Love Has Won AKA The Cult of Mother God was started by Amy Carlson, who deemed herself "Mother God." The group believes Carlson is a divine being who has lived many lives, including those of Jesus, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe, which is an unhinged mix of New Age mysticism, conspiracy theories, and doomsday spirituality.
The cult was popularized by the Netflix documentary of the same name, which was released after Carlson's death in 2021 after her body was found wrapped in Christmas Lights in a Colorado home weeks after her death. Former members and their families have described the group as manipulative and psychologically abusive, leading many to call for it to be shut down, but a few continue to preach problematic beliefs, including rampant antisemitism.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON was founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966. ISKCON promotes the worship of Lord Krishna and the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra as a means of attaining spiritual enlightenment. The movement emphasizes strict vegetarianism, celibacy, and devotional practices.
The group has faced scandals, including allegations of abuse in its schools and financial mismanagement. The Beatles' guitarist George Harrison's most famous Krishna-inspired song is "My Sweet Lord," which features the Hare Krishna mantra ("Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare") in the chorus.
Founded by Watchman Nee and later led by Witness Lee, The Local Church is a Christian movement that emphasizes believers' unity and the establishment of local congregations. The group promotes a theology that combines elements of evangelical Christianity with unique interpretations. Due to its exclusivity and authoritarianism, the movement is popularly referred to as a cult.
The Local Church emphasizes absolute obedience to appointed leaders, claiming they hold a special understanding of scripture. They believe in a "living Body of Christ" on Earth, with the local church as its manifestation. Critics claim this fosters emotional manipulation and discourages independent thinking.
The Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT), originally known as Summit Lighthouse, was founded by Mark L. Prophet and later led by his wife, Elizabeth Clare Prophet. This cult is notorious for its doomsday prophecies, apocalyptic teachings, and communications with Ascended Masters, spiritual beings who guide humanity. CUT believes in the imminent end of the world and urges members to prepare through spiritual purification and survivalism.
Public perception of CUT has been largely negative, especially after the group stockpiled weapons and built elaborate bomb shelters in the late 1980s, fearing nuclear war. In pop culture, it's depicted as a classic example of a doomsday cult, especially considering that Elizabeth Prophet was worshipped as a reincarnation of Jesus' mother, Mary.
Founded by Bill Gothard, the Insitute in Basic Live Principles (IBLP) gained notoriety for its homeschooling curriculum and its association with the Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting. Strict rules on courtship, gender roles, submission, obedience, the nuclear family, and patriarchy raised concerns about control and fundamentalism filtered through Gothard's seminars and study materials.
Supporters praise IBLP's traditional values and family unity, while critics condemn its authoritarianism, legalism, and the numerous allegations of harassment and abuse against Gothard. These allegations led to Gothard's resignation in 2014, significantly tarnishing the organization's reputation. Former members have described IBLP as a cult, citing emotional and psychological abuse, rigid control over personal lives, and a toxic culture of fear and shame.
Unarius wins the competition for cult with the best costumes, hands down. Their extravagant, eccentric leader, Ruth Norman, was known for her outlandish costumes--as well as wild speculations that aliens would land on earth in 2001.
When that didn't pan out, the group moved away from specific predictions and now seem to be more "aging hippie" than "UFO cult."
On paper, the Raelians seem like a pretty run-of-the-mill UFO and sensuality cult (if there is such a thing). But what makes this group truly unusual is how open and chill they seem to be about it all. In cities with big Raelian populations, you'll often see them marching in parades or out in public, spreading the good news of the aliens who genetically engineered us and will one day return to teach us their secrets.
The fact that Raelians are open and downright chipper about the crazy things they preach are really what set them apart. It's somehow even weirder than cult doing everything in its power to keep their dangerous secrets a mystery to the outside world.
The Branch Davidians were a small offshoot of the Seventh-day Adventist church that were relatively unknown until the group made global headlines from Waco, TX in 1993. In terms of beliefs, they were your run-of-the-mill doomsday cult. What really made them famous was also what led to their deaths.
