About this episode

Cara Cardoni and Lina share their experiences with the International School of Temple Arts, discussing consent, control, and the dynamics of cult-like environments.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. In this episode, we sit down with Cara Cardoni and “Lina” (whose real name remains anonymous) to unpack their experience with ISTA, the International School of Temple Arts, AKA the “Harvard of Sacred Sexuality” that turned out to have a lot more red flags than a festival wristband. Cara and Lina describe how they came to ISTA looking for healing, community, intimacy, and expansion, and how the pitch was wrapped in glossy marketing, “consent” language, intensity, and just enough spiritual seasoning to make the whole thing look transformational. We get into the mechanics of how ISTA works, including LGAT sessions, “Horse and Rider,” “Pillow Thrusting,” “sacred spot,” emotional release tools, and the way language was used to lower defenses and keep people compliant. Cara and Lina also talk about the pressure to stay in the room, the expectation to surrender judgment, the push toward sexualized exercises, and how the group’s “no attachments” vibe could be used to make people doubt their own boundaries. A major theme is how easily self-help gets weaponized when charisma, group pressure, and pseudo-intimacy mix. Both guests reflect on the…

People in this episode

Hosts: Sarah Edmondson, Anthony “Nippy” Ames

Guests: Cara Cardoni, Lina

Topics covered

• cult dynamics
• consent
• self-help
• spirituality
• manipulation
• intimacy

Keywords

• ISTA
• sacred sexuality
• emotional release
• group pressure
• sexualized exercises
• personal growth

Sponsors

BetterHelp

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International School of Temple Arts

Books & works: The Cut

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