Mind Control in Disguise: Cristina Coello on the Dangers of the Bright Path
A Little Bit Culty
Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames
4.6 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 17 March 2025
⏱️ 95 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This episode is sponsored in part by Betterhelp.
Ishayas’ Ascension—also known as the Bright Path—is a new-agey meditation movement that promises spiritual enlightenment through “stillness” and expensive courses. But behind the soothing mantras and lofty ideals lurks a leader who demands total submission. Followers are taught that their thoughts, emotions, and even their sense of self aren’t real—only God is. What could possibly go wrong?
Our guest today is Cristina Coello, who spent years deep inside the Bright Path under its guru, Maharishi Krishnananda Ishaya. From 2010 to 2021, Cristina was an active teacher and organizer, drawn in by the promise of personal and collective healing. But as she became more involved, she witnessed firsthand the manipulative control tactics, gaslighting, and financial exploitation that kept members devoted. The turning point? Experiencing sexual harassment from the leader himself and the community’s toxic response when she spoke out.
In this episode, Cristina shares her journey—from being drawn into the group’s teachings to the painful process of leaving and rebuilding her life. We also discuss the dangers of dismissing mental health in spiritual spaces, the subtle ways cults dismantle personal identity, and the red flags to look out for when seeking a safe community.
Find Cristina on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok: @iamcristinacoello and her website at www.uncultedpodcast.com
You can also sign up for her newsletter to listen to the first episode drop of her new podcast, Unculted: https://uncultedpodcast.substack.com/?r=rxjvl
Also… let it be known that:
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.
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CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
Production Partner: Amphibian.Media
Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Associate producers: Amanda Zaremba and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media
Audio production: Red Caiman Studios
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin
Transcript
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| 0:29.7 | This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, medical, |
| 0:34.0 | medical, or mental health advice. The views and opinions express do not necessarily reflect |
| 0:37.8 | the official policy or position of the podcast and are not intended to malign any religion |
| 0:41.7 | group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone, or anything. I'm Sarah Edmondson. |
| 0:56.0 | And I'm Anthony Nippy Ames. |
| 0:57.9 | And this is A Little Bit Calti. |
| 1:00.7 | Cults are commonplace now. |
| 1:02.1 | From fandums to fads, we're examining them all. |
| 1:04.5 | We look at what happens when things that seem like a great thing at first go bad. |
| 1:08.9 | Every week we chat with survivors, experts, and whistleblowers |
| 1:12.0 | for real culty stories told directly by the people who lived through them, because we want |
| 1:16.7 | you to learn a few things that we've had to learn the hard way. For example, if you think you're |
| 1:21.3 | too smart to get sucked into something culty, you might be prime recruitment material, and who |
| 1:25.7 | knows, you could already be in a cult. |
| 1:28.2 | If you're not aware of your programming, you're probably being programmed. |
| 1:31.4 | So keep listening to find out. |
| 1:33.2 | We'll talk about all sorts of topics on the show, but be aware. |
... |
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