Cult Life
Welcome to Cult Life, the podcast where we pull back the curtain on cults and have honest, unfiltered conversations about what life inside really looks like, and what it takes to rebuild once you've left.I'm Robin Jackson, a former Jehovah's Witness, author, and critical analyst who has spent years studying the organisation from the inside out. My books, Losing The Faith and Cults: How They Work, explore how high-control religious groups use doctrine, fear, and community to keep members compliant and unquestioning. Now I'm bringing those conversations to audio, so you can listen wherever you are, whether you're on...
Inside Victoria's Cult Inquiry Report and Jehovah's Witnesses
Victoria's Parliament just released a two-volume report — 98 findings, 39 recommendations — examining coercive control inside cults and high-control groups, built on 291 submissions and 317 survey responses. Forty-eight of those submissions named one organisation more than any other: Jehovah's Witnesses. Link to the report: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/cofg
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New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. / robinjackson
Buy my book Losing The Fait...
JW Childhood: What The Watchtower Won't Admit
The Watchtower recently published an article on JW.org about consoling adult survivors of childhood trauma, but never mentions how Jehovah’s Witnesses' teachings and policies create that trauma in the first place.
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New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson
Buy my book Losing The Faith: Lulu http://tinyurl.com/wp5hk2tb
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The Watchtower Letter that Protected a K*ller
In December 1992, a body of elders in Florida wrote to Watchtower headquarters with an urgent problem. The Watchtower's written, signed, official response is shocking.
New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson
Buy my book Losing The Faith: Lulu http://tinyurl.com/wp5hk2tb
Buy my book Cults: How They Work Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/3...
How Jehovah's Witnesses Silence Your Inner Voice
In this conversation, Darls unpacks how spiritual abuse and religious harm often hide beneath the surface of everyday struggles.
We talk about the parallels between religious high-control groups and authoritarian family systems, why most therapists aren't trained to recognise religious trauma even when they're otherwise qualified, and what an "adverse religious experience" actually looks like.
You may find out more about Darls Centola and her work by clicking the links below.
https://www.darlscentola.com/
For a free workbook aimed at helping anyone who has experienced spiritual abuse or religious harm...
How Darls Found Out She was Disfellowshipped While at Work
In this clip from our full interview, Darls Centola — author of Finding Truth with Michael: A Memoir of Friendship, Faith, and First Love — tells the story of how she got disfellowshipped from Jehovah's Witnesses
And then there was 1975. The year the Watchtower's own literature had pointed to as the date of Armageddon. The year that came and went. The year that caused a mass exodus of members who had sold their houses, spent their savings, and rearranged their lives around a date that the organisation then quietly revised without apology or accountability. Darls had loved books, history and...
The Jehovah's Witness Elders had a Problem with Michael Jackson's Hair
Michael Jackson was one of the most famous teenagers on the planet. He had already performed on the Ed Sullivan Show. He had toured the world. His face was on magazine covers globally.
And a group of Jehovah's Witness elders thought his hair was a problem.
In this excerpt from our full 45-minute interview, Darls Centola, author of Finding Truth with Michael: A Memoir of Friendship, Faith, and First Love, shares a story that has never been told publicly before. Darls was there. She was a teenager in the same congregation, at the same school...
Love Bombing and Jehovah's Witnesses with Darls Centola
In this conversation, Darls Centola and Robin Jackson explore one of the most powerful psychological techniques used by high-control religious groups: love bombing.
What begins as extraordinary kindness, acceptance, and friendship can become a powerful tool for attracting new members.
Whether you're researching Jehovah's Witnesses, recovering from religious trauma, or simply interested in the psychology of influence and persuasion, this discussion offers valuable insights into one of the most misunderstood aspects of recruitment into high-control religions.
You may find out more about Darls Centola and her work by clicking the links below.
<...Why Jehovah’s Witnesses Keep Producing Breakaway Groups
Jehovah’s Witnesses love to present themselves as the one true organization, but their own history tells a very different story. From the Bible Student movement to the Rutherford takeover and the endless wave of breakaways, splinter groups have always been part of the Watchtower story.
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New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson
Buy my...
Darls Centola Studied The Bible With Michael Jackson
What was Michael Jackson really like as a teenager?
Darls Centola knows. Because she was there.
In this powerful and deeply personal interview, I sit down with Darls Centola, a licensed clinical social worker, trauma therapist, and author of the memoir Finding Truth with Michael, to discuss one of the most remarkable untold stories about the Jackson family and the Jehovah's Witnesses.
As a teenager in 1970s Los Angeles, Darls became one of the closest friends Michael and LaToya Jackson ever had outside their own family. They studied the Bible together, navigated the...
Why Jehovah's Witnesses Can't Take Criticism
Jehovah’s Witnesses are quick to criticize other religions, but when the same kind of scrutiny is directed at them, the response often turns defensive or personal.
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New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson
Buy my book Losing The Faith: Lulu http://tinyurl.com/wp5hk2tb
Buy my book Cults: How Th...
