The Body International Inc. Team Syran Warner– EditorMinneapolis, MN, USASyran Warner wrote stories at the alternative weekly City Pages in Minneapolis for over 12 years. Loves working with enthusiastic writers, talking about basketball, and watching old episodes of Dateline before bed. Connie Coppersmith– Copy EditorMinneapolis, MN, USA Connie Coppersmith is a filmmaker and art school […]
There’s a used extension cord for sale at cultcollectibles.com for $300. You could find a similar one at a hardware store for 5 bucks, but that’s not the point. This common cord is collectors item, despite its modest appearance, because it came from the Heaven’s Gate house where 39 people took their lives in a […]
Next, we’ll observe Dr. Alexandra Stein’s list of warning signs a cult will display which was adapted from the godfather of cult experts, Robert J Lifton. These signs are critical if you want to understand the methods commonly shared by cults that allow us to define them. Even more important is that if you can […]
I was a member of Sukyo Mahikari for nearly six years. No, you won’t have heard of it. Practically no one has. It’s a Japanese New Religion. A lot of these groups started after World War II— Sukyo Mahikari started in 1959 and eventually reached beyond Japan. I wasn’t searching for anything when it […]
All cults share some important features in common. One of the most notable is the presence of a charismatic figure who rules over the cult with unquestioned authority. In many cults, this figure may be an ordinary person with an extraordinary ability to command the attention and obedience of a relatively small and obedient group of […]
Why did I get close? I was raised to be an obedient daughter. After entering the Akorino my mother would make me dress up in long oversize dresses and cover my head. I felt out of place but was afraid to go against my mother. We were encouraged to stand on our bare feet; this […]
Ervil was captured by Mexican police on June 1st, 1979. Shortly after the arrest LeBaron was handed over to the FBI for extradition to Utah where Rulon Allred had been murdered. Authorities couldn’t pin all the crimes that had occurred in the US on Ervil, but in the Allred case a few members of Lamb […]
Is The Body’s Australian sect a means to expand internationally or an elaborate goose chase primarily designed to keep secrets? Read More Arrests have been made. Children have been rescued. More information is coming out of Tonasket. Hold tight. Read More After years of reporting, The Land of The Body is finally here. This documentary […]
There was a time when a former member tried to speak out against The Body, and he almost succeeded in his plan. First, the ex-member wrote about his experience inside The Body and passed it on to churches all over the Kenai Peninsula. Once the faith community was warned, he got the attention of a […]
The Source Family was a destructive cult that went on to form a psychedelic rock band. In this article, writer Jim Haller explores the world of Father Yod and the unlikely group of hippies that followed him. It’s a story that could have only arrived in the era that birthed the counter culture. Read More […]
This is something ridiculous that happened in real life a little over a year ago. Some people will hate this video for obvious reasons, but for those who can separate the politics from the cult busting it’s fun as hell, and there are a few pieces of previously unreleased material scattered about that anyone who […]
It’s a truly insane grift: A right-wing extremist church that is a legitimate cult starts an illegitimate podcast about cults in an effort to appeal to survivors it’s trying to convert. True story. Read More
Alexandra Stein’s model is a fantastic tool to understand cults. Read More A guide to identifying cultic groups including Rick Ross’s three characteristics all cults share, Alexandra Stein’s 19 warning signs and Steven Hassan’s BITE model. Read More
Alexandra Stein’s model is a fantastic tool to understand cults. Read More It’s a truly insane grift: A right-wing extremist church that is a legitimate cult starts an illegitimate podcast about cults in an effort to appeal to survivors it’s trying to convert. True story. Read More
