How Cult Deprogramming Worked

In this fascinating and disturbing episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck dive into the dark world of cult deprogramming that swept America from the 1970s through the 1990s. They explore how fear over groups like the Manson family and Jonestown led to a moral panic where parents could legally hire "deprogrammers" like the notorious Ted "Black Lightning" Patrick to kidnap, abuse, and psychologically torture their adult children who had joined religious groups or even just adopted lifestyles they disapproved of. The hosts unpack how this quasi-legal industry operated under the guise of combating brainwashing, the shocking court cases that eventually brought it down, and the bizarre twist involving the Church of Scientology that ended up owning the Cult Awareness Network.