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The Cult Next Door

The Cult Next Door

By: The Cult Next Door
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Hosted by Mattie Lasiter and Ashleigh Teeter, siblings who were separated for more than 25 years due to the shadow of their shared past.

Their father, a charismatic but enigmatic figure, led a cult that consumed the lives of its members, leaving their family torn apart and forbidden from contact.

They have reunited to share their journey with you while unravelling the haunting tales of cults from around the world, shedding light on the warning signs that can help prevent others from falling into their grasp.Copyright The Cult Next Door Christianity Spirituality True Crime
Episodes
  • Ep.76: "Coming Home to Yourself"

    Ep.76: "Coming Home to Yourself"
    Jun 17 2026
    Leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/TheCultNextDoor

    Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast

    About Today's Episode:
    In this episode, Mitzi and Jordan dive into the messy reality of leaving high-control religious environments and the "rot at the core" of systems that prioritize conformity over people. They reflect on the absurdity of purity culture—specifically revisiting a bizarre 1990s abstinence film—and how those teachings instill a deep-seated fear of "true freedom."

    The conversation shifts into the personal work of deconstruction: learning to trust your own "lizard brain" again, the speed of self-forgiveness, and the importance of refusing to stay inside the "fucking little box" religious leaders build for you. From critiques of creationist logic to the healing power of art and self-acceptance after a cancer diagnosis, the episode is a raw look at what it actually takes to "come home to yourself" and live a life no longer defined by shame.
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    54 mins
  • Ep.75: "Falling in Love with Uncertainty"

    Ep.75: "Falling in Love with Uncertainty"
    Jun 10 2026
    Leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/TheCultNextDoor


    Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast

    About Today's Episode:

    In this episode, Mitzi and Jordan open up about the painful reality of leaving their church and the "gut punch" of realizing they could no longer belong to that system and themselves at the same time.

    They discuss the heavy silence that follows walking away, the struggle of deconstructing "Boss Babe Christianity", and the journey of finding a new sense of community through art and shared interests.

    From navigating a stage four cancer diagnosis to learning how to "fall in love with uncertainty", this conversation is a raw look at reclaiming your own life, trusting your intuition, and finally stopping the cycle of "shoulding" yourself.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Ep.74: "Just Enough to Keep You Up at Night"

    Ep.74: "Just Enough to Keep You Up at Night"
    Jun 3 2026
    Leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/TheCultNextDoor

    Join our Patreon: patreon.com/TheCultNextDoorPodcast

    About Today's Episode:

    Jordan and Mitzi return to share the exhausting reality of living under the constant surveillance of church leadership, where every personal choice—from the music you listen to, to the "wrong kinds of kids" you attract to your youth group—is subject to an invisible social scorecard.

    They pull back the curtain on the "engineered exhaustion" of a lifestyle that demands you over-spiritualize every tiny aspect of your existence until you are left policing your own thoughts just to stay in line with the mission. The conversation dives deep into the specific pressures of the "pastor’s wife" identity, with Mitzi reflecting on the era when she was expected to be an "over-nurturing" extension of Jordan’s career while her own successful boudoir photography business was viewed as a problem to be defended to the elders.

    Jordan recounts the intellectual and emotional breaking point of trying to maintain a "perfect" ministry image while navigating the trauma of purity culture.

    Jordan and Mitzi describe the profound relief found in walking away from the pressure to be a "little version of God" and choosing instead to live a life that is finally, authentically theirs.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
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