Sarah & Nippy, creators of the podcast “A Little Bit Culty” and former NXIVM members, reveal how people are drawn into high-control groups and how man*pulation operates beneath the surface. What started as an empowering, goal-driven self-improvement program in NXIVM gradually revealed itself as a calculated system of manipulation, where trust, financial commitment, and personal vulnerabilities were leveraged to override instincts and deepen involvement. Through subtle psychological pressure, social proof, and a sense of higher purpose, members are often justified red flags along the way—while leader Keith Raniere and those around him expertly explo*ted emotional wounds and desires for validation. What most people didn’t know, was that self-proclaimed-celibate Keith, had a secret harem of women and a growing, devious, “master/slave” program called DOS that Sarah’s best friend recruited her into. Find and support Sarah & Nippy! Their new book: “A Little Bit Culty: Navigating Cults, Control and Coercion” https://amzn.to/4vpo2rg Sarah’s Memoir: “Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, The Cult that Bound My Life” https://amzn.to/3Olkk0W Instagram: @sarahedmondson https://www.instagram.com/sarahedmondson/ @anthonyames11 https://www.instagram.com/anthonyames11/ @alittlebitculty https://www.instagram.com/alittlebitculty/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/alittlebitculty Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! https://www.youtube.com/@CultstoConsciousnessClips Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! https://cults-to-consciousness-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness https://www.instagram.com/cultstoconsciousness Host Instagram @sheliseann https://www.instagram.com/sheliseann/ Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.rosales_ TikTok @cults.to.consciousness https://www.tiktok.com/@cults.to.consciousness Twitter @cultstocon https://twitter.com/cultstocon Chapter Marks 00:00:00 Intro 00:06:43 What was NXIVM ? 00:11:14 How Nippy was recruited into NXIVM 00:19:33 How Sarah was recruited into NXIVM 00:25:46 How was Keith Raniere able to trick so many people? 00:32:38 How Keith started a s*x cult within a cult 00:37:19 Allison Mack telling her story after pr*son 00:41:16 What it was like for Sarah being a recruiter 00:50:11 How Sarah & Nippy's instincts were hi jacked 00:52:41 Breakthrough moments while interviewing other cult survivors 00:59:44 When Sarah & Nippy left NXIVM, were they still looking for someone for answers? 01:09:56 The process behind writing "A Little Bit Culty" book 01:11:38 Shelise's take-aways from reading the book 01:18:02 Linda, listen **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**