Cults

In 1985, when Alice Auma was 29 years old, her life changed forever. The spirit Lakwena told her that she had to lead her followers to a new Uganda that was free from corruption. But in order to do that, she would need to create a holy army and take the country by force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ghost of Easterville In the fall of 2011, a 17-year-old model struck up an online relationship with NBA player Chris “Birdman” Andersen. But someone else was pulling the strings of their ill-fated romance. From Crimes of Passion, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Jenelle Potter's crush, Billy Payne, started dating another woman, she used Facebook to spread rumors about the couple. But when a CIA agent contacted her parents, informing them that Payne was a threat to Jenelle's life, they took matters into their own hands. From Crimes of Passion, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An online love triangle between 18-year-old Tommy, 17-year-old Jessi, and 22-year-old Brian turned tragic when their romantic fantasy world collided with their harsh realities. From Crimes of Passion, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scott Caruthers’ community of “Next World Alien Lovers” in Maryland believed their leader when he told them he was an alien sent to save them from the apocalypse. But despite his insistence that he was a savior, Caruthers manifested doom at every turn — from a failed business plan that cost some investors everything, to a failed murder plot that put him and his followers behind bars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In October 1869, a Baptist physician is visited by an angel during one of his alchemical experiments. She tells him a prophecy that changes his life, endowing him with an obsession for utopia and immortality. Cyrus “Koresh” Teed sets out to find followers, and though it takes decades, his movement finds its footing in Chicago. But where Koreshanity thrives, controversy follows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The young co-founder of a church grew into a business tycoon who courted controversy until his death in 2014. Yoo Byung-eun built an empire on the backs of his devoted followers, who traded their money and labor for salvation. In 1987, a group associated with the church took part in a mass suicide. Nearly thirty years later, more than 300 people died in a ferry disaster that many believe Yoo Byung-eun was responsible for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A religious group in Japan is led by a man who claims he is an interdimensional god named El Cantare, peddles spiritual vaccines online, and was once targeted for murder by a rival cult leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By 2004, James King and Barbara Loran were well-versed in violating ethical boundaries. But that year, the church leader and his mistress crossed a new line when they groomed and seduced the 17-year-old daughter of two congregants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1990s Washington, James King held dozens of devoted followers in his thrall. He used emotional “processing” sessions to prey on women, while his mistress — a chiropractor who wanted to cultivate “Godlife” — became his number one recruiter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we look ahead to the new year, we want to take one last chance to say thank you for the year that was — and present our "Best of 2021"! Please enjoy this episode from our fan-favorite podcast, Solved Murders. In August 1969, actress Sharon Tate was living the Hollywood dream. Until it turned into the bloodiest kind of Hollywood nightmare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Christmas Eve nearly seventy years ago, Dorothy Martin and the Seekers stood outside in Chicago and sang carols. They were waiting for a spacecraft that would shepherd them away from Earth — and the impending apocalypse. On this Cults Christmas Special, join us for a look into a doomsday cult awaiting deliverance, and the psychological breakthrough that arose from studying them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Manson Family’s infamous murder spree may have been partially inspired by The Beatles’ song “Helter Skelter” but it was The Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson who opened doors in Hollywood for their charismatic cult leader. From our friends at Sinister Societies, hear how Charles Manson almost became the next great pop hit of the ‘60s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a decade of abuse at the hands of Colin Batley, a young woman made a desperate escape. Early one morning, with her baby in her arms, she ran out of the cul-de-sac that Batley and his church called home and never came back. Now, out from under his grasp, she could bring Batley down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1980s London, Colin Batley started a church based on the occult teachings of Aleister Crowley. Batley soon moved his congregation into a quiet cul-de-sac 200 miles away — where, behind the façade of suburbia, he and his followers sexually assaulted children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We end our three-part special in Japan, where a yoga teacher named Shoko Asahara preached a violent, apocalyptic dogma. In 1995 his cult, Aum Shinrikyo, used chemical weapons in targeted attacks in Tokyo to speed up the apocalypse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanessa is joined by Lanie Hobbs from Crimes of Passion, a Spotify Original from Parcast, as they investigate the life of Michael Roach — Princeton grad, certified Geshe, and so-called king of Diamond Mountain, his spiritual retreat in Arizona. Together with his mentee and then-wife, Christie