Let's Start A Cult-logo

Let's Start A Cult

Education Podcasts

Join me (not in a cult sense), Josh Schell, as we dive into the dark and interesting world of cults! I will take you on a journey of how cults form, who their leaders are, and how they almost always come to an end.

Location:

Canada

Description:

Join me (not in a cult sense), Josh Schell, as we dive into the dark and interesting world of cults! I will take you on a journey of how cults form, who their leaders are, and how they almost always come to an end.

Language:

English

Contact:

6138909416


Episodes

Cultiv8 Presents: The Bohemian Club & The Bohemian Grove

4/24/2022
This week, the gals try and tackle the history and conspiracy theories surrounding the mysterious Bohemian Club, and their vacation spot - the Bohemian Grove. Tune in to hear all about the beginnings of the club, whose been involved, the Grove, and of course all things weird that are associated with it. As well, make sure you tune in regarding an important show update. Need a distraction? We got you. Podcast promo: A Little Wicked - Check them out! Please check out this link regarding how...

Duration:00:56:24

Bruno Gröning & The Circle of Friends w/ Lindsay Valenty

2/28/2022
We did it, Fred! We finally found a cult that isn't horrible! Because today we are going to be talking about Bruno Groning and The Circle of Friends. A cult whose leader died before it formed but whose followers managed to create a worldwide cult that believes in positive thinking to heal its followers. Consider supporting the podcast by becoming a Patreon Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Ye Olde Crime: Twitter Instagram Website Pineapple Pizza Podcast: Twitter Instagram Website This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Audible Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:56:41

Aum Shinrikyo | The Military Cult That Injured Thousands

2/14/2022
In 1989, the Metropolitan Government of Tokyo officially recognized “Aum Shinrikyo” as a legitimate religious movement. Little did they know that five years later, that same group would carry out a violent terrorist attack on the city, leaving 13 dead and a thousand others severely injured. Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:46:49

Cultiv8 Podcast Network Presents: The Belcher Island Massacre

2/6/2022
What better way to kick off the month of love then with a Canadian true crime case. This week, Alex and Christie discuss the horrid crimes that took place on the Belcher Islands, referred to as the Belcher Islands Massacre. Tune in to learn more about the area, and what took place in the 1940’s that changed a small community. Please note our deepest apologies if we mispronounced anything in this weeks episode! And, note a trigger warning is in effect for this weeks episode due to themes...

Duration:00:51:21

James Ellison & The Covenant w/ Shots and Thoughts

1/31/2022
In 1976, James Ellison moved to Arkansas, intending to establish a self-sustaining fundamentalist Christian commune made up of like-minded individuals who wanted nothing more than to dedicate themselves to God. But by 1978 – a mere two years later – he and his followers had become domestic terrorists who believed in white supremacy and were willing to resort to violent means to overthrow the government of the United States. Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Shots And Thoughts: Twitter Instagram Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:55:39

August Engelhardt & The Coconut Cult w/ The Dumb, Found Dead

1/17/2022
Cults are not always sinister. Similarly, cult leaders are not always manipulative sociopaths. Sometimes, all they need is one deluded man. August Engelhardt, born with a silver spoon, was many things, and one of them was delusional, something he shared with other cults and their leaders. You might wonder the peculiarities of Engelhardt’s delusion. It is nothing other than the obsessive yet interesting relationship he developed with the fruit with one of the hardest shells. This is a man that decided to give everything up for a life of nudity and a diet consisting of nothing other than coconuts. Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website The Dumb, Found Dead: Twitter Instagram Facebook Website Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:56:47

The Church of Scientology Part 2: The Indoctrination Process

1/10/2022
For many, Tom Cruise is a good-looking actor who rose to fame after starring in blockbusters like “Top Gun,” “Mission Impossible,” and “Risky Business.” But for Scientologists, Tom Cruise is a demigod who has become “Operating Thetan VII.” According to them, this status has allowed him to gain a wide range of superpowers, such as telekinesis, leaving his body at will, and controlling the behaviour of other living things – including humans. In fact, former Scientologist and actress Leah Remini once said, quote, “Being critical of Tom Cruise is being critical of Scientology itself. You are a person who is anti– the aims and goals of Scientology. You are evil.” End quote. It’s crazy to think that a belief system created in the 1950s managed to become so powerful that it was able to turn an ordinary human being into a deity worshipped by members. Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Weird Distraction Podcast: Twitter Facebook Instagram Website Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:46:51

