Entertainment Made By Cults

Low-budget films, music, and media created by insane people.
Patreon: / paperwill
Membership: / @paperwill
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Credits:
"sad pug" by hannahkrajewski is licensed under CC BY 2.0
"Alien" by kevin dooley is licensed under CC BY 2.0
"Yellow Bow-Broken Heart...The Break Up" by goingslo is licensed under CC BY 2.0
“Why Is Breaking Up So Painful” • Why Is Breaking Up So ...
"LiQWYD - Happier" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license.
Watch: • LiQWYD - Happier [Offi...
License: www.liqwydmusic.com/how-to-use
🎵 Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: bit.ly/happier-song
🔺
Credits:
Foxglove. For grain overlay
Thanks to my Patreon supporters
Music Licenses Provided by
www.mitchmartinez.com Fire effects
koreanow.com/

[@indiana47]

Rael didn't want to see women topless, he wanted to see men in bikinis.

[@artsyhoodies]

❤🧡💛💚💙💜

[@gordoreygar4430]

@@artsyhoodies is it bad that I immediately thought of the teenage mutant Ninja turtles because a person put the colors of them with these hearts

[@Jakepearl13]

🥳🏳️‍🌈

[@edwardmiessner6502]

And I knew exactly what our narrator was talking about when he said "spiritually banging them with rays of light emanating from his fingertips inside them". But who were they? The women or the guys??? 😏😉😁

[@thenut4221]

SPICY

[@goosle]

Wow, cults are dangerous. We should make a watch group, probably make it a small monthly fee to be a part, maybe $15. Hey we should have somewhere to meet once we have enough funds. And to help pay the rent, maybe put in a gift shop. I think we should also elect a leader to make choices for the group. We gotta protect ourselves from cults after all, and a leader can do that if they're persuasive enough. Be a shame if any of us joined a cult.

[@aesiro1336]

The anti-cult, the cult that protects it's followers from cults.

[@novaflareq4788]

Beware the coming of the Anti-Cult!

[@cobiandiego5896]

im in

[@ametisladyy]

I agree, for the children that had to be raised lke me that would let them escape and be free

[@katherine_rosalita]

That'd be good, gotta make sure to find some random old man, too! they're *always* trustworthy, no matter what the police might imply

[@notfooled6232]

well, I was on the fence about joining a cult and now I'm overwhelmed with choices.

[@melodygarrison7531]

😂

[@man.inblack]

Make sure it has decent production standards and a writing team that makes the stuff you like. Remember, Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story!

[@icu3869]

Don’t let the truth get in the way of Anything!

[@PaperWill]

John Frum's a pretty good start

[@wolfgangkranek376]

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member. - Groucho Marx.

[@motorphina]

Westboro Baptist Church threatened to protest a soldiers funeral in rural North Carolina, so my brother and his gf and I went to protest their protest. We made huge signs and everything. One old farmer man sternally came up to us thinking we were WBC and then hung out for a bit and gave up "sodie pops" from the store. We got a lot of happy honks and waves, and it was the only time a cop came out for my protection and ACTUALLY meant it. They didnt follow through. A couple of them came, saw us and a sherrif who told them to eff off, threw a hissy fit, and quickly left. Lmao. Good times.

[@thunderousapplause]

thx for doing that 💓

[@EmmBeeVee]

You don't support free speech?

[@NotWhatIamMadeFor]

bravo to you! we need more people with the guts to stand up to these kids of people....plus also those members need to be exposed to us so that they know we are not evil or out to get them or devil worshipers!

[@madsfiedler3884]

sodie pops are the only correct type of carbonated beverage >:O u got the good shit

[@lizardog]

@@madsfiedler3884 I think you meant to say a "Co-colah."

[@Flare0227]

"Thank you for being too cheap to use an actual hitman to kill me, as an actual hitman would have succeeded." Is such a funny yet kind of badass quote that i think we all need to appreciate.

[@joaohelionvasddoloadeo9768]

Agreed

[@ohmeowzer1]

This was so funny I loved it ,,the guy azz hopping in hell made me laugh so hard

[@staters_college_tagers]

Now if I had a nickel for every time a cult leader tried to kill a critic by putting a snake in their mailbox, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but weird that it's happened twice.

[@LiamLimeLarm]

just put this into a voice ai as dr doofenshmirtz voice, would link it but it would porb get blocked

[@nathanjasper512]

Best comment ever.

[@DustyHoney]

It sounds like a good idea to someone who isn’t familiar with snakes. Lots of people don’t realize snakes avoid wasting their venom on stuff that they can’t eat.

[@john.d.rockefeller2538]

@@DustyHoney it's sad to be honest, the poor snake was probably just thirsty and confused.

[@DustyHoney]

@@john.d.rockefeller2538 Yeah, it’s just stupid.

[@AtomicPunk23]

Just listened to the jonestown death tape... and am now scarred... should have listened to the warning. A calm, motherly sounding woman's voice saying "They’re not crying from pain. It’s just a little bitter tasting but, they’re not crying out of any pain." is now stuck in my brain... 😳

[@electricfishfan7159]

A friend described to me the woman on tape arguing with Jones about how they could potentially escape to the USSR. “You think the USSR would want this?!” was apparently his response, and that sticks with me.

[@mikechevreaux7607]

​@@electricfishfan7159 Some Believe Jones Was a CIA Asset In a Mind Control 🛂 Experiment, That Sadly Worked.

[@fountgarde]

I love that you included scientology. Dude, back in the late 80s, the infomercial for L Ron Hubbard's dumb book played repeatedly during the day. It definitely did the heavy lifting to form the backbone of the whole group.

[@starkillersneed]

In a better parallel universe, L. Ron Hubbard is known as simply a famous musician who writes a little sci-fi in his spare time, and Tom Cruise is just really into jazz

[@MarzieMalfoy]

I want to live there!

[@gdutfulkbhh7537]

L Ron Hubbard’s ‘Power of Source’ - accurately named because it’s certainly a POS.

[@SC-ev6fd]

Actually tom cruise was a roman catholic seminarian before he became an actor and scientologist so he would have just been a priest.

[@madsfiedler3884]

​@@SC-ev6fdwho was really into jazz! hehe

[@davemccage7918]

And women do walk around topless…

[@delstewart7003]

You dismissed Synanon too easily. A lot of children "schools" and camps for troubled kids followed their systems, even today. Thousands of teens and children have been victims of this, myself included. I spent a year and seven months in a wilderness camp following their system. Close to 30 years later I still wake up sweating from nightmares

[@karjo1000]

I was thinking they sounded familiar, and it turns out I've read multiple distinct stories just like that in a Reddit thread about experiences in "troubled" children camps. It's absolutely insane what is allowed to go on there, and how parents often don't know the truth and are willing to do anything to "fix" their children. They take kids who need compassion and a listening ear and give them lifelong trauma.

[@baptizednblood6813]

I’m sorry to hear that you experienced that. The fact that places like that are allowed to exist is deplorable

[@chrisramsey6725]

Are you talking about the Elan School in Maine?

[@DocBree13]

I’m so sorry!

[@jerrell1169]

@@chrisramsey6725 That was one of them, but there were plenty that followed that same model all across the US.

[@lordjuvenile9068]

Are we really just going to ignore that Rael's logo is LITERALLY JUST A SWASTIKA IN THE START OF DAVID? Like surely that can't end well.

[@vivi_islonely]

yeah i noticed that….. like why did they decide in that???

[@gdutfulkbhh7537]

Yeah, they’ve gone off the Raels.

[@verdantvixen96]

I noticed that and it reminded me of the same “logo” Kanye posted awhile back… looked it up to check that tweet and it was the exact same thing!

[@MarcColten73]

Pick a lane

[@MarcColten73]

What, no Chick Tracts?

[@anahoffman7745]

I watched the entirety of the Heavens Gate tapes in one sitting late at night, and let me tell you- I think I was actually going insane. I was seeing stuff out of the corners of my eye.

[@websurfer5772]

What did you see, if I may ask?

[@anahoffman7745]

@@websurfer5772 Not sure. Like something was moving just beneath my vision, where my cheeks are.

[@websurfer5772]

@@anahoffman7745 Thanks for answering. It's weird that happened after you watched it.

[@eggbag4182]

Makes sense considering it’s 1000% real and not fake

[@trashthug]

@@websurfer5772 lol its called being a naive kid homie wasnt being hypno haunted

[@kitsunekun2345]

Fun fact: One of my college professors would've been right at the center of the Aum Shinrikyo sarin gas attack but his wife went into labor as he was leaving for work so instead of getting gassed he was in the delivery room with her getting several fingers broken (not exaggerating, his wife has incredible grip strength).

