Escaping The Rabbit Hole

Watch this Podcast on Youtube about changing conspiracy beliefs. What if you could change a person’s beliefs about conspiracy theories simply by peppering in a few unique phrases and words in your conversations? Got your attention now? Good.  Let’s push on. In this podcast, my guest reveals the little-known methodology to pull this off. Guest Bio & Links https://www.sleightofmouth.org/ https://dougobrienhypnosis.com/

Watch this Podcast on Youtube about Charismatic cult leaders. Have you ever wondered what causes a person to go down conspiracy rabbit holes in the first place? If so, this will podcast will be the most important thing you listen to today. “Why’s that?” you ask with bated breath. Because I said so.  No seriously, you’ll like it for a few reasons. My guest is fairly well known in the life coaching/personal development circles. As his wife pointed after she first met his family—“You’ve had to work really hard to be you.” Reason for this? He was the outcast of his family because of his political beliefs.  Eventually he used some therapuetic techniques to transform his relationship with his father. Which went well until Trump came on the scene. In the podcast, Damon shares a simple exercise help you hit your goals.  These can be goals such as creating healthier boundaries with your loved one. This exercises uses your own personal vaules (freedom, security, safety, etc.) to help you get closer to these goals. You can download the free exercise from this link: https://selfconcept.com/eliciting-values Here are some of the things we discuss on the podcast: What do red cards have to do with predicting someone’s ability to get sucked into conspiracy theories? 5:33 Discover why my guest is the black sheep of the family—despite being super successful 19:57 Personal development is always a good thing, right? WRONG! Discover how personal development can go sideways 21:49 A little-known “supplement” that conspiracy theorists chug by the gallon—this toxic material can permanently scar your skin 22:29 Secret phrases cult leaders to use to brainwash people (This unique combination of words create a confused trancelike state in people) 24:10 A common “emotion” that normally plagues teenagers…that’s now dragging adults into conspiracy theories 34:37 You should always be honest with your loved ones, right? FALSE!  Discover how my guest got sucked into a rabbit hole by sharing his weaknesses 41:11 Plus much more! Guest Bio & Links https://selfconcept.com/

You can also watch this podcast about right wing brainwashing tactics leaving the cult behind on youtube. You know what drives me up a wall?  When people call conspiracy theorists stupid or crazy. Sure, some of them can come across as off the wall bonkers.  Stage 5 clingers if you will.  But truth be told? There’s a lot of normal people that got caught up in conspiracy theory / right-wing garbage. Case in point—my guest’s father. Jen Senko’s father grew up a liberal.  But over time we became addicted to right-wing radio (and coincidentally right-wing outrage.) Her documentary, The Brainwashing of My Dad, is an incredible sneak-peak into how right-wing conspiracy grifters operate.  This documentary goes as far as the John Birch society in the 1950’s. The John Birch Society played heavily into the anti-communism fears in the 1950’s.  As well as starting up conspiracy theories about a global one-world government, and on and on. Here are some of the things we talk about on the podcast EXPOSED! How the Catholic Church forced my guest to “suffer in silence” and avoid addressing her mental health issues (this has nothing to do with child abuse) 8:35 Echo chambers are bad, right?  WRONG!  Discover the unique “reverse echo chamber” in Antonio’s family that rescued him from conspiracy theories 4:32 WARNING: Erase this from your vocabulary if you’re talking about politics—you’re helping to get right-wingers elected when you say these things (The GOP has spent BILLIONS of dollars convincing you to say them) 15:59 The 4 words you can use to spot a conspiracy theorist in the wild 19:31 “Extra Extra! Read all about it!” A sinister government plot to turn the world against the Jews using newspapers (and no, the NAZI’s weren’t involved) 22:18 Plus much more! Guest Bio & Links https://www.thebrainwashingofmydad.com/ Jen Senko’s book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brainwashing-My-Dad-Right-Wing-Nation_And/dp/1728239591