When the government went to investigate weapons and abuse allegations at the Davidian compound in Waco, a 51-day standoff ensued, led by cult leader David Koresh. When all was said and done, the compound had been burned to the ground and 76 members inside were dead, as were four government agents. Surviving cult members blamed the government for starting the fire, while the official report says that Koresh himself was the one to set the place ablaze.
Unfortunately, people ending their own lives is not unheard of in the world of cults. But unlike some cults who do this to escape their problems on the earthly plane, the Heaven's Gate cult did so with the expectation of amazing things to come in the next life.
Members believed that the earth would soon be wiped clean and that their only chance to save their souls from this fate was for them to leave their bodies before the appointed time, which involved catching a spaceship trailing the Hale-Bopp comet. They put these beliefs into action in 1997, when 39 members died en masse in the hopes that they would ascend to the "next level." Strangely, all were wearing black clothing and Nike shoes.
Scientology is the classic crazy cult. There isn't a thing this organization does that most people wouldn't consider absolutely bananas.
From beliefs that wouldn't feel out of place in a sci-fi novel to allegations of abuse, deception, and fraud, the Church of Scientology has a turbulent history. And they don't make things any better for themselves when they viciously and outrageously smear anyone who dares speak out against them.
In 1995, Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo was responsible for a nerve gas attack in the Toykyo subways that killed 13 and injured countless others. This unfortunately, is nothing surprising for a cult. What made them really strange was their belief system.
The group, founded by Shoko Asahara, based its beliefs on a number of different, seemingly incompatible religious texts, including the Book of Revelation from the Bible and various Buddhist and Hindu writings. When combined together, it made for an apocalyptic doctrine that involved the United States starting World War 3.
In the 1950s, an Indiana man named Jim Jones began the People's Temple--a movement that combined elements of Christianity with other philosophies like communism. While this was no doubt unusual, no one at the time could have imagined the horror that Jones would unleash on his followers (among others).
When things didn't work out in the United States, Jones moved the group to "Jonestown" in Guyana. Within a few years, everything had gone downhill. After murdering a delegation from Congress who had come to visit Jonestown, Jones "convinced" his 900 followers to die en masse. However, evidence shows that many of these people were forced to do so against their will.
Like many other cults, the Order of the Solar Temple had a real mishmash of beliefs and inspirations. They were clearly a Christian cult--as they were focused on the second coming of Christ. But they also drew inspiration from occultist Aleister Crowley, who was anything but Christian. Unfortunately, this weird mix would only lead to tragedy.
Between 1994 and 1995, more than 50 members of the Order would be killed or end themselves. What made these deaths unique, though, was the lack of centralization. Unlike other suicide cults, who generally congregate in one place and die around the same time, these deaths took place over months and occurred in France, Switzerland, and Canada.
The Unification Church (whose followers are sometimes called "Moonies") is arguably one of the most successful cults of all time. According to current numbers, there are more than one million adherents globally. However, even though they may have some mainstream appeal, their beliefs and practices are anything but mainstream.
Their primary beliefs are a weird mix of vaguely Christian ideas, but where things really get strange is how they live out their faith. These include mass marriages for thousands of couples at a time and the blessing of AR-15 guns. So yeah, definitely something sketchy going on here.
If you've seen the new, hit documentary, Wild Wild Country, you already know exactly how "wild" this cult was. After establishing a group in India, spiritual leader Rajneesh took his followers to the Oregon countryside, where they established a commune in the literal wilderness. They were your run-of-the-mill New Age-y sensual cult. But where things really got crazy is in how they interacted with the Oregon locals.
The small town of Antelope, Oregon was near the commune, and needless to say, these folks were less than thrilled about their new neighbors. Several attempted murders and political coups later, and the town (and followers of Rajneesh) would never be the same. Love them or hate them, this was a cult that knew what they wanted and weren't afraid to go for it.