[@mikeoxlong1395]

You don't really need a great grip strength to break fingers, just press/pull in the right way.

[@Anthony-un8sn]

Oh yeah my mom broke a nurse's fingers while giving birth to me (or it might have been one of my siblings). She was really new to the job and she was so excited about getting to be a part of it all for the first time that she didn't even care about her injury that much lol

[@abelis644]

Lucky! yikes!

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

Damn

[@philipmateo3816]

Weirdly enough one of my high school history teachers was also supposed to be on one of those trains to get to class, college I believe. He was spared only because he missed his alarm. Had never happened before and hasn’t happened since which is pretty weird too lmao

[@NASkeywest]

I love how the guy at the beginning of the Scientology commercial quite literally said that anything you hear about Scientology, that isn’t coming directly from them, is a lie.

[@BigAL68xyz]

Methinks the Scientologist doth protest too much.

[@crnkmnky]

That seems to be Cultism 101. I shouldn’t make this political, but I’ve noticed similar behavior in which outlets people trust to get their daily news…

[@southofheck]

All those rumors you heard about Scientology? Fake news. Locker room talk. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. Just give us money.

[@Enkarashaddam]

Until they finally open the locked briefcase full of Xenu materials and you're like oh shit all the jokes were true

[@crnkmnky]

@@Enkarashaddam Yes, except anybody who bought enough classes to open that briefcase has never heard any of the jokes. 🙉🙈

[@mizzenmax]

For a really long time, I thought the Scientology founder’s name was Elrond Hubbard. Turns out when you learn by listening and not reading you miss some things 😅

[@PaperWill]

I thought the same thing for years lol.

[@oliviahancock7492]

The Japanese SOS song is actually such a classic 80s bop i unironically love it. Excellent video!! Thank you so much for your super duper hard work on this!

[@kenirainseeker539]

"The Family" were partly to blame for inspiring Ugandans to try and institute the death penalty for gay people. I will never let anyone forget that that happened

[@mattgilbert7347]

They were connected to an evangelical school I attended in New Zealand back in the 80s. Insidious.

[@annamaria9073]

*try and succeed at this point

[@sarahalbers5555]

Oh my God! How f**king awful.

[@crimsonwolf9099]

Actually I think that was a different group also called "The Family" check out the book "The Family : The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power" by Jeff Sharlet

[@darienb1127]

I love how Will is trying to make an organized video essay, but quickly dissolves into chaos over what he's seeing.

[@ZeranZeran]

"THE KING OF NOTHING TODAY!" made me bust up laughing. Glad I'm not the only one who has actually found some cult music kinda catchy. (Charles Manson - Home Is Where You're Happy) there's a great cover of it on youtube by a lovely woman.

[@spaghetto9836]

His slam poetry unironically slapped. And I'm ashamed to say I'd listen to some of the other soul songs.

[@HoxMouse]

@@ZeranZeran David Koresh's music was surprisingly pretty well made, it's just a shame about everything else.

[@julieporter7805]

@@ZeranZeran I love that and him freaking out over L. Ron's drum riff and the Vatican II song.

[@julieporter7805]

@@HoxMouse I am ashamed to admit that I kind of like his oddly prescient "Madman in Waco" song.

[@TraceyFawcett]

Thank you, I've had the week from hell, my Sons father passed away, I've been absolutely broken and this actually made me laugh for the first time in days and days. Thanks muchly, Paper Will!

[@icescrew1]

My dad's boss in Durango Co in 72 was Micky Craig. A big ole cowboy family man and developer. A mutual friend flew him to Denver to see Applewhite. Thought it was a UFO symposium. He immediately gave all his assets to Heavens Gate, abandoned his family, and never came back. Died with the group.

[@websurfer5772]

That's crazy!

[@Levacque]

The fact that staying monetized on KZbin involves censoring basic, inoffensive words like "murder" is terrifying.

[@arthas640]

Reminds me of that scene of the Simpsons where Grandpa tells a war story but edits it for the kids: "I was just telling Maggie how we chased the teddy bears into their cuddle bunkers, then had to tickle them out with machine hugs and fun throwers! They say the more soldiers you tickle, the easier it gets. Well, sir, it doesn't..."

[@Levacque]

@@arthas640 this is a perfect example, because Maggie already has an intimate understanding of gun violence and so avoiding the "bad" words was actually pointless with her.

[@mhiggs8001]

This shit drives me nuts. It’s also just so stupid because the new, monetization friendly words just become placeholders, then just end up meaning the same thing. I fuckin hate this shit, it’s dumb af. Suicide, as an example, is a serious subject and having to use dumb ass terms like “un -aliving” makes it sound like it’s being made light of. Fuck KZbin.

[@immune85]

It won't be long before you'll get banned for even thinking about the word. Or maybe that's just Microsoft. The level of censorship on American platforms is ridiculous. The land of the free to stfu so you don't offend anyone ever even by accident except in music depending on the genre. 🤣

[@jaybay5538]

As someone who was murdered, i find it offensive.

[@teddybearable]

As a society, we need to have a lot more compassion for cult members/ex members. Cult members are not stupid people, because why would a cult want someone like that? They wouldn't. Cults want smart, wealthy, well connected people that can help them expand their reach. They don't just prey on vulnerable people, they also prey on extremely smart people who they can then make vulnerable. There's a quote from an ex NXVIUM cult member that goes like this: "nobody joins a cult. You join a good thing. Nobody goes, 'yes, let me just join this thing that is going to fuck up my life and the lives of everyone I love'. You join a good thing, until it's not so good anymore". Cults don't start out as what they end up being, because then nobody would join. They start as churches, self-help groups, things that people really love and believe in. We have ALL been manipulated. All of us. Nobody is above becoming a cult member, because no cult member thinks that they are one. Those who join cults aren't stupid, they were joining something that they believed in and truly thought would make the world better. Isn't that what anyone wants?

[@Plethorality]

that is really well explained.

[@teddybearable]

@@Plethorality thank you! It’s something I’ve been really passionate about recently, these people deserve our compassion because they’ve been through so much

[@Plethorality]

@@teddybearable so true!! we all need to see different exoeriences to be less polarised.

[@auemmjee]

No, that's what extroverts want... to join a group

[@teddybearable]

@@auemmjee what does that have to do with what I said? Would you mind elaborating?

[@AlbertKamut]

Those horses did not consent to being depicted in Scientology propaganda.

[@donaldyanson8144]

The scariest thing of all. Is how easy it is for these psychopaths. To manipulate an influence, people's minds.

[@wishingwell_333]

people need to be taught how to not be a victim tbh. idk how some are so blind. way easier before when no one was jus throwing the word narcissist around but now we're devolving on the opposite side. like now ppl know the signs almost too much to the point they say it to anyone. idk but you should really have the ability to tell who's getting into your head/life for bad purposes

[@aurea.]

Yeah. I feel like a lot of people think they're too smart to fall for cult tactics, but it's not always about intelligence, vulnerability plays a major role in it as well.

[@websurfer5772]

It's so frightening and people around me are still masking and vaxxing. 😵‍💫

[@matthewcarroll2533]

how though? Most of these cult people are just whacked out, baked-as-hell weirdos without much charisma or magnetism. The ones that do have some gravitas you can clearly tell something's wrong with so honestly I just blame the dumb people who felt like they should join these ridiculous groups.

[@majorneptunejr]

Yes, they can actually convince you to fly an airplane into a building and that you will be rewarded in an afterlife.

[@jkr9594]

small correction about the cargo cults. there likely was no pilot called john frum, but severall pilots that that introduced themself as "john from America / Kansas / any other place". and because the word, the state of origin kept changing, only the "john from" stuck.

[@PintoRagazzo]

I wonder if they thought the State names were epithets used by the god/messenger depending on where he landed.

[@ladykoiwolfe]

Thank you, I was looking for this comment.

[@nickrich56]

@@ladykoiwolfe 👈 me too.

[@dannin1278]

My favorite fact about the L. Ron Hubbard jazz is that he "supposedly" charged the musicians for every wrong note played... In a jazz album let that sink in

[@Starcrunch72]

Oh that is a long-running tradition; James Brown, Ike Turner, Ray Charles, Ted Nugent...the list goes on....

[@KamBoomBap]

@@Starcrunch72 there are no wrong notes in Jazz

[@Starcrunch72]

@@KamBoomBap That's true

[@eeyuup]

Wtf, that's pretty nuts, lmao.

[@cynthiasimpson931]

The sax playing in the first jazz clip is flatter than my bank account.

[@egpmh2891]

I am from the state of KS, would like to point out that majority of us here agree that Westboro is a cult and hate group that should be shut down.

[@TheMbmdcrew]

As a fellow Kansan, yeah, I second this. It's a cult and a hate group. I remember they once protested at my high school because we had an LGBTQ student alliance, and my best friend (a gay man) flipped them off.

[@sharkinator7819]

Pretty much nobody likes them. One time, the KKK showed up to counter protest them. Also, they have a very irrational hatred of other Christian groups.

[@BlackFlagHeathen]

They’ve also picketed at the funerals of school shooting victims, basically celebrating the shootings and saying they’re a good thing and God’s judgment. They are vile.

[@egpmh2891]

@@BlackFlagHeathen absolutely they are the worst.

[@madmonkee6757]

I love how, for the "he prayed with Jews" verse, they put up a picture of him praying with Greek Orthodox (Christian) priests. Of course, that's the way with most forms of monotheism: if you're not in my religion, then you are evil and going to hell.

[@majorneptunejr]

I wonder if Christians think that Moses, Noah and other characters from the old testament are burning in hell because they were not Christians?

[@user-dq1db8cb8x]

​@@majorneptunejrno, we don't.

[@KasumiRINA]

That's not how monotheism works. Hell isn't even a thing in Judaism, for example... Sheol is closer to Greek Hades. Anyway, Abrahamic religions don't like shamanism and witches simply because they are con artists fooling people.

[@bobchipman4473]

​@@majorneptunejrThe short answer is no.

[@UdoADHD]

I actually got a free session of that Scientology machine thing. It was a lot of memory regression and then having me “remember” things that happened before I was born while I was in the womb. She would not end the session until I said something. Saying “I don’t remember” means you sit there longer. I made up some bs to get out of there.

[@helmsscotta]

You could have just gotten up and walked away.

[@UdoADHD]

@@helmsscotta I wanted to know what the experience was meant to be like

[@mikehoman7351]

If you wanted to know the experience then why did you make up the bs ?

[@UdoADHD]

@@mikehoman7351 That's part of the experience. They essentially tell you to make it up. They tell you to just say whatever is coming to your head and that whatever is coming to mind is a valid "memory" of what happened in the womb aka make it up lol. Since you're so interested, why don't you go ask for a free session yourself?

[@irenemax3574]

I am shocked you got a free session, and didn’t get hounded afterwards for money.

[@catgirl1894]

Also, I’m not sure if you know, but Japanese universities (I’m not sure about all of them) provide their students, before they begin their schooling with a whole warning/ informational paper about cults and how to recognise them, because it’s still such a real and dangerous issue for Japanese college students. This is in particular reference to Sophia University Tokyo.

[@catgirl1894]

It’s one of Japan’s top, most prestigious private research universities, (also! can’t forget, with a catholic overtone) so it goes to show that they are purposefully targeting and recruiting arguably some of the most intelligent young people in Japan.

[@barbieblues7639]

It's not more dangerous to Japanese students more than other people, it's just that in some parts of the world, people recognize the difference between cults and religions and don't go overboard on religious freedom

[@Gehrich_]

@Gernot Schrader The "Wow, cults are dangerous." comment is clearly satirical, and we recognize that it is describing a cult to avoid cults. We couldn't do that if we never learned anything about cults, could we? Spreading information and warnings is effective. It's not an absolute fix, but it will save countless people, regardless.

[@alicethemad1613]

Cults are generally way more high profile and prevalent in a lot of East Asia right now than in places like the U.S. or Europe. South Korea and Japan especially have a massive cult epidemic with huge portions of the population participating in them. It makes a bit of sense if you consider the less strongly monotheistic religious culture and the high rates of suicide and depression because of the sheer expense of living and awful work culture.

[@winter-wb7cf]

@Gernot Schrader There’s a difference between religion and cults. There can be cults created within Christianity (including Catholicism) but it is not a cult just as is. Not a single church leader would hunt you down if you left or cut you off from your families. There are expectations to be considered practicing, but you can actively not follow them and not get called out on it.

[@greenjacket6688]

The Scientology ads got me as a kid. They aired them during my favorite late night space shows on the science channel, and I thought the Scientology network would’ve just been more science stuff. Their vagueness pays of in some respect I guess

[@rebeccagibson9644]

I was also confused by this as a kid.

[@Magikarp-yk7io]

"ass hopping over a lake of fire" I can't tell you how close I came to blacking out laughing so hard at that

[@sharzinlalebazri5673]

"You don't wanna make a song about murdering, killing, crucifying, torturing, tearing apart or burning people." every death metal band ever: "Speak for yourself."

[@DogDogGodFog]

Undertale fan songs:

[@sharzinlalebazri5673]

@@DogDogGodFog fr fr

[@undrwatropium3724]

Every Christian church I've ever visited

[@SwineBrothers]

I was gonna say, I've written about 50 so far..

[@carlosacevedo6009]

Mel Brooks "The Inquisition" and ALW "Jesus Christ Superstar".

[@zvidanyatvetski8081]

The pope "Praying with jews" when in fact the guys in the pic are orthodox christians killed me

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

Some of the more fanatical religions look sort of the same to those who aren't.

[@autobotstarscream765]

@@wintersbattleofbands1144 Except in this case, the more fanatic religious one is the one who made the video. 😂

[@autobotstarscream765]

"Orthodox Christians are Jews and Catholics are Luciferians!" -Nutzees of Y'all-Qaeda, now accepting Catholics if they're Sedevacantists, exhibit A: Milo Yiannopoulos

[@isabellalive2.081]

@@autobotstarscream765 You've got it! Exactly simply by looking at the reality, and by placing the ideology based on the reality presented, not simply ideologies supposed by anyone group.

[@neoqwerty]

@@isabellalive2.081 I feel like I keep having strokes trying to parse your sentence. I suspect like in javascript, a missing comma and maybe a typo is causing the parsing issues.

[@someotherwag]

Cargo cults attract anthropologists, and anthropologists give gifts. Whoever filmed the clips of cargo cults in your videos probably gave them stuff.

[@ashmac87]

Cults are so fascinating to me. I love studying the dynamics of different types of groups. Human beings are so interesting! Thanks for the video.

[@crumblyairship]

it's upsetting that all these talented people in cults didn't pursue music instead. some of this stuff is legitimately amazing

[@trustmeits610pm2]

In order to be really creative/original... you have to be a little crazy already.

[@maevependragon]

I agree. "L-Ron" would have been more famous for jazz!

[@austinthesan-antonian3932]

Like how a lot of alt right people have fantastic potential for fiction writing.

[@connordarvall8482]

For some reason the best music always comes out of the most passionate groups of people. And there's nothing more passionate than a fanatic.

[@invaderliz]

What, you don’t know the hit “garbage truck” by Charles Manson?

[@josephmatthews7698]

If you want to avoid cults look out for something called love bombing. It's a very common and effective recruitment tool, imagine having a tough year or whatever and you go to a meeting or whatever for the first time and absolutely everyone just gives you a big hug and overloading your brain with the love chemicals. It's a very powerful feeling but remember that is often the first step to getting your time and money.

[@patrickmarsh2538]

Having autism is like an anti-love bomb mechanism.

[@miriamscuderi4680]

Abusive people do this too. Love bombing is a common tactic to break perfectly normal and healthy initial boundaries.

[@WrathofArminius]

Screw that. Strangers hug me they get smacked the f down.

[@mindsigh4]

.................⬆️...must be life of the party...

[@josephmatthews7698]

@@miriamscuderi4680 very true. Like the classic trope of dad kicking the shit out of you and buying you ice cream after. It's an act to confuse you, are they sorry or is this a ploy? If they are capable of this level of kindness what did I do to set them off earlier? Is this really all my fault?

