Cults

Nearly two decades after the Waco Siege, people are still wondering what transpired at the Branch Davidian compound. Though the government officially investigated and exonerated the FBI, some have found evidence of a massive cover-up. Did the government actually fire the first shot that led to 81 deaths? This episode is a crossover with Conspiracy Theories and originally aired October 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On February 28th, 1993, ATF agents raided a compound in Waco, Texas, belonging to a religious group known as the Branch Davidians. A 51-day standoff ensued, ending in a violent siege. Eighty-one people lost their lives, many of them children — but to this day, no one knows which side fired first. This episode is a crossover with Conspiracy Theories and originally aired October 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With more than 900 people dead, the Jonestown Massacre has sparked many theories over the past 40 years. Did the government have a hand in these deaths? Could the cult have been connected to the mysterious MK-Ultra program? And was Jim Jones murdered, or did he fake his own death? This episode originally aired on Conspiracy Theories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the command of Jim Jones, more than 900 followers of The Peoples Temple drank a beverage laced with cyanide in an act that Jones labeled “revolutionary suicide.” But was this truly a mass suicide, or was it a mass murder? And why do some people think Jim Jones faked his own death? This episode originally aired on Conspiracy Theories.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the finale of our Serial Killers and Conspiracy Theories crossover: By 2011, the FBI was ready to reexamine the evidence. A theory emerged: What if the Mad Poisoner was actually the Unabomber? Ted Kaczynski had proven he was a revenge-seeking terrorist, and he had connections to Chicago. Perhaps he traded homemade bombs for poisoned pills. Or maybe the deadly concoctions came straight from the Johnson & Johnson facility itself. In the absence of clear answers, only theories remain… and rumors that someone is still out there, replacing Halloween treats with fatal tricks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you enjoyed part 1 last week, we're back with part 2: If Roger Arnold wasn't behind the murders, who was? Police turn their focus to a new suspect: a disgruntled accountant named James Lewis. But the more police dig into Lewis's life, the more questions they have. The road ahead is paved with extortion, false identities, and revenge. This is a crossover special between Serial Killers and Conspiracy Theories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listeners, we're popping back into your feed this week to share a special crossover episode from Serial Killers and Conspiracy Theories. Forty years ago, cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules led to the deaths of seven people all around the Chicago area. America was gripped by paranoia and fear. Why was this happening? Who would be next? Police grasped for suspects who might be the so-called “Mad Poisoner.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Sun Myung Moon decides to step down as the public face of the Unification Church, the ensuing succession drama embroils his family in multiple scandals. Frozen out by his mother, Sean Moon decides to start a new organization — Rod of Iron Ministries. The mass wedding ceremonies continue, but new rituals have cropped up, too. This time centered on guns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ‘70s see Reverend Moon's star on the rise in the U.S. His missionaries have spread around the globe, his businesses are raising millions in capital, and his already vast reach is expanding. But the self-proclaimed “True Father” is about to face some of his fiercest backlash yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Branded a heretic in the towns where he preaches, Moon moves his small following to Seoul. There, his ranks begin to swell. Whatever slander and imprisonment he endures, Moon remains uncompromising in his vocation: find a new wife, raise the ideal family — and mobilize his holy mission out into the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In South Korea, a young religious convert thinks he's destined to become the second Christ. His mission is to unite every Christian and kickstart God's kingdom on Earth. What he creates along the way is a global empire and infamous political force. In this 4-part special, we examine the Unification Church, nicknamed “the Moonies” after their founder Sun Myung Moon, and explore the new religious cult led by Moon's son.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the early ‘90s, local authorities had long suspected something was off about the small, religious Florida community. A harrowing incident of child abuse gave them the proof they needed to take a harder look at what was going on. The more they looked, the uglier it got. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fifty years ago, Anna Young got away with murder. But the guilt ate at her. She leaned hard into her Pentecostal faith before moving her family to Florida to start fresh. Her “House of Prayer for All People” was meant to be a place of refuge and salvation. It didn't take long for things to turn sour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once you're in, there aren't many ways to get out. At least, not alive. But that doesn't mean people haven't tried. When Alex Sanchez decided he was done with gang life, he retired, and poured his life into helping others do the same. But his path forward was threatened by everyone from a vigilante death squad in El Salvador to the LAPD and FBI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By cult standards, they aren't one. But MS-13 does share a common language with even the most insidious fringe groups. Bound by loyalty, ideology, and power, the members of MS-13 make up one of the most dangerous gangs to ever exist. And it all started on the streets of Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By 2008, Daniel Perez had collected millions in life insurance payouts. Fake identities and fraud had kept him untouchable. But a tip to the FBI gave investigators the fuel they needed to take him down. And what they uncovered was so much darker than what they first suspected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A man claiming to be a thousand-year-old angel moved his small commune from state to state, never staying too long. When money ran tight, the mysterious deaths of his followers — and their life insurance payouts — kept him going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jim Baker might've attracted famous diners to his hugely popular restaurants. But “Father Yod” gathered disciples. And they were going to usher in a new age of Aquarius. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ancient aliens. Biblical messages. The final chapter in our new book details how Applewhite created an alternate reality for his followers, ending in tragedy. Listen to this clip from our Cults podcast episode on how his beliefs evolved. Then order the new CULTS book to examine his methods in full: parcast.com/cults Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Credonia Mwerinde leveraged the turmoil in 1980s Uganda to lead a movement that ended in death, destruction, and her own disappearance. Today's clip outlines the political and spiritual context she arose from. Go deeper into her life as a cult leader with Parcast's first book, available now! parcast.com/cults Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before he led the celebrity sex trafficking cult NXIVM, Keith Raniere had dreams of starting his own MLM. But first, he needed to seem like the right man to do it. Enjoy this clip from our Cults episode on how Raniere propped himself up as a genius. And dig deeper into his story in our new book, available right now — go to parcast.com/cults to learn more and order your copy!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The seventh chapter of Parcast's new book features David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidians. Enjoy this clip from our Cults podcast episode on his journey to Waco, Texas. You can find more information and order your copy of CULTS — this summer's can't-miss true crime read — on parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parcasters, the CULTS book is officially on sale NOW! You can order it online at all major bookstores, or go to parcast.com/cults to see what it's all about. In the meantime, enjoy this clip from our classic Cults episode on the insidious manipulations of Roch Thériault, a Canadian cult leader who brutally murdered members of his own cult, the Ant Hill Kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Keep sweet” was the refrain of Warren Jeffs, the Prophet of a fundamentalist group that broke off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As practicing polygamists, FLDS already drew the attention of law enforcement. But it was the systematic sexual assault that made Jeffs a fugitive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chapter 5 of Parcast's new book features the French sports writer who began communing with ancient aliens. Listen to this clip from our episode on Claude Vorilhon, and preorder your copy of CULTS: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them at parcast.com/cults!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was going on within Jonestown leading up to the tragic mass suicide event that claimed over 900 lives? Revisit this clip from our episode on Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, then go deeper into Jones's cruel methods of psychological conditioning in our new book. Preorder now at parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

His cult coordinated a deadly bioterrorism attack in America. But their beginnings are rooted in a spiritual ashram in India. Revisit a clip from our episode on Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, then go to parcast.com/cults to preorder Parcast's first book — where you'll find a compelling deep dive into this leader's history and motivations, including details never covered on the podcast before.