. There’s also a very strong reaction from me regarding a story he tells about being a dad and how he was treated regarding his child. I decided to leave it in because it was a very real moment and I hope that if you’re out there and being treated like Daniel was it gives you some energy to know that your feelings are valid and nobody should ever treat you that way.
The song that Daniel chose to represent his journey is Long Hard Road by Sade.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Daniel by leaving him a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
This episode really touches on so many different pitfalls of life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses as seen through the life of one person. We talk about the blood issue, abuse, the realities of the politics inside congregations, mental health issues, the pressures put on young couples, and Yahoo Answers. Yeah, I didn’t see that last one coming either. Joseph is a person that pays attention to detail and you will hear about the life he lived and what he saw around him. Ultimately he committed the ultimate sin of thinking for himself and we all know how that ends. There will even be an opportunity to listen to his judicial committee after the interview if you like.
The song that Joseph chose to represent his journey is Coming of Age by Millow.
You can listen to Joseph’s judicial committee on his YouTube channel HERE.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Joseph by leaving him a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Today we’re going to meet Renee. This is a story of profound loneliness played out over decades, surviving an abusive home and life in a cult, and coming out the other side a profoundly compassionate and beautiful person. Renee is an activist in the ex-JW community today and some know her as Renee Cordeschi – JW Survivor.
The song that Renee chose to represent her journey is No Second Prize by Jimmy Barnes.
If you’d like to follow Renee’s work you can do so on Facebook at Renee Cordeschi – JW Survivor.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Renee by leaving her a comment HERE
Follow my new podcast called LouisvilleOne at LouisvilleOne.org or look it up on a podcast app. You can watch the live videos on the YouTube channel HERE.
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Today we’re going to meet Corrie. Her son Nico was featured back in April on episode 29. Now we get to hear her story and she does a really good job of putting it all together and was fun to talk to. She became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in her early 30s after a guy that was doing some tree work at her house pitched her and introduced her to his wife for a Bible study. Having recently lost her grandmother and in the middle of grieving, they gave her a hope that she could cling to and that drew her in. This is a story of manipulation from the beginning until the end of her time in the cult. You’ll find out how therapy, and Leah Remini helped her to wake up, and we have some great conversation about finding oneself after leaving.
The song that Corrie chose to represent her journey is Warrior by Demi Lovato.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Corrie by leaving her a comment HERE
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Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Nicole was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is a tough story to listen to and my heart goes out to her but she has overcome a truly traumatic childhood to create a good life for herself. Unlike most people that I interview she was never baptized, but she lived a life as a JW that needs to be told. There are a lot of patterns in this story that are repeated in many families in the organization. Sheltered from real life Nicole was in for some rude awakenings, and unfortunately the most abusive came from her own family. She eventually learned that she could trust nobody but herself.
Nicole chose the song “Eternal Sunshine” by Jhene Aiko to represent her journey.
She mentioned the exjw reddit as a resource that helped her.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Support Nicole by leaving her a comment HERE
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Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Adrian was raised one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, born into the cult. His father even believed himself to be one of the 144,000 chosen to go to heaven. You’ll see through this interview that Adrian was one of those people that had humanity that even the cult couldn’t break. That sensitivity though, the heartbreak of shunning not just once but twice, led to his becoming a heroin addict at a young age. One moment though helped him to break free of it all and to realize that he was responsible for the path his life would take and that nobody he had relied on growing up would help, that the only person he ultimately had was himself, and that he had enough value to be worth living a good life for.
You can view more of Adrian’s work on Instagram at xadriantrevorx
The song that Adrian chose to represent his journey is Stop the Fuckin’ Car by Circa Survive.
He was helped by the book Crisis of Conscience by Raymond Franz and he also mentioned the exjw reddit group.