[@averyelliott5645]

Scientology is literally how I got started learning about cults. When I was in high school, my dad was a cable installer. He had a job to go install internet and it turned out it was at a Scientology church. He got there and was told he had to leave his cell phone in his work truck and they all had uhhhhhh "pew pew machines", if you catch my drift... Yeah. He refused to complete that job and called his boss before they could call and complain about him leaving. That story was the dinner discussion that night lol. And then I was taking a sociology class at school and we had to do a presentation about a cult or religion. I gathered two friends for my group, went to the teacher and went, "can we do Scientology? It's both a cult AND a religion!" And then when we got permission I was like "okay. Cool. Can we use a school computer for research? They're not putting cookies on my laptop." He actually approved us using Wikipedia as a source instead of their website after I showed him the videos and was like, "they're saying a lot... and absolutely nothing at all..." It was insane.

[@averyelliott5645]

I will add that as a Jew it's not weird for a religious building to have a gift shop in general. A lot of synagogues do lol, but that money literally goes to support local Jewish artists (since you're buying their work) and also to do charitable work. That uhhhhhhh isn't what Scientology is doing with theirs lol

[@orukarm]

I almost went to a raelian meeting a decade ago because my grandpa is a member of it for shits and giggles (he’s not a true member who believes in it), the only reason we never went inside for it is because the lady hosting it had a dog (he’s allergic to dogs)

[@tvbopc5416]

In the 1980s, my sister was going to BU for a philosophy degree. The Scientologists used to have a building near the Common, and they used to solicit people to take 'a personality test.' They came up to her, and she agreed to give it a whirl. Three hours later they politely returned her to the sidewalk. Much to their (and others') dismay, there is no time limit on philosophical discussion with her

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

Yeah, I almost got conned into one of those "personality tests" in the '80's, soon as I was led in the door by the (extremely attractive... hey, I was in my 20's, whaddaya expect) young woman and saw Scientology I said "NOPE!" and walked out!! 🤣

[@HongPong]

they got a compound building going in Back Bay but i am not sure if they had to cut it loose

[@davemeads859]

Lmfao 🤣

[@edielungreen]

I was visiting my friend at MIT in the 80s and took that personality test… then promptly made as many excuses as I needed to get the heck out of there 😳

[@bicyclist2]

Lol!

[@TheStarGhost]

Counterpoint- Raelism was created just to see men in bikini tops. Which I fully support.

[@commanderkruge]

Weeeell, I dunno - combining a David Star with a Swastika as their symbol tells me they have some other interests as well....

[@radmadlad6131]

Yeah, I’m suprised you’re the first person to actually point out their questionable symbol design

[@joshuaobrien6137]

@@commanderkruge Actually the swastika is a symbol that is arguablly as old or older then human migration as every culture across the world has a varient of it. Thats actually why the nazi's used it, they loved their occult symbolism(probably got it from Helena Blavatsky's theosophy).

[@goatboy150]

@@commanderkruge Sigh... It's the Big Dipper around Polaris at the beginning of each season. For f**k's sake.

[@commanderkruge]

@@joshuaobrien6137 So? I have yet to see any organisation or cult that does combine those two symbols and NOT follow some crypto-fascist agenda.

[@TheTrumpReaper]

😳 I am a jazz vibraphonist. I dunno what to think of the fact that L. Ron Hubbard was a damn jazz drummer (and not bad!). 9:04 "Are you kidding me? What are you doing making a religion?? Make *THIS!* Make more of *THIS!!* This is *sick!!"* I essentially was thinking the same thing. 🥁

[@virginiaordaya]

How does this channel only have 200k subs? This is one of the most entertaining videos I have seen on KZbin in forever. I subbed right away. I’m having a great time, the humor, the flow, the editing, the obvious extensive research. I’m now a fan!!

[@M0053yfate]

I'm not sure if you left it out to stay monetized, but i think a really important piece of context around Aum Shinrikyo is that they were eating as much LSD as The Manson Family. The dancing, the (fortunate) incompetence of the attacks, the levitating, it all makes a lot more sense knowing they were completely fried.

[@apesy800]

No it doesnt. Coming from someone who is still tripping.

[@boobooclap1223]

​@apesy800 lies. How'd you even get here if you're tripping on lsd. You wouldn't even know if you OWNED a cellular telecommunication electronic device

[@madsfiedler3884]

copious amounts of hallucigenics will in fact fry your brain, who knew!

[@JordanHowellMusic]

@@apesy800ha! Agreed friend! Cheers here’s some good energy your way!

[@icu3869]

🎶👯Leader, Leader, Leader…👯🎶 Leader, Leader, Leader👯(x 4 minutes) ….YES! I WiLL Join!!! This is GREAT!

[@destinygaming7654]

I actually looked up the Church of Euthanasia, after going through their website and watching the videos I'm almost entirely convinced that the CoE was created out of edgy irony until at some point where the irony was actually being taken seriously.

[@firaiferrie]

I'm sure it was created by some egdy antinatalists.

[@beckieleung4814]

I looked them up too, and I think you're right. Church of Euthanasia is about as serious as the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Their whole cannibalism thing is satirical, like Jonathan Swift's Modest Proposal. The Stork is actually safe to watch (less violent than Bugs Bunny cartoons). He stopped the clip before it got to the really funny part 😆

[@selflessself]

Look up the church of the sub-genius or discordianism For some background. These are some of the best parody/surrealist religions in the U.S., The church of euthanasia is very probably an offshoot of these movements. I knew some of the original church of euthanasia folk as I live and Boston in Boston is the spiritual home of the Church. They got famous in Boston for holding rallies that would feature over 20 foot long banners emblazoned with the words, save the world, kill yourself.

[@arthas640]

Same, especially because there's been some similar organizations in the past created out of pure edginess or defeatism like the Euthanasia Coaster and the voluntary extinction "movement".

[@arthas640]

@@selflessself reminds me a lot of the voluntary extinction movement who are almost universally just faux nihilists and mopey defeatists. They're mostly just people who dont want to have kids who've assigned some ideology to their decision.

[@MsBeaHaven]

Just discovered you from your recent upload about n. Korean entertainment and I have to say all your content is well done and gold!

[@anthonygiovanniello230]

Just discovered this. Made me laugh out loud a few times. Really creative, terrific execution. Nice going...and thank you.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

It's too bad we can't bring some of these cult leaders together in a single room and have them argue about who's right lol

[@infwhale9183]

We do. Its what happens when politicians get together, e.g. at the UN or COP or GX meetings.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

@@infwhale9183 fair enough 😂

[@quester09]

and don't let them eat or use the bathroom

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

@@quester09 truth!

[@alicelopes4693]

Yeah and also with pseudoscience/fake medicine

[@Wendigoon]

This is such a gem of a channel. One of the best videos I’ve seen in a while and I’m gonna share it around. Great work dude

[@seanmederos1]

I liked and subscribed, thanks for turning me onto this channel.

[@DarkAngel-jo8ix]

Oh hey! It’s you! I like you!

[@redswasted8624]

This explains why this was in my recommended, I've been on a bit of a Wendigoon binge over Christmas. btw, you're awesome dude!

[@highbread817]

I think you commenting alone has encouraged the algorithm to bring it to me

[@TomboyCEO]

My man

[@Wiinnfred]

Scientology is the modern version of "you got demons in your blood, try leeches"

[@gretablackwell495]

Regarding the terminology of “cargo cult”: in an academic context, the word cult can just refer to a relatively small and particularly devoted religious group. So, when anthropologists talk about cargo cults and historians talk about the various mystery cults of Ancient Greece, that’s the definition they’re using. I hope this is helpful, in case anyone was confused.

[@argybarg]

That’s not what a “cargo cult” means. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult

[@madsfiedler3884]

This isn't correct. Cultural anthropologists would be referring to actual cargo cults, which were religious groups formed in rural, usually tribal societies that recieved supplies from soldiers during wartime. While they are now aware this was NOT anything from a higher being and rather more modernised cultures trading or giving modern supplies to them, many still keep the rituals they created based around military men!

[@cjpietropinto9293]

Doesn't have to be religious. Cults can be instructive and destructive. I recommend looking up the BITE model for identifying cults.

[@beadingbusily]

People really need to understand that cults, especially the leaders, smell your personal weaknesses like the predators that they are. The world needs more educational videos like this one.

[@markfergerson2145]

That "smell your personal weaknesses" technique is damn near diagnostic for psychopathy.

[@accuser_of_the_brethren7816]

Filling an empty cup is the remedy for common sense in most people who long for things unknown to them. Being a child of divorce, I learned early on to play both sides of the fence when it came to which parent I was around at the time. I'd transform myself into what they wanted in a son instead of trying to be myself and it caused me a great deal of problems with social networking, relationships and trust issues. I could easily see both what the cultists are lacking in life and fill that void but I can also understand how easy it would be to let go of all my responsibilities and put my faith in someone I naively believe is providing the missing ingredients to make my life meaningful.

[@mindsigh4]

@@accuser_of_the_brethren7816 yeah, my parents divorced when i was 8 after a year of increasingly not speaking to each other. in my 30s i heard about this thing called " double agent syndrome" man, everything u just wrote is spot on, their separation separated me.i was sent back & forth, when with my dad i downplayed anything good in my life connected to my mom & vice versa.got way weird with stepparents, i had to unlearn those mental/emotional gymnastics.i don't have to pretend to be or not be anything, love me, don't love me, i will have to live with it either way but i dont have to change to be more of whatever it is that u would like, AND, THAT IS NOT HURTING ANYONE!! Edit; have u heard of or checked out Eckhart Tolle ?

[@wareforcoin5780]

If someone could produce a cure to my bipolar that wasn't pills, I'd follow them. Issue is, they can't, no one ever can without medicine, so they'll never get me. Because science wins over their mumbo jumbo. Even when it's called "scientology."

[@lizc6393]

Exactly. The current cultural narrative is that only weak or crazy people fall for the lure of cults, which isn't true, and makes them even more dangerous, "oh I'm an independent thinker, I'll never fall for something like that." Yikes.

[@wolfie9229]

How Am Ijust finding this channel? Omg I was sold before I was one-thirds in - that scrabble bit was phenomenal. Glad to see you're on over 200k now!

[@jionmsfafsds]

This is genuinely a great video, and so funny to see you hoping to reach for 2k subscribers at the beginning when looking at your subscriber count now. One of my favorites, great work

[@thedogfromraditude5449]

This video is both hilarious and terrifying at the same time. Even some of the more light-hearted ones are somewhat disturbing. Great video. You deserved that shoutout from Brad, and you’ll make it big someday!

[@PaperWill]

I like to hit the balance between uncomfortable and nervous laughter.

[@weezerfan1232]

I love weezer

[@0b5ervant]

He needs to learn how to pronounce “sarin”, though. That was f-ing annoying.

[@ohthehorror31]

Yes. I agree 💯

[@marmadukescarlet7791]

Who’s Brad? I won’t rest until I find out.

[@MarzieMalfoy]

As a cult survivor, you've made me finally laugh at these goons 😂 Serious when you need to be, but still knew the right time to bring in levity. Thanks for that!

[@danielcutter8848]

Wow props for standing up to it❤

[@allendean9807]

Former cult member here, too. It’s easy to get sucked in, because we all want answers to life. And they know it. So to have some levity helps

[@RabidlyTaboo]

What one?

[@MarzieMalfoy]

@RabidlyTaboo very very small one. There isn't a name to it but the leader always calls it a coven. It was a pagan cult as she invited everybody in, no matter what the religion... but mostly Wiccans (however, they do not act like Wiccans. Wiccan are usually very nice but not this one.) The appeal is that she knew magic... real magic. So she would get A LOT of youngins. I was 19 at the time. My whole life I wanted magic to be real and she gave me that. And I was hooked, line and sinker. That and she provided me alcohol. Even the kids got all the alcohol they wanted too. And seriously, everyone there worshipped her like her shit smell like roses. Even me. I even introduced my own friends to it.

[@shansen6969]

@@MarzieMalfoy wtf did she do to make you believe that magic was real?

[@SineN0mine3]

14:10 I think if women being allowed to be topless whenever they like is the only "concession" we have to make to end all war, we probably should find out more about these aliens.

[@LUC1DDR34M]

Wow, this video was great! Really entertaining with genuine thought behind it (and both myself and my wife laughed a lot unexpectedly lol). Thanks for doing a great job, glad to see you've gone way above and beyond that 1k subscribers mark now to say the least!

[@namekal6000]

Thank you for helping to correct the all-too-common misperception that Jonestown was a mass suicide. It was a mass murder. Also, kudos for the near-impossible job of keeping it real while still making it possible for us to enjoy the weird.

[@TheRealRusDaddy]

They shot that senator or congressman and jim sealed their fate with it the ones who ran into the woods were the lucky ones

[@jessiehermit9503]

@@TheRealRusDaddy Plus the deaf guy who literally just didn't hear the call. And a couple of others.

[@TheRealRusDaddy]

@@jessiehermit9503 the ones that didnt get hunted down like animals and forced to drink it at gun point or shot yeah

[@AngieParty12380]

It was 100% murder at gunpoint. Having to decide if you wanted to give your kids posion and have them die in your arms or have them watch as their while family is shot with automatic weapons... that's a choice I couldn't make...

[@DecayingReverie]

Wouldn't it be both? There were people who willingly drank the Flavor-aid mixture there. They would have been killed regardless, but some people willingly took their own lives.

[@saltydinonuggies1841]

Thank you for actually being relatively respectful. A lot of people treat cults (including ones that have injured and killed people) as though it's some fun internet drama you tell your besties at dinner. These were real people who were hurt and sometimes killed. People need to have lore respect.

[@mikeoxlong1395]

So, to get respect in life i should start a cult and get people killed... huh? I'll write that down, might give that idea spin.

[@odanedmcdonald]

*more

[@thesapphireone]

That was really insightful, you took the words right out of my mouth!

[@chs9999]

Groupthink is always bad

[@Gehrich_]

@Gernot Schrader Groupthink refers to the phenomenon of falling in line with the thinking of others to avoid repercussions such as ostracization (or snake hitmen!), not people coming to similar logical conclusions or general agreements on their own.

[@nataliewilliams9741]

I've watched this more than once and every time I do, I marvel at my species ability to fool itself, sometimes to tragic effect. Stay Sane!

[@trinleywangmo]

206k more subs, plus one. You've come a LONG way in two years and wholly deserve the success. You remind me, your style, humor, verbal mannerisms, of a guy I knew in college twenty years ago. He was weird to put it mildly... SO COOL that YT recommended this video to me today (took them long enough).

[@thoughtfulpug1333]

On Aum Shinrikiyo's backstory: The reality of the situation is a lot more shocking. You call them incompetent, but in reality, the cult wasn't run by rando bumpkins, but something ridiculous like 25% of its members had college degrees (all the attackers involved had a degree in some field). The incompetence was actually more on the government's side: AS made a smaller scale attack on a housing block containing 6 court officials that were pressing charges on the cult for a variety of reasons; and a slum in Tokyo also suffered from an accidental leak from a building the cult own. However, the cult got away both times...because they were paying off local law enforcement. Not only that, but they had connections in the media as well, and used these resources to "disappear" former members speaking out about the cult. The handling by officials during the Tokyo Attack was poor for the opposite reasons: no one involved knew what was happening. When people started collapsing in the train cars containing the packets with the sarin gas, they merely emptied the affected car of passengers, and sent the train to further stations, as the gas spread throughout the rest of the train. One officer put what later turned out to be one of the packets in a backroom where some of the victims were being housed, causing more suffering. Summary: They're evil, but they're not stupid.

[@WobblesandBean]

Reminds me of the Neo Sannyasans, led by Guru Rajneesh, aka Osho. Many of his followers were lawyers and doctors. They tried to kill a lot of people, yet hilariously, every last attempt they made was thwarted by common sense, or ridiculous coincidence, like their car breaking down.

[@darksideofthemoon488]

Yes. Added note, one of the attackers on the train used to be an ER doctor.

[@556deltawolf]

IIRC when the Japanese state police and special forces (Yes the Japanese JGSDF 1st Parachute Division was present) raided the cult's compound they found things like radio jammers, machine tools for manufacturing AK47s and explosives, a Russian military Mi 8 transport helicopter, and even labs for manufacturing biological and chemical weapons!

[@darksideofthemoon488]

@@556deltawolf yeah, the followers also had military training on a base in Russia where they also purchased the Mi 8 helicopter. Also they had followers in South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, Russia, Canada, and the U.S.

[@zanizone3617]

@@darksideofthemoon488 weren't they also rumored to have caused a nuclear explosion in their massive property far in the Australian outback?

[@davidthedeaf]

I think the vagueness of the Jim Jones cult is why as a teenager I was so against singing songs in church that were super vague. One of them, sorry cannot recall the title, sounded more like you were singing about wanting a woman rather than Jesus. My rule is if it makes you uncomfortable you shouldn’t do it.

[@autumntaco8722]

I personally believe God wants praise from a happy and grateful heart, not an uncomfortable one. I don't get why people are so critical about it. There's been songs I was uncomfortable singing too, but I had to sing anyway lest I be looked down on. That's fine though, soon as I grew up I quit going to church. I study by myself now. Much more peaceful that way.

[@elektra121]

That's what I stuck with, too, when being a youth in church camps or so. Not if there were a lot of them, but if I personally had a problem with a verse, I wouldn't sing it. And I would say why afterwards. Nobody had a problem with this - and I think that's a good sign.

[@kavky]

As an Orthodox Christian I am very creeped out by American Protestant church songs, they sound like they're in love with Jesus. I like music but no way am I going to sing about my Redeemer like a lover.

[@lexiheart6558]

This is why I love the internet. I find answers to why I feel the way I do.

[@LarsPallesen]

Personally I'd feel a lot more comfortable singing a love song about a woman than a love song about a long dead Jewish cult leader from the middle east. But to each his own, I guess.

[@aimeeshrimpton1602]

This is the best thing I have watched in years.Hands down! The commentary is GOLD

[@cjs418ymail]

Absolutely priceless 😂! Thank you for making my morning. This was my introduction to your channel, and I can't wait to check out others!

[@Super-Vision]

I know this video is old, but at around 23:40 the Jonestown massacre audio for anyone who is curious but doesn't want to go listen for themselves - The most notable parts of the tape is a woman around 5 minutes in standing up for herself and the others, stating how wrong the massacre was (she unfortunately was a victim to the massacre still however, i read another comment that the autopsy stated she was injected with cyanide rather then willingly taking it) You can hear children crying throughout the entire tape, but about 25 minutes in is when the cries become more clear / louder, (I'm not sure if this is a result of the pain from the poison since cyanide isn't a painless death or because as more people die the children start understanding what's happening, either is awful) Jones is also giving speeches about death and peace the entire tape, he calls the children crying "nonsense" and says anyone crying is being manipulated. at one point a woman comes up and defends Jones saying something like when we are born we all cry, but when we leave it should be in peace. The tape ends just silently for a few minutes, since everyone has passed. it's really sad and eerie to listen to, and Jones calmness throughout it all really show his manipulation of his followers.

[@microwave8931]

He called the kids crying "nonsense"??? wtf???

[@steve-ph9yg]

Jim Jones died of a gunshot wound to the head he did take the high amount of Pentobarbital but he died of a gunshot wound to the head. Jones was found laid out on the stage his head on pillows he is believed to be one of the last to die

[@RubyBlueUwU]

Worth noting Jones himself did not drink the cyanide after all this, he would not die in the way he forced them to, he instead shot himself in the head.

[@principalmcvicker6530]

@@microwave8931 the worst part was the hypocrisy

[@katrinacombs]

For sure it was not a mass su.Ic.idE .... maybe partly but mostly it turned out to be a mass mU.r.dEr (especially where children and babies are concerned).

[@Sigh95]

“Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.” -Calvin and Hobbes

[@firun2635]

The Church of Scientology is in my office building, on the two floors below where I work (not the US btw). Apparently, they applied for the office space without mentioning they're fucking Scientology, and the landlord told them they're out immediately if they start bothering other tenants. Seems they brought a fruit basket when they moved in, and now you kind of don't notice them. They do keep to themselves; you just always have to wonder if you're in the lift with crazies, but it's just hello and have a nice day. Always a fun moment when a customer visits for the first time, though.

[@deviousredneck5109]

You put so much time into your content. It really is well done with great quality. Thanks man!

[@addybishop308]

So there were Scientologist recruiters at my very large state fair. I forget exactly what they asked but it was something along the lines of if I was stressed. I was like what the heck I got 15mins to kill, let’s take your stress test. Mind you I have issues that make me clinically anxious and stressed. So they decide to use one of those auditing machines and ask uncomfortable questions that are supposed to elicit a response. Trick is you’re holding these two metal rods (one in each hand ) and when you get uncomfortable you tense up or your heart jumps etc. I decided to just hold the rods very loosely and just chill with the fun disassociation I kind of do when I get in a weird situation. They asked, I answered. Machine never moved more than the tiniest bit when I shifted in my chair (which I think was intentionally uncomfortable). They were frustrated but still were like “you’ve probably heard about this book. You should buy it” and invited me to go to their church. I said I would if they came to mine first and I’d even buy lunch. They never came. Kind of disappointed

[@rachelcookie321]

Your comment reminded me of one time I went to this fair and there was like a church or something there. I remember they had like quizzes about something weird that me and my friends did. It was a really strange atmosphere. Apparently they had been handing out bibles but they had ran out before we came to their booth. I really wonder who they were now. The quiz was just very strange but I can’t remember what it was about for the life of me. They must of been some cult and I wish I knew who. I had completely forgotten about that.

[@thetruthisoutthere976]

May I recommend 'The Cults of unreason' by Dr Christopher Evans, 'The Space Gods Revealed' by Ronald Story and 'Karma Cola' by Gita Mehta. Firstly I took a Scientology personality test (free, no gadgets) I never took them up on their offer. During the same trip to London, I had a free lunch at a Hari Krishna 'temple'. The effect is I am a 'cult sceptic'

[@thetruthisoutthere976]

Should be 'Unreason' not 'unreason'

[@sarahalbers5555]

Well played!

[@catbatrat1760]

"I said I would if they came to mine first and I’d even buy lunch." That honestly sounds like a really good idea.

[@furb246]

YOOOOO! I actually grew up in The Family. All those corny music videos weren't seen as comedic to us, that's the shit we listened to EVERY day, unironically, (and we loved it). It's hilarious now, but yeah, that was the only entertainment we were allowed lol. Obviously, it wasn't a good environment, especially for kids, for so many reasons. Aside from general dumbshit ideology we were indoctrinated with (I seriously used to have a kneejerk reaction ANY time someone said "millions of years ago," in any context, because evolution was end-boss-evil), child abuse was rampant, and I'm one of the few who got out relatively unscathed, with only general neglect issues that arise from being raised with 20 other siblings. Oh, also, the bit about "how are we going to make money, we're out of literature" comes from one of the The Family's primary monitization schemes, which was "hand out preechy propaganda posters and beg for donations." We'd always say it was "for missionaries here and overseas"--it was part of our little speech we were taught to say before even knowing what "overseas" was, no joke--but that shit went straight to rent. "Postering" was a thing we'd do multiple times a week, starting pretty much as soon as you were able to carry on a conversation. We'd all get in the van, drive to Walmart, and try to pass them off to people putting their groceries away. Only the VERY young kids were accompanied by adults. The rest were just told to come back by X time. Ahh, good times. If you're dumb enough to join a cult, whatever, your life, but if you raise children in a cult you deserve the hell you peach.

[@erincravener9055]

I'm so sorry you went through that, I hope for the best for you now and in the future

[@nickonerd]

Fr people who raise their kids to indoctrinate them into that craziness is so much cringe, horrid.

[@leobe2104]

@@nickonerd "is so much cringe" what

[@leobe2104]

The thing is that people who join cults aren't really stupid. That's what makes them so scary in the first place.

[@big3ye378]

You don't have to be dumb to join a cult, smart guy. Anyone can be manipulated.

[@yitz7805]

This is a really incredible channel, thanks for doing what you do!

[@tuckernuts88]

I'm so happy how entertaining this video is. Not everything needs to be hyper serious and I needed this. Thank you. Liked and subscriberino'd.

[@piss7610]

Jonestown wasn't a mass suicide, it was a mass murder.

[@milascave2]

It was both. A lot of people were forced to drink, and some. were shot in the back while fleeing. But some of them took it willingly. The people who administered the poison and forced other people to take it must have taken it willingly, at least,

[@hblackburn5580]

I honestly just don't get why people didn't fake it, like everyone else is dead, including Jones, you would have owned him. 😂

[@geckoguy4141]

@@hblackburn5580 If I recall, Jones and his armed guards tricked many of the families' children into drinking the juice as a snack without telling the parents. By the time Jones announced his mass su*cide plan to the parents, their children were already starting to get sick. He did this in order to make the parents feel so hopeless that they would off themselves and join their children in heaven. Any child that didn't already have the juice was forced to drink it by their parents whom all of which were instructed to do at gunpoint. You can actually hear many of the children crying in the background as they're being forced against their wills during Jones' final speech instructing everyone to kill themselves, it's so disturbing. Most of the adults there were also held at gunpoint in order to make sure that they actually swallowed the juice. And if they didn't, they were made an example of.