You can also watch this podcast about a former Jehovah Witness leaving the cult behind on youtube. Have you ever found yourself wondering how religious cults work?  If so, you’re going to love this episode.  My guest and I talk about his descent into a religious cult.   Did my guest start off believing the most outlandish stuff? Not at all. It was a gradual descent. Like any other conspiracy theorist / cultist, Terrance wasn’t introduced into the most bizarre beliefs. Want to know a secret? You can’t get someone to believe insane beliefs right off the bat.  Nope.  You have to get them to believe smaller, more plausible beliefs at first.  Sooner or later, you can get them to believe in more wild claims. It’s a familiar story and it usually goes like this: Someone comes knocking on your door promising a better life.  But they don’t have anything to sell.  At least not yet. So you give them a chance and decide to attend their church.  And guess what?  You fall in love with the structure.  Before long, you’re swept up into their movement. What once started as a way to get structure and freedom…has sentenced you to a life of pain and turmoil. Your own personal hell. That’s the bad news.   The good news? My guest spilled the beans on the sneaky persuasion tactic that lifted him out of the Jehovah Witnesses.  He credits this experience as the reason he’s a former Jehovah Witness. “So what is this sneaky persuasion tactic?” It’s the “flying chicken” persuasion pattern. Can you guess what this is? Listen to the podcast to discover this little-known tactic. Now here’s the kicker—that’s not the only piece of valuable information in the podcast.  You’ll also uncover valuable wisdom such as: CAUTION: The piece of clothing you should never wear if religious fanatics come knocking…it’ll practically invite them into your house (No, it’s not a necklace with a cross)  6:15 “Are they on the spectrum?” How to tell if someone is in a high-control like a cult 12:39 How to keep Mormons from knocking on your door (hint: ask them about this decades old scandal that rocked the church) 15:37 Well known fact: Jehovah Witnesses can’t take blood transfusions.  Here’s a lesser known fact—a ton of Jehovah Witnesses are scooping up these specific medications 16:55 Jehovah witness or Mormons barking up the wrong tree?  Hand them this piece of metal (it also works great to ward off sales people!) 21:36 Discover the dark personality trait that some Noble Prize winning scientists have in common with conspiracy theorists 23:44 The “flying chicken” persuasion pattern that broke Terrance out of the Jehovah Witnesses 32:21 The sneaky “bounced beliefs” trick religious cults use to keep their members stuck…this works especially well if a cult member starts second guessing their faith 35:33 How to use these dead people to talk to conspiracy theorist in a calm manner (it also works for religious fanatics) 44:53 Why a cemetery is your best friend when dealing with conspiracy theorists 44:53 Guest Bio & Links https://www.hypnoticenhancement.com/

David Pakman, a political commentator, has a great piece about how to talk to conspiracy theorists.  I believe some of David’s piece is loosely based off of this article by Charlie Warzel. In his video, Pakman talks about how socratic questioning is key to helping deradicalize a conspiracy theorist. Socratic questioning is a method of questioning that seeks to explore complex ideas, concepts, and beliefs by asking questions that challenge assumptions, clarify meaning, and reveal underlying principles.

You can also watch this podcast on youtube. Episode Summary In this episode, my guest reveals the “Bouncing Souls” right wing media tactic keeping conspiracy theorists trapped. Hot topics The “soviet solution” technique that dismantles the New World Order conspiracy theories brick by brick 5:29 WARNING: Never ask for proof of a conspiracy theory…ask the “reversed proof” question instead…this sneaky tactic will cause someone to doubt their own belief 9:42 The four sneaky words Alex Jones uses to keep his followers coming back for more—every right wing grifter uses this 14:09 “Mission Accomplished!” Discover the sick and twisted desire fueling 99% of all conspiracy theorists 35:56 Hollywood False Flag Terror Plot Exposed!  This staged event was a conspiracy theory that came true despite all the coverups 24:56 Drinking babies blood is the biggest QAnon conspiracy theory, right? WRONG! Here’s the QAnon claim that you can ignore right off the bat (by doing this, you’ll shut down QAnon fanatics) 33:03 Introducing the “Bouncing Souls” manipulation tactic that keeps conspiracy theorists glued to the internet (this sends them further down the rabbit hole) 37:03 Guest Bio & Links The Ex Conspiracy Theorists on Facebook The Ex Conspiracy Theorists Youtube Channel

