Cults

We are thrilled to bring you a brand new episode of Cults today and for the foreseeable future. We thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time.

Operating in France from 2001 to 2004, members of the New Lighthouse Movement believed that after the apocalypse, humanity would ascend to heaven with the help of Aliens. This ascension could only be possible with the help of their founder, Arnaud Mussy.

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He built the Dera Sacha Sauda by exploiting the people who trusted him most. Though news of Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s abuse first reached Indian authorities in 2002, his political connections kept him safe from arrest. But over the years, his violent fanaticism continued to escalate—until he couldn't hide anymore. 

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In 1990, Gurmeet Ram Rahim became the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda movement. Originally, the group promoted charity and taught meditation practices, but under Gurmeet, its activities became significantly darker. Eventually, Gurmeet had over 60 million followers, who he exploited for his every desire.

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If you enjoy the stories told in Cults, check out this episode from our series Female Criminals: In 1911, Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard took her cruel alternative medicine practices to a new level by opening her infamous sanitarium in Washington—which locals would dub "Starvation Heights.” There, Linda continued her abuse and fraud by financially exploiting and starving wealthy British heiresses, Dora and Claire Williamson.

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If you enjoy the stories told in Cults, check out this episode from our series Female Criminals: She was a turn-of-the-20th century medical practitioner who preached starvation as a method of curing disease. But it was Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard’s childhood exposure to fad remedies that shaped her interest in alternative medicine.

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According to leader Pyotr Kuznetsov, the world would end in May 2008, so in November 2007 he proposed his group move to an underground cave and wait out the apocalypse.

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Based on his belief that religious institutions had been sullied by modern practices, this apocalyptic cult aimed to cleanse themselves by abandoning their families and possessions, and living as a roving group of dumpster-divers.

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In the late 60s, Charles Manson preached that the end of the world would come about due to an apocalyptic race war, which he dubbed "Helter Skelter."

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What do UFOs, Abraham Lincoln, and God making his television debut have in common? They’re all strangely linked to the Chen Tao cult, and the imminent nuclear apocalypse prophesied by leader Hon-Ming Chen.

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