Generation Cult's live show and literary event happened on stage at The Lost Church San Francisco in front of a fabulous audience on June 26, 2025. If you missed it, you're in luck because the recording is finally out now!

It was a late night in North Beach deep down in the Victorian speakeasy-style venue that hosted our show and book signing featuring the three authors who were our guests: Sarito Carroll, Anke Richter and Janja Lalich. Host Dhyana Levey moderated the discussion about children raised in cults, the authors' books, and what to watch out for in a potentially abusive group.

Sure, the conversations got a bit intense. But everyone still had a good time. How could we not with Johnny Tripod bartending and cool tunes on the sound system by local SF Bay Area band The Chaw?

Sarito celebrated the release of her new memoir, In the Shadow of Enlightenment, detailing her upbringing in the Osho Rajneesh cult 40 years after the infamous commune's collapse. And, yeah, we talked a little about the Netflix documentary "Wild Wild Country" and its star Ma Anand Sheela ... but there is just so much more to this story. You'll have to listen to this episode and read Sarito's book to find out. saritocarroll.com

We also got a big-time expert to weigh in on our discussions and share a bit about the harsh political cult she spent a decade in. Researcher, educator and author Janja Lalich graced the stage with insight and stayed overtime to sign her book Escaping Utopia, based on interviews with 65 people who grew up in high-demand groups. janjalalich.com

And tying the whole night together, we had German investigative journalist and author Anke Richter in town to visit all the way from her home base in New Zealand. Her book Cult Trip: Inside the world of coercion & control (Harper Collins), researched the aftermath of sex cults around the world. ankerichter.net

What a night! And you didn't even have to buy tickets. Enjoy the Generation Cult podcast Season 4 finale recorded in front of a live audience.

Includes discussions of child sexual abuse, please listen with discretion

*stage recording by Peter Clarke

*set up/other audio by Brett Cline

*editing by Dhyana Levey

*photography by Laura Casey and Nic Roethlisberger

*music by The Chaw

Mike and Abbi grew up going to something they called "the truth" or "the way" or sometimes it didn't have a name at all. But it wasn't a church. A church was something the other kids attended. They went to "meetings" at people's houses and had leaders called "workers" who stayed with them.

After they got married and left the religion, or whatever it was, they felt isolated from friends and family, which was understandable -- they, too, had broken contact with people who left when they were in it. They felt bad about that, though, and started a support group for other people who walked away from what they now called the 2X2s.

That's when things started to go wild. A posted letter on their support group's Facebook page about sexual abuse in the 2X2s (now the preferred name by survivors of the organization) gave way to an avalanche of more disturbing information. It rocked their world. And then the FBI got involved.

Join us for a conversation with Mike about how this all went down.

To contribute to the FBI investigation go to: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-victim-information-in-2x2-investigation

*Includes discussion of sexual abuse

*Music by Lee Dunn, opening/closing song by The Chaw

*Editing by Dhyana Levey

For more information about Mike and Abbi's work: https://linktr.ee/our2x2story

GENERATION CULT IS HAVING A LIVE SHOW JUNE 26 in SAN FRANCISCO

Tickets on sale now: https://tinyurl.com/ChildrenfromCults
$3 off Earlybird tickets (use code earlybird14 at checkout)

https://www.facebook.com/events/670324172421203

We're dropping back in with a Special Film Edition as Generation Cult's Season 4 draws to a close! For this bonus episode, we're bringing back our old friend and former Season 3 co-host Ashlen, who's been hard at work helping people recover from controlling groups through her LLC People Leave Cults, and has become a source of education on the topic in the media. In addition to appearing on the latest Hulu docuseries "How I Escaped My Cult," Ashlen is now an executive producer on the film "Beyond the Fence," which is now in development.

Our other guest is the writer, director and producer of this film, Lindsey Paulette, who is going to tell us more about the project and the story, which can be purchased as a book. "Beyond the Fence" is about about four sisters growing up in and escaping an extreme, controlling group in Appalachia. It explores themes such as family relationships, cult dynamics and patriarchal abuse. Ashlen said she'd like to eventually use the film as a medium for psychoeducation.

*Music by Lee Dunn, opening/closing song by The Chaw

*Editing by Dhyana Levey

For more information or to watch the concept trailer go to: beyondthefencemovie.com/

To purchase the book go to: amazon.com/dp/B0DCG2FTD2