If you have your own story of being in a cult or a high control group, or if you've had an experience with manipulation or abuse of power you'd like to share, leave us a message on our hotline number at 513-900-2955.

Or shoot us an email at TrustMePod at gmail.com.

Trust me. Do you trust me?

Trust me. I'm like a smart person. I've never lied to you. I've never had lied.

If you think that one person has all the answers, don't!

Trust me. The podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the abuse of power from two never-nominated Oscar people who've actually experienced it.

I am Lola Blanc, and I'm Megan Elizabeth.

And today, our guest is Anne Speckhard, director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism, also known as the ICSV,

and adjunct associate professor of psychiatry in the School of Medicine at Georgetown University.

So she's going to tell us about her experiences speaking to hundreds of extremists, terrorists, and former terrorists from groups like Al Qaeda, ISIS, the KKK, Proud Boys, many more,

and how she's gotten so many of these people to open up to her and the factors that drive people to extremism.

We'll also discuss whether terrorists are quote-unquote evil, what to do if someone you know seems to be spiraling into extremism,

and the de-radicalization work she does with ICSVE.

They do a really cool stuff, go, I'm like really stoked on this episode, honestly, I'm like, oh, this is your dream job.

It is my dream, and literally, you're so right, it is.

I want to talk to extremists and bring them back to earth.

I can see this for you, Lola, like.

If only I had my degrees, which I'll complain about, every week I saw a guy instead of actually getting one.

No, I want to make movies, that's the problem.

Yeah, that's the problem.

Speaking of which, this is not my cultiest thing, but I am going to shamelessly self-promote for the next four weeks, y'all,

because I'm launching a crowdfunding campaign.

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