The Church of Scientology Part 1: The Story of L. Ron Hubbard

1/3/2022
Super excited to kick off 2022 with this much-anticipated cult! The Church of Scientology may be controversial; however, its devotees have nothing but praise for its teachings. For instance, actor Tom Cruise once called it “a beautiful religion,” while fellow actor John Travolta publicly stated that it was only being criticized because it “really works well.” For many, though, the Church of Scientology is nothing but a dangerous cult that brainwashes people, charges them exorbitantly for their membership, and never lets them leave. Get access to Part 2 right now on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Weird Distraction Podcast: Twitter Facebook Instagram Website Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:54:03

The Hermes Far Eastern Shining Cult | Curing The World One Grift At A Time

12/13/2021
When Ann Fitzgerald met a group of New Age devotees at a festival in London, she thought that she had found a set of like-minded and supportive friends. Never did she imagine that she would spend the next decade in their grip, working 16-hour shifts without being paid a single dollar. Ann, however, was far from the group’s only victim. Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Canadian SPIRIT podcast: Twitter Facebook Website Sources for this episode include The Famous People, the World Religions and Spirituality Project, The Laughing Man Institute official website, the Hermes Far Eastern Shining official website, The Daily Telegraph, Cult Education, and The Apologetics Index. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:46:50

Let's Start A Cult Presents: Best & Worst Of 2021 | Capitol Riots, Musk, and More

12/13/2021
Hey Wikimaniacs! It's my (Josh's) final episode of 2021! Crazy right? Still feels like 2020...Anyways, I thought it would be fun to do a recap of all the wild and crazy things that happened this year. We touch on some very real topics in this episode but it's incredibly fun and we have our good friend Lindsay from Ye Olde Crime and Pineapple Pizza Podcast! She has some excellent takes and it's always fun having her on. So go check out her podcasts after listening to this episode! Enjoy and I...

Duration:01:33:37

The Lafferty Brothers' School of Prophets | A Family Cult

11/15/2021
When Allen Lafferty walked into his home on the evening of July 24, 1984, he never expected to find the carpet and drapes soaked in blood. Nor did he imagine that he would be the first to find the corpses of his beloved wife and daughter. Staring at their remains, Allen soon came to realize that those responsible for destroying his family were none other than his older brothers, whom he had looked up to all his life. Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Sources for this episode include “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer, The Deseret News, The Detroit Free Press, True Crime Daily, Kuer 90.1, Grunge, CBS News, KSL TV, The Salt Lake City Weekly, the State of Utah v. Ronald Watson Lafferty (2001), and a Medium article titled “Brenda and Erica Lafferty: Revelation and Death” by Madeline O’Brien. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:41:13

Saul Newton and The Sullivan Institute

10/19/2021
After graduating from Harvard University in the early 1970s, Paul Sprecher decided to head to the Big Apple, in search of exciting opportunities. Instead, he stumbled upon a group led by an increasingly erratic authoritarian, who sought to impose his views about sex and the nuclear family on his hundreds of devotees. Surprisingly enough, its ranks included prominent celebrities from that decade, as well as other high-profile figures, most of whom were only too happy to give up their salaries to fund their leader’s various whims. Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Mr. Bunker's Conspiracy Time Podcast: Twitter Instagram YouTube Website Sources for this episode include Ranker, The Journal News, The New York Post, Gothamist, Penn State University, and the website “I Love the Upper West Side.” Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:51:48