McNally, Roach lured hundreds of people to the desert with tantric yoga and karmic seeds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do quests for enlightenment get so sinister? Today, we’re looking at three stories of yoga gurus and guides who were loved — then loathed — for their practices. We start in Romania, charting the rise of the deeply polarizing Gregorian Bivolaru. The alleged mystic is heralded by many as a great teacher and victim of persecution. But authorities say he used his teachings to manipulate, exploit, and traffic women and girls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a psychic who’s been experimenting with ketamine goes missing in 1979, her brother suspects she’s been kidnapped by a cult. Today’s episode on Marcia Moore is from Unsolved Murders, a true crime podcast and Spotify Original from Parcast. Follow Unsolved Murders for new episodes every Tuesday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Millions of followers. A powerful political ally. And his very own Garden of Eden. Televangelist Apollo Quiboloy spent decades turning his small congregation into a multinational religious empire. Along the way, he’s faced alarming accusations of brainwashing, human trafficking, and murder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After predicting a nuclear war, Hawkins offered salvation to his increasingly isolated followers. But cracks began to appear in his kingdom. By 2008, officials charged him for bigamy and child labor violations. A year later, three former members gave T.V. interviews to reveal just how bad things really were. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1980s, a prophecy about two brothers and an ad in The National Enquirer drew hundreds of people into the House of Yahweh — a church in Abilene, Texas helmed by a deeply unsavory and swindling man named Bill Hawkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nearly two decades after the Waco Siege, people are still wondering what transpired at the Branch Davidian compound. Though the government officially investigated and exonerated the FBI, some have found evidence of a massive cover-up. Did the government actually fire the first shot that led to 81 deaths? If you enjoy this crossover episode, follow Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On February 28th, 1993, ATF agents raided a compound in Waco, Texas, belonging to a religious group known as the Branch Davidians. A 51-day standoff ensued, ending in a violent siege. Eighty-one people lost their lives, many of them children — but to this day, no one knows which side fired first. If you enjoy this crossover episode, follow Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the 1990s, Rama Behera was living lavishly in his compound in Shawano, Wisconsin, while his followers traveled from far and wide to hear his divine message. To expand his reach, he began buying property in town. Little did locals know, it was the opening shot in a conflict that would escalate for decades before reaching a dramatic breaking point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Rama Behera came to the U.S. from India to attend college in the 1970s, his life changed forever when he claimed Jesus Christ contacted him. He dropped out to become a missionary, and settled on a compound in Wisconsin. Behera’s connection to the divine cemented — and so did his grip on the growing number of followers who came to him for guidance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alistah Laishkochav was a New Zealand man who thought he was a messiah. To the world, the former police officer maintained a big happy family with his nine wives. But beneath the surface, his family lived in a house filled with fear and abuse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Judy Z built a business empire by channeling Ramtha and his Atlantean wisdom. She converted her home into a headquarters and held gatherings for thousands of followers from all over the world. By the 2000s, she began using her influence and cash flow to step into politics — gaining favor until 2016, when she started catering to QAnon believers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Judy Z spent her early life in poverty before making a living as a cable salesperson in the early 1980s. Then everything changed. While standing in her Washington home, Judy saw a giant being appear before her eyes. He came from Atlantis… and promised divine wisdom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the mid-2000s, Toni Ellsberry claimed to hear the voice of God, and ruled over her followers in a small Baltimore apartment. But when a toddler there died of starvation, One Mind Ministries began to crumble from within. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fleeing to Austin, Texas in the early ‘90s was supposed to be a clean break for “The Teacher” and his followers. For a while, it was. But after an explosive accusation threatened to destroy Buddhafield for good, Andreas — as he now called himself — fled again, this time to an island paradise where he was free to do whatever he wanted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jaime Gomez came to the U.S. from Venezuela in the 1960s looking for stardom, but when careers in dance and film didn’t materialize, he shifted focus. Feeling a deep connection to eastern philosophy, he started leading meditation classes and founded a group called the Buddhafield. Before long, he was claiming he had divine information about the secrets of the universe… and controlling the lives of over 100 people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Gourasana passed away, his wife Kalindi took over Miracle of Love and propelled the group to new heights. She held increasingly demanding seminars that broke down attendees until they joined the fold. As time wore on, Kalindi’s enthusiasm and exploits brought many of her followers to the brink, and she showed no signs of slowing down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By 1987, David Swanson and his wife Carol Seidman had been on a decades-long journey to find enlightenment. Their prayers seemed answered when a divine presence launched itself into David’s body. Donning new identities, the pair spread their “wisdom” around San Diego — preaching material abandonment as they amassed a fortune. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Church of Wells cemented its place in the small Texas town by being uncompromising and radical. But when a runaway in her 20s named Catherine Grove joined the group, a new level of scrutiny followed. Clashes with local residents escalated in 2014. Still, the congregation remains… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Baylor University students Sean Morris and Ryan Ringnald met in the mid 2000s, they both felt the world around them was spiritually empty. They leaned into a strict, uncompromising version of Christianity, joined by fellow literalist Jacob Gardner. The trio eventually formed a small congregation that settled in a small town. But for residents of Wells, Texas, the move was more like an invasion… and their lives would never be the same. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the 1980s, The Work was a real estate empire worth millions. But Julius didn’t concern himself much with the business. Instead, he focused on preaching armageddon and engaging in “special work” with his young female followers. Several lawsuits, a disastrous TV interview, and a brutal murder marked the beginning of the end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While stationed in the South Pacific with the Navy during World War II, Julius Schacknow had a divine vision. Armed with the knowledge of his supposed destiny, he established a devoted following in New England in the 1970s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Adventist movement spread across the United States, and as the date of Miller’s predicted apocalypse approached, his followers prepared to leave the world behind. With the fervor came scorn and smear campaigns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The origins of the 19th-century preacher who founded Millerism, revived belief in Jesus’ imminent return, and landed himself at the center of a historic religious crisis in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the late 1990s, the Providence movement had expanded its reach internationally. But when word got out about Jeong Myeong-seok abusing his “spiritual brides,” he fled. The prophet was exposed as a predator — but that didn’t stop the group from growing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After cutting his teeth in the rapidly growing unification movement in South Korea in the 1970s, Jung Myung-seok began having grander ambitions — as the new messiah of a religious movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1960s, Faizrakhman Sattarov experienced a holy vision when sparks shot down from a trolley car in Russia. Having been raised a devout Muslim, Sattarov went against his upbringing by calling himself a prophet. His message attracted hundreds who eventually settled in a secluded underground compound in the city of Kazan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the late ‘80s, Stanton had fully embraced military metaphors in the Bible, mobilizing his Jesus Army to wage war against sin and save British souls. Their recruiting tactics earned them the nickname “kidnap cult.” But it wasn’t until four years after Stanton’s death that the true extent of the Fellowship’s wicked ways were revealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During WWII, while serving in the British Royal Navy, Noel Stanton had an encounter with an evangelist that changed his life. He started on a path toward Christian devotion that became increasingly divergent — featuring charismatic worship, communal living, and holy visions of expanding his radical message across the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After amassing wealth and influence as a spiritual advisor in the 1980s, Adolfo Constanzo set his sights on the lucrative drug trade in Matamoros. To claim a piece for himself, he needed more power. And for that, he turned to one thing: human sacrifice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Schooled in the darkest corners of his family’s Afro-Carribean religion, Adolfo Constanzo decided to make his fortune using magic granted through animal sacrifices. In Mexico City, he grew his power and esteem — but he wanted something more. He wanted revenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For over a decade, a self-described rabbi ran a seminary in an orthodox neighborhood of Jerusalem. From the outside, nothing seemed different about Aharon Ramati’s religious school for young women. But Ramati demanded complete devotion — and he was willing to break families apart to get it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Increased government scrutiny in the early 2000s didn’t stop Hermes Far Eastern Shining from growing into a small business empire. Attrill used his local influence to shield the organization, even as stories of manipulation, exploitation, and abuse began to spread. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A fast-growing cult in Australia absorbed hundreds of people into its fold in the late 1990s. Gerald Attrill promoted himself as an alchemist and the spiritual kin of Jesus Christ, attracting devoted followers with expensive products that claimed to purify energies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices