Podcasts religion Grief and Rebirth: Finding the Joy in Life Podcast Lisa Kohn: The Best Seats I Ever Had At Madison Square Garden Were At My Mothers Wedding, And The Best Cocaine I Ever Had Was From My Fathers Friend, The Judge.

Lisa Kohn: The Best Seats I Ever Had At Madison Square Garden Were At My Mothers Wedding, And The Best Cocaine I Ever Had Was From My Fathers Friend, The Judge.

Published: March 2, 2022, 7 a.m.

Lisa Kohn is the author of her award-winning memoir To the Moon and Back: A Childhood Under the Influence. Born in NJ to hippie parents and raised in New York City\u2019s East Village in the 1970s, Lisa\u2019s early years were a mixture of encounter groups, primal screams, macrobiotic diets, communes, Indian ashrams, Jefferson Airplane concerts in Central Park, and watching naked actors on off-Broadway stages during the musical HAIR. By the time her older brother was ten, Lisa\u2019s father had him smoking pot. By the time Lisa was ten, Lisa\u2019s mother had them pledging their lives to the Unification Church, also called the \u201cMoonies,\u201d and the Moonies\u2019 self-appointed Messiah, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU\u2019LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE: 

  • Lisa\u2019s comfort of inclusion in a cult she experienced as a child and the torment of rebelling against the cult as a teenager 
  • How Sun Myung Moon founded his religious cult and declared himself the Messiah 
  • Going back and forth her mother\u2019s fanatical, puritanical cult and her father\u2019s world of sex, drugs, and squalor 
  • The abuse, addictions, and inner demons Lisa struggled with that led her to almost jump off a bridge, become anorexic, take lots of cocaine, and get into dysfunctional relationships 
  • Lisa\u2019s journey of healing and finding her sense of self-worth 
  • The lessons Lisa learned from her experiences and how she\u2019s now inspiring other people and helping them move through their own trauma 
  • Lisa\u2019s inspiring message of hope for those who feel hopeless and beyond repair 
  • Why it\u2019s important for people to go to all the trouble to confront their pain 
  • Lisa\u2019s tips for joy in life 


SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS LISA: 

  • Describe the ecstatic comfort of inclusion in a cult that you experienced when you were a child and the torment of rebelling against the cult as a teenager. 
  • What happened when you rebelled against the cult? 
  • What abuse, scars, addictions, and inner demons did you struggle with that led you to almost jump off a bridge, become anorexic, take lots of cocaine, and get into dysfunctional relationships? 
  • How did you heal from the trauma? 
  • What lessons have you learned from your experiences? 
  • Can you share your wisdom about extremist situations - how to stay out of them or how to get out of them? 
  • What is your advice for anyone who feels hopeless or damaged beyond repair? 
  • What inspired you to share your story? 


Guest Links:

 

Host Links: