"Aum Shinrikyo" Pt. 2 - Shoko Asahara

Elbert Eugene Spriggs Jr. felt he could never live up to his strict Christian father's expectations. After three failed marriages and numerous jobs, Spriggs had a revelation that his duty was to bring people to God - but to do that he wanted to establish a new church...one where he would make the rules.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Maj 201850min

Jimmie T. Roberts lead a religious cult known as 'The Brethren' and targeted vulnerable college students looking for belonging. Joining the group was easy, but day-to-day life was harsh. Leaving was next to impossible.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 Maj 201854min

Although he had a lonely childhood and grew up impoverished, Jimmie T. Roberts found feelings of comfort and belonging in religion. We dive deep into Roberts’s life as we examine how he persuaded his devoted followers to sacrifice their possessions, jobs, and families for the sake of salvation.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Apr 201841min

Ma Anand Sheela orchestrated Rajneeshpuram’s movement from India to Oregon. As Rajneesh himself faded into the shadows, the cult’s grabs for political power led to wiretapping, poisoning, fraud and murder plots. We examine how Sheela was driven towards chaos by her husband’s death, and Rajneesh’s high expectations.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Apr 20181h 4min

Prophesied to die young and surviving near-death-experiences, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh felt discomfort with his own mortality from a young age. Over time, his spiritual studies and strong beliefs about capitalism and sexuality led Rajneesh to become a charismatic cult leader. This charisma attracted Ma Anand Sheela, the woman who rose from a 20-year-old devotee to a powerful leader in the cult that launched a deadly bioterrorism attack on over 750 Americans.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Apr 201858min

In 1992, musician and computer programmer Chris Korda founded the Church of Euthanasia with a goal to control population through suicide, abortion, sodomy, and cannibalism. We examine the controversial cult and its members, their performance art and publicity stunts, and how the Church of Euthanasia finally faded from the public eye.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3 Apr 201838min

At just 10 years old, Chris Korda began to feel deeply fearful of climate change, and she worried greatly about the future of Earth. After an extraterrestrial dream warning her of the dangers of overpopulation, Korda founded the Church of Euthanasia in 1992 with a mission to downsize the world’s population. We look into Korda’s life, and what motivated her to encourage hundreds of followers to avoid procreation and embrace suicide.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Mars 201844min

Michel Collin and Jean-Gaston Tremblay, the two excommunicated self-crowned popes of the Apostles of Infinite Love, gained a following after presenting themselves to have mystical powers and visions. We investigate how the cult influenced people to uproot their lives and sacrifice everything to live under strict scrutiny, isolated from the rest of the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

20 Mars 201842min