Cult leader

Look inside the cult leader's playbook for achieving unconditional love, endless devotion and the power to control people's minds, bodies, and souls.

Andrew Cohen was one of the most notorious gurus in recent history. His organization, EnlightenNext, collected millions of dollars from devotees. But soon stories emerged of psychological abuse, extortion and coercive control. Now group members, and Cohen himself, reveal what life was like inside the cult. What makes people join these groups and why do so many of them end in turmoil and tragedy?

This series exploring sects reveals how such organisations function like miniature dictatorships and rely on the classic techniques of propaganda and repression. This edition focuses on the recruitment techniques used by gurus to woo 'innocents' to their groups.

Don't you want devoted followers? Helpful tips for luring people into your cult and psychologically manipulating them into devotion to you, and enforcing your powers. A satirical drama.

On January 7th 2005, 29 year old Rick Rodriguez murdered his former nanny and then killed himself on a lonely desert highway. Hours earlier he had videoed his suicide note and this final message provided a remarkable insight into a deeply damaged life. It also lifted the lid on one of the most notorious religious cults to emerge out of the 1960s counter culture: The Children of God sect.

Elizabeth Vargas, alongside former members of controversial organizations, goes on a search to uncover how these sects use their influence to prey upon people's desperation to create powerful and often destructive belief systems. Each episode will take an immersive look at one currently active group through the eyes of past devotees and get perspective from believers and leaders that are still inside.

A suspected cult member crashes a gathering of her picture-perfect ex-friends to carry through with the cult’s order to kill them.