Want to participate in the Shunned Recovery Project that I mentioned? Dates and information can be found HERE.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Would you like to be party to my birthday party? Send a card, letter, anything but JW literature to:
Mike Shemwell
P.O. Box 2641
Clarksville, IN
47131
USA
Thank you!
Support Adrian by leaving him a comment HERE
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Linda was a devout Jehovah’s Witness, one that believed it all and really put her heart and soul into it. Today she’s been out of the organization for 25 years and our discussion involves Buddhist teachings, the neuroscience of shunning, and her story which she also shares in her memoir that is entitled Shunned: How I lost my religion and found myself. So you’re going to see how she both lost that religion and what she found on the other side.
Resources Mentioned:
Her book Shunned: How I Lost Religion and Found Myself
Kip Williams at Purdue University
Poem: The Journey by Mary Oliver
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Would you like to be party to my birthday party? Send a card, letter, anything but JW literature to:
Mike Shemwell
P.O. Box 2641
Clarksville, IN
47131
USA
Thank you!
Support Linda by leaving her a comment HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
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Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
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Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Today we are talking with Andie, formerly one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This story really involves so many things. First, we’re talking about a family that goes all the way back to the Rutherford days of the organization. Additionally, Andie was beat up for her beliefs, she was forced to move a lot for a reason that you won’t see coming, and she spent time in Mexico to try to build an English speaking congregation but had to come home for another reason that you won’t see coming. She talks openly about self-harm, about her own horrific rape, living in her car, and thoughts of suicide. Andie was one tough young lady that dealt with a lot and came out the other side. She should be very proud of herself.
The song that Andie chose to represent her journey is “If We’re Honest” by Francesca Battistelli.
Resources mentioned included the book Combating Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan, the Marc Cora YouTube Channel, and the Kim Mikey YouTube Channel.
Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.
Would you like to be party to my birthday party? Send a card, letter, anything but JW literature to:
Mike Shemwell
P.O. Box 2641
Clarksville, IN
47131
USA
Thank you!
Support Andie by leaving her a comment HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
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Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
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Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
In this episode we’re going to meet Lyla Illing from South Africa, now living in New York City. She was involved in a cult early in her life that, translated from Afrikaans to English, means “The Chosen People”. As one might imagine in a land where apartheid held strong for so long the cult was definitely racist. Lyla was only involved for a short time and you’ll see why, but it created dynamics that impact her to this day, and set her on a path to try to help Amish youth here in America.
This episode features two amazing songs from Lyla. The first that you will here is “Not Coming Home” and the second is “Below the Surface”.
“Not Coming Home” – Proceeds go to the Amish Heritage Foundation
“Below the Surface” by Lyla Illing
The song that Lyla chose (by another artist) to represent her journey is “Runaway” by Pink.
Resources mentioned:
William Ramsey Investigates interviews Mike Shemwell of the Shunned Podcast about Jehovah’s Witnesses HERE
Conversations with God interviews God about shunning in Episode 39 HERE
Would you like to be party to my birthday party? Send a card, letter, anything but JW literature to:
Mike Shemwell
P.O. Box 2641
Clarksville, IN
47131
USA
Thank you!
Support Lyla by leaving her a comment HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
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Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Naomi was raised in one of those JW families that didn’t have a tv and that limited books because they were reflective of Satan’s world. Their lives, even their limited traveling, revolved around the Kingdom work. You’re going to see how even in such a controlled environment a child still has their own mind and thoughts, and how that plays out. It was really interesting what woke Naomi up, and you’re even going to find out how a Buzzfeed quiz can get a JW reprimanded.
She chose two songs to represent her journey. The first is Cigarettes by Illy and the second is Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra.
The resources mentioned included the books Crisis of Conscience and I’m Perfect You’re Doomed. Also the forum jehovahs-witness.com.
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
James was a member of the Old Order Swiss Amish but James is gay and that obviously caused a lot of difficulty for him. Just this week he had his story shared in The New York Times. He’s taken his life from a place that is closed off and drab and he’s built a life of openness and color.
