“The Workers' Institute” - Aravindan Balakrishnan

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 podcast HOSTAGE, featuring the riveting story of Patty Hearst's abduction by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Sponsors! Kopari - Go to KopariBeauty.com/CULTS to save $5 off your first order when you subscribe!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

23 Loka 201847min

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 Caramel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

16 Loka 201857min

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, Apostle premieres October 12th, only on Netflix. SimpliSafe - Go today to SimpliSafe.com/CULTS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

9 Loka 201856min

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 members. Sponsors! Caffé Monster - Available in Vanilla, Mocha, and Salted Caramel. Kopari - Go to KopariBeauty.com/CULTS to make the safe switch today, and save $5 off your first order when you subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2 Loka 201846min

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 a group of wealthy, good people called the Sponsors would create a Utopia for anyone who joined, only the Sponsors wouldn’t offer the program until Mankind United had reached 200 million members. Then his cult spread like wildfire. Sponsors! Parcast - Sign up for the Parcast Monthly Newsletter at Parcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

25 Syys 201855min

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 human sacrifices after the brothers hired a sex worker to impersonate a Goddess. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

18 Syys 201848min

By 1960, the Lumpa Church was the most influential religion in Zambia and seen as a political threat by Prime Minister Kenneth Kaunda. To avoid escalating violence, the Lumpa Church moved out of the villages to establish new settlements, but Kaunda demanded they return. When they refused, Kaunda destroyed the settlements and murdered its residents.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11 Syys 201842min

After a life-changing vision turned her into a prophetess, Alice Lenshina rose from one of the minor tribal houses of Zambia to become the founder and leader of the Lumpa church, one of the most powerful organizations in the entire country. At its height, it had over 150 thousand followers, until it became too big a political threat for the government to ignore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4 Syys 201848min