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk to a former conspiracy theorist turned hypnotherapist.  We talk about the psychology behind what pulls people into cults and conspiracy theories. Quotes We Loved Grant on political theatrics: “What’s the difference between politics and professional wrestling?”— Grant [00:02:20 → 00:02:26] The Importance of Mental Health: “Mental health’s important, but focusing on doom and gloom is not good for your mental health in any regards.”— Grant [00:10:18 → 00:10:24] Conspiracy Theories: “Because we don’t have this conversation. Oh, why do you feel this way? Oh, because the government has done bad things in the past. Well, why does that mean they’re doing this right now? Oh, well, I don’t really know.”— Grant [00:20:11 → 00:20:22] The Power of discovering hypnosis: “I felt liberated. I felt like all that time I was searching for something, and I didn’t realize it was hypnosis I was looking for.”— Grant [00:21:41 → 00:21:55] The Dangers of Believing in Conspiracy Theories: “You start to question the beliefs in general…and then It kinda falls from there, and then you realize I didn’t have all the answers. What else am I wrong about? What other thoughts am I thinking that aren’t serving me?”— Grant [00:25:59 → 00:26:12] The number #1 driving conspiracy theories: “Because it is all fear based. You’re fearing for your life, for your safety, for your family.”— Grant [00:30:51 → 00:31:00] The Power of Personal Responsibility: “When you give it your power to someone else you’re no longer responsible for it, and people don’t often like that responsibility.”— Grant [00:36:41 → 00:36:49] Guest Bio & Links Grant Offenberger’s website: https://grantmepeace.com/

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk to my guest about the 9/11 Truth Movement, the Sandy Hook conspiracy fear mongers, human trafficking, and more. Quotes We Loved Mental health improving after leaving conspiracy theories: “The mental health improved so much And it didn’t really start improving until that moment when I was leaving the conspiracy theories behind.”— Stephanie Kemmerer [00:10:18 → 00:10:32] Conspiracy theorists playing victim: “That is one of the things that conspiracy theorists lack…they feel so out of control. Nothing is in their control. They wanna control things.”— Stephanie Kemmerer [00:13:35 → 00:13:50] The dopamine rush from conspiracy theories: “Those conspiracy theories were kind of like a hit of ecstasy where they ran that dopamine into overdrive And it would leave you with this I don’t know if anyone’s ever had an ecstasy hangover. They are not fun. They are not fun.”— Stephanie Kemmerer [00:19:50 → 00:20:07] How to respond to conspiracy theorists on Social Media: “Push back firmly but politely. But if you have nothing to offer to the conversation and it doesn’t affect you, Keep scrolling.”— Stephanie Kemmerer [00:25:54 → 00:26:40] On debunked 9/11 conspiracy theories: “I didn’t start hearing some of the actual stories about 911 until 2 years ago.”— Stephanie Kemmerer [00:31:29 → 00:31:36] One being lied to by conspiracy theorists: “They all lied to me. Those assholes, they lied to me.”— Stephanie Kemmerer [00:35:37 → 00:35:41] Conspiracy Theories and Shame: “There was shame. Especially with Sandy Hook, when my friend looked me in the eye and said that they worked with a parent who lost their child there…20 years of friendship was hanging in the balance based on how I would react to that.”— Stephanie Kemmerer [00:35:49 → 00:36:32] Overcoming Conspiracy Theories: “I can’t promise that you’re gonna have a perfect life, but you’re gonna have a better one.”— Stephanie Kemmerer [00:53:29 → 00:53:36] How to protect child being trafficked: “And if you wanna try and if you wanna try and play detective, there’s a thing called NamUs.”— Stephanie Kemmerer [00:55:20 → 00:55:48] Guest Bio & Links Stephanie Kemmerer’s links: www.tinyurl.com/stephkemmerer www.infointegrity.us