Almost everyone in America knows about Charles Manson and the awful crimes he and his followers committed. These murders were both a test of loyalty to Manson himself and a way to bring about the chaotic end times.
After their reign of terror was over, a total of eight people had been murdered by the Manson family. Despite not participating in the murders himself, Charles Manson was still charged and convicted for them.
While Protestants might seem like the only group of Christians obsessing over the end times, apocalyptic thinking actually shows up in other denominations, too. Case in point: the True Russian Orthodox Church.
This doomsday cult decided that the actual Russian Orthodox Church just wasn't orthodox enough. So, in an attempt to keep themselves pure, they broke off and holed up in a cave in 2007. Unfortunately, this arragement didn't last more than a year. A part of the cave collapsed, which sent many members fleeing, and the rest left after the toxic fumes from bodies became too unbearable.
If you're a millennial in search of meaning, Unicult might be for you. Under the leadership of the insufferable (if not enigmatic) "Unicole", the group's beliefs are a loose (VERY loose) blend of feminism, witchcraft, and new age spirituality. What makes this organization unusual is that it's a cult designed for the digital age.
From livestreamed church services to curated hashtags and more, the Unicult takes full advantage of the internet to deliver its messages. Couple that with an obnoxious iridescent color scheme and what millennial wouldn't join?
The Family International is a cult with some high-profile former members, including River Phoenix and Rose McGowan. But don't expect them to give any glowing reviews; this is a cult with a hideous secret.
In the 70s and 80s, this group encouraged female members to practice "flirty fishing." This amounted basically to sleeping with men in an attempt to convert them. As weird as that was, it pales in comparison to the serious allegations of abuse leveled against the cult as well.
For the most part, the Eckankar movement is one of those "quirky not harmful" cults. But hoo-boy... They are VERY quirky. A lot of their practices tend to blur together as general New Age "stuff", but a couple of them stand out.
For one is their belief in astral projection--or the ability to control your consciousness apart from your physical body. But what really takes the cake is their most important, iconic practice: singing the word "hu" every day for at least 20 minutes.
The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God was a Catholic breakaway cult that ended in tragedy. The group was formed because it strongly believed that strict observance of the Ten Commandments was the only way to enter heaven during the end times, which it predicted would occur on December 31, 1999.
When that date came and went, cult leaders set a new date and held a party to celebrate it. Shortly after the believers entered the party, leaders boarded the doors and windows and blew up the building. In addition to this tragedy, which killed over 500, the cult was found to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of others.
In one of the most ironic twists in cult history, the group Concerned Christians managed to turn itself into the one thing it feared the most: a cult.
Concerned Christians originally began as just that: a group of Christians worried about anti-Christian bias and New Age influences. Within a decade or two, the group had morphed into an apocalyptic sect whose beliefs fall far outside the boundaries of mainstream Christian theology.
In the early 1900s the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka the Mormons) had a schism over polgyamy. On the one side, you had the mainstream Mormon church who officially rejected the practice. On the other side, you had the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS), who practice it to this day.
While polygamy seems weird, that itself would be fine if everyone involved was on board. But that's not how polygamy goes down in the FLDS church. Child brides, arranged marriages, and a leader in prison for sexual assualt are all the realities of plural marriage in this cult.
We get that some people are obsessed with the British royals, but the Prince Philip movement takes it a step further by claiming that Prince Philip himself is a god.
This belief, which is restricted to a small group on a small island near Australia, is what's known as a "cargo cult." This is a phenomenon where a technically underdeveloped society constructs a religion around the hope of recieving advacements from some other society.
If you're a child of the 90s or are the parent of someone who was, you may remember the Disney animated series Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers about a group of plucky, crime-solving rodents. And if you're like most people, you mostly forgot about this mediocre cartoon from two decades ago. Not so with the members of the cult of Gadget Hackwrench.
Gadget — who is a main character on the show — is worshipped by some as a goddess, and strangely enough, most of her followers can be found in Russia. This is not the only instance of people worshipping a pop culture figure, but it's definitely one of the more obscure examples.
