Let's Talk About Sects

Hare Krishnas are often seen as joyous, harmless people, dancing their way through the streets, chanting to bells in their colourful robes. But in one particular Australian offshoot, a young woman named Lina told me about her not-so-harmless experiences. Full research sources listed on each episode page at www.ltaspod.com. You can support the creation of this independent podcast at www.patreon.com/ltaspod. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 3 of Let's Talk About Sects. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Australian bushfire crisis appeals: Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery (www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/disaster-relief-and-recovery-donate), WWF's Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund (www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/bushfire-emergency), and Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities (au.gofundme.com/f/fire-relief-fund-for-first-nations-communities). Please donate if you can. Credits: Written and Hosted by Sarah Steel Researched by Haley Gray and Sarah Steel Music by Joe Gould Links: - About ISKCON — background at Krishna.com, accessed November 2019 - What You Need to Know About Hare Krishnas — by Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR, 22 May 2008 - Wollumbin — Geographical Names Extract, Geographical Names Board, accessed November 2019 - Wollumbin (Mount Warning) summit track — NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service listing, accessed November 2019 - Hardly Krishna — by Sushi Das, The Age, 2 June 2003 - Judge Rejects Charges of ‘Brainwashing’ Against Hare Krishna Aides — by Murray Schumach, The New York Times, 18 March 1977 - Krishna Expels Leader of Group Under U.S. Probe — UPI, Los Angeles Times, 18 March 1987 - Krishnas to file for bankruptcy — BBC News 8 February 2002 - Woman dies at NSW Hare Krishna retreat — AAP, The Sydney Morning Herald, 22 February 2006 - Hare Krishna Movement Details Past Abuse at Its Boarding Schools — by Laurie Goodstein, The New York Times, 9 October 1998 - ISKCON finds itself in a holy mess after students file $400-million sexual abuse suit — by Arthur J. Pais, India Today, 26 June 2000 - Interview with Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja — Perth, Australia, 23 December 1998 - Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja — profile on PureBhakti.com, accessed November 2019 - ISKCON - Lifestyle and Practice — The Heart of Hinduism, accessed November 2019 - The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant — by Edwin Bryant and Maria Ekstrand, Columbia University Press, 2004 - The Hare Krishna Movement: Forty Years of Chant and Change — by Graham Dwyer and Richard J. Cole, Bloomsbury Academic, 2007 - Krishna Payouts Begin — by Hector Becerra, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2005 - Murder, Sex and Free Food - How the Portland Sect of Hare Krishna's are Struggling to Overcome a Very Shady Past — by Frank Bures, Portland Mercury, 21 June 2001 - Dark side of Krishna: Looming class-action suit alleges physical and sexual abuse of kids — by Jean Sonmor, Toronto Sun, 4 July 1999 - Living with Krishna — by Marcela Rojas, Los Angeles Times, 23 March 2001 - To Hare Krishna and back — by Elizabeth Stieber, Northeast Times (Pennsylvania), December 2004 - Pure Bhakti Yoga Society — Bhakti Yoga meeting invitation, Murwillumbah, accessed December 2019 - The Truth About Srila B.V.Narayan Maharaja Parts I-IV — by Madan Mohan Dasa, response to the GBC Position Paper Concerning Srila Narayana Maharaja, accessed December 2019 - Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thaku

