Teal Swan on the Cult Allegations, The Deep End, and Why She's Misunderstood

She has millions of followers who say she saved their lives — and critics who say she's running a cult.
Teal Swan is one of the most polarizing spiritual teachers on the internet. She built an empire on YouTube talking about trauma, depression, and healing, with no formal training in psychology — and thousands of followers who traveled to her retreats in Costa Rica. Then came the 2018 investigation accusing her of targeting people with suicidal thoughts, and the 2022 docuseries The Deep End, which put cameras inside her inner circle for three years and turned the whispers into a question the whole internet was asking: is this a cult?
In this conversation, Rachel asks Teal the questions her critics never stop asking — and Teal answers all of them herself, including the moment she admits she structured her company almost exactly the way a notorious cult leader structured his.
This is an encore presentation of our January 2024 conversation.If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7 — call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline).
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