Let's Start A Cult

In 1989, the Metropolitan Government of Tokyo officially recognized “Aum Shinrikyo” as a legitimate religious movement.

Little did they know that five years later, that same group would carry out a violent terrorist attack on the city, leaving 13 dead and a thousand others severely injured.

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In 1976, James Ellison moved to Arkansas, intending to establish a self-sustaining fundamentalist Christian commune made up of like-minded individuals who wanted nothing more than to dedicate themselves to God.

But by 1978 – a mere two years later – he and his followers had become domestic terrorists who believed in white supremacy and were willing to resort to violent means to overthrow the government of the United States.

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Cults are not always sinister. Similarly, cult leaders are not always manipulative sociopaths. Sometimes, all they need is one deluded man. August Engelhardt, born with a silver spoon, was many things, and one of them was delusional, something he shared with other cults and their leaders. You might wonder the peculiarities of Engelhardt’s delusion. It is nothing other than the obsessive yet interesting relationship he developed wit...

For many, Tom Cruise is a good-looking actor who rose to fame after starring in blockbusters like “Top Gun,” “Mission Impossible,” and “Risky Business.”

But for Scientologists, Tom Cruise is a demigod who has become “Operating Thetan VII.” According to them, this status has allowed him to gain a wide range of superpowers, such as telekinesis, leaving his body at will, and controlling the behaviour of other living things – including ...

Super excited to kick off 2022 with this much-anticipated cult!

The Church of Scientology may be controversial; however, its devotees have nothing but praise for its teachings. For instance, actor Tom Cruise once called it “a beautiful religion,” while fellow actor John Travolta publicly stated that it was only being criticized because it “really works well.”

For many, though, the Church of Scientology is nothing but a dangerous cu...

When Ann Fitzgerald met a group of New Age devotees at a festival in London, she thought that she had found a set of like-minded and supportive friends. Never did she imagine that she would spend the next decade in their grip, working 16-hour shifts without being paid a single dollar.

Ann, however, was far from the group’s only victim.

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When Allen Lafferty walked into his home on the evening of July 24, 1984, he never expected to find the carpet and drapes soaked in blood. Nor did he imagine that he would be the first to find the corpses of his beloved wife and daughter.

Staring at their remains, Allen soon came to realize that those responsible for destroying his family were none other than his older brothers, whom he had looked up to all his life. 

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After graduating from Harvard University in the early 1970s, Paul Sprecher decided to head to the Big Apple, in search of exciting opportunities.

Instead, he stumbled upon a group led by an increasingly erratic authoritarian, who sought to impose his views about sex and the nuclear family on his hundreds of devotees.

Surprisingly enough, its ranks included prominent celebrities from that decade, as well as other high-profile figure...

In‌ ‌today’s‌ ‌episode‌ ‌of‌ ‌Let’s‌ ‌Start‌ ‌a‌ ‌Cult‌ ‌we‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌discussing Multi-Level‌ ‌Marketing‌ ‌companies ‌or‌ ‌pyramid‌ ‌schemes.‌ ‌From‌ ‌leggings‌ ‌to‌ ‌essential‌ ‌oils‌ ‌and‌ ‌kitchen‌ ‌knives,‌ ‌these‌ ‌predatory‌ ‌brands‌ ‌have‌ ‌manipulated‌ ‌countless‌ ‌individuals,‌ ‌causing‌ ‌them‌ ‌to‌ ‌destroy‌ ‌personal‌ ‌relationships‌ ‌and‌ ‌lose‌ ‌their‌ ‌life‌ ‌savings.‌ ‌ ‌

With‌ ‌tactics‌ ‌reminiscent‌ ‌of‌ ‌actual...

The Chinese government is often criticized for its harsh policies against groups that undermine it. However, many have welcomed the measures that it has taken to repress the Church of Almighty God, due to the cult’s involvement in dozens of controversies, including riots, a stabbing at a primary school, and a vicious murder that was caught on camera.

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In today’s episode of Let’s Start a Cult – the story of Colonia Dignidad, a religious commune established on the foothills of Chile’s Andes Mountains. 

To outsiders, it seemed like a self-sustaining Christian community that strived to give back to the locals. However, it would later be revealed that it had ties to both Nazi Germany and the Pinochet government, which killed over three thousand people while a thousand more remain miss...

The Ripper Crew, a group that terrorized Chicago with a series of abductions and horrific killings between 1981 and 1982. Later, it would be revealed that they would eat the amputated breasts of their victims as part of their sickening Satanic ritual. 

They may have committed these horrific murders but one of the cult’s members has since been released from prison. Even their leader will be eligible for parole in a few years’ time, d...