The song that James chose to represent his journey is Here by the Pet Shop Boys.
Resources Mentioned:
Punatic – by James Schwartz
The Literary Party – James Schwartz’s Site
James in The New York Times
Follow James on Twitter/Instagram @queeraspoetry
LGBT Amish.com
Amish Heritage Foundation
Support James by leaving him a comment HERE
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Today we have a story that’s different than the norm. We’re going to get to know Dave Warnock, former pastor and member of a charismatic evangelical Pentecostal church who is shunned by his children. But the story is bigger than that. Dave has been diagnosed in the last few months with ALS, sometimes commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and he knows that he only has a finite time left in his life. This is truly inspiring story and we talk about a subject that few want to talk about, death. More than that, we talk about life, as death isn’t as scary as never truly living.
For Dave’s contact information, more information about him, ways to support him, please click HERE.
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Chloe’s family was in the circuit work as Jehovah's Witnesses, but her family also had a lot of pressure in the house, pressure that she’ll describe in a way that will put you right there, pressure that perhaps you felt in your home if you too had a particularly volatile parent. Chloe, like so many, lived a double life and ended up getting married young to another JW. Today she shares custody of her daughter with that JW and at my request she provides some really amazing advice for others in that situation. There are a lot of things here that I’m sure you’ll relate to on some level.
Special music by Secret Cigarettes and Cats To Whip.
Resources mentioned include the book “I’m Perfect You’re Doomed”, the exjw reddit, and the podcast called This JW Life (particularly the episode about the FOG and cult tactics).
Support Chloe by leaving her a comment HERE
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Today we have Nico’s story. Nico has actually already been on the podcast, at the end of episode 23 after Sherrie’s interview. He told the story of his first Christmas in the Facebook group and it was such an amazing story that I had him call in and record it and played it on the show.
Nico is one of the youngest guests that I’ve had. He was able to break free from the cult with so much life ahead of him, but the life that he left behind is still fresh and he lost a lot of people that he cared about in the process. In his story you’ll see what kind of person he his, how he tried to live that dub life, and also how things happened that led to him waking up. In fact, there’s a story at the end that involves another person, and I know that you like I will want an update on them. So I have an update for you to share after the interview.
The song that Nico chose to represent his journey is Second Chance by Shinedown.
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
I really had to think about how to describe this episode. A word kept popping out at me and that’s “tough”. Yolanda faced verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but she comes through with this tough and resilient spirit. Yolanda isn’t officially shunned and we’ve done things to protect her identity. She has become a haven for some shunned people in her local area. Her story needs to be told because it’s indicative of a lot of what goes on behind closed doors inside the organization. They used to talk about a scripture that referred to whitewashed graves that looked nice but held dead men’s bones inside. There is so much in this story that is going on that will show you inside just another JW family, and you’ll see how some things like sexual abuse are perpetuated through the veil of secrecy in their hierarchy.
The song that Yolanda chose to represent her journey is What About Us by Pink.
The podcast that helped Yolanda to wake up mentally was This JW Life.
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Georgia grew up in what Jehovah’s Witnesses often refer to as a “divided household”. Her mother was a faithful JW, her father violently opposed. In this episode you’ll see how that opposition actually played into the hands of the Witnesses. You’ll see how someone from an abusive situation ended up in another abusive situation after being raped. Georgia faces PTSD after a life of abuse, secret Bible study drills, and the doctrine of an imminent fiery destruction of the world, but she does so with a sense of humor and going for her dreams in life.
The song that Georgia chose is World of Stone by Blackmore’s Night
Georgia referenced the book 1984 by George Orwell
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Nicholas was a member of an online ministry that seems to have some hallmarks of a cult called Is, Was, and Will Be. This is a really unique look into how what seems to be a cult can get its hooks in someone that is never even present physically. Imagine getting sucked into an online world where your fellowship is primarily through email chats and a website with information on it. There must be some profound mental games being played. This is a great look into some of them. In fact, I don’t mention it during the interview, but the term gaslighting comes to mind at times.
