Of course, no one within the movement will say it’s a cult. “Because no one in a cult believes that they’re in a cult!” Paul says, laughing. “Let’s be honest. It’s a cult. It’s only from an outsider’s perspective that [you’re] able to see that it’s a cult. The people that are drinking the Kool-Aid — and, like, what happened in Waco — they think they’re going to another life together. But in reality, they’re just killing themselves. They’re trapped and brainwashed. Some movements are larger than others, so they’re not really considered cults anymore. They’re considered a way of life.” And it’s hard for members to turn their backs on this way of life. On The Path, Eddie suffers a crisis of faith that may ultimately cost him his relationship with Sarah, a devout worshipper. His teenage son Hawk (Kyle Allen), falls in love with an I.S. ( ignorant systemite , a.k.a. non-believer). Hawk, too, must decide whether being ostracized by his mother and entire extended family is worth following his burgeoning feelings for a heathen — as well as a suspicion that the ladder and heavenly garden might be complete bullshit. Paul sees obvious comparisons between the struggle The Path’s characters are going through and those he’s witnessed in real life. “I have a couple of friends that are in Scientology now that do not buy into it whatsoever, but they still go through the day-to-day Scientology routine because they don’t want to lose their family," he says. "They know if they say something, they will never talk to their parents again... I grew up in a very religious household. Some of my friends’ families completely turned their backs on them because they don’t buy into the religion anymore, or because they’re gay. Their whole entire family, including siblings, won’t speak to them... It’s just so intense and so sad. It’s really scary.” The Path isn’t the first series to take on fringe religious movements. Shows like Big Love (in which Paul also appeared), Cult , and Aquarius all explore communities built around shared beliefs — usually with a charismatic leader at the helm — operating outside of mainstream society. What draws us to these shows is the same thing that draws us to exposés about Scientology, such as Going Clear . These stories pique our curiosity about our own personal natures and what we’re searching for (are we even searching for something?). Would it be easier to surrender that search to someone else offering easy answers? Would I be susceptible to a cult’s indoctrination and brainwashing? What sort of people are? Do I know any of them? Are there always going to be believers and non-believers when it comes to any type of religion? Can a believer love a non-believer? What if the believer is brainwashed? Can he or she be un-brainwashed? What will remain of that person afterward? It feels much safer to watch this play out on a screen than it would in real life. “I found that when we started studying religion in order to make one, at the base of most religions are beautiful, incredibly moving ideas, and it’s usually a person that messes it all up,” Goldberg says. “I feel that anything that won't allow you to doubt is problematic. I feel that [way] about some religions that are called religions.” That should probably give you something to think about. But in the meantime, would you like to take a free stress test?