True cult confessions

True cult confessions

Hi, I'm Kat, and if there’s a cult documentary out there, I’ve probably seen it. Over the past few years, we've seen a shift in true stories about cults—not only from the journalists and authors who investigate them but also in the many first-person accounts and memoirs from survivors who (barely) escaped them. If you think you’re too smart or well-adjusted to ever be sucked into one yourself, the hard-won insights and warnings revealed in these stories just might surprise you. This selection of memoirs and nonfiction includes everything from famous cults and textbook red flags (charismatic leaders✔️ doomsday prophecies✔️ cutting followers off from family and friends✔️) to cult-adjacent fringe religions and even brands inspiring cultish devotion. Here are 20 of the best cult stories to hear now.