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PODCAST

Hidden Cults

From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world"s most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You"ll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We"re not here for the sensational. We"re here for the

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

40:43

Ep.39 Love Has Won

Hidden Cults ·

2026/02/01

Love Has Won began as an online New Age spiritual movement centered on healing, ascension, and cosmic purpose. Led by Amy Carlson, who called herself “Mother God,” the group promised enlightenment, salvation, and liberation from a corrupt world. What followers found instead was isolation, psychological control, and a slow descent into delusion. As Carlson’s authority grew, belief hardened into obedience. Members cut ties with family, rejected medical care, and were encouraged to surrender money,

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29:29

Ep.38 New Light of God

Hidden Cults ·

2026/01/25

In January 2020, police in rural Panama uncovered one of the most disturbing cult crimes in recent Latin American history. Hidden deep in the Ngäbe-Buglé region, members of a small Pentecostal sect calling itself New Light of God were found to have tortured and murdered seven people, including children and a pregnant woman, in what they believed were acts of purification and exorcism.Part 1 – The Leaders Before the CultPart 2 – Formation of the GroupPart 3 – Belief System and AuthorityPart 4 – Life

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32:57

Ep.37 Odaeyang (Five Oceans) Cult

Hidden Cults ·

2026/01/18

In 1987, South Korea was shaken by the discovery of 32 bodies inside an industrial factory in Seoul. Among the dead were the leader of the apocalyptic movement known as Odaeyang and several members of her inner circle, including children. What first appeared to be an isolated tragedy quickly revealed the final collapse of a tightly controlled religious group built around end times belief, economic control, and absolute authority. This episode traces the rise and fall of the Odaeyang movement, also

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41:32

Ep.36 The Family (Australia)

Hidden Cults ·

2026/01/11

For decades, The Family operated in quiet isolation in Victoria, Australia, presenting itself as a spiritual community built on mysticism, discipline, and devotion. Led by Anne Hamilton-Byrne, the group drew in educated professionals and vulnerable seekers, all while hiding a disturbing reality behind closed doors. At the center of the cult were children, many were adopted through falsified documents, raised under strict psychological control, subjected to punishment, and taught to believe Anne was

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34:19

Ep.35 The Twelve Tribes (Messianic Communities)

Hidden Cults ·

2026/01/04

In this episode of Hidden Cults, we examine The Twelve Tribes, also known as the Messianic Communities. What presents itself as a peaceful, biblical way of life centered on family, shared work, and spiritual purity has, for decades, drawn serious concern from former members, child welfare agencies, and investigators across multiple countries. The story spans from the group’s beginnings in the 1970s counterculture movement to the tightly controlled communal living environments that followed. We look

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36:50

Ep.34 The School of Prophets

Hidden Cults ·

2025/12/28

The School of Prophets formed inside a fringe offshoot of Mormon fundamentalism, where a small circle of men claimed divine authority and the right to receive revelation. At the center were brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, whose apocalyptic beliefs grew darker and more rigid as they withdrew from outside influence. What began as a pursuit of purity soon twisted into a violent ideology. In 1984, the Lafferty brothers carried out two brutal murders they claimed were commanded by God, shocking their

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36:14

Ep.33 The House of Yahweh

Hidden Cults ·

2025/12/21

This chapter follows the unusual world built by Yisrayl Hawkins in Abilene, Texas, a place where strict prophecy, end-time anxieties, and absolute obedience shaped everyday life. The House of Yahweh presented itself as the only path to truth, but former members describe a community where personal choices, relationships, and even thoughts were pulled into the orbit of one man’s revelations. We trace how Hawkins reworked ancient texts into a modern warning, how followers were drawn in by promises of

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43:58

Ep.32 The Love Family

Hidden Cults ·

2025/12/14

This episode examines the rise and transformation of the Love Family, a commune founded in the late 1960s by a charismatic figure who called himself Love Israel. What began as a small Seattle counterculture group grew into a large spiritual community that blended Christianity, communal living, strict hierarchy, and a belief in personal purification. Members surrendered their possessions, took new names, and lived under tight control that shaped their relationships, marriages, and identities. Across

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36:59

Listener Stories: Terrence’s Life in The Way

Hidden Cults ·

2025/12/09

In this powerful survivor story, sent in by Terrence, we hear his firsthand account of life inside The Way International, a group that began as a Bible study movement and grew into one of America’s most controversial religious organizations. Born into the group as a third-generation member, Terrence recounts life within the fellowship, its strict control over members, and its denial of key Christian doctrines. He describes the pressure to conform, the emotional toll on families, and the manipulation

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44:24

Ep.31 The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN)

Hidden Cults ·

2025/12/07

Founded by Nigerian preacher T. B. Joshua, the Synagogue Church of All Nations rose from humble beginnings in Lagos to become one of the most powerful and controversial megachurches in Africa. Millions tuned in to his televised healings and prophecies, believing they were witnessing divine intervention. But behind the spectacle were troubling questions about manipulation, secrecy, and control. This episode of Hidden Cults investigates how SCOAN built a global following through miracle crusades,