[@hoopty388]

anyone who thinks it is impossible to get people to do stupid things hasn't stepped back and look at modern politics

[@tierneylogan5943]

Jones was a CIA asset, like most cult leaders

[@parrotenthusiast1181]

The fact that the family claims marilyn monroe as one of their spirit people becomes a lot more uncomfortable if you remember that marilyn was jewish. so like,, they were claiming a jewish woman for their chrisitan fundementalist cult

[@miniondaechir]

I read Marilyn Monroe as Marilyn Mason and got really confused for a minute.

[@chrisball3778]

She wasn't born into Judaism or brought up Jewish, but converted in 1956 in order to marry Arthur Miller. She doesn't seem to have been particularly religious. Not that it in any way excuses the abusive cult using her image to lure in victims.

[@faithbarcelo4795]

Even more sad, Don Quixote was also a spirit helper and more than that one of the alter ego spirits that frequently possessed and "spoke through" the founder and it wasn't until I ran away from my commune and read the book that I realized he is a fictional character 🤦🏼‍♀️ information bubbles are scary things to do to children. Also to add insult to injury, I am Spanish

[@milascave2]

@@faithbarcelo4795 When I was around them, "Mo's" spirit guides, who spoke through him and thus his pamphlets, were not historical peole, Don Juan was not the guy who chsed windmills, nor the one who tuaght CARLOS CASTENADO. HE WAS JUST SOME GUY, Special for I don't mmeber why. Abrahime was a king of the Gyppsies. Ivan Inovitch was some guy who steered a bot in a Russian canal. Kind of random, I gueass. But later, he started, apprently, to channel more and more peolpe, and Godesses, and, yea--. (sorry for the bad spelling.)

[@faithbarcelo4795]

@@milascave2 yeah exactly, but as a kid who grew up in it only being taught what they want you to know and not going to school and stuff....I had no way of knowing these characters were not real. They taught us that everything that he said was gospel truth so how would I know it's bullshit

[@EkrikusVorwa]

Really like this channel! Somehow a lot of the cult media shown here is actually really funny (not to discredit the horrible practices of many cults). One nitpick in music terminology, in the Apollo scientology part, the 3 minute long drum part you called a drum roll is actually called a drum fill. This might just be a jazz thing, but a roll is a bunch of short notes that may or may not (depending) sync with the time signature of the piece and a fill is a drum solo (usually) that fills in a transition between sections of a song (usually). Either way, great video!

[@PaperWill]

Thanks!

[@Tirani2]

This is the first one of your videos I've seen, but you earned my subscribe. Looking forward to more!

[@davidh.4944]

The "Jesus in a spaceship" is actually a detail from a fresco at the Visoki Dečani monastery in Kosovo. The monastery itself dates back to the 1300s, but I wasn't able to find any info on how old the artwork is. Despite its common use as an "ancient alien" example, when you look at the painting as a whole, you can clearly see that it is actually a stylized depiction of the Moon, piloted by an angel, with its companion Sun in the opposite corner. The two heavenly bodies are flying (thus the non-symmetrical rays) above the main crucifixion scene in the center, and the Moon's "pilot" is looking backward toward Christ. You can briefly see most of the larger image in the video ,just before it cuts to the detail.

[@pcno2832]

25:37 You missed the most, eh, distinguishing feature of the Heaven's Gate cult; from Wikipedia: "Eight of the male members of the group, including Applewhite, voluntarily underwent castration as an extreme means of maintaining the ascetic lifestyle.[88] The group initially attempted castration by having one of the members, a former nurse, perform the castration, but this initial attempt was very unsuccessful, almost resulted in the patient's death, and caused at least one member to leave Heaven's Gate. Every castration that followed this initial one was done in a hospital."

[@ZeranZeran]

jesus christ..

[@lasarousi]

@@ZeranZeran did he also practiced hubieras mutilation? Oh right he was a Jew.

[@colingillis5989]

Wow it's hard to keep a sense of humor with some of this. But very informative and I learned more then I needed to know. Thanks for the nightmares! The point is how many peoples' lives were ruined/ended by nonsense and I get it. And the Hubbard jazz fusion Lp is really good damn it!

[@DanielBooneSpoon]

I just discovered this channel and just have to say bravo and well done to the creator! I highly enjoy your content! I'm definitely subscribing! I really like the way you make light of how ridiculously hard it is to stay monetized......

[@Tink00]

In a strange way, it's comforting to me that the Westboro Baptist Church apparently can't find good singers...

[@abyssimus]

When the United Methodist Church became less united over accepting gay members, the common crack was "one branch will continue offering traditional marriage, the other will have the better choir."

[@Alex-fv2qs]

Unlike other cults, the WBC generally limited itself to the Phelps extended family and didn't try to actively convert people into their church

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

So, when people say "Is the Pope a Catholic?", is there a group of people who ACTUALLY THINK HE ISN'T?!

[@thugpug4392]

Ik some Catholics who think the pope is a Jewish imposter antichrist kind of thing. EDIT: These people got covered in the video I just hadn't gotten to that point yet.

[@thelordz33]

I'm more surprised there are people who think he is Catholic or Christian

[@noamigo]

@@thelordz33 Um, he isn't catholic?

[@SomeName_AlsoHandlesSucc]

I think they mean what BRANCH of Christianity is he in.

[@likemau5552]

I think there are a lot of people who think that he is catholic and a lot of people who think he is protestant

[@nosferatu4444]

found your channel today, instantly started binging. keep up the everything. :D

[@Somebodyelse141]

I'm really glad your subscriber count has grown all the way to 200K! You deserve it

[@ladyblakeney]

So, Ti was actually the leader of Heaven's Gate while she was alive. She was the charismatic one who was able to make Do's weird ramblings palatable. However, she got cancer and ultimately died from it. Do claimed she would be resurrected in 3 days, but when that didn't happen, he changed to saying that they had to rejoin her in the afterlife.

[@danthefan28]

@@PaperWill Also the whole "Ti and Do" naming thing might have been the idea of Applewhite, as he was actually a music teacher before the cult thing.

[@Ramen10420]

Just do ti... Weren't they also wearing Nikes when they were found on the bunk beds dead? This was when hale bopp was in the sky, so my memory is a bit fuzzy.

[@danthefan28]

@@Ramen10420 Yep, though from what I heard, the only reason they were all wearing the same brand of Nikes was because they got a really good deal on them.

[@milogallagher-zk3ul]

Thank you, was looking for this comment

[@milogallagher-zk3ul]

@@Ramen10420 black n white nike decades which the brand discontinued cuz of the association. they sell for a lot lot of money now

[@sofiadragon6520]

I laughed, I was disgusted, I had all the emotions. My boss once gave me a Scientology audit [she didn't do the auditing, she arranged the session at the office as a surprise for me] and it was an experience. I don't make enough money for them to care about, which I'd never been happy about before then.

[@johnathanstoker7145]

Er, how'd that go?

[@sofiadragon6520]

@@johnathanstoker7145 As awkward as it could possibly be. I ended it with something like "thanks, I've got [this task] to do and I really should get back to the office" and left the kitchenette. At the office it was only four of us and suppliers coming with a load of samples once in a while, and that day it was just me, boss, and Mr. Audit. Pretty isolated location. It was focused on an injury I had as a child that I had mentioned in passing. It was semi-work related in that I had good reason to be wary of nonsense medicine [not all home remedies are, but...] and had recently found out that the issues I'd been talking to my OB about were caused by a testosterone cream I was being accidentally exposed to by the lone male that worked there and NOT the aforementioned childhood injury. He thought bringing his body chemistry back to the levels it was in his 20's would make him... not 70 anymore? IDK. He didn't realize that since it absorbed through his skin that he'd need to wash his hands before using shared computer keyboards and such. I grew 3/4 of a beard. That job was... a lot. I really should have sued, but I was working 50+ hours a week as a manager of one of the store locations as well as a bookkeeper and needed the money badly. Besides, I was the bookkeeper. I knew how much money I would get and it really wouldn't have been worth the cost of a lawyer.

[@Roadent1241]

I really need to stop thinking Scientology is some sort of pushy science-nerd club, because I do not understand what else it could be. Is there any chance you could explain to me like I'm 5? Or point me somewhere where it gets explained to 5-y-olds?

