On episode 297 of my podcast I was thrilled to talk to Matthew Remski. Matthew is a cult researcher, cult survivor, and cohost of the Conspirituality Podcast who has written extensively about the pervasive cultism and abuse in Yoga, spirituality, and wellness culture.
The parallels to happens in some BJJ schools are obvious…
Here are some highlights…
01:48 – Matthew’s time in cults
05:39 – Conspiracy theories
08:02 – What are cults?
28:45 – Online cults
41:39 – What happens when cult prophecies fail to occur?
50:21 – How to help friends and family members in cults
How to Listen to the “Cults, Prophecies, and Deprogramming Your Friends” Episode of The Strenuous Life Podcast
I have released this conversation with Matthew Remski on my podcast (The Strenuous Life Podcast) as episode 297 which you can listen to on all podcast players, including the following popular platforms and apps…
If you don’t have a preferred podcast player you can can listen on the Grapplearts BJJ Master App which you can download for free for iPhone and iPad in the Apple App Store here or for Android devices in the Google Play Store here.
Or you can stream the audio without leaving this page by clicking play below…
I hope this helps you surround yourself with good people in your training!
Stephan Kesting
More About Matthew Remski
You can find out more about Matthew’s backstory and read his extensive writing on Yoga, spirituality and cults at matthewremski.com.
And if you enjoy podcasts then make sure to check out the excellent Conspirituality Podcast hosted by Matthew Remski, Derek Beres and Julian Walker. It’s a deep dive into how the conspiracy thinking has invaded the yoga, spirituality and movement space online.
Additional Resources
If you enjoyed this episode then might I recommend a couple more?
Check out my episode with Derek Beres (episode 291) who works with Matthew Remski to produce the Conspirituality podcast.
We dive into cult dynamics, Q-Anon, the intersection between left wing Yoga culture and right wing conspiracy theory, the increasing levels of social division that heavily undermine our ability to respond to crises, and the corrosion of truth and facts.
And in episode 290 I talk with Steve Kwan, a BJJ black belt known for cohosting the most excellent BJJ Mental Models podcast, joins me to discuss cult behaviour in BJJ, good and bad club cultures, and the big picture behind effective jiu-jitsu training.
This is a really important topic given the long history of less than stellar behaviour of some of the big names in the jiu-jitsu community.