The Manson Family was a cult led by the infamous Charles Manson, active during the 1960s and 1970s. It consisted of around 100 followers he called all living alternative lifestyle influenced by the hippie movement and with plenty of psychedelic h*llucinogens. Exercising communal living, Manson acted as a teacher for his followers living at Spahn Ranch near Los Angeles.
In addition to the use of substances, mandatory free love sessions, and r*cial rhetoric, Manson asked his followers to go on a spree that famously involved the demise of actress Sharon Tate. Manson was eventually caught and convicted in 1971, along with four other members that were involved in the spree.
We couldn’t talk about infamous cults and leave out Heaven’s Gate, another California cult that resulted in a mass demise of its members – one of the largest in American History. In March 1997, 39 members of Heaven’s Gate, dressed in dark clothing and Nike shoes, drank vodka, and ate applesauce or pudding laced with substances.
Marshall Applewhite, leader of the cult, told followers he was the second coming of Christ, that God was actually an alien, and apocalypse was coming. This was done in addition to instructing them to cut off ties to their family and harm themselves in irreparable ways.
Children of God is another notable California cult we couldn’t leave out. The cult went by many names, however, including “The Family.” Two famous actors were once members: Rose McGowan and Joaquin Phoenix. Survivors of the cult recall the regular harm done to them within the cult.
The cult exercised the idea of free love and used female members of the cult to recruit people through an act called flirty fishing. Since 2004, the cult has been known as The Family International. Despite the occurrences within the cult, it still exists today.
NXIVM, established by Keith Raniere, started out as a self-help group but things turned sour-faced as numerous women were coerced into being intimate with him. Promising self-actualization, Raniere’s cult had an inner circle of women who were branded with Raniere’s initials.
These women were placed on strict diets and were ordered to give up collateral in order to be a part of it. The collateral, which might be photos or something of the sort that might damage their reputation, was to ensure the women never said anything of its existence.
Shortly after a 2017 article in the New York Times, the cult was investigated by the Department of Justice. Eventually convicted of a number of shocking offenses, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison.
The People’s Temple is easily one of the most famous cults in American History. Founded by Jim Jones in Indianapolis, he eventually moved his congregation to California and later a settlement in Guyana named Jonestown. The cult during this time was accused of fraud and other things that harm people of all ages.
US Congressman Leo Ryan went to investigate Jonestown, and this is where he would meet his demise at the hands of the cult members. Jones then instructed all members of his cult to drink Flavor Aid laced with harmful substances. They abided, and around 900 would never see the next day. Jim Jones subsequently followed.
One member wrote in a note: "If nobody understands, it matters not. I am ready to d!e now. Darkness settles over Jonestown on its last day on earth."
The Branch Davidians of Texas are infamous 51-day standoff with the FBI. The cult was first established by Benjamin Roden as a continuation of the General Association of Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists. Roden’s group was succeeded by his wife, who then had an affair with Vernon Howell – who later changed his name to David Koresh.
Amidst a power struggle with George Roden, son of Lois, Howell took up arms to overtake the compound. While Howell and his followers claimed they were trying to obtain evidence of George Roden’s illegal activities. The trial found the members not guilty, but not long after, Koresh and fellow Branch Davidians were investigated by the ATF.
When the ATF agents never went home, a standoff in 1993 between the FBI and Branch Davidians resulted in the demise of several agents and 76 cult members.
(the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; McLennan County Sheriff’s Office, Public domain, via Wikimedia Common)
Another cult fueled by harm was The Work based in Connecticut. Its leader, Brother Julius Schacknow, claimed to be none other than Jesus Christ reborn, and so told his followers he was sent to judge all sinners and save mankind from evildoers.
And he also coerced female members of the cult to be intimate with him, telling them he could heal illness and addiction through inappropriate contact. This included members of all ages. He died in 1996 at the age of 71.
Angel’s Landing in Wichita, Kansas, was the name of a 20-acre compound started by Lou Castro and a small group of people. Living an exceedingly extravagant lifestyle, members of this cult believed Castro was, in fact, an angel and knew when they were going to pass on.
Local authorities started investigating in 2003 after Patricia Hughes passed away on the compound. By 2006, the deceased’s husband also turned up in the same situation, which set off alarms. Detective Ron Goodwyn discovered that expensive life insurance policies were taken out within Castro’s inner circle that was then cashed in when one of them “had an accident”.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, there was prevalent violence towards the women and girls on the compound. Lou Castro’s real name was discovered to be Daniel Perez, who was convicted of 28 felonies and sentenced to 80 years in prison.
The Rajneesh Movement in Oregon was founded by an Indian guru named Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. He had thousands of disciples and formed a free love commune in Antelope, Oregon. He claimed to be the world’s greatest lover and had 93 Rolls Royces to his name.
In addition to being complicit in voter-fraud schemes to sway local elections, Rajneesh cult members had poisoned local restaurants, attempting to infect people with Salmonella. Rajneesh himself was never found to be in connection with the attacks. His second-in-command, Ma Anand Sheel was, however. And after being extradited from Switzerland, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Jayendra Lashkari, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; © 2003 Samvado Gunnar Kossatz, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Church is a Mormon religious sect that notably practices polygamy. While the cult is spread across the country, one location in Colorado City, Arizona, has had some major troubles with the law.
Several members were found to be having unlawful contact with younger members, including its leader Warren Jeffs. Jeffs made the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in 2006 and was captured that year near Las Vegas, Nevada. He was sentenced to life in prison plus another twenty years.
In 2008, some 400+ girls were removed from a sect in Texas and placed under the temporary custody of the state.
The Twelve Tribes was founded by Gene Spriggs in Tennessee. They are infamous for their use of child labor and accusations of abuse. And on top of that, their hateful views towards black and Jewish people outside of the cult itself. Its strict rules and charismatic leader have led many to label it as a cult.
Among the beliefs of the Twelve Tribes are that black people were born to be servants. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Twelve Tribes teach that this was “a marvelous opportunity”. In 2001, The New York Post claimed numerous child labor law violations. While evidence was not found for many of the violations, a few instances were, and thus the group was ordered to pay fines amounting to $2,000.
Founded in Boston, the International Churches of Christ is a non-denomination church many call a cult. The ICOC believes the entire bible is the inspired word of God and says their doctrine is based entirely on that book, believing it to be the authority of the church.
Five women have come forth claiming things that happened when they were children and a financial pyramid scheme at the hands of International Churches of Christ and its leaders. They claim the church actively covered up shocking incidents.
And this is not the “church’s” first accusation of wrongdoing. Back in the 1990s, former members claimed the church manipulated people into joining, tithing large amounts of money while also cutting ties with family outside of the organization.
The Nuwaubian Nation was initially set up in Upstate New York before moving to Georgia. Founded by several black Muslim groups, Dwight York abandoned his Muslim ideology in favor of Kemetism and the UFO religion. In the early ‘90s, he established the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors and became known as Malachi York thereafter.
He built a compound made up of Egyptian-themed structures and pyramids. But as solid as those physical structures may have been, the ideological structures were not so clear. To make money, women were ordered to work, and men were ordered to solicit money. But that’s not even why they made our list.
In 2002, York and his wife were charged with racketeering, among worse things. By 2004, York was convicted and sentenced to 135 years in federal prison.
Lord Our Righteousness Church is a commune in New Mexico that started as a group of around 80 individuals who migrated from Idaho in 2000. However, by 2008, it only consisted of about 50 members. The group’s leader, Wayne Curtis Bent, once claimed to be a Messiah but now claims to be an embodiment of God. Get your story straight, bruh.
British journalist Alex Hannaford once investigated claims made against the cult. A later investigation was based on allegations that Bent planned to have inappropriate contact with younger members of the cult. This eventually led to his arrest and, in 2008, his conviction involving these allegations that were brought to light.
Bent was released on parole in 2016 following a diagnosis of cancer.
The Church of Scientology is arguably one of the most infamous cults of the modern day. With numerous celebrity faces, including Tom Cruise as the face of Scientology, it seems to be exceedingly popular with the rich and famous. The “church” teaches, in fewer words, that humans are immortal and have infinite capabilities while emphasizing spiritual healing rather than anything scientific.
Established by L. Ron Hubbard, it’s believed to be a manipulative profit-turning organization under the guise of being labeled as a “church.” The Church of Scientology is said to engage in brainwashing tactics, harassment of reporters and dissenters, and even accusations of abuse and human tr*fficking within the organization.
(Scientology Media, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
The IBLP has a notable connection with the notorious TLC reality series family, the Duggars, the subject of Counting On. The IBLP is a cult that emphasizes obedience from its female members. It exercises control over its members, including courtships and materials it deems to be indecent, including seemingly harmless things such as Disney, Barbies, and Cabbage Patch Kids.
The IBLP pushes radical conservative ideas and practices on its women, often misogynistic in nature. Under the Umbrella of Authority, the husband has a clear authority over his wife, allegedly even in regard to physical intimacy.
Its former leader, Bill Gothard, allegedly harassed multiple women and covered up reports of harm toward younger members within the organization. He resigned as president in 2014.
(Image via: Institute in Basic Life Principles, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Peter Kramer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images
The Divine Order of the Royal Arms of the Great Eleven was a notorious California cult active during the 1920s. You might think that would have been a simpler time, but this creepy cult proves that the good ole days were just as bizarre! Led by May Otis Blackburn, the group believed that their leader had an open line of communication with angels who revealed the mysteries of the universe to her.
As if that wasn't odd enough, the cult found itself implicated in several scandals during its life that are beyond awful. While Blackburn never had charges pressed in these cases, she was charged and convicted on 12 counts of grand theft.
Love Has Won was a new-age cult that did not end well for its members or its leader, Amy Carlson. In the late 2000s, Carlson cut off contact with her family to form a group in Colorado, where she proclaimed that she was a divine being billions of years old who had been reincarnated as everyone from Cleopatra to Marilyn Monroe.
According to ex-members of the group, Love Has Won is a cult that manipulates its members with techniques like sleep deprivation and dehydration. In 2020, the group announced that Carlson had been diagnosed with cancer, and in April 2021, authorities found her body in a makeshift shrine.
Although they have faded into obscurity a bit, the Westboro Baptist Church was and is a controversial church in Topeka, Kansas which became infamous for its highly inflammatory protests meant to provoke an angry response from their opponents. They're frequently spotted holding large signs with purposefully hateful and attention-seeking slogans.
While they initially began as a group protesting the funerals of gay men in the early '90s, they have expanded their targets in recent years to include military funerals. While what they preach is despicable, they thrive on negative attention, and it seems that people have gotten the hint that the most devastating thing you can do to them is ignore them.
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society is the official name for the organization governing the Christian denomination Jehovah's Witnesses. While most everyone has joked about their unusual customs (like not celebrating birthdays) and their door-knocking antics, former members claim that the organization is actually much darker...and possibly a cult.
The beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses are definitely out of step with mainstream Christianity, but critics are more focused on what they consider to be a culture of secrecy and manipulation behind the scenes. This includes allegations of covering up abuse by not taking such claims to authorities but instead attempting to deal with them in-house.
