How We Escaped

Nate's parents loved him. They weren't abusive. Nobody was drinking. Nobody was yelling. From the outside — and often from the inside — it looked like a good home. But IBLP had quietly shaped everything about it: what they studied, how they spoke, how morality was defined, and who held authority over whom. As the oldest child, Nate learned from an early age to keep the peace, perform goodness, and make sure everyone was happy. If s...

Kathleen Marden joins me for this mini episode to discuss how UFO research has evolved since the landmark Betty and Barney Hill abduction case of 1961. She shares what it takes to become a UFO investigator and we explore whether we're getting closer to uncovering the truth about extraterrestrial life and unidentified aerial phenomena — especially in light of President Trump's executive order to declassify top secret UFO files.

If yo...

What really happened on that New Hampshire  dirt road in 1961? Kathleen Marden — niece of Betty Hill and leading UFO researcher — joins us to unpack one of the most investigated and contested UFO abuction cases in history. Drawing from her book and a lifetime of personal access to her aunt’s testimony, letters, and memories, Kathleen shares details that never made the headlines — and why she believes the Hills’ account deserves to ...

In ⁠Episode 7 (Burning the Cabbage Patch Kids),⁠ Amanda shared her story of growing up in the world of Bill Gothard and the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).

In this mini episode, she shares a story that was cut for time in Episode 7—about her time working in IBLP training centers, from Oak Brook, Illinois, to the Northwoods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

You can listen to Amanda's podcast - The Cult I Left Behind - ⁠he...

In this episode, I interview Amanda Briggs, co-host of The Cult I Left Behind, about her childhood inside IBLP — the controlling fundamentalist organization led by Bill Gothard and tied to the Duggar family. Amanda shares jaw-dropping stories of growing up under its fear-driven rules, including being made to burn her Cabbage Patch dolls in a backyard barrel and enduring years of abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

You can listen ...

Alexandra Amor spent nearly a decade inside a high-control group in Vancouver, Canada — one that began, innocently enough, as a meditation class. In this episode, Alexandra recounts how a charismatic Austrian leader named Limori slowly tightened her grip on the group's members, manipulating their relationships and decisions. Drawing from her memoir, Cult: A Love Story, Alexandra traces her years within the group and the long ro...

We are joined by Monica Connelly, who survived one of the most devastating natural disasters in modern history. At just thirteen years old, while vacationing with her family in Thailand, Monica found herself on the beach as the Indian Ocean tsunami struck—nearly losing her life to the massive wave. Tragically, more than 250,000 people would perish on that day. In this episode, Monica shares her experience as we discuss her book, Su...

This episode features Shari Peterson, author of The View from 13F. She shares her powerful story of surviving a terrifying 1989 in-flight incident when a cargo door ripped off the aircraft, tearing a massive hole near her seat and tragically claiming the lives of nine passengers. Remarkably, she boarded the same model of aircraft the very next day to continue to her destination and complete her work assignment.

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Gerette Buglion spent eighteen years searching for meaning within a manipulative, controlling group led by a man who claimed he could see into her soul through her dreams. She shares her story in her book An Everyday Cult. In this episode, Gerette opens up about her experience inside the group and reveals how she finally found the strength to break free.

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Get Gerette's book here: https:...

Erin Rhatigan was living and working in Paradise, California, when the most devastating wildfire in California history, the Camp Fire, tore through the town in 2018. In this episode, she shares her harrowing story of escape, as recounted in her book Campfire Girl: My Story of Survival and Recovery from the Deadly 2018 Wildfire Called the Camp Fire

Get Erin's book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bBqEuA (affiliate link)

Visit o...

Deborah was born into a nameless church — a high-control group that rejected labels, claiming they were simply “saints gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” In this episode, Deborah recounts her years inside this insular community and traces the difficult path that ultimately led her to freedom.

Visit our show's website: HowWeEscaped.com

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Credits:

"Ether Vox" Kevin MacLeod (...