Multi-Level Marketing | The Cults Of The Business World

10/5/2021
In‌ ‌today’s‌ ‌episode‌ ‌of‌ ‌Let’s‌ ‌Start‌ ‌a‌ ‌Cult‌ ‌we‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌discussing Multi-Level‌ ‌Marketing‌ ‌companies ‌or‌ ‌pyramid‌ ‌schemes.‌ ‌From‌ ‌leggings‌ ‌to‌ ‌essential‌ ‌oils‌ ‌and‌ ‌kitchen‌ ‌knives,‌ ‌these‌ ‌predatory‌ ‌brands‌ ‌have‌ ‌manipulated‌ ‌countless‌ ‌individuals,‌ ‌causing‌ ‌them‌ ‌to‌ ‌destroy‌ ‌personal‌ ‌relationships‌ ‌and‌ ‌lose‌ ‌their‌ ‌life‌ ‌savings.‌ ‌ ‌ With‌ ‌tactics‌ ‌reminiscent‌ ‌of‌ ‌actual‌ ‌religious‌ ‌cults,‌ ‌the‌ ‌way‌ ‌MLMs‌ ‌operate‌ ‌is‌ ‌definitely‌ ‌disturbing.‌ ‌ Go to HelloFresh and use the code HFAFF80 for $80 off ($50 - $20 - $10) Including Free Shipping on First Box! Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website TV Trivia Pod: Twitter YouTube Website Reddit On Wiki: Twitter Tik Tok Instagram YouTube Website Sources from this episode include the Management Study Guide, Fundera, Investopedia, The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, the subreddit “anti-MLM,” BBC News, The Snapping Point, Bustle, Vice, Go Banking Rates, Behind MLM, and The Balance (Small Business). Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:58:32

The Church of Almighty God | China's Most Dangerous Cult

9/21/2021
The Chinese government is often criticized for its harsh policies against groups that undermine it. However, many have welcomed the measures that it has taken to repress the Church of Almighty God, due to the cult’s involvement in dozens of controversies, including riots, a stabbing at a primary school, and a vicious murder that was caught on camera. Go to HelloFresh and use the code HFAFF80 for $80 off ($50 - $20 - $10) Including Free Shipping on First Box! Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Today's promo: ‎Killer Fun Crime and Entertainment on Apple Podcasts Sources for this episode include The Daily Beast, CNN, Bitter WInter Magazine, a text titled “Protestant Continuities in the Church of Almighty God” by Holly Folk and published in the Journal of CENSUR, the EU Reporter, Sixth Tone, Got Questions, Lonely Planet, and CenSAMM. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:20:10

Colonia Dignidad | Chile's Secret Nazi Cult

9/7/2021
In today’s episode of Let’s Start a Cult – the story of Colonia Dignidad, a religious commune established on the foothills of Chile’s Andes Mountains. To outsiders, it seemed like a self-sustaining Christian community that strived to give back to the locals. However, it would later be revealed that it had ties to both Nazi Germany and the Pinochet government, which killed over three thousand people while a thousand more remain missing to this day. Sponsored by Db Journey: https://bit.ly/37cP8YP 01:00 - Introduction 03:34 - Paul Schäfer 08:39 - Life In Colonia Dignidad 26:36 - Sponsor 28:06 - Colonia Dignidad and Pinochet 30:05 - The Unraveling of Colonia Dignidad 35:00 - Conclusion 36:36 - Cult Critique 39:09 - Outro Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Ye Olde Crime: Twitter Instagram Website Sources for this episode include The American Scholar, The Washington Post, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Bustle, The International Business Times, The Telegraph, the Deutsche Welle, The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC, and Al Jazeera English. Sources for this episode include All That’s Interesting, a Medium article by Lisa Marie Fuqua titled “The Ripper Crew Satanic Cannibal Cult Murders,” Listverse, Murderpedia, Windy City Ghosts, The Chicago Tribune, and CBS Chicago. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:42:18

The Ripper Crew | Chicago's Satanic Cult

8/27/2021
The Ripper Crew, a group that terrorized Chicago with a series of abductions and horrific killings between 1981 and 1982. Later, it would be revealed that they would eat the amputated breasts of their victims as part of their sickening Satanic ritual. They may have committed these horrific murders but one of the cult’s members has since been released from prison. Even their leader will be eligible for parole in a few years’ time, despite the authorities describing him as worse than the infamous Charles Manson. Sponsored by Db Journey: https://bit.ly/37cP8YP Our Socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cult Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQ Website: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/ Shots And Thoughts: Twitter Instagram Website Sources for this episode include All That’s Interesting, a Medium article by Lisa Marie Fuqua titled “The Ripper Crew Satanic Cannibal Cult Murders,” Listverse, Murderpedia, Windy City Ghosts, The Chicago Tribune, and CBS Chicago. Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:59:57

