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Hey! So today we're diving into the wild world of cults - those oddball groups with some truly bizarre beliefs. From hollow pear-shaped planets to folks who think living off sunlight is a thing, prepare for some absolutely bonkers cult tales you didn’t know existed!
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Some cults hide in plain sight as religions. Take Jehovah’s Witnesses. Yep, they show up at your door with their magazines, but some say they fit the classic cult checklist - even if that’s a hot take.
Ever hear the word 'cult' and think, "Well, that sounds scary"? Well, it usually means a group obsessed with one super charismatic leader who pretty much runs the show and keeps people trapped inside the group with some sneaky mind tricks.
Experts say you usually don’t realize you’re in one until you’re ready to get out - and sometimes not even then!
Key giveaways? Being cut off from friends and family, the leader bossing around your relationships, and a big nope to anyone who leaves (unless they’re still useful).
There's a wild group called La Mission de l'esprit saint in Canada. They think Earth’s shaped like a pear (not round). Plus, entrance to hell is at the North Pole, where Santa’s probably chilling - sorry, Santa!
They marry kids to adults, keep the kids out of school, and believe stars are hell’s light bouncing off an ice dome. You can’t make this stuff up.
Rainbow Warriors wander around Native American reservations preaching that the "real souls" of Native Americans are being reborn into other races - mostly white people. Spoiler: This tends to make Native folks chase them away fast.
Cult leaders often use fear to keep their crew close, making the group feel like the only safe space in a scary world.
They’re masters of brainwashing and control, so people obey - even when it doesn’t make sense for their own good.
I tried their Bible study and wow, the church basically rules your life. Dating? Only their people. Priorities? Ministry beats school. It felt less like a church and more like social homework with guilt trips.
This Texas cult started in the 80s by an ex-cop who married off his followers and reportedly had 20+ wives. Some even worked for me at Domino’s, having moved to town because, get this, they saw an ad in The National Enquirer. Wild, right?
These groups think African Americans are the true biblical Jews. Some street preachers rock purple and gold robes, and some segments get pretty extreme - and violent - thinking they've been ripped off by Jewish folks.
A guy named Anthony Williams convinced thousands he chats with ghosts revealing secret health hacks. Celery juice is magical, blueberries detox you, and doctors? Don’t trust them!
Followers get hooked on his books, supplements, and podcasts, spiraling into full food ritual mode and ditching their old lives (and friends).
I lost a friend to this mess; once lively, now stuck prepping endless meals and anti-medicine to the max. Yikes.
Meet Patrick Ryan and Joseph Kelly: the cult-busters! They help folks leave cults, sometimes over years. Yep, it can take that long.
Some cults are so intense they’ve been scared for their own lives - no joke!
Here’s how they do it.
Formerly "Xenos", this cult throws crazy parties at Ohio State to snag students. Then they cram a dozen+ into small houses and control their social lives. Feeling down? Better keep it inside or get shunned. They even changed their name because "Xenos" got too much bad press.
Online cult alert! Spiralism worships AI language models like they’re alive or channelling spirits. They see mystical spiral symbols in AI training data and go full-in on the weirdness. Definitely not your average tech fan club.
When a worried family rings them up about a loved one, these guys dig deep to understand the situation. Then, slowly, they plant seeds of doubt about the cult and help people find their way out.
Their work isn’t cheap - think thousands of dollars but hey, freedom is priceless, right?
French dude claims aliens created life on Earth and he talks to them. He’s still around and so are his followers, popping up in the news every now and then with new alien stories.
Founded by a Chinese guy kicked out of China, Falun Gong runs a big compound in New York and funds its cult through a touring dance troupe called Shen Yun. Pretty sneaky business model.
Meet Romana Didula, the self-declared Queen of Canada who claims the Canadian military crowns her and that followers don’t have to pay bills or follow Covid rules. Got a bit weird, didn’t it?
Braco heals people by... standing silently and letting you stare at him. Yep, people pay for that! Meanwhile, Hyperianism claims spiritual math unlocks truth. YouTube’s a battleground for folks warning others about these groups.
Hope Church in Tempe hooks freshmen with sports camps, chants, and team games, then guilt-trips and ostracizes anyone who doesn’t join their events. Even got banned on campus but sneaks back in. Creepy vibes all around.
Australia’s Plymouth Brethren cult bows to "Bruce Hales," a dude who’s supposedly so holy he hears God’s heartbeat. They’ve been busted trying to meddle in elections and rake in millions from real estate. Not so saintly after all.