[@sofiadragon6520]

@@Roadent1241 Like many conspiracy theories and cults, it convinces people that their problems have an easy solution and provides a convenient scapegoat so that they are never really your fault. In this case, you are possessed by tortured space ghosts, so it's better than the bigoted kind of scapegoating, but there is a lot of classism baked into it since it is all about paying huge amounts of money to people higher up the pyramid. The testosterone cream and "supplements cure aging" thing wasn't a scientology thing per se, but the Young Living oils nonsense was strong with every one of them I've spent an extended amount of time around [which is less than ten people.] I think it is more that that type of person also has money to burn on Goop, crystals, oils, and other nonsense. One of them refused cancer treatment in favor of auditing and essential oils, and over the five years I knew them I watched him die a slow and probably unnecessary death from what should have been an easily operable tumor. Cutting it off was a huge no-no. I'm not sure but they seemed to think cutting into the body would effect the thetans. Fill him with bad mojo. I really don't know enough to recommend a source less well known than South Park or Hubbard's own books [cliff notes for them do exist.]

[@Roadent1241]

@@sofiadragon6520 Possessed by space ghosts sounds like a parody of FF's Spirits Within, that sounds amazing XD I would make a book of THAT. Though it probably already exists from what little I know of Metroid. The rest of it, oof. I wish my lifelong disability had an easy way out that allowed me to keep experiencing life.

[@robbiek03]

I’m absolutely impressed and very entertained with your platform! I will be subscribing on Patreon as one of the very few you are super creative and very talented again thank you really enjoyed this posting. I know a lot of time goes into it and you do a great job!

[@bonogiamboni4830]

51:42 sadly i know from a video i watched by (iirc) theramin trees that this whole comic section is way less funny than it seems while reading it. Iirc "flirty fishing" was a PR friendly nickname for cult-sanctioned prostitution. The girls of the cult would be "encouraged" to go around town being graceful and charming to try to "fish" more cult members, or get favours in the form of donations or some leeway from a police leader or politician. This would also result in sexual favours. The really fucked part is that iirc even young kids would be brainwashed by the cult through comics like this one into thinking that "flirty fishing" was an important thing they needed to do, and would then be sent off to do it. The whole cult actually was really sexual in nature and if i remember the video correctly several of the rules and philosophies would just be thinly veiled excuses for the leader and other high ranking members to take advantage of people sexually, including minors.

[@novelezra]

It's weird that in the West that the Sarin Gas Attacks are not wildly discussed; not compared to Heavens Gate anyway. But in Japan, this act of terror had such an affect on the country and its new fascination with cults. If you have enjoyed a piece of Japanese fiction about cults then it's very likely that the aesthics of the cult were inspired by these attacks. By aesthetics, what I mean is that in the West our cult media is very reliant on imagery of devil worship, kidnapping, brainwashing and a general sense of malevolence. However the sarin gas attacks were from a group mostly seen as a benign. Which for me is so much creepier and I think the Japanese see it like that too. This sense that this group you mostly laughed at or barely thought of; one day killed a bunch of people and injured hundreds. If you have read IQ84 you may understand what I mean.

[@zel9298]

Oh shit.this comment made me realise the links between 1q84 and the gas attacks, even down to the leaders description.

[@tammyd.970]

I remember the attack ( while in the US). It was reported and it was terrifying. I think it quickly became a discussion of how unsafe mass transportation is though ... I had totally forgotten about it until watching this video though. I don't know iq84, so I guess I need to investigate that too... EDIT: Ohh, right. Murakami's book!! Still have to get around to that one. Thanks for the reminder!

[@novelezra]

@@zel9298 Murakami has even done a book all about the Sarin Gas Attacks which is how I learnt about it. There's also a documentary that came out recently about it.

[@arthas640]

I hear it discussed quiet a bit in the west, especially since after 9/11 when concerns of bioterrorism or terrorist chemical weapons attacks became widespread. I first heard about it as a kid around the time of the Iraq invasion and 2001 anthrax attacks since people were worried about a similar gas attack on US soil, especially in light of Saddams supposed chemical weapons. I've heard it discussed quiet a bit since too, since the cult is pretty crazy and they're brought up after a few subsequent attacks and he was discussed in media a bit after his execution as well.

[@Dash64_png]

Hey Will! Just to clarify, the pilot's name was not John Frum. His name WAS John, but Frum was part of the first sentence he said to them. "I'm John From America'

[@googleoogle]

Love the clarification and also love how well that fits in with the whole misunderstanding of the cargo cults, it's so cool

[@V1ultrakillll]

This was a really great video!! I love your editing style, it reminds me of Mystery Science Theater 3000 at times

[@RobinGreen-ui1nv]

Awesome video! Can’t wait to see more in the future. You present all this in such an entertaining manner, and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the rest of your content. There isn’t much, but I hope that changes!

[@zackp9743]

I'm really happy you pointed out the Aum Shrinrikyo game was satire, alot of KZbinrs in this field go surface level and tell people it's made by the cult itself.

[@galactic-hamster7043]

Yes you can say mamamax, it's alrighr

[@literally_who]

I went into it expecting Shen Yun and Jehova Witnesses' Caleb and Sophia, but went out with a delicious Christian slam poetry reading over a sick beat. I don't usually leave comments, but this was so out of nowhere for me in a good way! And I appreciate how you managed to keep a relatively light and fun tone while discussing such a disturbing subject without downplaying how horrible cults are.

[@trollol1914]

I thought i recognised that picture! Yeah, i was worried it was ganna be JW’s in the list.

[@literally_who]

@@trollol1914 I wouldn't have worried about exposing JW as a doomsday cult with a children's cartoon propaganda if I were you.

[@Nekoszowa]

@@trollol1914 Why get worried when they ARE a cult?

[@troyevitt2437]

I just love that Caleb and Sophia have a father who for no apparent reason has this Romance Novel, Luxury Car Ad Spanish accent. He sounds like Gus Fring on Breaking Bad/B.C.S. and a low-profile Jehovah's Witness family is actually a very Gus Fring canard.

[@literally_who]

@@troyevitt2437 I know nothing about Gus Fring, but this is probably the funniest way I saw anyone describe how the dad sounds xD

[@wanparaph]

Your narration is truly entertaining. I love it It cracks me up

[@Copperyfoxx]

This vid was just recommended to me. Watched the whole thing - awesome work. Instant Subscribe ❤

[@vestaosto]

You know, the curious thing about Aum Shinrikyo was, there were some "highly intelligent" people coming from one of the best universities in Japan that joined this cult. They managed to produce their own "factory" to make sarin gas. Talk about intelligence used for wrong reasons....and the most annoying thing is that they still exist (under a different name)!!

[@staters_college_tagers]

Goes to show how dangerous it is to think anyone is immune to the psychological tactics cults use to draw members in. When people only see horrific events like the sarin attacks and mass suicides, it makes them think that the cults were just Like That, and that the people perpetrating those crimes joined because they LOVE doing murder and domestic terrorism on a Friday night. But this is like showing a movie at its climax; these incidents are largely removed from the necessary context to understand them. What they don't see is the slow buildup and escalation that blinds otherwise intelligent, rational minded people to the reality of their actions. Call it boiling the frog; spend long enough in an environment that constantly beats you the person down and forces you to define yourself by it, and I bet YOU would be puncturing gas bags with umbrellas on a subway. This is the true terror of brainwashing, that it is not some magic woo woo status effect that is inflicted, but a legitimate identity change that happens slowly, and can't really be 'cured' or 'recovered from' per se. More people ought to keep that in mind when talking about cults, I think. you are not immune to propaganda, etc etc

[@threestans9096]

United States University system is basically this, except they produce more drone-type people. critical thinkers haven’t been a majority in college in years. it’s all the kids from school who spent 4hrs a night memorizing instead of learning. this is why many colleges contain some of the most mentally ill, racist, bigoted areas of any town they are in right now. recently oberlin college had to pay 40million because their teachers encouraged students to harass a shop owner who caught some students stealing. the students defense was this - “thaaaatttttsss rayyyyycist!!!!” students are constantly bullied for their political and religious opinion on campuses, usually this isn’t present until second or third year, which makes it even more obvious what’s happening.

[@chrisramsey6725]

"Highly intelligent" is almost as meaningless as the term "racist"now. I mean, look at AOC.` She is considered "intelligent" because she went to college, but she is dumber than a rock. Much of the time, universities are just left-wing indoctrination centers now.

[@TheHopperUK]

@@staters_college_tagers This is really important, thank you for posting it! It's tempting to assume that we, ourselves, could never fall for these tricks. But the tricks are clever, and they easily could.

[@DocBree13]

Damn… 😞