From Heaven’s Gate to Jim Jones, cults have been behind some of modern history’s most notorious acts of violence. Yet most people who get swept up in cults don’t even realize what’s happening until it’s too late.
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On March 26, 1997, police entered a mansion in a suburb of San Diego, California, and found 39 dead bodies. They wore matching dark clothes and Nike sneakers. They each carried $5 bills and stacks of quarters in their pockets.
The deceased had all been part of Heaven’s Gate, a group led by a seminary dropout named Marshall Applewhite. He had convinced them all to take barbiturates and alcohol, and promised them that after their bodies died, their souls would be taken by an extraterrestrial spaceship all the way to the so-called “kingdom of heaven.” The dollar bills and quarters were reportedly meant for the possibility of vagrancy fines and phone calls home from the afterlife.
Body of Heaven's Gate member after 1997 mass suicide (Source: San Diego Sheriff's Department, via Wikimedia Commons)
Like most cults, Heaven’s Gate didn’t draw in members by telling them that membership would eventually lead to their deaths. It started as a collection of New Agey courses, where Applewhite and his partner Bonnie Nettles – who nicknamed themselves “Bo” and “Peep” – would preach about the soul, aliens, and other topics. But when Nettles died, Applewhite’s messaging took on a more apocalyptic tone that culminated in the members’ deaths.
Still, at first, Heaven’s Gate wasn’t really so different from any religion, political group, or self-help class; it was simply an organization built on shared beliefs. But as with many cults, its leader took things too far, and members bought into his delusion – with deadly consequences.
What Is a Cult?
There is no precise definition of what constitutes a cult. The term is an old one and has not always had negative connotations. It was originally used in the English language to describe religious groups, such as Roman and Greek mystery schools that devoted themselves to specific deities.
Explore one of the most notorious cults in U.S. history in this hard-hitting MagellanTV documentary.
Today, the term “cult” generally refers to organizations with beliefs far outside mainstream thought. These groups often also engage in questionable or concerning activities of some kind. Some scholars have created more specific guidelines, but most agree on one thing: Cults almost always follow charismatic leaders who possess complete control over their followers.
Some people have taken issue with the term “cult,” arguing it can be used as a way to limit the freedom of certain smaller or non-traditional religions. Others argue for a broader definition, noting that political movements that ask for unequivocal loyalty from followers and that question facts and logic can also be described as cults. One thing is for certain: Cults as we know them today began to gain unprecedented notoriety in the second half of the 20th century.
Iconic Cults of the 1960s and ’70s: Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and the Children of God
One of the most notorious cults of the 1970s was Jim Jones’s infamous People’s Temple, which entered the public’s awareness in San Francisco. It began as a church that drew people in with its emphasis on progressive ideals and inclusivity, but members who left began to speak out about internal abuses, such as being forced to give up all their belongings.
Jim Jones in San Franciso, 1977 (Credit: Nancy Wong, via Wikimedia Commons)
Eventually, Jones moved the church’s members to the jungles of Guyana with promises of creating a utopia, but his paranoia and drug addiction worsened there. Everything spiraled out of control when a U.S. congressman and several journalists visited and were shot on the premises in the fall of 1978, after which Jones induced 909 of his followers into drinking a sickly sweet beverage called Fla-Vor-Aid laced with cyanide.
Another infamous cult of this era was Charles Manson’s Family, led by failed musician Charles Manson, who drew in followers – often young women – by painting himself as a spiritual and philosophical leader. Eventually, he moved his followers from San Francisco to a compound in Los Angeles, where a toxic combination of LSD, racism, Nazi-worship, paranoia, and delusion ultimately led the group to commit a series of violent crimes.
The most famous of these crimes were the Tate-LaBianca murders in August 1969. On two successive nights at two different locations, several of Manson’s followers murdered a total of seven people, including the actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant at the time. Manson’s motives remain somewhat unclear, though they may have been acts of revenge for his failed Hollywood dreams, or part of his plan to start a race war.
Another noteworthy cult of this time was the Children of God, which began as an organization called Teens for Christ in the late 1960s and later called itself the Family International. Its founder, David Berg, claimed he was God’s messenger, sent to Earth to guide his followers through the “end times.” Berg also encouraged free love to the extreme, which pressured members to have sex as a display of devotion – and sometimes allegedly led to incest.
Members often raised their families in the cult, which had 10,000 members at its peak (actors Joaquin Phoenix and Rose McGowan were both born to it). Berg died in 1994, and though the cult was being investigated by Interpol and the FBI at the time, it still remains somewhat active today.
Cults of the ’90s: Heaven’s Gate and the Branch Davidians
The ’60s and ’70s may have been a heyday for cults, but they didn’t just disappear over the coming decades. Heaven’s Gate, for example, still has a working website and a few scattered acolytes.
Another cult to meet a tragic end in the 1990s was the Branch Davidians. Cult leader David Koresh presided over a compound in Waco, Texas, and claimed he was a messiah; the apocalypse was coming; and he was being told by God to have sex with young women. The cult met an actual apocalypse of sorts when the FBI raided it in 1993 to search for illegally stockpiled weapons. This led to a 51-day standoff that resulted in shootouts and left 77 people dead. Whether the Branch Davidians or the FBI started the shootout remains unclear, but today, some Branch Davidians continue to follow the organization’s gospel in a church built from their former compound’s ruins.