Started in the 1920s, this cult made my great-grandma wear certain colors, eat vegan, and chant to alien-like 'Elohims' visiting portals. They also milk members financially, draining wallets for their vision of the universe.
Turns out this huge animal rescue has a bonkers past rooted in a 60s Satanic cult! Over time they ditched the scary stuff and became pet saviors, but the cult fingerprints are all over their history.
Today, their true god seems to be the pit bull.
Some folks actually believe you can live on air and sunlight alone. No food, no water. It sounds crazy, but yep, these Breatharian cults are still a thing.
They say Fiji is the apocalypse center and run restaurants and clinics, taking advantage of local Christian folks. It’s like the end times meet capitalism.
Yep, AI is already getting cult vibes in some circles. People treat chatbots like psychic mediums and swear by their digital wisdom.
They keep getting kicked off Chattanooga’s campus but always sneak back. Running a café called Yellow Deli, they lure students then make sure you’re 100% loyal. Those sandwiches come with a side of cult vibes.
This apocalyptic Korean church aggressively recruits college students using sneaky tactics and cuts off outside info. They deny being a cult, but former members call BS.
And then there’s the Kingston Group - polygamy and drama in Utah style.
What do you get when you mix Moonies with gun lovers? This cult worships the AR-15 as a holy "rod of iron" from the Book of Revelation. They even make gangster-style Tommy Gun replicas. God, guns, and cults - what could go wrong?
Met a cult that prays to "God the Mother," who’s apparently a South Korean aunt. They think stained glass windows are blasphemous because they inspire sun worship and only a chosen few get to go to Heaven. Wild stuff that snap you out of mourning!
Out in the Nevada desert, the Jamilians worship the sun and have heavily guarded desert land. Rumor has it, white Jeep-driving dudes chase people off their turf. Creepy desert vibes for sure.
A massive global cult that thinks non-members go to a fiery doom. They rake in thousands in donations, own a giant arena, and keep disputes hush-hush. People trapped here often smile on the outside but seem pretty miserable.
From my hometown, Ramtha’s followers believe your thoughts alone can create reality (no action needed!). Their leader apparently sued a disciple for copying her woo ideas. Science? More like magic tricks and chiropractor claims.
Picture a vegan, hippie group in New York playing homemade instruments and doing psychedelic forest ceremonies. They treat their guru like a god but aren’t exactly known for world domination. Chill... but still cult-y.
I dated a girl obsessed with Advocare and their conventions. And weirdly, they tried recruiting me too via surprise emails. Yup, definitely cult-like multi-level marketing vibes here.
Started by Jim McCotter, this cult pretends to be a normal campus Bible group but secretly digs up your secrets from “growth groups” to use against you. Watch out for their top recruiter, a campus preacher named Tom Short.
This meditation group follows a self-proclaimed guru and charges big bucks. Some of their practices have been linked to brain damage. Meditation or danger zone? You decide.
Want to master meditation and live forever in a new reality? The Monroe Institute offers pricey retreats and seminars that promise just that. Target audience? Older folks scared of dying. Scummy scam or peaceful paradise? You tell me.
This lady in LA cured cancer on stage (or so she says) with followers freaking out and screaming in the background. Reminder: every religion started somewhere weird; some just get weirder than others.
Japan’s version of Scientology, complete with wild anime movies that make you question your reality. If you love cartoons and cults, this one’s for you.
Ever heard of the Two-By-Twos? Probably not - they have no official name, no written docs, and pastors that stay with members in their homes. They just say they’re the church and the Bible is their guide. Weird but kinda harmless?
Imagine AA but mixed with religion and group therapy - some say Celebrate Recovery feels a bit like an MLM cult. Helpful? Maybe. A little eyebrow-raising? Definitely.
This started as a Lutheran church, then the leader flipped it into a Jewish survival cult building bunkers in Maine. Full control, arranged marriages, and strict tithing keep it going. The founder’s been dead for 20 years, but somehow the madness didn’t die with him.
This polygamous Mormon offshoot, known as the Kingston clan, has had generations of, well, close family marriages. Definitely a cult with a creepy family tree.
Fair Haven cult members go out of their way to shove their religion on everyone. Their favorite trick? Empty neighborhood ‘little libraries’ and replace books with religious texts. Sneaky creepy, right?
This cult is so fringe it’s hard to even find info. Centered around a shoe-shaped guesthouse, they preach a theology called 'the Line' and have creepy hell caves. Odd but harmless (probably?).
This New Age cult, with alien talk and Scientology-style moves, even has parents caught up in it. It’s like the universe’s weirdest club.
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