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Narcosatanists performed ritual murders under the eye of Adolfo Constanzo. Today's classic Cults clip features some of the tales that burnished his mystical reputation. Listen here, then go to parcast.com/cults to preorder the CULTS book and dive even deeper into this black magic priest's life and crimes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The very first episode of the Cults podcast features one of the most infamous cult leaders who ever lived. Now, Charles Manson is the sinister subject of the first chapter in Parcast's NEW book. Revisit a clip from that classic episode, and check out parcast.com/cults to learn more about the must-read true crime book of the summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1980s, David Koresh was a man with a divine mission. He spent the decade ingratiating himself with a religious sect in Waco, Texas, using his charisma to prey on teenage girls in the community. The Branch Davidians gave Koresh their devotion. He delivered them to tragedy and infamy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1903 a traveling preacher put down roots in Benton Harbor, Michigan to prepare for the end times. Then he built a sprawling amusement park. A traveling baseball team came next. “King Ben” charmed locals with his hugely successful endeavors, until accusations from his followers sent him into hiding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Alabama, local Scottsboro man Glenn Summerford turned his back on a life of vice and became a regular church-goer who communed with God. A transcendent experience with a Copperhead snake in the ‘80s sparked a divine insight that grew into a movement… and later, a murder plot.  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don't miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They came to the edge of extinction in Tennessee, then had a revival in Island Pond, Vermont. The group led by Elbert Spriggs had roots in the Jesus Movement of the ‘70s, but in time, began to reflect the early Christian church of the first century. Critics fear the still-active group is brainwashing teenagers, abusing children, and exploiting the labor of its unpaid volunteers.  Countdown to the CULTS book release! Parcast's first book hits shelves July 12th. It's an unflinching exploration of shame, secrecy, power, exploitation, and destruction. Learn more at www.parcast.com/cults!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1945, the Agape Lodge welcomed a new resident, and Jack Parsons began his attempts to summon the goddess Babalon.  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don't miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more and grab your copy at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A trailblazing rocket scientist led a double life as an Aleister Crowley acolyte, jumping headfirst into the OTO after reading one of the famed occultist's books in 1939. Jack Parsons was always daring and unorthodox — how could he be part of Caltech's “Suicide Squad” if not? — and his forays into magick were no less extreme. Parsons rearranged his life and marriage in accordance with Thelemic teachings, turning his Pasadena mansion into the hotspot of the American OTO.   Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th and is based on this very show. If you love the Cults podcast, you won't want to miss this chilling summer read. Grab your copy at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He was called the King of Depravity, Wickedest Man in the World, and — by his own mother — The Beast. Aleister Crowley was a notorious occultist who rejected the religion of his childhood and devoted himself to a new kind of morality: “Do what thou wilt.” He joined the OTO in 1910, finding their beliefs — particularly around sex magick — aligned, but his initiation would prove to be a double-edged sword.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Denounced by local clergy, the Vatican, and even her own husband, Debra Geileskey was backed quickly into a corner. But Triple M was her empire. And she wasn't going to lose everything without a fight.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early 1990s a devout Catholic and former school principal starts claiming she's a divine prophet with a special connection to the Virgin Mary. Within a decade, Debra Geileskey has hundreds of followers in Australia, a monopoly over the town of Helidon, and donations pouring in for her “New Jerusalem.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By 2015, Grace Road Church had planted itself in Fiji to prepare for the apocalypse. They start a corporation and several businesses, allegedly all part of the Reverend's “master plan” for the island. For loyal members and newcomers alike, the road to Paradise is paved with intense sermons, “cleansing” beatings, and confiscated passports.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For much of her religious career, Okjoo Shin espoused mainstream Christian beliefs and stayed out of the spotlight – until she discovered a new way to interpret the Bible. Her followers grew to believe she was a divine figure who would be important in the end-times... so no one spoke up when her teachings became violent.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Nitrous Mafia have been a fixture at Grateful Dead shows and other jam band concerts since the ‘90s. They deal nitrous oxide to fans who want a taste of euphoria, but critics claim the cutthroat racket is taking shows' atmospheres from mellow… to menacing. This is the final episode in the special two-part series from Conspiracy Theories. Follow for new conspiracies every week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1960s a counterculture revolution was upending traditional norms of life, and the Grateful Dead were providing the soundtrack… and the drugs. Of course, this put them right in the crosshairs of the FBI. But while the feds had a file on the band, did they also have a deal together? Some say the disastrous Altamont Music Festival has all the markings of sabotage… Enjoy this special two-part series from Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify Original from Parcast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices