Ep.12 NXIVM

NXIVM promised empowerment. What it delivered was control, abuse, and branding. In this episode of Hidden Cults, we explore how a self-improvement group led by Keith Raniere transformed into a secretive hierarchy of manipulation, complete with master-slave dynamics, celebrity recruiters, and a cult of personality at its core. From motivational seminars to federal courtrooms, this is the story of how NXIVM unraveled, and who got caught in the fallout.

Part 1 – The Vanguard: Keith Raniere and the Birth of a Movement
Part 2 – The Circle Within: DOS, Branding, and the Secret Sisterhood
Part 3 – The Trial of Vanguard: Testimony, Collapse, and the Fall of the Movement
Part 4 – Reckoning and Ruins: The Sentencing, the Survivors, and the Fight to Reclaim Identity
Part 5 – Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: Celebrity, Wealth, and the Expansion of a Cult
Part 6 – Echoes and Aftershocks: The Lingering Power of a Collapsed Cult

From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place. New episodes weekly. Listener stories always welcome. Anonymity guaranteed.

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International Resources

• International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)
  https://www.icsahome.com
  Provides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families.
• Open Minds Foundation
  https://www.openmindsfoundation.org
  Offers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations.
• The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse)
  https://www.thehotline.org
  📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse.
• Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan)
  https://freedomofmind.com
  Resources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education.
• FaithTrust Institute
  https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org
  Support and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.

United States

• Cult Recovery Hotline (ICSA)
  📞 1-239-514-3081
  Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers.
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
  https://www.rainn.org
  📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.

Canada 

• Cult & Trauma Support Resources 
• Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.org
• Phone: 📞 514-274-2333
• Email: [email protected]
• Canada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse.
• Offers confidential support, referrals, and information...