Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Our expert guest offers practical advice for those affected by cults and how to communicate with loved ones trapped inside. Witness Underground Podcast ft. Austrian cult expert, Ulrike Schiesser. In our Decult takeover series of Witness Underground Podcast we support the Decult Cult Awareness Conference. She highlights what she plans to discuss in-depth at the upcoming Decult Cult Awareness Conference. This interview will wet your appetite for the powerful education and passionate advocacy she will bring to Decult.
Austrian cult expert and professional skeptic, Ulrike Schiesser, has dedicated her life to cult awareness, supporting former cult members through her private practice, and has been highlighted across Europe as a respected public voice of reason, in a world increasingly difficult to make sense of. You're going to love her!
Decult Cult Awareness Conference:
decult.net
In this special installment of our Decult Takeover series, we sit down with the renowned cult expert and skeptic, Ulrike Schiesser. Join your host, Scott Homan, as we explore Ulrike's extensive knowledge and experiences working with one of the premiere goverment funded organizations in central Europe.
Buy her book: Facts and Predjudice
https://a.co/d/6vKQup5
Where she works in Vienna, Austria: Federal Office for Cult Affaires
https://bundesstelle-sektenfragen.at
Ulrike Schiesser is a psychologist and psychotherapist working at the Federal Office for Cult Affaires (Bundesstelle für Sektenfragen) an Austrian state-run office who deals with cults and various problematic developments in the field of esotericism, personality cults, authoritarian and monopolizing group structures and conspiracy theories. She does counseling of family members of conspiracy affiliated persons and public stakeholders and accompanies people through rethinking and change processes.
In support of the speakers at the Decult Cult Awareness Conference, where both Ulrike Schiesser and I have been invited to speak, this episode offers a unique opportunity to understand the psychological and sociological aspects of coercive groups to help you to recognize the signs of cult influence, the psychological manipulation tactics used by these groups, and the paths to recovery for former members.
🌟 Highlights of this episode:
Ulrike Schiesser's role in helping others recognize these complex groups.
How to communicate with those who are trapped by these manipulative tactics.
Practical advice for those affected by cults.
How to communicate with affected loved ones.
🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe to Witness Underground for more episodes of the Decult Takeover series and stay informed about our participation in the Decult Cult Awareness Conference.
#WitnessUnderground #Decult #CultAwareness #UlrikeSchiesser #ScottHoman #Podcast #CultExpert #Skeptic #CultRecovery #MentalHealth
Check out Ulrike Schiesser's work here:
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrike_Schiesser
https://www.schiesser.co.at/ueber_mich
Join this channel to get instant access our feature documentary:
Witness Underground - Escaping a Cult:
youtube.com/channel/UCnXbnuEB0iwtpY_Dl_Q9KdA/join
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Watch Next: "Cult members speak out Rock the Watchtower Cult Awareness Conference - WITNESS UNDERGROUND highlight"
youtube.com/watch?v=s2tYsA9nIXY
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Our expert guest offers practical advice for those affected by cults and how to communicate with loved ones trapped inside. Witness Underground Podcast ft. Austrian cult expert, Ulrike Schiesser. In our Decult takeover series of Witness Underground Podcast we support the Decult Cult Awareness Conference. She highlights what she plans to discuss in-depth at the upcoming Decult Cult Awareness Conference. This interview will wet your appetite for the powerful education and passionate advocacy she will bring to Decult.
Austrian cult expert and professional skeptic, Ulrike Schiesser, has dedicated her life to cult awareness, supporting former cult members through her private practice, and has been highlighted across Europe as a respected public voice of reason, in a world increasingly difficult to make sense of. You're going to love her!
Decult Cult Awareness Conference:
decult.net
In this special installment of our Decult Takeover series, we sit down with the renowned cult expert and skeptic, Ulrike Schiesser. Join your host, Scott Homan, as we explore Ulrike's extensive knowledge and experiences working with one of the premiere goverment funded organizations in central Europe.
Buy her book: Facts and Predjudice
https://a.co/d/6vKQup5
Where she works in Vienna, Austria: Federal Office for Cult Affaires
https://bundesstelle-sektenfragen.at
Ulrike Schiesser is a psychologist and psychotherapist working at the Federal Office for Cult Affaires (Bundesstelle für Sektenfragen) an Austrian state-run office who deals with cults and various problematic developments in the field of esotericism, personality cults, authoritarian and monopolizing group structures and conspiracy theories. She does counseling of family members of conspiracy affiliated persons and public stakeholders and accompanies people through rethinking and change processes.
In support of the speakers at the Decult Cult Awareness Conference, where both Ulrike Schiesser and I have been invited to speak, this episode offers a unique opportunity to understand the psychological and sociological aspects of coercive groups to help you to recognize the signs of cult influence, the psychological manipulation tactics used by these groups, and the paths to recovery for former members.
🌟 Highlights of this episode:
Ulrike Schiesser's role in helping others recognize these complex groups.
How to communicate with those who are trapped by these manipulative tactics.
Practical advice for those affected by cults.
How to communicate with affected loved ones.
🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe to Witness Underground for more episodes of the Decult Takeover series and stay informed about our participation in the Decult Cult Awareness Conference.
#WitnessUnderground #Decult #CultAwareness #UlrikeSchiesser #ScottHoman #Podcast #CultExpert #Skeptic #CultRecovery #MentalHealth
Check out Ulrike Schiesser's work here:
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrike_Schiesser
https://www.schiesser.co.at/ueber_mich
Join this channel to get instant access our feature documentary:
Witness Underground - Escaping a Cult:
youtube.com/channel/UCnXbnuEB0iwtpY_Dl_Q9KdA/join
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
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
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
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)