Jehovah's Witness sues Hospital for Refusing Her Surgery
A Jehovah’s Witness woman in Japan sued a hospital after being refused cataract surgery because she would not agree to a blood transfusion in an emergency. But this case is about much more than one hospital decision.
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New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson
Buy my book Losing The Faith: Lulu http://tinyurl.co...
Why Norway’s Court Just Ruled for Jehovah’s Witnesses
In this video, I break down Norway’s latest court verdict involving Jehovah’s Witnesses, the long legal history behind the case, and what the decision means for religious freedom, state funding, and the practice of shunning.
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New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson
Buy my book Losing The Faith: Lulu http://tinyurl.com/wp5h...
Spain Court Shakes the Jehovah’s Witnesses
In this video, we break down a major court ruling in Spain involving Jehovah’s Witnesses and why it matters so much for former members speaking out. A Madrid court upheld the right of ex-members to publicly describe the organization as a “destructive sect,” recognizing that their testimony and experiences deserve to be heard in the public debate.
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New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It wou...
Jehovah's Witnesses Sue Japan for Protecting Its Children
In December 2022, the Japanese government did something no government had done before. They sent guidelines to every local authority in the country telling child protection centres they had the power to remove children from homes where religious practices constituted abuse, even if those practices were sincerely held religious beliefs.
The Watchtower's Japanese branch and approximately twenty believing couples responded by filing a lawsuit in Tokyo District Court. They want the guidelines declared unconstitutional. They are claiming violations of religious freedom and equality under the law. They are demanding two million yen per person in compensation from the...
Jehovah’s Witnesses Cost These NBA Stars
The NBA is usually about money, fame, and championships — but for Darren Collison, Dave Meyers, and Danny Granger, faith played a much bigger role in their lives than basketball. This video explores how Jehovah’s Witness beliefs influenced these three NBA players in different eras, from Collison’s shocking retirement in 2019 to the quieter, lesser-known stories of Dave Meyers and Danny Granger.
New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreo...
Inside Michael Jackson's Secret Struggle With Jehovah's Witnesses
In this video, we explore the hidden story behind the Jackson family’s deep ties to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Michael’s intense devotion, and the shocking moment his most iconic work nearly got destroyed. From door-to-door preaching in disguise to the Thriller controversy, this is a powerful story of belief, pressure, and breaking free.
New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/ro...
Jehovah's Witnesses battle a German Museum
Nazi archive battle: Did a German museum steal a Jehovah’s Witness family’s 1,000+ persecution documents? Germany’s top court just ruled.
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New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson
Buy my book Losing The Faith: Lulu http://tinyurl.com/wp5hk2tb
Buy my book Cults: How They Work Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/3b...
Prince, Pain, and the Jehovah's Witness Blood Doctrine: What you don't know
Prince was more than a music icon. He was also a Jehovah’s Witness, and that part of his life shaped his choices in ways many fans never realised.
In this video, we look at Prince’s conversion, his relationship with Larry Graham, his door-to-door ministry, the conflict between his faith and his artistry, and the ongoing questions surrounding the blood doctrine and his health.
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New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this...
Ex-Jehovah’s Witness MP Shakes Parliament: Calls Out Abuse Cover-ups
When a child inside a Jehovah's Witness congregation reports sexual abuse, the organisation will not act unless there is a second witness to what happened. There is never a second witness to child sexual abuse. Sam Carling knows this rule personally. He grew up inside the organisation in County Durham. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness.
He won a seat in Parliament at 22 years old by 39 votes after a recount, becoming the youngest MP elected at the 2024 general election and the first British parliamentarian born in the 21st century.
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New Book...
Terrence Howard: Why He Never Became a Jehovah's Witness
Terrence Howard spent 25 years studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. His first wife was a Witness. His children were raised as Witnesses. He stopped celebrating birthdays. He stopped celebrating Christmas. He told NPR in 2007 that what struck him most about the organisation was what he called the discipline of truth — and that in his heart, he wanted to be one of them.
He never got baptised.
In a recent appearance on the PBD Podcast with Patrick Bet-David, Howard explained why — in more detail than he ever has before.
New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here...
New JW Blood Rule Changes Nothing For This Dying Boy
On March 20th, 2026, the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses announced that storing and reinfusing your own blood before surgery is no longer prohibited. Governing Body member Gerrit Lösch called it a personal decision.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, a teenage boy is still waiting for a liver transplant his doctors say he needs to survive. His family are Jehovah's Witnesses. The blood transfusion the surgery requires comes from a donor. And donor blood is still absolutely prohibited — unchanged by anything the Governing Body announced this month.
He has been waiting for months.
New Boo...
Jehovah's Witnesses Reverse Blood Policy — What They're Not Telling You
March 20th, 2026 — the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses made it official. In Governing Body Update Number 2 on JW Broadcasting, Gerrit Lösch announced that storing and reinfusing your own blood before surgery is no longer prohibited. It is now, in his exact words, a personal decision.
New Book, The Cult of Ignorance, available here: https://a.co/d/gIetrpz
If you would like to support the work I do and see this channel grow, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson
Buy my book Losing The...
