The Cult Vault

In today's episode, Kacey interviews first-time podcast guest Stella, a US Army sexual assault victim advocate and US Navy reservist who began sharing her story on TikTok and wrote a memoir, Deliver Us From Mother: Faith, Fear, and the Family Cult That Broke Me.

Stella describes being raised in a “single family cult” led by her mother, defined by extreme control consistent with Steven Hassan’s BITE model, including severe physical punishment, psychological and information control, financial abuse, surveillance and “snitching,” parentification, and extreme evangelical purity culture, racism, and homophobia, alongside foster care and adoption in a nine-child household.

She explains how writing from journals and collaborating with her sister was healing, discusses no-contact with her parents, complex feelings about her father’s complicity, and realising the dysfunction after joining the military. Stella outlines her advocacy work, PhD research on juvenile reoffending, a planned second book, and the book’s release details and goals: recognize and label abuse, and keep talking to break secrecy.

Stella's TikTok - McCormick House Press (@stella_mccormick) | TikTok
Stella's Book - Amazon.com: Deliver Us From Mother: Faith, Fear, and the Family Cult That Broke Me eBook : McCormick, Stella: Kindle Store

Crimecon UK - www.crimecon.co.uk (use code CULT for 10% discount!)

In this episode, Kacey interviews journalist Harrison Hill about his first book, The Oracle’s Daughter: The Rise and Fall of an American Cult.

Hill describes The Aggressive Christianity Missionary Training Corps (ACMTC), founded in the early 1980s by ex-hippies Jim and Deborah Green, with Deborah claiming prophetic status and building a militarized “spiritual army” using broadcasts and leaflets, later fleeing legal trouble and ending up on a remote New Mexico compound raided in 2017.

The book’s through line is their daughter Sarah Green, who grew up in the group, later escaped at 26, and faced an impossible choice involving her children; it also examines who joins extremist groups, how people leave, and broader American religious history. Hill recounts meeting Sarah via his brother, expanding a 2021 Cut article into a book through extensive interviews, travel, and documents, handling hostility from the still-active group, and using its website as a key archive. He discusses balancing perspectives on Deborah, Sarah, and early member Maura, aiming to portray Deborah as a complex, tragic figure. Hill shares that Stephen King praised the book on Twitter, that he narrated the audiobook himself, and that he is returning to magazine work while considering another book.

Harrison Hill | Author of The Oracle’s Daughter
Aggressive Christianity--Home of Shim Ra Na Holy Tribal Nation

Crimecon UK - www.crimecon.co.uk (use code CULT for a 10% discount!)

On today's episode of the Cult Vault podcast, Kacey interviews actor/filmmaker and screenwriter Adam Burke and actor Mike about their indie feature Wet Paper Bag, set at a couples wellness retreat that functions as a coercive, cult-like environment and slow-burn psychological thriller.

Adam explains the film’s origins in a story of an abusive relationship, his experiences starting screenwriting in prison, and research drawn loosely from real-world cult material, aiming to depict manipulation ethically and relatably.

Mike discusses preparing to play cult leader Don Haberman, referencing cult figures and trauma-driven narcissism, and the emotional toll of performance.

The film secured distribution via X4 and streams on Amazon, FandangoAtHome, and YouTube Movies, with DVD/Blu-ray available.

Wet Paper Bag: No One Goes Home The Same
It is now streaming on Amazon, Fandango at Home, Youtube Movie and people can follow the project on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wetpaperbag_film/

CRIMECON UK - USE CODE CULT FOR 10% DISCOUNT!

The Cult Vault returns with an interview featuring John Anderson, a survivor of William Branham’s cult of personality known as “The Message.”

John describes the movement’s post–World War II revival roots, its Latter Rain influence, and how Branham’s teachings seeded splinter groups worldwide, including extreme offshoots. He recounts being raised in the church, early memories dominated by fear and doomsday prophecy, and daily life centered on constant rule-following, listening to Branham’s tapes, and financial control through tithes and offerings. John details misogyny, demonisation tactics, and leaders’ prosperity while members struggled.

He and his wife deconstructed together, attempted to help family leave, then faced threats, excommunication, and shunning. John discusses writing a 542-page critique, American Made Volume 2 (publishing Sept. 18), offering it free to help others, and his focus on freedom, recovery, and the challenges of retaining faith after trauma.

John's Linktree - https://linktr.ee/johnandersonbookworks
Crimecon UK - https://www.crimecon.co.uk/

In this compelling interview, actor and filmmaker Emrhys Cooper shares his personal journey through childhood experiences with high-control groups, his role in Coronation Street portraying a cult leader, and his advocacy work with the Family Survival Trust. Discover insights into coercive control, the psychology of cults, and how storytelling can raise awareness and inspire change.

www.crimecon.co.uk - USE CODE CULT FOR 10% OFF!

Emrhys' Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/emrhyscooper

The Family Survival Trust - Support for cult victims - The Family Survival Trust
Petition for Changing Legislation - Petition - The Family Survival Trust