About this episode

Matthew Thomas shares his harrowing experience of being drawn into a cult and becoming a recruiter for it.

In 2019, Matthew Thomas thought he was joining a Bible study group. Instead, he was sucked into Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive Korean cult known for coercive control and bankrupting its members. Over the next four years, Matt lost himself and eventually became a recruiter tasked with drawing others in. Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast This is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Superreal

Guest: Matthew Thomas

Topics covered

• cult recruitment
• coercive control
• personal transformation
• religious organizations
• mental health
• documentary storytelling

Keywords

• cult
• recruitment
• Shincheonji
• Bible study
• coercive control
• personal story
• documentary

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Superreal, Acast

More episodes of What It Was Like

• I Was an Undercover Cop With a Death Wish · May 29, 2026 · 50 min
• How Do You Survive a Cyber-Stalking Cult? · May 23, 2026 · 54 min
• I Committed a School Shooting · May 10, 2026 · 1h 3m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the What It Was Like podcast page.