Chris Shelton (author)
Chris Shelton | |
|---|---|
 Chris Shelton (2016) | |
| Born | Christopher Shelton California |
| Citizenship |
|
| Education | University of Salford (MSc) |
| Occupations | Author, consultant, podcaster, youtuber, anti-cult activist |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Genre | Video podcast |
| Subscribers | 46.8K |
| Views | 12.2M |
| Last updated: May 16, 2026 | |
| Website | chrissheltonmsc |
Chris Shelton is an author, consultant, anti-cult activist, podcaster, YouTuber and former Scientologist. He was a member of the Church of Scientology for 27 years, and worked in the Sea Organization for 17 of those years.[1][2][3][4]
Biography
Shelton left Scientology in 2012, after which he started speaking out about his experiences. In 2015, his book Scientology᛬ A to Xenu: An Insider's Guide to What Scientology is Really All About was published.[1][5] In 2016 he told the BBC, "In Scientology, critical thinking is not something they want people doing",[1] and he states his goal is "public education [and] helping people recognize manipulation, think critically, and support those recovering from high‑control or abusive environments".[6] In 2022 he completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Coercive Control from the University of Salford in Manchester, England.[3][7][8] He has been quoted as an expert on Scientology-related issues in news reporting.[9]
Shelton has hosted the weekly podcast Speaking of Cults on several platforms, with several hundred episodes on iHeartRadio since 2019. The podcast focuses on cults, coercive control, and recovery, and features interviews with survivors, psychologists, and researchers.[10]
He appeared in the documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, including the episodes "Ask Me Anything" (2016) and "Waiting for Justice" (2019).[11][12][13]
Shelton has been qualified as an expert witness on coercive control in several court cases involving online stalking.
Works
References
- 1 2 3 Varley, Ciaran (December 5, 2016). "This man was a Scientologist for 27 years". BBC.
- ↑ Danneels, Mario (October 13, 2017). "Why are Scientologists setting up a European hub in Ireland". Irish Times.
- 1 2 3 "About Chris". chrissheltonmsc.org. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Chris Shelton Speaks". mikerindersblog.org. February 23, 2014.
- 1 2 Shelton, Chris (2015). Scientology: A to Xenu: An Insider's Guide to What Scientology is Really All About. GraphicsWerks. ISBN 9781522879329. OCLC 941804180.
- ↑ "About Chris Shelton". chrissheltonmsc.org. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "1195-1198: My Life as a Scientologist - Chris Shelton". Mormon Stories. October 25, 2019.
- ↑ Tsakiris, Alex (March 31, 2020). "Chris Shelton, Social Science's Blind Spot Regarding Cults |444|". Skeptiko.
- ↑ "Company Apologizes for Asking Staff to Work Through Hurricane". Governing. September 29, 2022.
- ↑ "Speaking of Cults – About". iHeartRadio. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath (TV Series 2016–2019) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
- ↑ "Ask Me Anything". Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. Episode 4. December 19, 2016. 25:00 minutes in. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Waiting for Justice". Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. Episode 37. August 26, 2019. 1:14:00 minutes in. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
