Let's Start A Cult

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 cult that brainwashes people, charges them exorbitantly for their membership, and never lets them leave. Get access to Part 2 right now on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Weird Distraction Podcast: Twitter Facebook Instagram Website Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Canadian SPIRIT podcast: Twitter Facebook Website Sources for this episode include The Famous People, the World Religions and Spirituality Project, The Laughing Man Institute official website, the Hermes Far Eastern Shining official website, The Daily Telegraph, Cult Education, and The Apologetics Index. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.  Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Sources for this episode include “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer, The Deseret News, The Detroit Free Press, True Crime Daily, Kuer 90.1, Grunge, CBS News, KSL TV, The Salt Lake City Weekly, the State of Utah v. Ronald Watson Lafferty (2001), and a Medium article titled “Brenda and Erica Lafferty: Revelation and Death” by Madeline O’Brien. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 figures, most of whom were only too happy to give up their salaries to fund their leader’s various whims. Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Mr. Bunker's Conspiracy Time Podcast: Twitter Instagram YouTube Website Sources for this episode include Ranker, The Journal News, The New York Post, Gothamist, Penn State University, and the website “I Love the Upper West Side.” Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 ‌religious‌ ‌cults,‌ ‌the‌ ‌way‌ ‌MLMs‌ ‌operate‌ ‌is‌ ‌definitely‌ ‌disturbing.‌ ‌ Go to HelloFresh and use the code HFAFF80 for $80 off ($50 - $20 - $10) Including Free Shipping on First Box! Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website TV Trivia Pod: Twitter YouTube Website Reddit On Wiki: Twitter Tik Tok Instagram YouTube Website Sources from this episode include the Management Study Guide, Fundera, Investopedia, The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, the subreddit “anti-MLM,” BBC News, The Snapping Point, Bustle, Vice, Go Banking Rates, Behind MLM, and The Balance (Small Business). Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Go to HelloFresh and use the code HFAFF80 for $80 off ($50 - $20 - $10) Including Free Shipping on First Box! Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Today's promo: ‎Killer Fun Crime and Entertainment on Apple Podcasts Sources for this episode include The Daily Beast, CNN, Bitter WInter Magazine, a text titled “Protestant Continuities in the Church of Almighty God” by Holly Folk and published in the Journal of CENSUR, the EU Reporter, Sixth Tone, Got Questions, Lonely Planet, and CenSAMM. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 missing to this day. Sponsored by Db Journey: https://bit.ly/37cP8YP 01:00 - Introduction 03:34 - Paul Schäfer 08:39 - Life In Colonia Dignidad 26:36 - Sponsor 28:06 - Colonia Dignidad and Pinochet 30:05 - The Unraveling of Colonia Dignidad 35:00 - Conclusion 36:36 - Cult Critique 39:09 - Outro Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Ye Olde Crime: Twitter Instagram Website Sources for this episode include The American Scholar, The Washington Post, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Bustle, The International Business Times, The Telegraph, the Deutsche Welle, The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC, and Al Jazeera English. Sources for this episode include All That’s Interesting, a Medium article by Lisa Marie Fuqua titled “The Ripper Crew Satanic Cannibal Cult Murders,” Listverse, Murderpedia, Windy City Ghosts, The Chicago Tribune, and CBS Chicago. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, despite the authorities describing him as worse than the infamous Charles Manson. Sponsored by Db Journey: https://bit.ly/37cP8YP Our Socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cult Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQ Website: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/ Shots And Thoughts: Twitter Instagram Website Sources for this episode include All That’s Interesting, a Medium article by Lisa Marie Fuqua titled “The Ripper Crew Satanic Cannibal Cult Murders,” Listverse, Murderpedia, Windy City Ghosts, The Chicago Tribune, and CBS Chicago. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we are talking about an Australian New Age Group called The Family. This group forcefully adopted children and raised them on a compound in Australia.Sponsored by Db Journey: https://bit.ly/37cP8YPOur Socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cultFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQWebsite: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/Reddit On Wiki:Twitter: https://twitter.com/redditonwikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/redditonwiki/Website: https://www.spreaker.com/show/reddit-on-wikiSources for this episode include Rolling Stone Magazine, “Unseen, Unheard, Unknown” by Sarah Moore, The Guardian, CBS News, a research paper titled “Anne Hamilton-Byrne and the Family” written by Carole Cusack of the University of Sydney and published in the Nova Religio journal, 60 Minutes Australia, BBC News, ABC Australia, and The AgeResearch by: Kayla DeleonSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LetsStartACult)Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Let’s Start a Cult – the story of the Children of Thunder, a trio led by a fanatic who believed that it was his mission to kill the leaders of the Mormon Church. To carry this out, he brainwashed his younger brother and his roommate to carry out a horrific murder spree that left even the presiding judge reeling from its bloody details. Sponsor: https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385Our Socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cultFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQWebsite: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/Reddit On Wiki:Twitter: https://twitter.com/redditonwikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/redditonwiki/Website: https://www.spreaker.com/show/reddit-on-wikiSources for this episode include the San Francisco Gate, Turner Entertainment, Murderpedia, The Independent, The Daily Mail, People Magazine, and the Cult Education Institute. Research by: Kayla DeleonSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LetsStartACult)Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unlike the majority of other cults, the House of David didn’t isolate itself from the rest of the world. In fact, its members even opened their commune to visitors, welcoming up to half a million of them during peak season. They also formed their own baseball team that went on to compete with the nation’s best, making headlines across the United States and contributing significantly to how the game has evolved throughout the centuries. Perhaps the most bizarre thing about the devotees of the House of David was how the men refused to shave and cut their hair. Photos show them wearing baseball outfits, with full beards and hair streaming down their backs. But as odd as their appearances were, the residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, where the commune was located, held nothing but love for them. Sponsor: https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385Our Socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cultFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQWebsite: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/Hush Hush Society Conspiracy Hour:Twitter: https://twitter.com/HHSConspiracyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hushhushsocietyconspiracyhourInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hhsconspiracyhour/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBHJv6RWJxDaHMbEKfCb_ogWebsite: https://www.hushhushsociety.com/Sources for this episode include:Southcottian Studies, The Guardian, Owlcation, the Detroit Free Press, Mashable, The Chicago Tribune, a Medium article titled “The house of David: The Midwest Cult that Was Really Good at Baseball” by Lauren Modery, the Cult Education Institute, The Detroit News, The Chicago Reader, the Michigan Radio, The Detroit Free Press, and Atlas Obscura.Photograph: Underwood Archives/Getty ImagesResearch by: Kayla DeleonSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LetsStartACult)Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aswang are horrible shape-shifting creatures from Filipino folklore! Listen to this test episode as John gives Josh and Sean an in-depth look into these terrible creatures!Get ready to listen weekly starting August 2nd! Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!https://www.spreaker.com/show/reddit-on-wikiSources:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswanghttps://www.movementdisorders.org/MDS/AOS-Partners/Movement-Disorder-Society-of-the-Philippines.htmhttps://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/aswang-the-terrifying-vampire-ghouls-of-the-philippines/https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Tikbalanghttps://www.reddit.com/r/Ghoststories/comments/bah2zb/an_manananggal_tried_to_eat_me_in_my_moms_womb/Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He may be long dead, but Charles Manson continues to strike fear in the hearts of many. This gaunt, unshaven man with wild eyes can be seen in dozens of photographs from the late 1960s and early 1970s – a period in American history that, interestingly enough, was marked by peace movements alongside murderous cults, serial killers, and all sorts of violence. Perhaps no other man embodies this chaotic period than Charles Manson. In life, he was known as a prophet and leader; however, he has since come to be regarded as evil incarnate, who turned a bunch of free-thinking youngsters into mass murderers. Sponsor: https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385Our Socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cultFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQWebsite: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/Crime & Compulsion:Twitter: https://twitter.com/crimecompulsionFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimeandcompulsionInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimeandcompulsionpodcast/Website: https://crimeandcompulsion.com/Sources for this episode include All That’s Interesting, Vox News, ThoughtCo, Biography, Encyclopedia Britannica, TIME Magazine, The Mirror, a book titled “Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders” by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry, Famous Trials, the Los Angeles Times, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Psychology Today, a Psych Blog from Penn State University, and Smithsonian MagazineResearch by: Kayla DeleonSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LetsStartACult)Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Let’s Start a Cult – we will be talking about QAnon, a movement born from an Internet messaging board that – in the space of four years – managed to infiltrate the United States Presidency, leading to a slew of disturbing incidents.Sponsor: https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385Our Socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cultFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQWebsite: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/From the Middle:Twitter: https://twitter.com/fromthemidpodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fromthemidpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthemidpod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ab3_gRkKlr6i4LsCq8hjQWebsite: https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpodSources for this episode include BBC News, Insider, Fast Company, CNN, NBC News, Slate, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, The Guardian, CBS News, Politico, The Financial Times, NPR, and The Atlantic. Research by: Kayla DeleonSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LetsStartACult)Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode of Let’s Start A Cult we are talking NEWS! That's right we are a news channel now... Just kidding but in there has been a recent incident involving the cult Love Has Won. We will dive in and find out how a cult with such a nice name came to embalm their own leader!Our Socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cultFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQWebsite: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/SourcesSources for this episode include Vice's Documentary for Love Has Won, The Denver Post, The Independent, CBS Denver, and CNN.Research by: Josh SchellSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LetsStartACult)Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices