A Little Bit Culty Podcast By Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames cover art

A Little Bit Culty

A Little Bit Culty

By: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames
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Summary
 Think you might be in a cult? Want to know the signs? Join Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames to talk about things that are..a little bit culty. Or in their case: a whole bunch of culty. As whistleblowers documented in the critically-acclaimed HBO series “The Vow,” Sarah and Nippy have a lot to say about their experience, and burning questions to ask people with similar stories. They’re here to help people understand, heal from, and avoid abusive situations one little red flag at a time. Listen in as they share their stories, have frank and unscripted conversations with other survivors and cult experts, and do a deep dive on how devotion can turn to dysfunction.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

© © 2022 A Little Bit Culty Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Let’s unpack You Can See Everything

    Let’s unpack You Can See Everything
    Nov 12 2026

    Spoiler warning: See You Can See Everything before you listen to this ALBX ep. We go deep on the film's turns, and this bonus episode is wall-to-wall spoilers. If you haven't seen it yet, stop here, buy a ticket, and come back after.

    In this 40-minute bonus, we pick up where our Erika Cheung re-air left off and properly dig into A24's doc, directed by Lance Oppenheim and Nathan Fielder. The film follows Elizabeth Holmes, her partner Billy Evans, and their two young children in the 34 days before she reported to prison in May 2023—shot secretly over three years, with Fielder living in a guest house on their Del Mar property and filming from morning to night, including interviews conducted in bed and in the bathroom.

    It's nearly three hours long, still in theaters, and genuinely worth seeing on a big screen with a crowd. We highly recommend it.

    Also…let it be known that:

    The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.


    Buy the A Little Bit Culty paperback, ebook, or audiobook on Amazon or order a signed copy.


    Check out our amazing sponsors


    Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon


    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag


    Support the pod and smash this link


    Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources


    Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred


    CREDITS:

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

    Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Audio production: Will Retherford

    Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore

    Writer and administrator: Sandra Nomoto

    Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane

    Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    41 mins
  • My near-cult experience: I got in, got the goods, and got out.

    My near-cult experience: I got in, got the goods, and got out.
    Nov 9 2026
    In this episode, writer, licensed psychotherapist, and leadership consultant Blair Glaser joins us to talk about what she calls a “near cult” experience: 16 months living at Gurumayi's Siddhi Yoga ashram in South Fallsburg, New York, in the 1990s. Blair arrived hoping to chop vegetables and chant, but instead became the caretaker for one of the swamis, a role that quietly confirmed a lifelong pattern of managing other people's emotions while abandoning her own.We trace the slow, incremental pull: a boyfriend who meditated, a mantra that worked during a suicidal crisis, undeniable synchronicities, and a community of artists and theater people that felt like the crowd she’d always wanted to belong to. We cover the doctrine that a guru can see “the blueprint of your soul,” how that belief gave Gurumayi enormous power, and the moment Blair realized spiritual practice didn't produce the mastery she'd been sold. Plus, the reckoning after Baba Muktananda's abuse allegations broke and she understood what her teacher’s teacher had done.Be sure to pick up Blair’s memoir, This Incredible Longing: Finding My Self in a Near-Cult Experience, and read her article on HuffPost inspired by The Vow: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hbo-the-vow-living-in-a-cult_n_5f8e4dd2c5b67da85d20f875 Check out Blair Glaser’s website, BlairGlaser.com, and Substack at TheHiStack.substack.com and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.If you liked this episode, you might like our episode with Dan Shaw from Season 1.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of suicidal ideation, eating disorders, depression, spiritual and sexual abuse, sexual misconduct and shame, celibacy, and coercive group dynamics.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty paperback, ebook, or audiobook on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter and administrator: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • You Can See Everything—but don’t forget the whistleblowers

    You Can See Everything—but don’t forget the whistleblowers
    Nov 5 2026

    Today we re-air our conversation with Theranos whistleblower Erika Cheung, with a new intro where we share our thoughts on A24's new documentary, You Can See Everything.


    Erika arrived at Theranos headquarters at 22, a freshly minted UC Berkeley grad who saw Elizabeth Holmes the way much of Silicon Valley did: a visionary about to upend healthcare. Her dream job lasted about seven months. She quit the lab, bought a burner phone, and reported the company to federal regulators—a report that led to the shutdown of Theranos' clinical lab and kept false medical results from reaching thousands of patients.

    The new, nearly three-hour documentary directed by Lance Oppenheim and Nathan Fielder, follows Holmes, her partner Billy Evans, and their two young children in the 34 days before she reported to prison in May 2023. It's an unnerving, often uncomfortable watch about performance, access, and how much a camera can actually capture—and it pairs eerily well with Erika's account of what the inside of that company felt like. We highly recommend seeing it.


    Also…let it be known that:

    The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

    Buy the A Little Bit Culty paperback, ebook, or audiobook on Amazon or order a signed copy.

    Check out our amazing sponsors

    Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon

    Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

    Support the pod and smash this link

    Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources

    Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred


    CREDITS:

    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

    Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

    Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

    Audio production: Will Retherford

    Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore

    Writer and administrator: Sandra Nomoto

    Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane

    Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 7 mins
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All stars
Most relevant
Sara and Nippy cover some really heavy stuff, and come from a place of knowing. The guests and topics are always handled with care, the hosts are not afraid to show emotion, and yet there is always at least one good laugh to be had. Yes, they use adult language, but the avenues they walk down aren't Sesame Street, so I feel they've definitely earned the right. (Maybe we should have a drinking game a la the Fair Game podcast, where we drink every time one of the hosts curses? Just a thought.) Hard topics, covered with humour and heart, while giving listeners a great, first-person education. If you've not listened before, it's worth the time to binge the episodes from the beginning, as I did.

Heavy subjects covered with realness.

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I love everything about this podcast. The host are great, funny, inspiration, honest, and raw. They give us tips and views of their experiences and help us with their guest to give us advice and information on cults and so call religions. It's very eye opening and I can't wait for more!

Amazing, uplifting, & informational!

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Great listen. Recommend! Seven episodes in and I am enjoying the conversation and guests on the show.

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...My New Go To...

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Great insights, humor, and guidance to avoid such anything a little bit culty. The topics are vast and interesting.

My go to podcast

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I devoured episode after episode. It's incredible and quite unique having a space of "contrapunto" where widely different voices come together in harmony in a safe, and respectful space. The topic is always painful and terrifying, and Sarah and Nippy are brilliant transmitting care with a joyful and hopeful twist. Thank you ALBC for existing!

BADASS!!!

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