361. Daniella Mestyanek Young & The Culting Of America

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 In this episode, MJ, Snow & Kat sit down with Daniella Mestyanek Young — bestselling author, cult expert, and creator of the social media persona “The Knitting Cult Lady” — for a raw conversation about growing up in and escaping the Children of God cult. Daniella traces her extraordinary path from cult childhood to U.S. Army veteran, unpacking the surprising parallels between cult indoctrination and the psychological conditioning of military basic training.

The conversation expands into her bestselling memoir Uncultured and her latest book, The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them, where she argues that cult-like dynamics aren’t confined to fringe religious groups — they show up in mainstream American life, from the fervor surrounding MAGA to the devoted fandom of Taylor Swift’s Swifties. Daniella breaks down the psychological playbook that makes people vulnerable to high-control groups and movements, and why understanding these patterns matters now more than ever.                  To  learn more please visit KnittingCultLady.com  https://knittingcultlady.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopEDL3oTQZzTZLgtQeKrxhVHATRYZk57ziRi7t64Qm56ZVGcwOZ

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