Was I in a Cult?24 Helmi 2025

Shiny, Happy People: "Shiny, Happy Lies"

Crystal was born into a world where women obeyed, children served, and questioning authority was a sin. Raised under the oppressive rule of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP)—yes, the same Christian fundamentalist cult as the Duggars, "Shiny Happy People"—she spent her youth cleaning toilets, raising her mother's children, and being prepped for a life of submission.

But Crystal had other plans.

This is the ultimate rags-to-riches story. She didn't just escape the cult—she obliterated every expectation it had for her. From eating half-eaten Snickers bars out of the trash to becoming a wildly successful entrepreneur, from being promised to a 30-year-old man at 15 to discovering (in the most hilariously ways possible) that she really enjoys sex—Crystal's life is nothing short of jaw-dropping.

At times hilarious, at others absolutely heart-wrenching, Crystal shares with raw honesty how indoctrination shapes identity, how control distorts self-worth, and how breaking free comes at a cost. But she also proves that no matter how deep the conditioning, you can defy every expectation, reclaim your power, and build a life beyond your wildest dreams.

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You can find Crystal Ball on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn

Have your own story about high-control groups, or breaking free from an oppressive system? Email us at info@wasiinacult.com —we'd love to hear it.

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Teen Mania: "I Clean Sh*t For God"

By high school, church wasn't just Shannon McElroy's faith, it was her community and her future. She was going to be a Christian counselor. Then her youth group took her to something called "Acquire t...

21 Syys 1h 20min

Children of God PT2: "Witnessing... But With Chicken"

Daniella Mestyanek Young was born three generations deep into the Children of God and today, she finally gets out. At 15-years-old, she lands in Texas with no real education, no money and no friggin'...

14 Syys 1h 13min

Children of God PT1: Sex Cult Math

Daniella Mestyanek Young was born three generations deep into the Children of God, yet somehow, that was only the beginning. She would go on to become a US Army intelligence officer, help make histor...

7 Syys 53min

Amway: "Sleep is for Sissies... and Diamonds'

At 21, Stephanie Vaughn wanted to make some extra money. Then she won a "raffle" at her gym for a free case of energy drinks. Lucky her, that free case won her entry into one of the biggest and most i...

24 Elo 1h 6min

A Single-Family Cult: "Beyond The Front Door"

Every cult calls itself a family. Audrey's actually was one. For Audrey, there was no guru, no religious doctrine, and the only members were her ten other siblings. And the leader? Her parents, par...

17 Elo 1h 2min

Gloriavale: "Gloria Fail" (UPDATE)

**NOTE: This episode originally aired in 2024, but a LOT has happened inside this cult since then. None of it surprising, all of it sick, and we'll fill you in on all of it. Jason Christian was bo...

10 Elo 1h 8min

UFO-Tantric-Doomsday-Alien-Fairy-Angel-Sex Cult - Pt2: "Jump Ship"

Everyone gathered on the deck the day Yo promised the mothership was finally coming. They waited… but alas, it never came. In PART 2, the magical fairy tale capsizes. Laurien becomes one of Yo's chos...

3 Elo 51min

UFO-Tantric-Doomsday-Alien-Fairy-Angel-Sex Cult - Pt1: "Whatever Floats Your Pleasure Boat"

Laurien had already been in one cult before she was old enough to understand what a cult was. At 22, she was invited onto a fleet of white "pleasure" yachts traveling the rivers of Europe, not knowing...

27 Heinä 53min