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39:08

Ep.30 The Black Hammer Organization

Hidden Cults ·

2025/11/30

In this episode of Hidden Cults, we explore The Black Hammer Organization, a radical political movement that promised liberation for the oppressed but spiralled into paranoia, violence, and control. Founded by a young activist with a gift for rhetoric and a thirst for revolution, the group drew in disillusioned followers with talk of anti-colonial struggle and communal living. What began as an online movement soon became a real-world experiment in isolation and fear. From the creation of “Hammer

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57:47

Ep.29 Order of Nine Angles (O9A)

Hidden Cults ·

2025/11/23

In this chilling episode of Hidden Cults, we descend into the dark underworld of the Order of Nine Angles (O9A), a shadowy occult network that blends Satanism, neo-Nazism, and paramilitary ideology into one of the most dangerous and elusive movements of the past fifty years. From its roots in the 1970s Britain under the enigmatic figure David Myatt to its global spread across online extremist circles, O9A has inspired acts of violence, ritual murder, and infiltration plots reaching far beyond its

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47:07

Ep.28 Angel’s Landing

Hidden Cults ·

2025/11/16

In a quiet Kansas compound called Angel’s Landing, self-proclaimed prophet Lou Castro promised salvation, wealth, and eternal life. His followers believed he was an angel in human form, until a suspicious death exposed a hidden world of manipulation, insurance fraud, and abuse. This episode unravels how Castro built a kingdom of control through fear, charisma, and the illusion of divine power, and how the truth finally tore it apart.Part 1 – The Angel of KansasPart 2 – Life in the CommunePart 3 –

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37:53

Ep.27 Dhammakaya Temple

Hidden Cults ·

2025/11/09

Founded in 1970 on the outskirts of Bangkok, Wat Phra Dhammakaya grew from a modest meditation center into one of the most powerful and controversial Buddhist temples in the world. Built on teachings of inner light, wealth, and merit, the temple attracted millions of followers and billions in donations. But behind the golden domes and vast gatherings lay allegations of corruption, political influence, and financial fraud. In this episode of Hidden Cults, we explore the rise of Dhammakaya and its

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40:44

Ep.26 The Shakahola Forest Cult

Hidden Cults ·

2025/11/02

In 2023, the world was horrified by the discovery of mass graves in Shakahola Forest, Kenya. Behind the tragedy was Paul Mackenzie, a self-proclaimed pastor who led his followers into the wilderness with promises of salvation through starvation. As families sold their possessions and withdrew from society, Mackenzie preached that death by fasting would deliver them to heaven. In this episode of Hidden Cults, we trace Mackenzie’s journey from preacher to prophet of destruction. We explore how his

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39:47

Ep.25 The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the...

Hidden Cults ·

2025/10/26

In the 1970s, deep in the Ozark hills of Arkansas, preacher James Ellison built a compound that fused apocalyptic Christianity with white supremacist ideology. His group, known as the CSA, trained with weapons, preached about the end of days, and forged ties with other extremist networks like the Aryan Nations. Families lived under strict authoritarian rule while stockpiles of arms and survivalist drills prepared them for what they believed was an imminent holy war. This episode of Hidden Cults

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39:32

Ep.24 The Chicago Rippers

Hidden Cults ·

2025/10/19

In the early 1980s, Chicago was gripped by fear as women vanished and bodies were discovered mutilated in ways that suggested ritualistic violence. At the center of the storm was Robin Gecht and his “Ripper Crew,” consisting of Edward Spreitzer and brothers Andrew and Thomas Kokoraleis, who carried out a series of brutal abductions and murders. Gecht, a former associate of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, wrapped his crimes in a twisted mix of satanic ritual, loyalty, and sadistic control. In this

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39:52

Ep.23 The Great Eleven

Hidden Cults ·

2025/10/12

In the 1920s, Los Angeles became home to a little-known but extraordinary cult led by May Otis Blackburn and her daughter Ruth. Claiming to receive visions from eleven angels, May declared herself the keeper of hidden scriptures that promised untold wealth and the coming of a new divine kingdom. Followers were drawn in with promises of prosperity and power, only to face bizarre rituals, fraudulent schemes, and disturbing reports of animal sacrifices and mysterious deaths. In this episode of Hidden

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36:32

Ep.22 The Brethren (The Road Ministry)

Hidden Cults ·

2025/10/05

Founded in 1971 by Jimmie T. Roberts, The Brethren, also called The Road Ministry or the “Garbage Eaters”, became one of the most secretive cult movements in America. Roberts demanded that followers abandon their families, possessions, and even their identities to live as nomads, scavenging for food and sleeping in fields while preaching an apocalyptic gospel. For decades, the group drifted across the highways and small towns of the United States, nearly invisible yet leaving behind broken families

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45:22

Ep.21 The Way International

Hidden Cults ·

2025/09/28

Founded in 1942 by Victor Paul Wierwille, The Way International began as a small evangelical ministry in Ohio and quickly grew into a worldwide movement. With its bold claim to offer the “keys” to understanding the Bible, The Way promised its followers spiritual power, absolute truth, and a tightly structured path to salvation. But behind the promises of enlightenment and fellowship lay a system built on unquestioning obedience. Members were urged to abandon mainstream Christianity, cut ties with

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