My Cult Your Cult: Sean Prophet on the Church Universal and Triumphant (Part 2)

A Little Bit Culty

Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames

True Crime, Society & Culture, Education

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 13 November 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What actually happens when the world doesn’t end, the “shelf” breaks, and the self-proclaimed prince of a doomsday empire is left standing amid the fallout? In this powerful follow-up, Sean Prophet takes us through the final years of apocalyptic shelter drills, shattered prophecies, and how an edict about near-beer triggered a total loss of faith in his mother’s spiritual authority at the Church Universal & Triumphant (CUT). Sean shared how leaving wasn’t a single dramatic leap but a slow unraveling—pushed by impossible hierarchies, small acts of rebellion, and the radical idea that you get to decide how to live your life.

Our conversation explores the difference between healthy community and destructive control, why smart people are NOT immune to cult influence, and the hard-won wisdom that it’s okay—vital, even—to put yourself at the center of your own story, but not the center of the universe. If you’ve wondered about post-cult identity, healing family rifts, or how to build meaning without myths or messiahs, this episode delivers straight talk, survivor insight, and existential laughs along the way.

Be sure to pick up Sean’s memoir, My Cult, Your Cult, and follow him on Substack.

Also…let it be known that:

The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

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CREDITS:

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

Audio production: Will Retherford

Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore

Writer: Sandra Nomoto

Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Join me and follow the podcast conspiracy theories, where we explore what's really going on behind the official narrative.
0:09.1	Like, what if the Loch Ness monster isn't a monster at all, but an elephant?
0:13.7	What do the richest 1% know that we don't?
0:16.7	Why are they building all those bunkers?
0:18.9	And really, what the heck is going on with the Denver airport?
0:22.7	Join me every week to see just how high up this goes on the Spotify podcast, conspiracy theories.
0:29.8	Listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:34.2	This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, medical, or mental health advice.
0:40.2	The views and opinions express do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast
0:45.1	and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone, or anything.
1:01.4	No. individual, anyone, or anything. I'm Sarah Edmondson.
1:02.8	And I'm Anthony Nippy Ames, and this is a little bit culty.
1:05.8	We woke up from a cult, and that journey was captured in The Vow on HBO and in my memoir, Scard.
1:11.1	Now, in this podcast, we break down the shame and secrets that make these experiences so destructive
1:15.7	with honest conversations on how seemingly benign groups can cross into the cultiverse
1:19.9	and how to spot and recover from trouble if it happens to you.
1:23.4	Each week, we bring an expert, survivors, and whistleblowers to explore red flags, resilience,
1:27.4	and even share a few laughs because sometimes you've got to laugh.
1:30.7	Subscribe to our Patreon for early and ad-free listening, some live Q&A and exclusive content at patreon.com slash A Little Bit Culty.
1:37.7	Welcome to Season 8 of A Little Bit Culty.
1:40.9	Seeking down to the end of the world
1:58.6	What happens when the end of the world doesn't come twice?
	...

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