Teachings seemed to be somewhat misery and suffering based, Nicholas was wrestling with his own sexuality, and in the end the annihilation of the “self” was something that caused him to be lost for some time. After much trauma therapy Nicholas is on his way back to finding himself again.
Resources Mentioned:
If you are interested in the coaching/support group opportunity you can sign up HERE.
The official site of Is, Was and Will Be
A blog exposing the group
The song that Nicholas chose is Here in the Vineyard by Anna & Elizabeth
Support Nicholas by leaving him a comment HERE
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
PIMO – \pee-moe\ noun – short for Physically In, Mentally Out, a person held captive to the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses because although they are awake, to let others know would cost them everything they’ve ever known. They stay in physically to keep spouses, family, friends, the only social structure that they’ve ever been allowed to have. Sometimes they do this while plotting a “fade” where they gradually walk, sometimes even move, far away so as to escape. They know the truth but they cannot express it in an organization that refers to itself as “The Truth”.
Daniel is PIMO. This is his story. Identities have been changed to protect the innocent.
Resources Mentioned:
If you are interested in the coaching/support group opportunity you can sign up HERE.
The following podcasts were referenced – The Joe Rogan Experience, Sam Harris Making Sense, The Bible Says What, The Prodigal Boys, This JW Life
Exjw Subreddit
Mike and Kim on Youtube
Christian and Katja on Youtube
The song that Daniel chose is Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Homeless at just 13 years of age, married at 16, raised by extended family that claimed him as their own to create the young Jehovah’s Witness that they wanted, Silvers led a life that encompassed the whole toxic palette of cult life. His life was touched by abuse of every kind and he’s been as low as a human can get mentally and emotionally, but yet here he stands. Today he tells his story to the world. Today Silvers takes that stand for himself and not only will you hear his story but you will get an inspiring update afterward. That’s not to say that life is easy for him or that everything always turns up roses, but his story is a testament to the human spirit. He is one that keeps getting up over and over again and fights for something better.
The song that Silvers chose is Love by Lana Del Rey.
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Today we have a really cool live recording from my living room. A listener to the show from Australia named Sherrie came to the Unites States with her Auntie Bev and they took time out of their trip to come visit my wife and I. Sherrie is pretty freshly openly out of the Witnesses, and Beverley was never one of Jehovah’s Witnesses despite her close ties to her family and hopes that one day she could see them leave the cult behind. So I had two mics and we passed them around and you’ll hear Sherrie and Beverley and myself and my wife Jenny jumps in too.
You will learn about Sherrie’s exemplary JW life and what woke her up, how much it impacts other family members when people suddenly become Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the beauty that unfolds when people wake up and families are able to live in freedom again.
The song that Sherrie chose is Back Down by Bob Moses.
Support Sherrie or Beverley by leaving them a comment HERE
Sherrie recommended the site JWfacts.com and the book A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Sherrie referred to a video interview that she and her husband did HERE
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
In this episode we’re going to talk about more narcissism within the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, mental illness, another example of how Jehovah’s Witnesses react to sexual assault, and in the end we get to meet the tough lady that made it through it all and came out on the other side.
The song that Jennie chose is Praying by Kesha.
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
This episode is the audio from my latest VIDcast that I do on my Youtube channel called shunnedpodcast. In it I outline where this podcast is headed, what I plan on introducing to it, dreams I have for even bigger things, as well as new things that I’m working on currently or have recently achieved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UHGzT8J9M4&t=309s
This episode features a fascinating interview with someone that was raised in a racist family cult. It was very small, just 14 people or so in actuality, but the teachings of the leader were found online and attracted a lot of alt-right and neo-nazi supporters that were drawn to it. This is a look into the literal life cycle of a cult. It shows how it began, how it eventually came to an end, but how even then the beliefs still linger, which is the power of a cult. Last month's episode really shined a light on the narcissism present in Jehovah's Witnesses, and this episode shows how one narcissist can impact so many people's lives, and how narcissism breeds narcissism among the group.
