Francesco Dimitri writes for Psyche: The Raëlians are not the only UFO religion born in the 20th century. They are the most laid-back, with their dancing nights and their ‘sensual meditation’, a far cry from the nihilism of another, Heaven’s Gate, whose members died in a mass suicide in 1997. The Aetherius Society is an … Read more“UFO Belief is a Modern Outlet for Ancient Spiritual Yearnings”
Blogger Felonious Monk writes on the potentials of ethical cults: When you look at the downfall of most cults, it almost always relates to the very thing that cults ask their members to give up: ego. And specifically, the ego of a leader who has become drunk on his (usually) power, treating members as his … Read more“We need a better class of cult”
Yoav Shamir’s 2020 documentary on the Raëlian religion offers a balanced take on what is believed to be the world’s largest atheistic UFO cult.
A featurette on the enigmatic Guilty Remnant cult from the TV series The Leftovers, set three years after a mysterious event known as the Sudden Departure caused 2% of the world’s population to vanish. I think one key to understanding the series, and the GR in particular, is to sympathize with the characters (and their … Read moreThe Guilty Remnant
Mark Wilding writes for VICE on Gudni Gudnason’s Modern Mystery School: The school describes this network as an “international community of lightworkers, initiated in an ancient tradition of service, compassion and empowerment”. Its critics, including numerous former students, describe it as a cult and a spiritual pyramid scheme, whose members face psychological trauma, spiralling debts … Read more“Inside the Spirituality ‘Cult’ Whose Members Allege Sexual and Financial Exploitation”
Kumaré documents American filmmaker Vikram Ghandi’s self-reinvention as the guru Kumaré, in an attempt to explore and expose the guru/disciple dynamic in the cultic milieu. Growing out his hair and beard, dressing like a holy man and imitating his grandmother’s voice, Gandhi invented his own yoga and other rituals on the fly, gathering a devoted … Read more“Kumaré: the True Story of a False Prophet” (2011)
The Lost Tribe enact the sacred ritual of the Tell in this mesmerizing scene from the third Mad Max movie.
In my quite deeply considered opinion, I’d make a terrible cult leader. I doubt that this upcoming Netflix documentary will change my mind, but I’m looking forward to it anyway. The culty cult story runs like classic Scooby Doo; you know exactly what’s going to happen, but it can be fun checking out the little … Read more“How to Become a Cult Leader” (documentary, 2023)