WANTED: families to volunteer to live for six months in the Australian outback “to advance the frontiers of social science.” Be part of a cutting edge research project to test the ideal human environment. In a country known for a population that loves to travel, the write-ups appealed to plenty of adventurous spirits. Little did they know the reality of what they would be getting themselves into. Full research sources listed on each episode page at www.ltaspod.com. You can support the creation of this independent podcast at www.patreon.com/ltaspod. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 3 of Let's Talk About Sects. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Credits: Written, Researched and Hosted by Sarah Steel Music by Joe Gould Sources: - A snake in the grass — by Andrew Burrell, The Weekend Australian Magazine, 24 August 2019 - The Utopia Project — by Andrew Burrell, The Weekend Australian Magazine, 8 August 2015 - Cult friction — by Frank Robson, Good Weekend, 6 November 1999 - Cult leader James 'Taipan' Salerno jailed for repeated sexual abuse of teenage girl — by Rebecca Opie, ABC News, 29 July 2019 - Leader of Adelaide Cult the ‘Ideal Human Environment’ Has Been Jailed for Sexual Abuse — by Gavin Butler, VICE, 30 July 2019 - Salute to Adelaide Hills cult leader inspired by Gladiator movie, court told — by Rebecca Opie, ABC News, 19 October 2018 - This Aussie Cult Boss Was Allegedly Inspired by Russell Crowe in Gladiator — by Gavin Butler, VICE, 19 October 2018 - 'I felt like a piece of meat': Victim of cult leader James Salerno tells court of continued trauma — by Candice Prosser, ABC News, 8 July 2019 - Adelaide Hills cult members had to call their leader 'Taipan', court details reveal — by Rebecca Opie, ABC News, 19 June 2018 - Adelaide Hills cult leader James Salerno found guilty of unlawful sexual intercourse — by Claire Campbell & Rebecca Opie, ABC News, 24 May 2019 - Old Downer mansion goes for $4m — by Russell Emmerson, The Adelaide Advertiser, 24 January 2008 - Achieving harmony — by Marlborough Express, 17 January 2015 - Study and Prevention of Psychological Diseases Foundation v Commissioner of Taxation [2015] FCA 1117 — judgement of Justice J Greenwood, Federal Court of Australia, 21 October 2015 - Ideal Human Environment Foundation Incorporated — Australian Charities & Not-for-Profits Commission Charity Register entry - Salerno Pastoral Company at home on the range — by Matt Brann, ABC News, 22 July 2012 - SA cult leader jailed for abusing teen girl — by Tim Dornin, AAP, 9 News, 29 July 2019 - 'Happiness' guru arrested on child-sex allegations — by Andrew Burrell, The Australian, 25 November 2015 - Inbox / Letters to the Editor — includes letter by Robert D. Moore, The Weekend Australian Magazine, 7 September 2019 - Inside the Cult of Taipan — by Mitch Mott, The Adelaide Advertiser, 3 August 2019 - Human nature sullies the perfect society — by Martin Daly, The Sunday Age, 3 October 1999 - Nationals unable to make a finding in Barnaby Joyce sexual harassment case launched by Catherine Marriott — by Louise Yaxley, ABC News, 7 September 2018 - For Emma Salerno her family is her business — by Ann Wason Moore, The Gold Coast Bulletin, 23 March 2019 - Inside James Salerno's cult and its quest to create the 'ideal human environment' — by Claire Campbell, Rebecca Opie & Daniel Keane, 1 August 2019 - Kimberley cult leader James Gino Salerno sexually abused young follower — by John Flint & Sean Fews

Followers of The Move rejected mainstream society and headed into the wilderness in the 1970s, building isolated communities that were to set them up for the coming Apocalypse. Many ex-members would later tell stories of physical hardship, beatings, and worse, experienced in these communities. Move leader Sam Fife told devotees that should he ever die, they could consider it proof that he was a false prophet. Full research sources listed on each episode page at www.ltaspod.com. You can support the creation of this independent podcast at www.patreon.com/ltaspod. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 3 of Let's Talk About Sects. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Credits: Written, Researched and Hosted by Sarah Steel Music by Joe Gould Links: - Swindled by Faith: A Time For Reconciliation — by Richard A Kiers, Tellwell Talent, 2019 - Practices of Cults Receiving New Scrutiny — The New York Times, 21 January 1979 - From Survivor to Thriver — by Angela “Vennie” Kocsis, ICSA Today, Vol. 5, No. 3, 2014 - Cult Child — by Vennie Kocsis, Amazon, 2014 - Vennie Kocsis’ website — includes various collected materials about The Move - Brother Sam Prepares His Flock For The ‘End Days’ — by Adon Taft, Charleston Daily, 10 April 1975 - God’s School of Divine Government — by Sam Fife, 1974 - Awaiting apocalypse in the Peace River Valley — by Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, 27 October 2016 - Peace River commune awaits imminent apocalypse: Christian community of 250 shuns TV and requires year-long courtship void of physical contact — by Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, 22 September 2003 - Divine Order Teaching #22: Divine Order for Raising Children — by Sam Fife, 1970 - Jane Miller exorcism recording - Open Letter to the Ministry of the Move — by Julie Leland Biggerstaff, Ross W. Bracewell, Michael Martella & Greg Sitteg - The Move Terminology — Vennie Kocsis - Buddy Cobb — video taken by his granddaughter Ang Cobb, 2 April 2017 - Vince Vaughn's stepfather liable in goat blood drug case, jury finds — by Kim Janssen, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2016 - 15 years for man who defrauded execs — by Jonathan Horn, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 September 2013 - Christian cult leader worked Tampa “BLACK ICE” Operation — by Daniel Hopsicker, 6 March 2014 - Tampa ‘Black Ice” drug operation tied to organized crime — by Daniel Hopsicker, 1 April 2014 - Doctor pays for helping friend — by John Tedesco, My San Antonio, 25 August 2012 - People Magazine Investigates: Cults — Investigation Discovery, 2 July 2019 - My Story — by Glori Williams, 29 March 2014 - One Survivor Among Many — video by ex-member Suzanne McConnell, 21 January 2014 - IMA (the Move) Religious Cult Disguised as Christian Church – Hub page by ex-member Jacqueline Jarvis, updated 15 July 2018 - No Place Like Home: My life in an all american religious cult – ex-member Lisa Kendall’s website - Part I – How a Religious Cult Ruined My Life – blog post by ex-member by Lisa Kendall, 20 January 2018 - Man Recounts Desperation to Leave Cult as Young Boy: 'The Only Escape Was ... to Choose Hell' – by Jeff Truesdell, People, 1 July 2019 - Survivor of Religious Cult Known as The Move: 'I Was Fighting Against Becoming One of Them' – by Jeff Truesdell, People, 28 June 2019 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Australian esoteric healing organisation Universal Medicine teaches that entities known as The Four Lords of Form rule over 9-foot-tall spirits that are all around us, and that most people have lived at least 2,300 lives before. Former student Matt Sutherland told Sunday Night journalist Matt Doran that he would describe Universal Medicine’s founder Serge Benhayon as “a human wrecking ball.” CORRECTION: The 'groping' allegations were found to be conveyed by the publication but the court did not find that Esther Rockett had proven them true. Defences of honest opinion and qualified privilege were upheld for these allegations. Full research sources listed on each episode page at www.ltaspod.com. You can support the creation of this independent podcast at www.patreon.com/ltaspod. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 3 of Let's Talk About Sects. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Credits: Written, Researched and Hosted by Sarah Steel Music by Joe Gould Links: - The Cult: International investigation into Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine — by Matt Doran, Sunday Night, Channel 7, 17 February 2019 - Australian cult leader Serge Benhayon targeted in international investigation — by Matt Doran, Sunday Night, Channel 7, 15 May 2019 - The Da Vinci Mode — by David Leser, Good Weekend, 25 August 2012 - Universal Medicine follower's daughter releases private emails between mother and 'cult' leader — by Josh Robertson, ABC News, 10 November 2017 - Universal Medicine cult founder exposed as ‘charlatan’ — by Rhian Deutrom, news.com.au, 18 February 2019 - Universal Medicine 'cult' received hundreds of thousands in charity donations from prominent donors — by Josh Robertson, ABC News, 14 September 2019 - Universal Medicine Facebook page — accessed September 2019 - Universal Medicine website — accessed September 2019 - Serge Benhayon’s website — accessed September 2019 - Unimed Living website — accessed September 2019 - The Truth about Universal Medicine — blog by students