We will not be using this guest's name. She picked a letter to go by so we'll call her V. I will also not be releasing the name of the cult or the website that was used. We live in a world right now that is more concerned with hunting people down based on what a person said years ago than they are looking at who a person is now. My guest has been impacted in this current climate, where employment can be affected based on affiliation with a thing at one point in a person's life simply because they were raised in it. I'm not a proponent of outrage culture and I'm not here to cause problems for people. V should be applauded for her present and not punished for her past. She showed bravery and the willingness to be vulnerable in telling us all about her life.
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Narcissism is a trait that is both attracted to the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as a byproduct of their culture. One begins to see others as objects to be controlled, and often becomes tone deaf to the feelings of others around them. Tamara’s story is one that highlights these qualities in those around her. You will learn of her extremely isolated JW upbringing, you’ll see once again that the elders fall short when it comes to dealing with sexual assault, and the pure lack of humanity exhibited by Witnesses when people are in need. Ultimately you’ll see a strong person that escapes all of this, and when I did this interview it had only been months since the end of all of this. So she wasn’t just strong enough to emerge from it all, she was strong enough to speak up so soon and to tell her story.
Support Tamara by leaving her a comment HERE
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
A young girl finds herself in a new life, with new exciting hopes and dreams as part of the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, but with very real fears of doom with a looming Armageddon. This story develops into a young JW marriage fraught with issues that often happen in such relationships. Added to that is a pregnancy followed by postpartum depression, and a spiral that leads into new relationships that ultimately help her wake up to the realities of a life that she was given at such a young age.
Lyndi has a Youtube Channel dedicated to helping her JW daughter understand what happened someday. It is called To Shay, and it is a touching tribute to her daughter from a mom that just happens to see things differently now. Here is a link.
The song that she chose to represent her journey is "Be Like That" by 3 Doors Down.
A movie that impacted her is called "The Village".
She was helped by the website JWfacts.com
And of course, she was helped by the book Crisis of Conscience, a must read for anyone associated with Jehovah's Witnesses.
Support Lyndi by leaving her a comment HERE
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Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
In this episode I was able to interview Torah Bontrager, a non-practicing Amish that is the founder of the Amish Heritage Foundation. Torah has been on MTV True Life, the Tim Ferriss Blog, Forbes.com, and the Huffington Post. Her desire is to reclaim the narrative and help tell a more accurate Amish story while working to help those that escape the church. With that said, Torah has her own intense story of escape and she's managed to create a life that she loves on the other side of that escape.
So listen to Torah's story, learn about Amish culture, and understand more about the experiences of others around you.
The song that Torah chose to represent her journey is Heroes by David Bowie, specifically the cover by Iva Davies and Icehouse.
You can learn more about Torah Bontrager on her personal website here.
You can learn more about the Amish Heritage Foundation here.
Support Torah by leaving her a comment HERE
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Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
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Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Sadly no, there is not necessarily any pasta and an Apostafest. What there is constitutes a group of people that have all been shunned by everyone that they ever knew for no longer believing what they once did. How did we get to this place? Listen and see.
An apostate is simply a person that no longer follows a particular faith. However, cults like Jehovah's Witnesses use the term "apostate" in conjunction with such wonderful terms as "mentally diseased" in order to brand anyone that disagrees with them unfavorably.
So listen to the episode, and if you ever get a chance to attend such an event I'd encourage you to do so. I hope that listening to the stories here help you to see how you would fit in.
Leave a comment for the many guests of this special episode HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
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Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
This episode is a great look into the narcissism and authoritarianism that can be displayed by some inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. You will see how a young person can get caught between different worlds, and ultimately find their way out of toxic family and cult situations and into a world of freedom.
The song that Sydney chose to represent her journey is “Playing God” by Paramore.
Support Sydney by leaving her a comment HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
This episode is a great look into the narcissism and authoritarianism that can be displayed by some inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. You will see how a young person can get caught between different worlds, and ultimately find their way out of toxic family and cult situations and into a world of freedom.
The song that Sydney chose to represent her journey is “Playing God” by Paramore.
Support Sydney by leaving her a comment HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
This episode is a great look into the narcissism and authoritarianism that can be displayed by some inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. You will see how a young person can get caught between different worlds, and ultimately find their way out of toxic family and cult situations and into a world of freedom.
The song that Sydney chose to represent her journey is “Playing God” by Paramore.
Support Sydney by leaving her a comment HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
This episode is a great look into the narcissism and authoritarianism that can be displayed by some inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. You will see how a young person can get caught between different worlds, and ultimately find their way out of toxic family and cult situations and into a world of freedom.
The song that Sydney chose to represent her journey is “Playing God” by Paramore.
Support Sydney by leaving her a comment HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
This episode is a great look into the narcissism and authoritarianism that can be displayed by some inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. You will see how a young person can get caught between different worlds, and ultimately find their way out of toxic family and cult situations and into a world of freedom.
The song that Sydney chose to represent her journey is “Playing God” by Paramore.
Support Sydney by leaving her a comment HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
This episode is a great look into the narcissism and authoritarianism that can be displayed by some inside the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. You will see how a young person can get caught between different worlds, and ultimately find their way out of toxic family and cult situations and into a world of freedom.
The song that Sydney chose to represent her journey is “Playing God” by Paramore.
Support Sydney by leaving her a comment HERE
Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Jason grew up in Amish Country but was raised in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This story has cars hidden in the woods for a getaway, living on boats, time spent in rehab, a JW group of “lost boys” that were dealing drugs, just your average story of leaving a cult. You can see that Jason is an explorer, a person driven to learn and try new things, and how stifling it would be growing up in a cult where that is discouraged. He made mistakes after leaving the cult and wants to help others to avoid doing the same. In fact, he’s written a book about his experiences that goes into greater depth than we can do here. You can find his book entitled “Worldly – How NOT To Leave A Cult” on Amazon HERE.
The song that Jason chose to represent his journey is Green Day – When I Come Around, a song that was the first he listened to that sparked an interest in secular music and that led to a short punk career.
Support Jason by leaving her a comment HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
Kacey grew up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the same Kingdom Hall as I did, so this episode is personal for me too. In this episode you’re going to hear what it can be like to grow up in a “divided household”, what it feels like to never fit in with the one community that you’re supposed to have in life, and how childhood sexual abuse can create a perfect storm that results in so much damage to a person. You’ll also hear how a person can rise above the damage and find happiness in life.
Resources mentioned:
About “The Four Tendencies” Quiz
Take “The Four Tendencies” Quiz
This JW Life Podcast
Ex-JW Critical Thinker
John Cedars Channel
Apostate Chick
Vast Apostate Army
The song that Kacey chose to represent her journey is Suggestions by System Of A Down.
Support Kacey by leaving her a comment HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
Music by Fair Voyeur entitled “No Hell Yet”.
One of the hallmarks of growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is that feeling that you’re never “good enough”. It drives a lot of the depression seen in the cult, and is often something that people that leave take with them. Imagine if instead of just feeling less than because maybe you aren’t hitting some goal of hours spent knocking on doors or taking care of responsibilities in the congregation that are expected of you the problem was something as personal and natural as your sexuality. In this episode we get an intimate look into what it’s like to be gay growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and it’s impact on Fernando, which I’m sure reflects at least parts of the experiences of many others.
Follow Fernando’s artistic life on Instagram here.
Learn more about the wonderful charity called Free Mom Hugs here.
