Episode Summary
Ex-Jehovah’s Witness or Ex-JW, musician, and filmmaker Scott takes us on a powerful journey of identity, creativity, and also liberation. Growing up in a high-control religious environment, Scott found freedom through music, filmmaking, and ultimately, the act of walking away. His documentary Witness Underground is a moving tribute to artists who, like him, broke free from religious constraints and reclaimed their voices.
In this episode, we explore the emotional cost of leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the loneliness of being labelled rebellious, as well as the courage it takes to choose authenticity over conformity. Scott’s story is a reminder that healing often begins where creativity is born and that it’s possible to find belonging outside of systems that once defined us.
Who Is Scott?
Scott was raised in the Great Lakes region. His teen music community recorded two indie rock albums while being influenced by a religious cult (Jehovah’s Witness or JW). He ran camera and sound for a local news station and went to university for photography and digital media. He spent five years in Hanoi, Vietnam focused on documentary filmmaking culminating in a music-scene anthology film, Hanoi Mixtape.
Witness Underground is Scott’s first documentary. He runs the adjacent Banana Island Films YouTube channel featuring interviews with CULT ESCAPE ARTISTS demonstrating how self-expression shortens the path to healing after traumatic experiences highlighting people who have successfully navigated mind control.
He’s volunteering with Decult related projects including a peer to peer support group in the home city of Decult, Otautahi New Zealand.
Connect With Us
- You can find out more about Witness Underground here – https://www.witnessunderground.com/
- You can also connect with Scott over Instagram – @scotthoman or via Facebook
- You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
- To connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservices
- Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.