Members of the Branch Davidians after their arrest (Source: McLennan County Sheriff’s Department, via Wikimedia Commons)
Modern Cults: NXIVM, Scientology, and More
Today, cults are still very much alive and well. Many modern cults have successfully capitalized on self-help and self-improvement trends, clearing a path for what might be called a contemporary cult renaissance.
One such cult is NXIVM, which existed from 1998 to 2021 and was led by Keith Raniere. Like the heads of many cults, he framed himself as an enlightened leader, and NXIVM roped followers in by offering basic, if increasingly expensive, self-improvement courses. But a long history of controversies culminated in Raniere being sentenced to 120 years in prison after being convicted of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, and fraud conspiracy. Among the most disturbing stories to emerge from the cult was the revelation that Raneire had created a secret in-group of women that forced members to brand themselves, to swear complete allegiance to higher-ups, and often to have sex with Raniere himself.
While NXIVM may have fallen, there are many more alleged cults that have faced controversies but remain active today. For example, some critics argue that Scientology operates as a cult, and the “religion” is known for taking aggressive legal action against detractors. Based on the work of L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology’s beliefs include the idea that it’s possible to completely clear out lifetimes of traumatic events by undergoing a process called “auditing,” which can eventually lead followers to an enlightened state called “Clear.” Members who have attained this status are exposed to more secret teachings, which are available to read freely online and some of which tell of an ancient alien leader named Xenu.
Scientology has been the subject of extensive government and legal inquiry, criticism, and controversy. It has often been labeled a profit-making business rather than a church, and members have also spoken out extensively about the severe psychological damage they suffered from the organization. Scientology has frequently denied any wrongdoing.
Another contemporary alleged cult is 7M, an organization that began as a Los Angeles-based Christian church run by a man named Robert Shinn. In recent years, Shinn also founded a talent agency that bolstered the career of a number of TikTok stars. However, ex-members of the church and talent agency have alleged sexual abuse, brainwashing, pressure to cut off family and friends, and much more, though no criminal charges have been filed against Shinn to date.
Unification Church symbol (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
There’s also the Unification Church, a religious movement that originated in South Korea. Known for mass weddings among its members, the group has been called a cult for a number of reasons, including the fact that its late leader, Sun Myung Moon, cast himself as a messiah. The group has often been accused of controlling members’ marriages and relationships, exploitative financial and labor practices, and more, and while its membership has decreased in recent years, it still remains active.
How to Know You’re in a Cult
You might be surprised to learn how easy it is to find yourself in a cult. These organizations often prey on intelligent and ambitious people, and frequently draw in people who are undergoing life changes or looking for community.
Here are some common tactics to look out for:
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Love-bombing. Cults will often shower new members with large amounts of encouragement and praise. However, this can shift to more critical, shame-based language once members are more indoctrinated.
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Specific language. Cults often utilize very specific terminology. They might call people outside “the enemy” or “sheep,” and might claim that their highly specific approach to enlightenment is the only truth.
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Us-versus-them mentalities. Cults might frame the outside world as sinful or deluded, and the cult as glorious and pure.
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Unpaid labor. Cults will often request unpaid labor or might utilize exploitative labor practices. They’ll often promise that if members do enough work, eventually they’ll be able to rise in the ranks and earn benefits. Sometimes, cults will also induce sleep deprivation by forcing members to work long hours, which can help to put members in vulnerable, pliable states.
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Isolation. Cults will often isolate members from people who do not follow their doctrines, especially from people who disagree with the cult’s beliefs. They may even ask members to cut off their friends and family who remain outside the cult.
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Guilt and threats. Cults will often say that people who leave will suffer negative consequences. They also frequently make people feel guilty for not committing more completely to the cult.
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Resistance to criticism and doubt. Cults will often use manipulative tactics to persuade members to shift their doubts about the cult to their own shortcomings. The cult might blame a member’s concerns or discomfort on their attachment style, past traumas, or work ethic; they will often ask people to reflect on their own issues rather than assessing problems with the cult or its leader.
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Discussions of apocalypses and messiahs. Cults often invoke aliens, apocalypses, and other tropes, but they go even further, asserting that only total devotion to a leader, ideology, or faith will “save” members. They will also often promise seemingly easy, clear, 100-percent effective ways to free yourself from all problems – if you only pay enough money or devote your life to the organization.
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Leaving a Cult
Exiting a cult can be extremely challenging. Anyone who suspects they’re in a cult should consider reaching out to unaffiliated family and friends. Disconnecting from the organization for a while is a good idea, too. Sometimes, particularly when the cult is more controlling, it might be necessary to get one’s finances in order and to develop an exit plan in secret before leaving. It’s always advisable to seek professional help during and after leaving a cult or high-control group.
If you suspect a loved one or someone you know is in a cult, this can be heartbreaking. Often, people who are indoctrinated into the cult will not respond well to direct criticism of the organization, so sometimes it’s best to simply be there for the person by offering support, asking questions, and listening without shaming or blaming them until they’re ready to make a change.
Cults come in many different shapes and sizes, and some organizations certainly have cult-like attributes without being full-fledged cults. Ultimately, though, cults are vehicles for leaders’ megalomania, narcissism, and controlling tendencies, which distort people’s desire for strong leadership and a better world into something much more nefarious.
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Eden Arielle Gordon is a journalist based in New York. Her work has been published in Slate, Atlas Obscura, Success Magazine, and Self, and she was formerly an assistant editor at Vox Media’s Popsugar. An avid world traveler, she is also a singer-songwriter and poet, and her debut poetry collection, Prisms, was published in 2024.
Title Image credit: Adobe Stock
