There was no commune. No matching robes or group chants. A charismatic leader? Yes. But no room full of followers. This is a story about a cult of one - a lesser-known, yet perhaps more common, type of cult.
When Alex first met her college advisor, she thought she'd found a mentor-someone brilliant, charismatic, and seemingly invested in her success. But behind the charm lay something much darker. Slowly, methodically, he pushed boundaries under the guise of guidance and concern-first emotionally, then physically-until she was isolated from friends and family, no longer trusting her own judgment.
In today's episode, we explore how one-on-one cults operate using the same tactics as larger cults-love-bombing, coercion, and manipulation-but in the intimate, hidden space between just two people.
This is a chilling tale of how a trusted authority figure became a master manipulator, pulling the strings until Alex's world was no longer her own. It's a stark reminder that sometimes the most dangerous cult leader isn't the one standing on a stage-but the one sitting across from you, offering a warm smile and a seemingly harmless invitation to talk.
_____
Follow us for more culty content: @wasiinacult
Got a story about manipulation, power dynamics, or your own cult of one? Email us at info@wasiinacult.com
Want ad-free episodes? Support us on Patreon and help fund our cult-unmasking, truth-telling, boundary-protecting journey.
The 1964 murder of 9-year-old Marise Chiverella leaves the devout town of Hazelton, PA, in fear. An intense manhunt yields numerous suspects but no killer. Five decades pass before a student moonlighting as a genetic genealogist reignites the case.
Hers: Start your free online visit at forhers.com/COLDCASE for your personalized weight loss treatment options.
Mint: To get the new customer offer and your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just $15 a month, go to Mintmobile.com/coldcase
Progressive: Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.
April is brutally assaulted then set on fire by an acquaintance after taking them and her ex-boyfriend for a ride. Mark is forced to amputate part of his leg after it is caught in a drive shaft of an oil well. An act of kindness backfires on Jesse when he is attacked with a hammer and run over by the hitchhikers he reluctantly gave a ride
Progressive: Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.
A district attorney uses a clever technique - a "John Doe indictment" - to give law enforcement officials the time they need to track down the a serial rapist from Rochester, N. Y.
Gabb - Check out Gabb today, just go to Gabb.com/coldcase to get started!
Homes.com: We?ve done your homework.
Thrive Market: Go to ThriveMarket.com/coldcase for 30% off your first order, PLUS a free $60 gift!
Thuma - Go to THUMA.co/COLDCASE to receive $100 off your first bed purchase!
When 19-year-old Chris Green is found beaten to death in a snowy Bangor, Michigan ditch in 2002, his family fear their son's murder will never be solved. Years pass before shocking revelations from an informant emerge and blow the case wide open.
Dipsea - Visit Dipseastories.com/COLDCASE to start your free 30-day trial!
Homes.com: We?ve done your homework.
Progressive: Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.
Rosetta Stone: Cold Case Files listeners can get Rosetta Stone?s lifetime membership for 50% off when you go to RosettaStone.com/coldcase
A hitchhiker is murdered, and a mysterious stack of business cards leads police on a 38-year hunt for her killer.
Hers: Start your free online visit at forhers.com/COLDCASE for your personalized weight loss treatment options.
Homes.com: We?ve done your homework.
Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at Shopify.com/coldcase and take your retail business to the next level today!
The quiet town of Redding, California is rocked by the disappearance of Frank McAlister - a teen with a recent cash windfall who leaves only a blood-stained car behind. Twenty-five years will pass before someone makes a stunning on-air confession.
Homes.com: We?ve done your homework.
Hungryroot: Go to Hungryroot.com/coldcase and use code coldcase to get 40% off your first box and a free time of your choice
Quince: Go to Quince.com/coldcase for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns
ZocDoc: Check out Zocdoc.com/CCF and download the Zocdoc app for free!
Scott and Sean are fishing on the Appalachian Trail when they meet a stranger who ends up attacking them with a gun after sharing dinner. Stacey and her best friend move into their first apartment when only two weeks later a man breaks in and proceeds to sexually assault them both. Timothy is walking his dog near his cabin in the woods when a grizzly bear attacks them.
BBC Extreme Peak Danger - Listen to the teaser here and find Extreme Peak Danger, from the BBC wherever you get your podcasts!
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp
Better Help - Visit BetterHelp.com/SURVIVED to get 10% off your first month!
PDS Debt - Get started with your free debt analysis in just 30 seconds at PDSDebt.com/survived!
Upside - Download the FREE Upside app and use promo code isurvived to get an extra $.25 back for every gallon on your first tank of gas!
Nine years after a mother and her teenage daughters are murdered... the killer?s sisters helps crack the case.
Greenlight: Start your risk-free trial today at Greenlight.com/coldcase
The Ancient Aliens podcast explores the controversial theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years. From the age of the dinosaurs to ancient Egypt, early cave drawings to continued mass sightings in the US, each episode in this hit History series gives historic depth to the questions, speculations, provocative controversies, first-hand accounts, and grounded theories surrounding this age-old debate: Did intelligent beings from outer space visit Earth thousands of years ago? Check out this teaser for the new podcast, and listen to Ancient Aliens wherever you get your podcasts.
15-year-old Sydney is attacked by men who have broken into her family home looking for money. Dena and Roger are trapped when a wildfire engulfs their home before they can evacuate. Jennifer is attacked by her ex-boyfriend when he breaks into her home with a gun.
Apartments.com - To find whatever you?re searching for and more visit apartments.com the place to find a place.
Progressive: Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.
The 1964 murder of 9-year-old Marise Chiverella leaves the devout town of Hazelton, PA, in fear. An intense manhunt yields numerous suspects but no killer. Five decades pass before a student moonlighting as a genetic genealogist reignites the case.
Hers: Start your free online visit at forhers.com/COLDCASE for your personalized weight loss treatment options.
Mint: To get the new customer offer and your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just $15 a month, go to Mintmobile.com/coldcase
Progressive: Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.
April is brutally assaulted then set on fire by an acquaintance after taking them and her ex-boyfriend for a ride. Mark is forced to amputate part of his leg after it is caught in a drive shaft of an oil well. An act of kindness backfires on Jesse when he is attacked with a hammer and run over by the hitchhikers he reluctantly gave a ride
Progressive: Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.
A district attorney uses a clever technique - a "John Doe indictment" - to give law enforcement officials the time they need to track down the a serial rapist from Rochester, N. Y.
Gabb - Check out Gabb today, just go to Gabb.com/coldcase to get started!
Homes.com: We?ve done your homework.
Thrive Market: Go to ThriveMarket.com/coldcase for 30% off your first order, PLUS a free $60 gift!
Thuma - Go to THUMA.co/COLDCASE to receive $100 off your first bed purchase!
When 19-year-old Chris Green is found beaten to death in a snowy Bangor, Michigan ditch in 2002, his family fear their son's murder will never be solved. Years pass before shocking revelations from an informant emerge and blow the case wide open.
Dipsea - Visit Dipseastories.com/COLDCASE to start your free 30-day trial!
Homes.com: We?ve done your homework.
Progressive: Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.
Rosetta Stone: Cold Case Files listeners can get Rosetta Stone?s lifetime membership for 50% off when you go to RosettaStone.com/coldcase
Comments