Episode Summary In this epsiode, my guest and I talk about her life in a religious cult.  As well how she managed to escape. Quotes We Loved The Power of Self-Belief: “The thing or the, what’s wrong in society is that are believing the lie that they’re not enough.”— Chantelle Neufeld [00:04:29 → 00:04:36] Reprogramming Beliefs and Shifting Mindset: “I just did it a little bit at a time…When I started on that path to recognize it, and then shift to the path of what I wanted to see, what I wanted to feel, what I wanted to experience, what I wanted to create.”— Chantelle Neufeld [00:21:43 → 00:21:52] The Power of Personal Choice: “We’re no better than the brainwashing people in cults if we’re just trying to brainwash everybody into thinking our opinion is right and theirs is wrong.”— Chantelle Neufeld [00:26:45 → 00:27:51] Perfectionism and Social Anxiety: “The number one thing that’s the problem with most cult survivors is actually social anxiety.  The root of that is also feeling not enough.”— Chantelle Neufeld [00:31:18 → 00:31:25] The Power of Deep Breaths: “The deep breaths, I think, is across board, everybody can agree that that’s a good thing because it’s so easy to do, and it’s easy to remember, and once you’ve taken those deep breaths, you’re settling into your own kinda trance where you can recognize when there’s a thought or feeling that isn’t being helpful to you and you can pivot towards your preferences and be like, I prefer this instead. Right?”— Chantelle Neufeld [00:39:46 → 00:40:10] The Power of Attention: “we really need to realize that attention is, like, our highest currency, but that we have always a choice to direct our focus to what we want.”— Chantelle Neufeld [00:46:02 → 00:46:09] Guest Bio & Links https://www.chantellen.com/ Chantelle’s Facebook Page Chantelle’s Instagram page

Watch the hypnotic storytelling podcast on youtube Intro  In this podcast, I talk to my friend and colleague, James Hazlerig.  I wanted him as a guest to talk about the power of stories.  At the core of conspiracy theories are stories. Stories about how the world is being run and managed. From Trunk To Tale In the podcast, I mention to James about his infamous hypnotic elephant story.  If you want to experience the power of hypnotic storytelling to take your imagination away to a distant land, watch the video below. ​ Quotes We Loved​ The Power of Hypnotic Storytelling: “In my practice, I essentially consider that people come to me with a bad story, And I help them get a better story.”— James Hazlerig [00:03:21] to [00:03:29] Rise of Religious Fundamentalism: “My eyes had been opened, I was awakened to a hidden layer of reality that I had not known existed.”— James Hazlerig [00:07:39] to [00:07:45] The Influence of Religion on Identity: “I did essentially recognize that there were things at the basis of the fundamental Christian belief that I didn’t agree with and that I didn’t like.”— James Hazlerig [00:09:07] to [00:09:14] Child trafficking misconceptions: “These are 16 and 17 year olds who are being trafficked by people that they know and probably refer to as their boyfriend or girlfriend, so they don’t realize they’re being trafficked a lot of times, and why would they?”— James Hazlerig [00:20:57] to [00:21:21] The Power of Compelling Stories: “Stories are compelling in a way that statistics are not.”— James Hazlerig [00:24:12] to [00:24:15] The Power of Human Stupidity: “You cannot underestimate the power of human stupidity, and in most cases, yeah, it’s possible that somebody does have it out for me, but it’s more likely that they’re just incompetent.”— James Hazlerig [00:29:56] to [00:30:03] The pandemic shutdowns: “They were shutting down bars, which actually weren’t as big a risk as choir practices, because at least people aren’t singing as loudly in bars.”— James Hazlerig [00:49:01] to [00:49:54] Guest Bio & Links https://www.hypnosisaustin.com/