Cults

By Parcast Network

Society & Culture

What's Cults about?

Mystery. Manipulation. Murder. Cults are associated with all of these. But what really goes on inside a cult? More specifically, what goes on inside the minds of people who join cults and leaders who start them? Every Tuesday, Greg and Vanessa (co-hosts of the podcast Serial Killers) explore the history and psychology behind the most notorious cults. Cults is part of the Parcast Network and is a Cutler Media production.

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E94: “The Wesson Vampire Cl...

07.16.2019

The more Marcus Wesson retreated from society, the more extreme his behavior became. He lead his family of 16 children deep into the woods, claiming it was for their own protection. But away from prying eyes, Marcus Wesson preyed on ...

Cults episodes:

07.16.2019 E94: “The Wesson Vampire Clan” Pt. 2 - Marcus Delon Wesson The more Marcus Wesson retreated from society, the more extreme his behavior became. He lead his family of 16 children deep into the woods, claiming it was for their own protection. But away from prying eyes, Marcus Wesson preyed on ...
07.09.2019 E93: “The Wesson Vampire Clan” - Marcus Delon Wesson His version of faith, was placing himself on the same level as God and demanding his children serve him as such. But when Marcus Wesson needed more followers to control, instead of recruiting he turned to his daughters. They would ...
07.02.2019 E92: “The Alamo Christian Foundation” Pt. 2 - Tony Alamo Along with his wife Susan, they grew The Alamo Christian Foundation from a few dozen homeless teenagers to over 3,000 followers on sophisticated compounds around the United States. Their dreams of stardom were finally achieved, but it still wasn't enough ...
06.25.2019 E91: “The Alamo Christian Foundation” - Tony Alamo When he moved to Los Angeles in 1960, Tony Alamo was convinced that his big break as a musician was just around the corner. What he found instead was the voice of God, which commanded him to collect young and ...
06.18.2019 E90: “Lord Our Righteousness Church” Pt. 2 - Wayne Bent In the fall of 2007, Judgement Day arrived on the Strong City compound. The world didn't end, as their Messiah had predicted, but it was still a portent of things to come. Sponsors!Gabi - Take two minutes and see if ...
06.11.2019 E89: “Lord Our Righteousness Church” - Wayne Bent In the early 2000s, Wayne Bent established his following on a compound in New Mexico that he dubbed "Strong City." But their faith would be tested when Wayne revealed God's next command: he required seven young virgins to take as ...
06.04.2019 E88: “The Children of Thunder” Pt. 2 - Glenn Taylor Helzer In July of 2001, this cult declared war on Satan and the forces of darkness. But soon, their plans unravelled around them, and five innocent people would fall victim to The Children of Thunder’s bloody war.Parcasters - This week on ...
05.29.2019 Introducing: THE DARK SIDE OF, a new Parcast Original! Hollywood is one of our most celebrated institutions, but do you know the dark shadows draped over its early years? In this new Parcast Original, we reexamine unknown and overlooked histories of society's beloved cultural touchstones. Every multi-episode series will ...
05.28.2019 E87: “The Children of Thunder” - Glenn Taylor Helzer He believed that the voice in his head, which he called "Spirit," was the voice of God. Lead by the lord, Glenn Taylor Helzer gathered his followers in the summer of 2001 to wage a war against Satan. Parcasters - ...
05.21.2019 E86: “Church of Jesus With Signs Following” Pt. 2 - Glenn Summerford In 1980 he quickly grew his flock through acts of extreme religious affirmation, such as handling poisonous snakes and drinking poison in front of his congregants. But was Glenn Summerford a man with a deep connection to the Lord, protected ...
05.14.2019 E85: “Church of Jesus With Signs Following” - Glenn Summerford He spent most of his life in a boxing ring, trying to prove his worth with his fists. But after nearly dying from an injury in the ring in 1963, Glenn Summerford committed to turning his life around and found ...
05.07.2019 E84: "The Process Church" Pt. 2 - Mary Ann MacClean and Robert de Grimston After fleeing from a destructive hurricane, in the late 1960s, Mary and Robert de Grimston led their followers on a nomadic journey around the US in search of more converts and the site of their new church. But the stress ...
04.30.2019 E83: "The Process Church" - Mary Ann MacClean and Robert de Grimston Mary and Robert de Grimston created a flamboyant cult in 1960s London that attracted outcasts and celebrities alike. But as their communication with God sent them west, the cult soon found itself in constant danger--in the eye of a literal ...
04.25.2019 Not Guilty, Vanessa’s new podcast! In this new podcast, we dive into cases resulting in acquittal or exoneration, examining the crimes, trials, and verdicts that make us ask the question: what defines guilt? If you enjoy true crime, courtroom drama, and high stakes storytelling, you ...
04.23.2019 E82: “The Blackburn Cult” Pt. 2 - May Otis Blackburn In 1925 Willa had been dead for months, and yet she wasn't laid to rest. May Blackburn laid her in a tub of ice, mummified her, and buried her beneath her floorboards in Venice, California. The end of the world ...