of Universal Medicine, accessed September 2019 - Universal Medicine Exposed — website by students of Universal Medicine, accessed September 2019 - The College of Universal Medicine — website accessed September 2019 - Esoteric Breast Massage website — archived in March 2012 by the Wayback Machine - Self-styled healer Serge Benhayon leads 'socially harmful cult': jury — by Michaela Whitbourn, The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 October 2018 - Esther Rockett’s blog — accessed September 2019 - Benhayon v Rockett (No 8) [2019] NSWSC 169 — Supreme Court of NSW final determination, 6 December 2018 - Benhayon v Rockett (No 9) [2019] NSWSC 172 — Supreme Court of NSW costs determination, 28 February 2019 - Parliament of NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard — 21 August 2019 - How one hippie town became the anti-vaxxer capital of Australia — by Tim Elliott, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 June 2019 - Australian Charity Register listing for College of Universal Medicine — accessed on 27 September 2019 - 'Cult' cures on Medicare — by Heath Aston, The Sydney Morning Herald, 22 July 2012 - Controversial health provider under investigation — by Samantha Turnbull and Bruce MacKenzie, ABC North Coast NSW 23 July 2012 - Rick Ross Cult Education Institute Forum — thread started by Herbert Kane, 15 January 2012 - Jane Hansen: How Universal Medicine bullied me — by Jane Hansen, The Sunday Telegraph, 15 March 2015 - Lance Martin’s blog — accessed September 2019 - Doctor rebuked

Edgar Bronfman Sr. of the Seagram liquor fortune once wrote a testimonial for a course he had taken through an organisation called Executive Success Programs, or ESP. He said, quote, “If everyone were to go through this training, the world would be a much better and safer place to live.” Seventeen years later, the leader and inner circle of that same organisation, now going under the name NXIVM, would be on trial for charges including sex trafficking, forced labour, fraud, extortion and child pornography. Full research sources listed on each episode page at www.ltaspod.com. You can support the creation of this independent podcast at www.patreon.com/ltaspod. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 3 of Let's Talk About Sects. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info. Credits: Written and Hosted by Sarah Steel Researched by Haley Gray and Sarah Steel Music by Joe Gould Links: - The Founder of “Nxivm,” a Purported Self-Help Organization Based in Albany, N.Y., Arrested for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor Conspiracy — US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York - Complaint and Affidavit — US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York - Jury Finds Nxivm Leader Keith Raniere Guilty of All Counts — US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York - Founder Of “Nxivm,” a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Five Others Charged in Superseding Indictment with Racketeering Conspiracy — US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York - Founder of “NXIVM,” a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Actor Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor Conspiracy — US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York - Indictment — US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York - FBI raids NXIVM president's house as Raniere appears in federal court — by Brendan J. Lyons, Albany Times Union, 27 March 2018 - Rochester woman tells all about life with NXIVM's Keith Raniere, her ex — by Jon Campbell, Democrat and Chronicle, 8 March 2018 - Allison Mack's Twitter - Brighton woman is quickly sold on Local Buyline —by Frank Bilovsky, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 22 June 1992 - Toni Natalie's Statement —23 August 2011 - Leader of NY Group Branded Women, Made Them Sex Slaves: Feds — NBC New York, 26 March 2018 - Self-help guru denies enslaving, branding women in sex cult —by Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 5 May 2018 - Raniere's High School Graduation —The Journal News (via Frank Report), 29 June 1978 - In Raniere's shadows — by James M. Odato & Jennifer Gish, Times Union, 22 February 2012 - Cult of Personality — by Michael Freedman, Forbes, 13 October 2003 - The Heiresses and the Cult —by Suzanna Andrews, Vanity Fair, 13 October 2010 - The making of Vanguard — by Josh Bloch, Kathleen Goldhar, Anita Elash & Dave Pizer, CBC News, 12 September 2018 - Escaping NXIVM — by Josh Bloch, Kathleen Goldhar, Anita Elash & Dave Pizer, CBC News, 5 September 2018 - The public and private turmoil of escaping a suspected sex cult — by Josh Bloch, Kathleen Goldhar, Anita Elash & Dave Pizer, CBC News, 26 September 2018 - NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman pleads guilty in case of alleged cult — by Jon Campbell, Democrat and Chronicle, 13 March 2019 - Lauren Salzman Pleads Guilty

On the 14 June 2019, news broke in Australia that many people had been waiting on for a number of years. That news was the death of this country’s most notorious cult leader, Anne Hamilton-Byrne. In this bonus episode, I’m bringing you an interview with investigative journalist Chris Johnston, who has been looking into The Family for quite some time. He worked with director Rosie Jones on her recent documentary ‘The Cult of the Family’, and they also co-wrote a book together about the group and its history. Chris spoke to me from Melbourne. CORRECTION: In this episode I mentioned that Chris Johnston is a senior journalist for The Age. He worked with The Age for 20 years but is not currently working there. Special Guest: Chris Johnston. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info. Links: - The Family: The shocking true story of a notorious cult — by Chris Johnston & Rosie Jones, Scribe Publications, 2016 - The Family — Documentary film website For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Chung Moo Quan positioned itself as a superior martial arts school that taught eight different practices at once. Though this may have originally struck prospective students as a bargain-and-a-half, many who chose to take it up would come out the other end having lost thousands of dollars, personal relationships and job opportunities, and even their sense of self. Before the school’s founder and four other defendants were jailed in 1995, various experts had told reporters that Chung Moo Quan fit their definition of a destructive cult. Special Guest: Russell Johnson. Full research sources listed on each episode page at www.ltaspod.com. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info. Links: - Deceived: The Moo Years — podcast by Russell Johnson, with many resources from his research - Herding the Moo: Exploits of a Martial Arts Cult — by Joe Smith, Trafford Publishing, 2006 - Martial arts school owners convicted — UPI, 10 December 1996 - Chung Moo Quan Handbook - Investigators: Students take aim at martial arts school — by Chris Ingalls, KING 5 News, 16 February 2005 - The Cult and the Con — special report by Pam Zekman, CBS 2 Chicago, 1989 - Martial Arts School Chief Found Guilty in Tax Scam — by Matt O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 10 December 1996 - Chung Moonies? Critics call martial-arts club a cult of violence and greed — by Ric Kahn, The Boston Phoenix, 25 October 1991 - Be True to Your School — by Jennifer Vogel, City Pages, 1 April 1992 - Martial Arts School Link to Body Found in Forest Probed — MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL LINK TO BODY FOUND IN FOREST PROBED by Harlene Ellin, Chicago Tribune, 12 October 1991 - The Martial Arts Cult of John C. Kim — by Laurence Gonzales, unpublished article for Penthouse, 5 May 1992 - Vivien Francis vs. John C. Kim, Oom Yung Doe, LLC, et al — Vivien Francis vs. John C. Kim, Oom Yung Doe, LLC, Thomas White, Harmonizing Herbal Products, Inc., Jadience, Inc., Robert Sawinski - People of the State of Illinois, ex rel. ROLAND W. BURRIS, Attorney General of Illinois vs. JOHN C. KIM et al. — Notice of Filing, 5 June 1992 - United States of America v. John C. Kim et al — Special Grand Jury charges filed 11 April 1995 - People of the State of Illinois, ex rel. Neil F. Hartigan, Attorney General of Illinois vs. JOHN C. KIM et al. — Complaint for Injunctive and Other Relief - John B. Maddox Obituary & Police Case Report — The Naperville Sun, 21 September 1988 and Will County Sheriff's Police Department, 19 September 1988 - Kyung Gong Sul Bope — by Oom Yung Doe New England, 24 January 2016 - Promo: The Crooked Fiddle Band Pozible — you can pre-order a copy of LTAS composer Joe Gould's band's next album For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

