10 Most Disturbing CULT Rituals

10-Most-Disturbing-Cult-Rituals

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining our picks for the most unsettling, bizarre, and messed up practices by real-life cults around the world that often led to disaster.

Constant Coconut Consuming

The Order of the Sun

August Engelhardt was in his early 20s when he joined the Jungborn, a cult focused on vegetarianism and nudism. In 1902, after the Jungborn was dissolved, Engelhardt relocated to modern-day Papua New Guinea. There, he developed his own cult, The Order of the Sun, and promoted the consumption of a fruit-based diet, particularly coconuts, which he believed were special since they grew the closest to the sun. At its peak, around 30 followers joined this coconut cult. However, relying on coconuts as a primary food source led to many members’ deaths. Engelhardt himself lost a lot of weight, which was compounded by a drought, and he developed various illnesses. He ultimately passed away in 1919 at the age of 43.

Mass Weddings

The Unification Church

In 1954, Sun Myung Moon formed the Unification Church in South Korea, declaring himself the Second Coming of Christ. Not long after, Moon began arranging for members to get married to each other. These ceremonies were believed to free the couple and their future children from original sin. Moon relocated to the U.S. in 1971, and the ideologies of the group soon began to gain popularity there. In 1982, the Unification Church began its first mass Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony in New York with 2000 couples. Over the years, thousands more have participated in these ceremonies, often marrying people they’ve never met before, who were chosen by Moon and other leaders.

The Game

Synanon

Synanon was founded by Charles Dederich Sr. in 1958, originally as a rehabilitation program. In 1991, the main U.S. branch was shut down due to a slew of scandals and crimes committed by the cult. However, it still survives in some countries. To control its members, Synanon introduced “The Game,” a twisted form of group therapy. During The Game, one person is selected, whom the others would then verbally tear apart, picking on their weaknesses, talking about their secrets, and humiliating them. The chosen person had to agree with the attacks; if they resisted, others would join in, which only intensified the tirades. The Game was later turned into a 72-hour ordeal, increasing the brainwashing even more.

Disrobed & Disorderly

Freedomites

The Doukhobors are a Christian community who originally emigrated from Russia to Canada in the late 1800s. A few years later, some members broke away to form the Freedomites, which later became known as the Sons of Freedom. This new group rejected materialism, and opted to educate their children themselves rather than send them to government-run schools. This caused clashes with the local governments and led to wide protests among the group. Some Freedomites took their dissent to extreme levels, committing acts of arson and using explosives without clothes on. The cult believed that uncovered human skin, which was created by God, was more perfect than fabric, made by imperfect human hands.

Sacrifices to Protect Criminals

The Narcosatanists

Born in the US in 1962, Adolfo Constanzo eventually settled in Mexico City, where he would perform animal sacrifices, claiming it helped cartels in their criminal activities. This enhanced the reputation of his cult, the Narcosatanists, with gangs in the area. Believing he actually possessed magical powers, Constanzo moved from using animals to the bodies of the deceased, then to live human sacrifices. In 1989, after taking the life of American student Mark Kilroy, Constanzo fled with some of his followers. Before he could be arrested, he commanded his followers to kill him. Afterwards, several cult members were apprehended and convicted for their crimes. It is believed that the Narcosatanists’ rituals claimed up to 26 lives.

Extreme Sweat Lodge

“Spiritual Warrior” Retreat

After finding his feet in motivational speaking, James Arthur Ray began promoting New Age beliefs with self-help advice. This led to him hosting several “Spiritual Warrior” events, which involved testing the participants' resolve by putting their lives in danger. In 2009, Ray brought members who paid him around $10,000 each to a retreat in Arizona. He got them inside a nontraditional sweat lodge for several hours for “spiritual cleansing.” As a result, 18 people suffered burns, dehydration, organ failure, and other conditions, and three people tragically died. Ray was subsequently sued by the victims’ families for millions of dollars. In 2011, he was also found guilty of negligent homicide and sentenced to two years in prison.

Cave Living

True Russian Orthodox Church

Originally from Belarus, Pyotr Kuznetsov traveled to Russia to preach about the impending apocalypse, where he formed the doomsday cult, True Russian Orthodox Church. Members were forbidden from handling money, watching TV, or eating processed foods. In 2007, Kuznetsov instructed his followers to enter a cave and pray until the end of days, which he predicted would occur in May 2008. However, Kuznetsov couldn’t join them, as he was arrested beforehand. Despite the efforts of authorities, the cult members initially refused to leave the cave. Some eventually came out after falling ill or due to fears about the cave’s instability. In May 2008, the remaining nine members were forced to leave after the corpses of two deceased people released toxic fumes.

Flirty Fishing

Children of God

Known today as The Family International, the Children of God was founded by David Berg in 1968 to form communes around the world and spread their version of Christianity. Several celebrities, such as Joaquin Phoenix and Rose McGowan, grew up in the cult. In the mid-70s, after promoting Free Love methods, Berg brought in the concept of Flirty Fishing. Women were encouraged to use their sexuality to recruit men into the cult. It’s believed that around 200,000 men were victims of this disturbing methodology, resulting in the births of thousands of babies and the widespread transmission of STDs. The Flirty Fishing practice was eventually stopped in 1987 due to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Building the "Master Race"

The Family

In the mid-60s, Anne Hamilton-Byrne, declaring herself a reincarnation of Jesus, created The Family in Australia. This New Age cult combined various worldwide religions in its philosophy. In 1987, with the aid of Sarah Moore, who had been kicked out of the group, the police raided The Family compound and discovered their insidious methods. The children, some of whom were abducted or obtained through scams, had their hair dyed blond, were given prescription medicine as punishment, and were homeschooled in isolation from society. As teenagers, they were given psychedelic drugs in an initiation rite known as “going-through.” Survivors of the cult have revealed that these rituals were aimed at creating a “master race.”

Making Slaves

NXIVM

Founded by Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman in 1998, NXIVM initially operated as a personal development company with multi-level marketing strategies. However, it soon morphed into a grim cult. With aid from celebrities such as Allison Mack, a secret society of women known as Dominus Obsequious Sororium, or DOS, was created. Within DOS, women were treated as slaves to “Masters.” They were branded with Raniere’s initials, beaten, and had their sensitive information and intimate photos held as leverage. Additionally, they were made to perform various sexual acts. After Sarah Edmondson blew the whistle on NXIVM, the police began investigating, and arrests were made. Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison, Salzman to 42 months, and Mack to 3 years.

What’s the most dangerous cult to have existed? The Manson Family? The Peoples Temple? One of the ones we covered in the video? Or something else? Let us know below.