Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Takeover series supporting Decult Cult Awareness Conference. Host of Cult Chat Podcast, Doctor Caroline Ansley, a Christchurch New Zealand-based medical doctor, and the visionary founder of the Centrepoint Restoration Project. Dr. Ansley, a child survivor of the Centrepoint cult, has dedicated her life to supporting former cult members and their families through her community and website.
Get your live stream ticket here - 15% discount with code: DECULT
events.humanitix.com/decult-cult-awareness-conference-tickets
Check out Doctor Ansley's Centrepoint Restoration Project:
centrepointrestorationproject.com
Decult Cult Awareness Conference:
decult.net
In this episode, we dive into Dr. Ansley's journey from surviving a cult to becoming a prominent activist and medical professional. We explore her work with the Centrepoint Restoration Project, her role as a co-host of Cult Chat, and her passionate advocacy for cult awareness and support for ex-members.
Discover how her experiences as a child survivor shaped her path and inspired the creation of the Centrepoint Restoration Project.
She delivers crucial insights doctors and medical staff need when working with cult leavers.
Decult - Cult Awareness Conference is vital for New Zealand and Dr. Ansley's involvement raises awareness about the dangers of coercive control.
Dr. Ansley is one of three hosts of Cult Chat podcast highlighting local problems while bringing in professional medical perspectives and global cult expertise.
The small island nation of New Zealand plays a pivotal role in addressing these issues globally. They have to deal with the problem because of their smaller and more remote situation. There is a huge need for better therapy, social justice, and support systems for cult survivors.
Dr. Ansley's work is a beacon of hope and resilience, demonstrating the power of community and the importance of addressing cult-related issues with compassion and understanding. Gain a deeper insight into the Centrepoint Restoration Project.
#NewZealand #newzealandlife #christchurch #centrepoint #decultnz #CultAwareness
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Watch Next: "Cult members speak out Rock the Watchtower Cult Awareness Conference - WITNESS UNDERGROUND highlight"
youtube.com/watch?v=s2tYsA9nIXY
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Takeover series supporting Decult Cult Awareness Conference. Host of Cult Chat Podcast, Doctor Caroline Ansley, a Christchurch New Zealand-based medical doctor, and the visionary founder of the Centrepoint Restoration Project. Dr. Ansley, a child survivor of the Centrepoint cult, has dedicated her life to supporting former cult members and their families through her community and website.
Get your live stream ticket here - 15% discount with code: DECULT
events.humanitix.com/decult-cult-awareness-conference-tickets
Check out Doctor Ansley's Centrepoint Restoration Project:
centrepointrestorationproject.com
Decult Cult Awareness Conference:
decult.net
In this episode, we dive into Dr. Ansley's journey from surviving a cult to becoming a prominent activist and medical professional. We explore her work with the Centrepoint Restoration Project, her role as a co-host of Cult Chat, and her passionate advocacy for cult awareness and support for ex-members.
Discover how her experiences as a child survivor shaped her path and inspired the creation of the Centrepoint Restoration Project.
She delivers crucial insights doctors and medical staff need when working with cult leavers.
Decult - Cult Awareness Conference is vital for New Zealand and Dr. Ansley's involvement raises awareness about the dangers of coercive control.
Dr. Ansley is one of three hosts of Cult Chat podcast highlighting local problems while bringing in professional medical perspectives and global cult expertise.
The small island nation of New Zealand plays a pivotal role in addressing these issues globally. They have to deal with the problem because of their smaller and more remote situation. There is a huge need for better therapy, social justice, and support systems for cult survivors.
Dr. Ansley's work is a beacon of hope and resilience, demonstrating the power of community and the importance of addressing cult-related issues with compassion and understanding. Gain a deeper insight into the Centrepoint Restoration Project.
#NewZealand #newzealandlife #christchurch #centrepoint #decultnz #CultAwareness
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Watch Next: "Cult members speak out Rock the Watchtower Cult Awareness Conference - WITNESS UNDERGROUND highlight"
youtube.com/watch?v=s2tYsA9nIXY
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-



![Artists escaped a religious sect Recovering from religion using music - Witness Underground 7/8
Artists escaped a religious sect Recovering from religion using music
[7 of 8]
Stream WITNESS UNDERGROUND on Apple TV, Amazon, Tubi TV, & YouTube Movies...
