Founded in 1955 by Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ gained followers by promoting itself as a religious movement tied to Christianity.
The Japanese cult was founded in 1986 by Ryuho Okawa, who truly thinks he is the human impersonation of a supreme being.
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Among the things they teach, the Twelve Tribes claim that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. This hippie-like cult has been accused of exploiting their children for slave labor and tax evasion.
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The group started in 1972 in Tennessee as an offshoot of a teenager prayer group who broke off from their Presbyterian church. They have since gathered an international presence.
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Following York's instructions, followers bought land in the state of Georgia and built the Egyptian-themed compound Tama-Re. York was eventually sentenced to life after it was discovered he was running a huge child molestation ring.
Previously known as the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, this personality-based cult revolves around leader Dwight York, who convinced people that aliens were coming and humans should prepare for a battle with Satan.
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As humans, we tend to have a fascination with cults, as they initially attract people with ideals of a utopian community. However, what usually starts out with an enigmatic and charismatic leader wanting to unite a group of people often turns into a tyrannical dictatorship with disastrous consequences. Many of them escape notice for several years and even decades, while others are at the center of media attention and continue to exert influence over millions of people.
The world has a long history of terrifying and gruesome cults that took things too far and continue to shock us even today. Take a look at a few of them in this gallery!
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The weirdest and most shocking cults of all time
The influence of cults has often had fatal consequences
LIFESTYLE Cults
As humans, we tend to have a fascination with cults, as they initially attract people with ideals of a utopian community. However, what usually starts out with an enigmatic and charismatic leader wanting to unite a group of people often turns into a tyrannical dictatorship with disastrous consequences. Many of them escape notice for several years and even decades, while others are at the center of media attention and continue to exert influence over millions of people.
The world has a long history of terrifying and gruesome cults that took things too far and continue to shock us even today. Take a look at a few of them in this gallery!