Hidden Cults

Hidden Cults

From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place. New episodes weekly. Listener stories always welcome. Anonymity guaranteed. Listener stories: hiddencultspodcast@gmail.com International Resources International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) https://www.icsahome.com Provides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families. Open Minds Foundation https://www.openmindsfoundation.org Offers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations. The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse) https://www.thehotline.org 📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse. Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan) https://freedomofmind.com Resources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education. FaithTrust Institute https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org Support and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.United States Cult Recovery Hotline (ICSA) 📞 1-239-514-3081 Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers. RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) https://www.rainn.org 📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.Canada Cult & Trauma Support Resources 🧠 Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.org Phone: 📞 514-274-2333 Email: infosecte@qc.aira.com Canada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse. Offers confidential support, referrals, and information in English and French. United Kingdom The Family Survival Trust https://familysurvivaltrust.org Support and advocacy for those affected by cults and coercive control. Cults Information Centre and Family Support https://cults.org.uk UK-based information and guidance for cult survivors and families. Mind UK (Mental Health Support) https://www.mind.org.uk 📞 0300 123 3393 — Non-judgmental mental health advice and support.Australia Cult Information and Family Support (CIFS) https://www.cifs.org.au National support for individuals and families affected by cults. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hidden-cults--6633392/support.

Episodes

Ep.18 Synanon

September 6, 2025 • 66 mins
It began in 1958 as a radical experiment in recovery: a storefront in Santa Monica, a handful of addicts, and a tough-talking ex-alcoholic named Charles Dederich. What started as a lifeline for people desperate to break free from addiction soon grew into a powerful movement with thousands of members, sprawling compounds, and its own strict rules of life. Synanon promised transformation through brutal honesty and communal living, bu...
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    Ep.17 The Unification Church (The Moonies)

    August 30, 2025 • 44 mins
    In this episode of Hidden Cults, we turn our attention to the Unification Church, more commonly known as “The Moonies.” Founded in Korea in the 1950s by Sun Myung Moon, the group grew into a global movement that promised spiritual salvation through “True Parents” but became infamous for its mass weddings, rigid hierarchy, and intense demands on followers. We explore Moon’s rise from post-war Korea to international notoriety, how th...
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    Ep.16 Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

    August 23, 2025 • 47 mins
    The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or FLDS, is one of the most secretive and controversial offshoots of Mormonism. Built on the practice of polygamy long after the mainstream church abandoned it, the FLDS created isolated communities where obedience to leaders was absolute and individuality was erased. Under the rule of Warren Jeffs, the group became synonymous with forced marriages, child brides, and a...
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    Ep.15 The 7M TikTok Cult

    August 17, 2025 • 42 mins
    What looks like a dance collective on TikTok is, according to former members and family, something much darker. Behind the viral choreography and millions of views lies 7M Films, a management company run by Robert Shinn, a self-proclaimed pastor with a long history of spiritual control. Dancers who signed with 7M found their lives increasingly directed not just on stage, but in every personal decision, from finances and friendships...
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    Ep.14 The Process Church of the Final Judgment

    August 10, 2025 • 76 mins
    In the 1960s, a strange and secretive movement emerged from the fringes of Scientology and began preaching an apocalyptic message unlike anything the world had heard before. The Process Church of the Final Judgment mixed elements of Christianity, Satanism, and occult mysticism, attracting celebrities, counterculture wanderers, and eventually the attention of law enforcement. In this episode of Hidden Cults, we trace the Church’s sh...
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    Ep.13 The Narcosatanists (The Matamoros Cult)

    August 2, 2025 • 44 mins
    In 1989, a quiet ranch outside Matamoros, Mexico, revealed a nightmare. Police unearthed ritual altars, human remains, and evidence of a cult led by Adolfo Constanzo, a man who fused drug trafficking, black magic, and murder into a single reign of terror. Known to the world as the "Narcosatanists," (The Matamoros Cult) his followers believed blood and fear could grant them power and protection.
    This episode of Hidden Cults takes you...
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    Ep.12 NXIVM

    July 26, 2025 • 41 mins
    NXIVM promised empowerment. What it delivered was control, abuse, and branding. In this episode of Hidden Cults, we explore how a self-improvement group led by Keith Raniere transformed into a secretive hierarchy of manipulation, complete with master-slave dynamics, celebrity recruiters, and a cult of personality at its core. From motivational seminars to federal courtrooms, this is the story of how NXIVM unraveled, and who got cau...
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    Ep.11 The Rajneesh movement

    July 19, 2025 • 41 mins
    They came to rural Oregon dressed in shades of orange and red, following a spiritual guru who rarely spoke and a powerful woman who did all the talking. What began as an ambitious attempt to build a utopian community quickly turned into one of the most controversial religious experiments in American history. In this episode, we trace the rise of the Rajneesh movement, from its roots in India to the creation of Rajneeshpuram, throug...
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    Ep.10 The Family International

    July 12, 2025 • 44 mins
    Once known as the Children of God, The Family International began as a 1960s counterculture movement promising love, freedom, and a new way of life. But behind the music and missionary work was a dark legacy of manipulation, control, and widespread abuse. In this episode, we trace the rise of The Family from its hippie-era beginnings to its global spread, and examine how its teachings shattered lives across generations. This is the...
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    Ep.9 The Raëlian Movement

    July 5, 2025 • 44 mins
    A French racecar driver walks into a volcano and comes out a prophet. That’s how the story begins. What follows is one of the most unusual and controversial new religions of the modern era. In this episode, we explore the rise of the Raëlian Movement, a UFO-based faith that claims humanity was created by extraterrestrials known as the Elohim. Guided by their messenger Raël, followers embrace a future of cloning, interstellar contac...
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    Ep.8 The Nuwaubian Nation

    June 28, 2025 • 47 mins
    It started in Brooklyn as a small religious group focused on Black identity and spiritual truth. Over time, it grew into something stranger. The Nuwaubian Nation built pyramids in Georgia, talked about UFOs and lost civilizations, and claimed their leader, Dwight York, was more than just a man. He called himself a prophet, a savior, even an alien messenger. But behind all the symbols, costumes, and shifting beliefs was something fa...
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    Ep.7 The Manson Family

    June 24, 2025 • 49 mins
    In the heat and haze of the 1960s, Charles Manson didn’t look like a cult leader. He looked like a drifter with a guitar and some big ideas. But behind the music and the talk of love was something darker. Something that would end in blood. In this episode of Hidden Cults, we follow the story of the Manson Family from its earliest days on the fringes of the counterculture to the horrific murders that shocked the world. We dig into h...
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    Ep.6 The Peoples Temple

    June 21, 2025 • 49 mins
    Long before the tragedy in the jungle, the Peoples Temple looked like something good. Jim Jones preached equality. He fed the poor, welcomed the outcast, and promised a better world. But behind the sermons was a darker reality. In this episode of Hidden Cults, we follow the full rise and collapse of the Peoples Temple. From small-town Indiana to the remote settlement of Jonestown, this is the story of how one man’s hunger for contr...
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    Ep.5 The Order of the Solar Temple

    June 17, 2025 • 52 mins
    It began as a secret society chasing spiritual enlightenment, and ended in ritual murder and mass death. In this episode of Hidden Cults, we uncover the chilling rise and fall of The Order of the Solar Temple. Founded in Europe in the late 1980s, this apocalyptic group blended New Age mysticism, Templar mythology, and conspiracy to justify its descent into control, paranoia, and fatal prophecy. From its charismatic leaders and weal...
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    Ep.4 Heaven’s Gate

    June 14, 2025 • 47 mins
    In this episode of Hidden Cults, we dive deep into the haunting story of Heaven’s Gate, the first digital-age cult to orchestrate a mass suicide in the name of transcendence. Led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, the group blended UFO mythology, New Age beliefs, and extreme spiritual discipline into a tightly controlled system that convinced 39 people to willingly "exit their vehicles" and board a spacecraft they believed ...
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    Ep.3 Aum Shinrikyo

    June 7, 2025 • 45 mins
    In this harrowing episode of Hidden Cults, we dive into the chilling rise and catastrophic fall of Aum Shinrikyo, a doomsday cult that began as a fringe yoga group in Japan and evolved into a domestic terrorist organization with apocalyptic ambitions. Led by the self-proclaimed messiah Shoko Asahara, Aum's journey from spiritual seekers to the perpetrators of the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack exposes a disturbing fusion of min...
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    Ep.2 The Branch Davidians

    May 31, 2025 • 48 mins
    What began as a fringe religious movement ended in a fiery siege that shocked the world. This episode of Hidden Cults explores the rise of the Branch Davidians, the power of David Koresh, and the deadly 51-day standoff in Waco, Texas. A story of prophecy, control, and the moment faith turned to fire.

    Part 1 – Roots of Rebellion: From Prophecy to Power (1929–1981)
    Part 2 – The Making of David Koresh: Prophecy, Power, and Control
    Part 3...
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    Ep.1 Scientology

    May 24, 2025 • 49 mins
    It began with a science fiction writer and a self-help book. Today, it's a billion-dollar religious empire with tax-exempt status, celebrity ambassadors, secret doctrines, and a reputation built on fear and control. In this episode of Hidden Cults, we dive deep into the world of Scientology, from the early writings of L. Ron Hubbard to the rise of David Miscavige, from the promise of spiritual freedom to accusations of surveillance...
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    Introduction to Hidden Cults

    May 24, 2025 • 1 min
    From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent i...
    Mark as Played
    Transcript

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