All global links to watch:
https://WitnessUnderground.com
Watch on YouTube with this Full Documentary Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSh1p2dV3s8fgd4ST3VNE835oRFYwa-N2
In Clip 7 of 8 from the Witness Underground documentary, the emotional and creative journey of artists escaping a religious sect continues with HighTV’s song Hi-Fi. This pivotal track fades out from its first appearance, underscoring a transition from pain to liberation. Ryan Sutter reflects on the music he created after successfully navigating mind control and the profound healing it brought him.
Ryan discusses his trilogy of albums—The Context, Bo Redoubt, and Louder Longer Lobster—produced under his solo project Trumpet Marine. As he narrates his journey of recovering from religion using music, viewers are treated to a striking music video for Ostrich, a song from Bo Redoubt. This video features slow-motion footage of televisions and computer monitors smashed with sledgehammers, lightbulbs and wine glasses shot by bullets, and an overall dramatic, cathartic aesthetic. It powerfully captures his art for emotional trauma and the raw intensity of deconstructing his religious worldview.
Ryan describes the trilogy as his musical account of leaving Christianity. “If you want to hear my leaving the Jehovahs Witness experience in music, just listen to The Context, Bo Redoubt, and Louder Longer Lobster,” he says. These albums represent his process of recovering from religion with art and music. His path to freedom from mind control, translating his emotions and revelations into a profound artistic body of work.
Eric Elvendahl then takes the stage with an intellectual perspective, discussing the difficulty of dismantling the framework built around you during a lifetime in a controlling belief system. He describes the process of moving beyond fear to embrace the limitless possibilities of curiosity and discovery in the wider world—a vital realization for musicians escaping a religious sect and others recovering from religion with music.
Ryan shares the moving stories of former members who reached out to him months or years after leaving the religion. They expressed gratitude for his efforts to inspire critical thinking and self-liberation, demonstrating how art for healing trauma can ripple outward to touch countless lives. Eric adds an empathetic note, encouraging viewers to humanize active members of high-demand groups while extending that same understanding to all of humanity.
In a particularly poignant moment, Ryan reflects on his father, expressing that while he likely feels love for him internally, fear prevents him from showing it. Ryan concludes, shedding light on the complex emotions tied to artists escaping a religious sect.
The clip closes with Cindy Elvendahl’s powerful declaration of personal empowerment: “I am my own god. If I want something to change, if I want something to be better, if I want to feel happy, it’s all coming from me. There is no other force that’s going to do it.” This statement encapsulates the profound liberation felt by artists who escaped a religious sect and found freedom through self-realization.
Finally, the clip crescendos into a live performance of Hi-Fi by HighTV, recorded at the iconic Nuclear Gopher Cedar Cabin exclusively for Witness Underground. This upbeat, celebratory track underscores the joy of recovering from religion with music, offering a triumphant conclusion to this film.
🎥 Call to Action:
Experience the compelling stories of artists escaping a religious sect. Watch Witness Underground to see how music for mind control, art for trauma, and recovering from religion with art become tools for liberation and healing. Discover how these musicians escaped a religious sect and turned their pain into creativity and freedom.
#jehovahswitnesses #cult #jworg #deconstructingfaith #igotout #recoveringfromreligion #riotgrrrl #musicvideo
#jworguk #documentary #documentaryfilm #documentarymusic #jw #freedocumentary #jworgsitio #jworgusa #abuseofpower #cultdocumentary2024 #christianmovies #atheist #atheism #humanist #humanistdocumentary #jesusmovie
#CultSurvivor #ReligiousTrauma #EmotionalAbuse #FamilyHealing #BreakFree #MentalHealthAwareness #SpiritualAbuse #WomenEmpowerment #HealingJourney #SpeakYourTruth
#ExJW #JehovahsWitnesses #Disfellowshipped #CultRecovery #ShunningSurvivor
#RiotGrrrl #shoegaze #ExJWCommunity #HighControlGroup #ExCultMember #ReligiousFreedom
#UndergroundMusic #Rockumentary #IndieFilm #HealingThroughMusic #DIYMusicScene #RiotGrrrlRevolution #CreativeFreedom #MusicDocumentary #IndieArtists
#StopShunning #ExposeCults #NoMoreSilence #SupportSurvivors #FaithDeconstruction #AdvocateForChange #TraumaInformed #ReligiousAccountability #EndReligiousAbuse #CultAwareness Artists escaped a religious sect Recovering from religion using music - Witness Underground 7/8](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qsMYRiYD134/mqdefault.jpg)



![Former Bethel Elder Became a Blues Rocker
Former Jehovahs Witnesses. He was even a long-time elder now, become a blues rocker.
Former Elder in Jehovahs Witnesses, Gary Alt, was even a long-time Bethelite, a worker at their world headquarters called Watchtower (a book publishing company masquerading as a religion). One of his contributions while there was cultural. He was asked to host a monthly music entertainment night at Bethel.
Check out his songs:
Here are a handful of songs you might be interested in. The still IN songs variously have something to do with my exiting the JWs.
[still IN]
Falling Down vocal by Jayway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl 9Y2BJq8
Bleed For You vocal by Jayway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USzsewK8WZs
Spin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8poJf5pTzxE
Whatever (I knew this wasnt a good song when I did it, but I needed one more for my album Not For Sale To Minors and wanted it to be raw-sounding - deliberately done with the angst and minimalist values of John Lennons early solo recordings)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjOZPqdskaA
[OUT]
Never Ending Always vocal by Lori Klein (written for my novel, Force of Will which used the pseudonym Tan Swiftwater - theres an interesting story to the song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbRK0HbqMiM
This Holy Day vocal by post-JW Gayann from NY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OMPcoB9vL0
Wake Up vocal by post-JW Emma-Jade Mechen, daughter of Shane, from New Zealand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LAjNwRe6Gw
Anything else you might be interested in may be found on Spotify by searching for Gary Alt and the following album names, all done when I was JW:
-Tribute
-(Not) For Sale To Minors
-Beef Wellington and the Mad Cows - Masticated Bovine (joint project with JW friend Jayway when I was in)
-Gift of Projection (EP that predicted Art of Survival but has only 2 songs in common with it)
-Art of Survival (my best IMO)
And a couple of relatively recent extra songs that are not on any album:
-Shine a Light
-The Moon is Broken Tonight
-Western Lady - vocal by Rick Barth (YouTube only, not actually released)
-Color Wind (demo only)
Back in the Free World - vocal by Larry Hayden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g0Ch6YYMeg
- Written FOR the JWs back when I was in. I now reinterpret th
Watch now:
http://WitnessUnderground.com (https://witnessunderground.com/)
Watch & Support:
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/witnessunderground
https://Patreon.com/WitnessUnderground (https://patreon.com/WitnessUnderground)
https://YouTube.com/@WitnessUnderground (https://youtube.com/@WitnessUnderground)
Store:
https://witness-underground-cult-documentary-release.pledgebox.com/preorder
Reach out directly:
XJWdoc@gmail.com
-Scott
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Watch Next: Cult members speak out Rock the Watchtower Cult Awareness Conference - WITNESS UNDERGROUND highlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2tYsA9nIXY
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Former Bethel Elder Became a Blues Rocker](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rpk41Qi1RwI/mqdefault.jpg)


![Social impact of Christianity on families Jehovah Witness removal / shunning for birthdays
Social impact of Christianity on families Jehovah Witness removal shunning birthdays
XJW Coming Out original episode
[exjw, jehovahs witnesses, jehovah witness, christian movies, jehovah witnesses]
Watch WITNESS UNDERGROUND on:
Apple TV - Amazon - Tubi TV - YouTube Movies
https://WitnessUnderground.com
Stream on YouTube with this Full Documentary Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSh1p2dV3s8fgd4ST3VNE835oRFYwa-N2
This heartwarming video captures the emotional journey of former Jehovahs Witnesses celebrating a babys first birthday. The new mom, a first-time parent who left the faith a decade ago, hosts a joyous gathering for her child, surrounded by family members who have also broken free from the religions strict rules.
The celebration highlights the stark contrast between their current lives and their upbringing, where birthdays were forbidden and considered pagan. As the baby experiences important milestones, the camera captures the genuine excitement and love shared by the extended family.
An aunt, now a seasoned mother, reflects on her childhood within the Jehovahs Witness community. She discusses the restrictions she faced and how she now strives to nurture her childrens curiosity and ambitions. Her story provides a meaningful comparison to the life she left behind.
The video also touches on the bittersweet reality of fractured family relationships. While the gathering is filled with love and laughter, theres a noticeable absence of relatives still active in the Jehovahs Witness faith. The family discusses the pain of being shunned by their Witness relatives, who refuse to participate due to fear of punishment from their religious community.
This intimate portrayal showcases the real social impact of the Jehovahs Witnesses ban on birthdays. It celebrates the freedom found in leaving the religion while acknowledging the ongoing struggles faced by those who break away. The video serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of these families and their determination to create new, joyful traditions despite the cost
In the month that I shot WITNESS UNDERGROUND, I also shot this with some of my oldest friends as part of the Seed&Spark commitment I made to the the crowdfund backers then to expand XJW Coming Out series after shooing the feature documentary.
This birthday was just happening while I was visiting Madison and these friends so we made a special short video idea come together about a first birthday for a new mom and the implications of that on the kids and to discuss how the active members of the family treat them for doing this with a ten year recap on what life has been like after getting out of the culty faith.
I was out of the religion at 19 but meeting these folks drew me back in. In part to honor that connection but also because we have an enduring friendship, I included the new mom, Jennifer Trucks, in the film WITNESS UNDERGROUND. She originally connected me to Nuclear Gopher folks, showing me the website. The uncle in the background, Mitchel Vandeheuvel, took me to Minneapolis to see a Nuclear Gopher show and meet some of the people in the film in 2001/2. He became a massive part of the film festival run in 2021, even hosting a major screening at the Wisconsin Film Festival when it was nearly impossible to do so during government lockdown safely. It was a massive success!
He then helped to represent Debutante the shunning short filim by Kamila Dydyna, with me at Chicago Irish Film Festival. Im happy to say we are all still friends and all out of the religion.
A lot of the Nuclear Gopher people came through Madison Wisconsin, a 5 hour drive from Minneapolis, in a music migration to Chicago, where the Amazing Fruit Jehovahs Witnesses were making music and on one fateful weekend during Weezers Green album tour after a seven year hiatus, we all collided in Madison at the house that these two sisters and Mitchel were living in for late parties and the love of music.
#jehovahswitnesses #cult #jworg #deconstructingfaith #igotout #recoveringfromreligion #jworguk #documentary #documentaryfilm #documentarymusic #jw #jworgusa #abuseofpower #christianmovies #atheist #atheism #humanist #CultSurvivor #ReligiousTrauma #EmotionalAbuse #FamilyHealing #BreakFree #MentalHealthAwareness #SpiritualAbuse #WomenEmpowerment #HealingJourney #SpeakYourTruth #ExJW #JehovahsWitnesses #Disfellowshipped #CultRecovery #ShunningSurvivor #ExJWCommunity #HighControlGroup #ExCultMember #ReligiousFreedom #UndergroundMusic #Rockumentary #IndieFilm #HealingThroughMusic #DIYMusicScene #RiotGrrrlRevolution #CreativeFreedom #MusicDocumentary #IndieArtists #StopShunning #ExposeCults #NoMoreSilence #SupportSurvivors #FaithDeconstruction #AdvocateForChange #TraumaInformed #ReligiousAccountability #EndReligiousAbuse #CultAwareness
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Cult members speak out Rock the Watchtower Cult Awareness Conference
WITNESS UNDERGROUND highlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2tYsA9nIXY
-~- Social impact of Christianity on families Jehovah Witness removal / shunning for birthdays](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sJnb4uMwXnE/mqdefault.jpg)