The song that Fernando chose to represent his journey, a song that he would listen to after arguing with his family about JW topics while he drove away, is Ride by Lana Del Ray.
Support Fernando by leaving him a comment HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
All music performed by Podington Bear.
We have an opportunity here to help more people, but I need some assistance in two different ways. Listen to find out more.
Find us online at shunnedpodcast.com
Support the show at patreon.com/shunned
This is my first international interview for the podcast. Growing up poor in Liverpool, Mark and his family were Jehovah’s Witnesses. This interview is a great conversation about his life growing up, what he went through, and the really unique way that he was outed that shook up his life. We talk about beliefs and his studies of the books that were left out of the Bible as most know it. At the end there’s a pleasant surprise about someone in his family. Mark has a great attitude about everything that happened and he’s now trying to help others. Support Mark by leaving a comment here.
Mark has his own YouTube channel here.
He is also quite active on Quora.
Mark chose the song Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye to represent his journey.
Here are some resources that were mentioned in this episode:
jehovahs-witness.com is a great forum to for those that are doubting, leaving, or have left. Both Mark and I are members.
Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz is THE book for anyone leaving.
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.
JWFacts.com is an amazing resource that highlights the truth about “The Truth” from their own written word.
John Cedars channel on YouTube has great videos on the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses
The Book of Thomas (among others) can be found here.
Oh, and below is my favorite verse from the Book of Thomas. I told you I’d include it, and I also promised that it was amazing, so I hope you enjoy. Remember, Thomas, like the other Gospel writers, was writing about the life and experiences that he had with Jesus. I wonder why this one wasn’t included in the finished Bible…..
“(114) Simon Peter said to him, “Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.”
Jesus said, “I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven.””
At the border of the states of Utah and Arizona lies another world, a community known as Short Creek. A patriarchal world of polygamy with sister wives, where women have few rights, and where certain men have all of the power. This episode is a fascinating look into a world that most will never enter, a world led by a man (Warren Jeffs) that now is serving a life sentence plus twenty years for child sexual assault.
A brave woman named Brenda escaped from this community and gives us a detailed view into the life and feelings of those that live in the cult of the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, a Mormon denomination). This is an intense story of being completely captive to a concept and the struggle for freedom by a woman with a big heart that overcame the lack of freedom over her own body and mind.
In addition to this in depth interview, Brenda also has a documentary called "If This Is Heaven, Then Give Me Hell" on Youtube:
Brenda also has a blog where you can learn more about her and her journey and another blog here.
Brenda chose two songs to represent her journey. The first one that she mentioned is the theme song to Enterprise, a song that has a great message that resonates with her journey, but also a show that they enjoyed when they first left the cult.
The second song that she chose is Brave by Sara Bareilles.
Support Brenda by leaving her a comment HERE
Leave us a review on iTunes
Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned
All music performed by Podington Bear.
Yet another person has their life impacted by the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses. Listen as DJ recounts his life growing up in the cult as well as his awakening and eventual path out. There are so many things going on behind closed doors, so many things that don't appear to be what they are, and so many arbitrary rules and the accompanying shame that comes along with them throughout a life as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. DJ has some unique aspects of his family story regarding substance abuse and substance use, an interesting dichotomy in how things are viewed and regulated based on the opinions of men.
Here are some resources that helped DJ in his path out:
The Joe Rogan Experience - Joe interviews fascinating characters and thought leaders to bring their perspectives on living to life.
Lloyd Evans' book The Reluctant Apostate and his Youtube channel called John Cedars.
And last, but certainly not least, the book that every ex-JW should read, from a former leader of the cult himself (Ray Franz), the book Crisis of Conscience. This book has just recently been re-released to great fanfare in the ex-JW community.
To leave a comment for DJ, please go here:
http://shunnedpodcast.com/episode-ten-dj-is-shunned-by-jehovahs-witnesses/
In this episode we hear the audio of David's Kingdom Hall Crash and discuss the aftermath. The original video is below, but my commentary and some additional updates are found in the podcast.
This episode is taken from the pre-interview process, before we got deep into David's story. In it we talk about the abuse, the way abuse is often overlooked within the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses, and lots of other topics relating to the organization. I think that there are nuggets here that can help victims of abuse as well as victims of the cult in general and that it was worth making something of the pre-interview to put out. I hope you feel the same.
(see Part 1 for full notes)
Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse Discussion
In Part 2 you will learn more about Steve B. and his interactions with David. You will see how relationships impacted David, both for the good and the bad as years went by. You will see how the "loving spiritual shepherds", the elders in the congregations, treat those that are shunned and trying to come back to their flock. You will learn about David's eventual path out of the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses and his new life as he is shunned.
In Episode 6 – Part 1, you will get to know David a bit. This episode builds and will take you through David’s upbringing and right up into the beginnings of adulthood. You will learn a lot about him and if you aren’t familiar with the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses you will learn about it as well through this process. There is no mention of the abuse in this first part, so no trigger warning is necessary. That will come in Part 2 and the way these things are handled in the cult will be discussed there.
For episode information and resources, or to leave a comment of support for David, visit:
http://shunnedpodcast.com/episode-6-part-1-sexual-abuse-and-jehovahs-witnesses-davids-story/
Sometimes young people have to make very difficult decisions in order to stand up for what is right. We normally think about it terms of peer pressure, but what if it was the pressure of pretty much everyone that means anything to you? What if you woke up and realized that most of what you were taught was a lie and that by merely saying something about it everything could come crashing down on you. Would you be strong enough at 18 years old to take a stand even if it meant losing your family and all of the people that you thought were your friends, potentially forever? This is Caleb's story. The song that Caleb chose to represent his journey is "A Little More" by Machine Gun Kelly. Click the song info to see the lyric video. Download
In this episode we explore Mike's story of being shunned at an early age while still living at home, and how even today although he isn't officially "shunned" he's still treated that way as an inactive Jehovah's Witness. Not all who are "shunned" are disfellowshipped or disassociated from the organization. Shunning is in the DNA of Jehovah's Witnesses, something that really marks them as a high control religion, also known as a cult. The song chosen by Mike to represent his journey is "Addiction" by Kanye West, in particular the hook: "Why everything that's supposed to bad make me feel so good? Everything they told me not to is exactly what I would" [podcast src="https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6029739/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f40a0a/" height="90" width="100%" placement="bottom" theme="custom"
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There are many ways to be shunned as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Emily's story highlights a path that many take, a path of personal growth with stumbles along the way that result in ostracism, a path that deviates from the prescribed path of a cult that requires everyone to walk the same or face the consequences. This story shines a light on the spectrum of the JW experience. Download The song that Emily said signified her journey is Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson:
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Imagine growing up in a very tight knit community where everyone is sheltered from the outside world. Your personal business is the business of the community and they feel that it reflects upon them. What if your mistakes were brought to the light in front of everyone that you knew and they had to vote right in front of you on whether you would be shunned or not. What if you tried so hard to be "good enough" but just couldn't make it no matter how hard you tried, no matter how much you relied on your faith. This is Jerry's life story, a story of struggle and eventual freedom. Jerry's chosen song is This Is The Time by Superchick: Other Resources Mentioned: John Eldredge - Wild At Heart John Eldredge - The Journey Of Desire Michael John Cusick - Surfing For God Henry Cloud - Boundaries Song: JJ Heller - What Love Really Means Song: Jesus Culture - Your Love Never Fails Podcast: The Mental Illness Happy Hour
Download Follow Jenny's story from being raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, the only thing she had ever known, to her awakening to the realities of the cult and eventual shunning. Jenny's song that helped her through the process is by Rise Against - I Don't Want To Be Here Anymore