The Order of the Solar Temple was a secret society that would go down sharing the pages of history with Jonestown, the Branch Davidians and Heaven’s Gate. But is it fair to compare the groups? When it comes to incidents of mass violence and cults, perhaps it may be unavoidable. Because whether they ended in mass murder-suicide or a different form of violence, in spite of the striking ideological differences between them, there were some similarities – in all of these groups that ended with such undeniable tragedy. Full research sources listed on each episode page at www.ltaspod.com. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info. Links: - Violence and New Religious Movements — by James R. Lewis, Oxford University Press, 2011 - Millennium, Messiahs, and Mayhem: Contemporary Apocalyptic Movements — by Thomas Robbins & Susan J. Palmer, Psychology Press, 1997 - Pont-Saint-Esprit poisoning: Did the CIA spread LSD? — by Mike Thomson, BBC News, 23 August 2010 - Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis — AMORC international website - Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis — AMORC Austral-Asia website - The Tragedy Of The Solar Temple Cult — by Stephen Dafoe, TemplarHistory.com, 1 April 2010 - Joseph Di Mambro Biography — Biography.com listing for Joseph Di Mambro, 2 April 2014 - A Preacher With a Dark Side Led Cultists to Swiss Chalets — by Alan Riding, The New York Times, 9 October 1994 - Homeopathy — Homeopathy listing on the Victoria State Government's Better Health Channel - The Order of the Solar Temple: The Temple of Death — by Professor James R Lewis, Ashgate Publishing, 2013 - Coroner's Report into the deaths at Morin Heights, Cheiry and Salvan — in French, June 1996 - "Our Terrestrial Journey is Coming to an End": The Last Voyage of the Solar Temple — by Jean-Francois Mayer, Nova Religio, 1999 - Swiss Say They've Identified Body of Solar Temple Leader — by Alan Riding, The New York Times, 14 October 1994 - Quebec Fire Kills 2; Linked to Cult in Switzerland — by Clyde Farnsworth, The New York Times, 6 October 1994 - Canada Seeks Money Trail Of Secret Cult — by Clyde Farnsworth, The New York Times, 16 October 1994 - Wife of Top Cult Leader Identified — Associated Press, 21 October 1994 - Cults: The One Thing I Will Never Write About — by Hannah Mary McKinnon, CrimeReads, 19 April 2018 - Suspected cult leader faces second trial — SWI swissinfo.ch, 24 October 2006 - Geneva seeks to temper influence of cults — SWI swissinfo.ch, 3 November 2001 - Fire kills 5 Canadian cultists — The Victoria Advocate, 24 March 1997 - Le miraculé du Temple solaire — by Renaud Leblond, l'express, 3 August 1995 (in French) - Millennialism, Persecution, and Violence: Historical Cases — by Catherine Wessinger, Syracuse University Press, 2000 - "There Is no Place for Us to Go but Up": New Religious Movements and Violence — by Massimo Introvigne, Conference of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion (SISR), 21 August 2001 - Sects and Violence: The "Standard Model" of New Religions Violence — by James R Lewis, Journal of Religion and Violence 1:1, 2013 - The gory details of the Solar Temple cult at Morin Heights — Jed Kahane, CBC News, 8 October 1994 - Is the Solar Temple a doomsday cult or New Age religion? — Tina Srebotnjak, CBC News