The Family An Australian New Age Cult

8/10/2021
In this episode, we are talking about an Australian New Age Group called The Family. This group forcefully adopted children and raised them on a compound in Australia.Sponsored by Db Journey: https://bit.ly/37cP8YPOur Socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cultFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQWebsite: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/Reddit On Wiki:Twitter: https://twitter.com/redditonwikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/redditonwiki/Website: https://www.spreaker.com/show/reddit-on-wikiSources for this episode include Rolling Stone Magazine, “Unseen, Unheard, Unknown” by Sarah Moore, The Guardian, CBS News, a research paper titled “Anne Hamilton-Byrne and the Family” written by Carole Cusack of the University of Sydney and published in the Nova Religio journal, 60 Minutes Australia, BBC News, ABC Australia, and The AgeResearch by: Kayla DeleonSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LetsStartACult)Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:42:15

The Cult Of Podcasts Presents: Exercise Tiger

8/9/2021
Thank you everyone for such a huge success in our first week! Keep the reviews and tweets coming, they help blow up our egos. For today's episode, we will be discussing Exercise Tiger, a WWII training exercise for D-Day that resulted in over 1000 deaths! This week's podcast promo is from our friend at Infinite Banter. You can find all their information at https://li.sten.to/mWTiZG9. Follow us on social media on Instagram and Twitter @redditonwiki. Follow us as well on major podcast platforms...

Duration:00:37:55

The Children Of Thunder

7/27/2021
In this episode of Let’s Start a Cult – the story of the Children of Thunder, a trio led by a fanatic who believed that it was his mission to kill the leaders of the Mormon Church. To carry this out, he brainwashed his younger brother and his roommate to carry out a horrific murder spree that left even the presiding judge reeling from its bloody details. Sponsor: https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385Our Socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cultFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQWebsite: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/Reddit On Wiki:Twitter: https://twitter.com/redditonwikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/redditonwiki/Website: https://www.spreaker.com/show/reddit-on-wikiSources for this episode include the San Francisco Gate, Turner Entertainment, Murderpedia, The Independent, The Daily Mail, People Magazine, and the Cult Education Institute. Research by: Kayla DeleonSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LetsStartACult)Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:49:31

The House Of David

7/13/2021
Unlike the majority of other cults, the House of David didn’t isolate itself from the rest of the world. In fact, its members even opened their commune to visitors, welcoming up to half a million of them during peak season. They also formed their own baseball team that went on to compete with the nation’s best, making headlines across the United States and contributing significantly to how the game has evolved throughout the centuries. Perhaps the most bizarre thing about the devotees of the House of David was how the men refused to shave and cut their hair. Photos show them wearing baseball outfits, with full beards and hair streaming down their backs. But as odd as their appearances were, the residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, where the commune was located, held nothing but love for them. Sponsor: https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385Our Socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cultFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcl9qrvKAsXJTaBfVgKILQWebsite: https://www.letsstartacultpodcast.com/Hush Hush Society Conspiracy Hour:Twitter: https://twitter.com/HHSConspiracyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hushhushsocietyconspiracyhourInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hhsconspiracyhour/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBHJv6RWJxDaHMbEKfCb_ogWebsite: https://www.hushhushsociety.com/Sources for this episode include:Southcottian Studies, The Guardian, Owlcation, the Detroit Free Press, Mashable, The Chicago Tribune, a Medium article titled “The house of David: The Midwest Cult that Was Really Good at Baseball” by Lauren Modery, the Cult Education Institute, The Detroit News, The Chicago Reader, the Michigan Radio, The Detroit Free Press, and Atlas Obscura.Photograph: Underwood Archives/Getty ImagesResearch by: Kayla DeleonSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LetsStartACult)Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:48:00