04.16.2019 E81: “The Blackburn Cult” - May Otis Blackburn Many actors wait tables while they're waiting for their big break; May and Ruth Blackburn started a cult. In 1920s Los Angeles, this mother-daughter duo swindled a fortune from their followers while promising them fortune and immortality. Sponsors!Quip - Quip ...
04.09.2019 E80: “Eastern Lightning” Pt. 2 - Zhao Weishan After the cult was dogged with rumors of violent conversion tactics, the Church of the Almighty God blamed the Chinese government for the negative press. A more extreme example occurred in 2014, as the cult would be accused of the ...
04.02.2019 E79: “Eastern Lightning” - Zhao Weishan The Church of the Almighty God preached that Jesus Christ had been reborn and walked the Earth. She was here to save their souls before the world ended. In 1991, followers scrambled to prove how devoted they were to her ...
03.28.2019 Bonus: Greg and Vanessa revisit Jonestown In this special crossover with Assassinations, Greg and Vanessa give insight regarding the charismatic preacher, Jim Jones, and his congregation’s move from San Francisco to the newly-constructed jungle settlement of Jonestown, Guyana in 1977. The move was intended to keep ...
03.26.2019 E78: “The Source Family” Pt. 2 - James Baker When the cult moved to Hawaii, James Baker never expected his penniless followers to find him. But once it became clear that they were willing to follow to the bitter end, he began planning a dramatic exit of epic proportions.Sponsors!CBS ...
03.25.2019 SURVIVAL, a new Parcast podcast! This high intensity Parcast Original series features incredible stories of defying certain death and overcoming insurmountable obstacles, while taking you along for a fast paced thrill ride. To hear the rest of this episode, subscribe to SURVIVAL on Spotify, or ...
03.19.2019 E77: “The Source Family” - James Baker When James Baker started his health food restaurant on the Sunset Strip in the 1970s, he had no intention of creating a spiritual commune. But opportunity knocked, and soon, he was the leader of a yoga-based cult in Hollywood Hills ...
03.12.2019 E76: “New Vrindaban” Pt. 2 - Kirtanananda Swami For roughly 15 years, this guru was a beloved spiritual leader with hopes of opening a worship oriented theme park. In 1985, everything changed when a vicious attack resulted in a head injury, coma, and ultimately a sinister personality change. ...
03.05.2019 E75: “New Vrindaban” - Kirtanananda Swami For 26 years, he was the guru and leader of the New Vrindaban cult in West Virginia. Kirtanananda Swami would turn this vacant land into a 1200-acre sanctuary for all faiths complete with an enormous gold palace. What seemed like ...
02.26.2019 E74: “The Workers' Institute” Pt. 2 - Aravindan Balakrishnan By the 1970s, Comrade Bala's small collective had gone completely underground. His followers lived in constant fear of advanced Chinese technology capable of reading their thoughts, and killing them at any moment. Amidst the chaos, Comrade Bala fathered a child ...
02.19.2019 E73: “The Workers' Institute” - Aravindan Balakrishnan His communist cult was started in 1974 in hopes of convincing working class citizens of England to rise up against their capitalist overlords and join forces with communist China. After two "members" escaped in 2013, it was revealed Aravindan Balakrishnan ...
02.12.2019 E72: “The Sons of Freedom” - Peter V. Verigin This Cult’s beliefs often steered members to protest against the Canadian government. Due to their lack of regard for laws and public policy, officials began rounding up Freedomite children between 1953 and 1959. Two hundred children were brought to a ...
02.05.2019 E71: “River Road Fellowship” Pt. 2 - Victor Arden Barnard Reigning over Shepherd’s Camp throughout the 1990s, Victor Barnard was the king of his own Eden. As he becomes more and more abusive to his followers, one of them begins plotting his demise. When she finally strikes, she will prove ...
01.29.2019 E70: “River Road Fellowship” - Victor Arden Barnard After spending years indoctrinated in the Way International, Victor Barnard started his own cult in the early 1990s and moved off the grid to an isolated campground in Minnesota. With the blessings of their parents, he married a dozen pre-teen ...
01.28.2019 Extraterrestrial: Hill Abduction Pt. 1 - a new PARCAST show! We hope you are excited as we are for this sneak peek episode of our new podcast, Extraterrestrial where we try to answer the question: are we really alone? If you enjoyed this preview and want to listen to the ...
01.22.2019 E69: “Fellowship of Friends” Pt. 2 - Robert Earl Burton This alleged cult’s vineyard has produced wines that were served at former President Ronald Reagan’s birthday party, and other illustrious restaurants in the pacific northwest. Robert Earl Burton used elements of mysticism to lure vulnerable followers to his group, but ...
01.15.2019 E68: “Fellowship of Friends” - Robert Earl Burton In 1970, his fellowship began with just two members huddled around a dining room table in Northern California. But within a few short years, Burton’s influence would reach across the globe, preparing thousands of members for an apocalypse. And while ...
01.08.2019 E67: “Kashi Ashram” Pt. 2 - Joyce Green What started as a mission preaching tolerance and empathy, quickly turned sour when rumors of drug abuse and financial impropriety started to swirl. The majority of what we know about Kashi Ashram surfaced during a bitter divorce between the ex-public ...
12.24.2018 MIND’S EYE, Parcast’s First Psychological Thriller! We have a holiday gift for you… Parcast’s first fictional crime show AD-FREE! In Mind’s Eye, a serial killer is back and homicide detective Kate McClay fights against psychology, unsolved crimes, and even her own family... The scariest monsters are ...
12.18.2018 E66: “Kashi Ashram” - Joyce Green What do Julia Roberts, Ivanka Trump, and Arlo Guthrie all have in common? They were all financial backers of the charismatic housewife turned cult leader, Joyce Green. She founded Kashi Ashram in 1976 in Sebastian, Florida and began community service ...
12.11.2018 E65: "Freemasonry" Pt. 2 - The cult that built America Masonic ideals helped shape one of the most powerful nations in the world. The Declaration of Independence was signed by at least nine Freemasons. Yet, the secret society has long been associated with political controversy, witchcraft, and even murder. If ...
12.04.2018 E64: "Freemasonry" - The cult that built America One of the oldest secret organizations in the world that dates back to centuries. The movements developed by the Freemasons changed the course of history. Originally founded as a working union, it evolved into one of the most exclusive international ...
11.27.2018 E63: “The Way International” Pt. 2 - Victor Paul Wierwille A disgruntled pastor of the Evangelical and Reformed Church creates his own religious group in 1942 after claiming he received Biblical secrets dating back from the First Century AD. By 1980, The Way International was one of the largest and ...
11.20.2018 E62: “The Way International” - Victor Paul Wierwille After creating a live radio show in 1942 to broadcast his sermons, an out-of-work preacher from Ohio was quickly throw into the spotlight of an international spiritual movement. Through his hypnotic Power for Abundant Living (PFAL) course, Wierwille bought the ...
11.18.2018 JFK Pt.1 – Assassinations, A new Parcast Podcast! Hi Cults fans! We hope you enjoy this AD FREE sneak peak episode of our new podcast, Assassinations, where we examine history’s most dramatic deaths. If you enjoy this episode and want to listen to part two right now, subscribe ...
11.13.2018 E61: “Church of Satan” Pt. 2 - Anton LaVey The rapid rise to power and fame went to Lavey’s head resulting in followers abandoning him and a loss of control over the Church. How did the Church of Satan fare after his death in 2001? The results will surprise ...
11.06.2018 E60: “Church of Satan” - Anton LaVey He is known as the real-life incarnation of the devil and would be responsible for spreading satanism into the mainstream during the 60s and 70s. Anton LaVey would go on to publish the first Satanic Bible which continues to influence ...
10.30.2018 E59: “The Church of the Last Testament” Pt. 2 - Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop In an attempt to gain freedom from the government, Vissarion’s followers disregarded their material possessions and built a remote village for their God. Sponsors!Parcast - Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to our new podcast Kingpins!
10.23.2018 E58: The Church of the Last Testament - Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop This traffic cop turned cult leader got his followers to believe he is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Sergey would go on to start the religious movement known as the Church of the Last Testament. Subscribe now to our new ...
10.21.2018 "Patty Hearst" Pt. 1 - HOSTAGE, a new Parcast podcast! Hello Cults listeners! As a thank you for supporting Parcast, we wanted to offer this AD-FREE bonus episode of our new podcast, Hostage. Listen to the next two parts of this story now by subscribing to Hostage wherever you listen ...
10.16.2018 E57: The Kirtland Cult Pt. 2 - Jeffrey Lundgren Through skilled eavesdropping, Jeffrey Lundgren convinced his followers that he could read their minds. What would happen when the "murmurs" he heard indicated that some of his followers were having second thoughts?Sponsors!Caffé Monster - Available in Vanilla, Mocha, and Salted ...
10.09.2018 E56: The Kirtland Cult - Jeffrey Lundgren He believed that he could talk to God and that he alone could bring about Zion in Kirtland. All he had to do was gain complete control over the members of his cult.Sponsors!Netflix - Starring Dan Stevens and Michael Sheen, ...
10.02.2018 E55: Mankind United Pt. 2 - Arthur Bell After being shut down by the FBI, Arthur Bell returned and established a tax-exempt church that would allow him to extort his followers for millions. As they lived in coarse conditions, Bell would live a lavish lifestyle funded by his ...
09.25.2018 E54: Mankind United - Arthur Bell Imagine only working four hours a day, four days a week, eight months a year. On the heels of the Great Depression, Arthur Bell used his charisma to convince people to follow him and join Mankind United. He promised that ...
09.18.2018 E53: The Hernandez Brothers' Cult The Hernandez Brothers Cult was founded by Santos and Cayetano Hernandez in the early 1960s in a small, northern Mexico village. What started out as a simple scam for power and money from uneducated villagers descended into blood orgies and ...

Older episodes

Cults

What's Cults about?

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Cults episodes:

E94: “The Wesson Vampire Clan” Pt. 2 - Marcus Delon Wesson

E93: “The Wesson Vampire Clan” - Marcus Delon Wesson

E92: “The Alamo Christian Foundation” Pt. 2 - Tony Alamo

E91: “The Alamo Christian Foundation” - Tony Alamo

E90: “Lord Our Righteousness Church” Pt. 2 - Wayne Bent

E89: “Lord Our Righteousness Church” - Wayne Bent

E88: “The Children of Thunder” Pt. 2 - Glenn Taylor Helzer

Introducing: THE DARK SIDE OF, a new Parcast Original!

E87: “The Children of Thunder” - Glenn Taylor Helzer

E86: “Church of Jesus With Signs Following” Pt. 2 - Glenn Summerford

E85: “Church of Jesus With Signs Following” - Glenn Summerford

E84: "The Process Church" Pt. 2 - Mary Ann MacClean and Robert de Grimston

E83: "The Process Church" - Mary Ann MacClean and Robert de Grimston

Not Guilty, Vanessa’s new podcast!

E82: “The Blackburn Cult” Pt. 2 - May Otis Blackburn

E81: “The Blackburn Cult” - May Otis Blackburn

E80: “Eastern Lightning” Pt. 2 - Zhao Weishan

E79: “Eastern Lightning” - Zhao Weishan

Bonus: Greg and Vanessa revisit Jonestown

E78: “The Source Family” Pt. 2 - James Baker

SURVIVAL, a new Parcast podcast!

E77: “The Source Family” - James Baker

E76: “New Vrindaban” Pt. 2 - Kirtanananda Swami

E75: “New Vrindaban” - Kirtanananda Swami

E74: “The Workers' Institute” Pt. 2 - Aravindan Balakrishnan

E73: “The Workers' Institute” - Aravindan Balakrishnan

E72: “The Sons of Freedom” - Peter V. Verigin

E71: “River Road Fellowship” Pt. 2 - Victor Arden Barnard

E70: “River Road Fellowship” - Victor Arden Barnard

Extraterrestrial: Hill Abduction Pt. 1 - a new PARCAST show!

E69: “Fellowship of Friends” Pt. 2 - Robert Earl Burton

E68: “Fellowship of Friends” - Robert Earl Burton

E67: “Kashi Ashram” Pt. 2 - Joyce Green

MIND’S EYE, Parcast’s First Psychological Thriller!

E66: “Kashi Ashram” - Joyce Green

E65: "Freemasonry" Pt. 2 - The cult that built America

E64: "Freemasonry" - The cult that built America

E63: “The Way International” Pt. 2 - Victor Paul Wierwille

E62: “The Way International” - Victor Paul Wierwille

JFK Pt.1 – Assassinations, A new Parcast Podcast!

E61: “Church of Satan” Pt. 2 - Anton LaVey

E60: “Church of Satan” - Anton LaVey

E59: “The Church of the Last Testament” Pt. 2 - Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop

E58: The Church of the Last Testament - Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop

"Patty Hearst" Pt. 1 - HOSTAGE, a new Parcast podcast!

E57: The Kirtland Cult Pt. 2 - Jeffrey Lundgren

E56: The Kirtland Cult - Jeffrey Lundgren

E55: Mankind United Pt. 2 - Arthur Bell

E54: Mankind United - Arthur Bell

E53: The Hernandez Brothers' Cult

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