A New Zealand-born man who moved to Australia in the 1970s and started a sect, telling his eventual 9 wives and 60-plus children that he was Jesus Christ, was put behind bars for 7 years in Victoria in 2000. In spite of the fairly sensational nature of his lifestyle and crimes, his name is not well-known here, and his polygamous group gained the most media attention when a recent Bachelor Australia contestant was outed by the press for her childhood involvement. This episode we’re talking about a cult that didn’t officially have a name, but was unofficially referred to as The Seaside Sect. Full research sources listed on each episode page at www.ltaspod.com. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Links: - Abuser kept secret through cult of fear — by Naomi Larkin, NZ Herald, 12 August 2000 - Meet Sam and James, the Unsuspecting Villains of Netflix's 'Instant Hotel' — by Pippa Raga, Distractify, 11 January 2019 - Stayz accommodation listing for 'Sands North Byron – Private Oasis' - Cult head, 71, molested girls, trial told — AAP, The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 July 2000 - 'Harem' deserts convicted guru — AAP, The Age, 4 August 2000 - 'Guru' jailed for child molestation — News24, 11 August 2000 - Polygamist guru faces new child sex charges — by Katie Lapthorne, The Courier Mail, 8 March 2003 - Ian Francis LOWE Death Notice — New Zealand Herald, 14 April 2012 - The Bachelor Cult Bombshell — Alison Petrovsky, A Current Affair, 8 August 2016 - Polygamist Kiwi cult leader who fathered The Bachelor's Keira Maguire exposed — Stuff, 10 August 2016 - Aussie Bachelor star Keira Maguire reveals Kiwi father was cult leader jailed for sexual abuse — NZ Herald, 9 August 2016 - The Bachelor Australia: Keira Maguire cries on The Project for cult siblings — by Aja Styles, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 August 2016 - ‘I didn’t know who my mum was until I was five’: Bachelor’s Keira Maguire breaks down over cult past — by James Weir, News Corp, 11 August 2016 - A shocking look inside Bachelor star Keira's upbringing and exactly how her father shared nine wives. — by Belinda Jepsen, Mamamia, 9 August 2016 - The Bachelor Australia 2016: Keira Maguire's mother defended polygamist cult to A Current Affair — by Aja Styles, The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 August 2016 - The Bachelor's Keira Maguire distances herself from paedophile father and cult past — by Amy Croffey, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 August 2016 - 'I didn't even know what a mum was': Celeb on Byron cult — by Cathryn McLauchlan, The Northern Star, 20 February 2017 - The Bachelor's Keira Grew Up In A Cult Led By Her Paedophile Dad — by Cayla Dengate, HuffPost Australia, 11 August 2016 - 'Any man can satisfy five women a night': Chilling boast of paedophile at head of polygamous cult where The Bachelor's Keira Maguire was raised — by Jenny Awford, Daily Mail Australia, 9 August 2016 - Bachelorette's Byron Bay "polygamy cult" connection — The Northern Star, 9 August 2016 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Joy Kuo and her husband moved to Sydney from Taiwan in 2000, and the couple both began working for the University of Sydney Library the following year. They both studied for and gained their masters degrees, and enjoyed their work. By 2012 they had had a son together, and Joy found herself wanting to help humanity in some greater way. She was looking for something she could really dedicate herself to in her career. Iphigenie Amoutzias moved to New Zealand from Germany in 1996. She completed postgraduate studies in her new home country, and had practised Buddhism for many years. By 2011 she had reached a point in her life where something seemed to be missing. She felt that the modern world was lacking in connection, that technology was driving people apart, and that she wanted to be surrounded with a greater sense of community. Both women came across the same new age group at this point in their lives. They had no idea that years later they would find themselves broke, emotionally affected, and questioning all of their previous decisions to become involved. Special Guest: Joy Kuo & Iphigenie Amoutzias. Further information on each episode page at www.ltaspod.com. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info. Links: - KF website - Bad Vibrations – The implosion of a New Age cult — by Steve Kilgallon and Tony Wall, stuff.co.nz, July 2018 - NZ Cult List — Entry for KF - KF Foundation webpage - KF Chronicles — blog credited to Ananya Bhakt Niranjana - Awakening with Joy — YouTube channel by Joy Kuo - Joy’s Story — by Joy Kuo, via the Cult Information and Family Support (CIFS) website For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy