Best Josh Schell Podcasts (2026)

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Bruno Gröning & The Circle of Friends w/ Lindsay Valenty 59:11

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4y ago59:11

59:11

We did it, Fred! We finally found a cult that isn't horrible! Because today we are going to be talking about Bruno Groning and The Circle of Friends. A cult whose leader died before it formed but whose followers managed to create a worldwide cult that believes in positive thinking to heal its followers. Consider supporting the podcast by becoming a…

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Aum Shinrikyo | The Military Cult That Injured Thousands 49:17

4y ago49:17

49:17

In 1989, the Metropolitan Government of Tokyo officially recognized “Aum Shinrikyo” as a legitimate religious movement. Little did they know that five years later, that same group would carry out a violent terrorist attack on the city, leaving 13 dead and a thousand others severely injured. Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTu…

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James Ellison & The Covenant w/ Shots and Thoughts 56:12

4y ago56:12

56:12

In 1976, James Ellison moved to Arkansas, intending to establish a self-sustaining fundamentalist Christian commune made up of like-minded individuals who wanted nothing more than to dedicate themselves to God. But by 1978 – a mere two years later – he and his followers had become domestic terrorists who believed in white supremacy and were willing…

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August Engelhardt & The Coconut Cult w/ The Dumb, Found Dead 57:31

4y ago57:31

57:31

Cults are not always sinister. Similarly, cult leaders are not always manipulative sociopaths. Sometimes, all they need is one deluded man. August Engelhardt, born with a silver spoon, was many things, and one of them was delusional, something he shared with other cults and their leaders. You might wonder the peculiarities of Engelhardt’s delusion.…

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The Church of Scientology Part 2: The Indoctrination Process 46:48

4y ago46:48

46:48

For many, Tom Cruise is a good-looking actor who rose to fame after starring in blockbusters like “Top Gun,” “Mission Impossible,” and “Risky Business.” But for Scientologists, Tom Cruise is a demigod who has become “Operating Thetan VII.” According to them, this status has allowed him to gain a wide range of superpowers, such as telekinesis, leavi…

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The Church of Scientology Part 1: The Story of L. Ron Hubbard 54:33

4y ago54:33

54:33

Super excited to kick off 2022 with this much-anticipated cult! The Church of Scientology may be controversial; however, its devotees have nothing but praise for its teachings. For instance, actor Tom Cruise once called it “a beautiful religion,” while fellow actor John Travolta publicly stated that it was only being criticized because it “really w…

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The Hermes Far Eastern Shining Cult | Curing The World One Grift At A Time 46:29

4y ago46:29

46:29

When Ann Fitzgerald met a group of New Age devotees at a festival in London, she thought that she had found a set of like-minded and supportive friends. Never did she imagine that she would spend the next decade in their grip, working 16-hour shifts without being paid a single dollar. Ann, however, was far from the group’s only victim. Follow us on…

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The Lafferty Brothers' School of Prophets | A Family Cult 42:33

4y ago42:33

42:33

When Allen Lafferty walked into his home on the evening of July 24, 1984, he never expected to find the carpet and drapes soaked in blood. Nor did he imagine that he would be the first to find the corpses of his beloved wife and daughter. Staring at their remains, Allen soon came to realize that those responsible for destroying his family were none…

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Saul Newton and The Sullivan Institute 53:08

4y ago53:08

53:08

After graduating from Harvard University in the early 1970s, Paul Sprecher decided to head to the Big Apple, in search of exciting opportunities. Instead, he stumbled upon a group led by an increasingly erratic authoritarian, who sought to impose his views about sex and the nuclear family on his hundreds of devotees. Surprisingly enough, its ranks …

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Multi-Level Marketing | The Cults Of The Business World 58:57

4+ y ago58:57

58:57

In‌ ‌today’s‌ ‌episode‌ ‌of‌ ‌Let’s‌ ‌Start‌ ‌a‌ ‌Cult‌ ‌we‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌discussing Multi-Level‌ ‌Marketing‌ ‌companies ‌or‌ ‌pyramid‌ ‌schemes.‌ ‌From‌ ‌leggings‌ ‌to‌ ‌essential‌ ‌oils‌ ‌and‌ ‌kitchen‌ ‌knives,‌ ‌these‌ ‌predatory‌ ‌brands‌ ‌have‌ ‌manipulated‌ ‌countless‌ ‌individuals,‌ ‌causing‌ ‌them‌ ‌to‌ ‌destroy‌ ‌personal‌ ‌relationships‌…

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The Church of Almighty God | China's Most Dangerous Cult 21:24

4+ y ago21:24

21:24

The Chinese government is often criticized for its harsh policies against groups that undermine it. However, many have welcomed the measures that it has taken to repress the Church of Almighty God, due to the cult’s involvement in dozens of controversies, including riots, a stabbing at a primary school, and a vicious murder that was caught on camer…

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Colonia Dignidad | Chile's Secret Nazi Cult 43:35

4+ y ago43:35

43:35

In today’s episode of Let’s Start a Cult – the story of Colonia Dignidad, a religious commune established on the foothills of Chile’s Andes Mountains. To outsiders, it seemed like a self-sustaining Christian community that strived to give back to the locals. However, it would later be revealed that it had ties to both Nazi Germany and the Pinochet …

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The Ripper Crew | Chicago's Satanic Cult 1:01:11

4+ y ago1:01:11

1:01:11

The Ripper Crew, a group that terrorized Chicago with a series of abductions and horrific killings between 1981 and 1982. Later, it would be revealed that they would eat the amputated breasts of their victims as part of their sickening Satanic ritual. They may have committed these horrific murders but one of the cult’s members has since been releas…

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The Family An Australian New Age Cult 44:57

4+ y ago44:57

44:57

In this episode, we are talking about an Australian New Age Group called The Family. This group forcefully adopted children and raised them on a compound in Australia. Sponsored by Db Journey: https://bit.ly/37cP8YP Our Socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cult Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpod Instagram: https://www.instag…

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The Children Of Thunder 52:24

4+ y ago52:24

52:24

In this episode of Let’s Start a Cult – the story of the Children of Thunder, a trio led by a fanatic who believed that it was his mission to kill the leaders of the Mormon Church. To carry this out, he brainwashed his younger brother and his roommate to carry out a horrific murder spree that left even the presiding judge reeling from its bloody de…

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The House Of David 50:54

4+ y ago50:54

50:54

Unlike the majority of other cults, the House of David didn’t isolate itself from the rest of the world. In fact, its members even opened their commune to visitors, welcoming up to half a million of them during peak season. They also formed their own baseball team that went on to compete with the nation’s best, making headlines across the United St…

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Let's Start A Cult Presents: Reddit On Wiki - What Are Aswang? 52:20

4+ y ago52:20

52:20

Aswang are horrible shape-shifting creatures from Filipino folklore! Listen to this test episode as John gives Josh and Sean an in-depth look into these terrible creatures! Get ready to listen weekly starting August 2nd! Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! https://www.spreaker.com/show/reddit-on-wiki Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As…

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Charles Manson And The Family 50:39

4+ y ago50:39

50:39

He may be long dead, but Charles Manson continues to strike fear in the hearts of many. This gaunt, unshaven man with wild eyes can be seen in dozens of photographs from the late 1960s and early 1970s – a period in American history that, interestingly enough, was marked by peace movements alongside murderous cults, serial killers, and all sorts of …

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The Cult Of QAnon 1:11:27

4+ y ago1:11:27

1:11:27

In this episode of Let’s Start a Cult – we will be talking about QAnon, a movement born from an Internet messaging board that – in the space of four years – managed to infiltrate the United States Presidency, leading to a slew of disturbing incidents. Sponsor: https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385 Our Socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets…

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Cult News: Love Has Won 16:23

4+ y ago16:23

16:23

In today’s episode of Let’s Start A Cult we are talking NEWS! That's right we are a news channel now... Just kidding but in there has been a recent incident involving the cult Love Has Won. We will dive in and find out how a cult with such a nice name came to embalm their own leader! Our Socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cult Facebook: htt…

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Part 2: Adolf Hitler And The Nazi Party 1:07:12

5y ago1:07:12

1:07:12

In today’s episode of Let’s Start A Cult we continuing our discussion of Adolf Hitler and The Nazi Party and how this terrible cult nearly destroyed the world. Our Socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/lets_cult Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsstartacultpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_cult/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.co…

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The Dumbfound Dead Clip - Attacks On Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 21:20

5y ago21:20

21:20

Use this link to donate: https://aapifund.org/ And check out The Dumbfound, Dead Podcast here: https://www.thedumbfounddeadpod.com/ Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to hundreds of free books and podcasts! Start reading today! Audible Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free …

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Part 1: Adolf Hitler and The Nazi Party 41:20

5y ago41:20

41:20

In today’s episode of Let’s Start A Cult we will be telling the story of a young boy from an impoverished Austrian family, who managed to crawl his way to the top of an organization that would later terrorize the entire European continent and the... Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access to h…

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The Order of the Solar Temple 46:41

5y ago46:41

46:41

Perhaps no other cult has fascinated people more than the Order of the Solar Temple – a group that began in the late 1980s as a community of people who sought to live out New Age philosophies. For some, the organization is interesting because of the... Mentioned in this episode: Audible Get 1-month free of Audible! That's one free book and access t…

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The Church of Bible Understanding 1:20:13

5y ago1:20:13

1:20:13

Currently fueled by the millions of dollars that they earn through their several business ventures, many of its members continue to see it as a legitimate Christian group, rather than a cult. Today we will be talking about The Church of Bible... Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us on the s…

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The Ant Hill Kids | Roch Thériault 1:18:21

5y ago1:18:21

1:18:21

The 1970s was a time of searching and exploration around the world. Following decades of war and unrest, young people yearned for happiness, meaning, and peace. They wanted to be enlightened, spiritually awakened. They craved to be part of something bigger and more meaningful than the regular 9-5 grind. This desire was the perfect foundation for cu…

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The Nation of Yahweh 36:42

5y ago36:42

36:42

The Nation of Yahweh, an organization that started out as a charitable movement to help the impoverished citizens of Miami and then turned onto the residents, subjecting them to a series of violent attacks and murders that left at least 13 people... Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us on t…

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The Christmas Cult 44:41

5y ago44:41

44:41

Christmas - a time for joy, a time for cheer, a time for beatings? That's right the beloved holiday that billions around the world celebrate might be a front for that jolly old man. Behind that white beard lies a dark past that our beloved cult leader... Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us…

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The Freedomites 46:28

5y ago46:28

46:28

On today's episode of Let's Start A Cult we will be talking about The Freedomites also called The Sons of Freedom, and their fight to save their children from the government. The Freedomites were a religious, extremist cult that used nudity, arson, and... Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow u…

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The Matamoros Cult 1:13:36

5y ago1:13:36

1:13:36

Unlike other cults, the Matamoros Cult was never in the mainstream; it didn’t amass thousands of followers nor was it a subject of controversy in its heyday. In fact, it was even trusted by the elite and high society of Mexico City, all of whom were... Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us o…

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Heaven's Gate 1:12:32

5y ago1:12:32

1:12:32

Cults are built on logical, semi-believable premises that often involve religion and the leader as the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. It is these messages that draw hundreds of people in, causing them to commit horrific acts on others and on... Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us on the so…

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John Frum and The Cargo Cults 46:32

5y ago46:32

46:32

Every year on February 15th, locals of the island of Tanna in Vanuatu gather in swarms to celebrate their messiah. It’s the holiest of days for the small island. Some of their celebrations look like standard worship: song and dance, prayer and chanting. Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us …

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Ho-No-Hana Sanpogyo 40:37

5y ago40:37

40:37

Ho-No-Hana Sanpogyo targeted desperate people – often housewives with sick husbands and children who were searching for any possible cure to save their loved ones. Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast Network Patreon Follow us on the socials: Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Website Mentioned in this episode: Audi…

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Jim Jones And The People's Temple 48:07

5+ y ago48:07

48:07

All of them were members of the Peoples Temple, an organization that began as an unconventional church in Indianapolis that sought to serve society’s marginalized before eventually morphing into a cult, thanks to the drug-addled mind of its founder and leader, Reverend Jim Jones. Get Ad-Free episodes and episodes A Week Early on our Cultiv8 Podcast…

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Let's Start A Cult: Trailer 2:01

5+ y ago2:01

2:01

Welcome to the Let's Start A Cult podcast! We will explore the dark and interesting world of cults and how they get started! Join me, Josh Schell, and my guests every other week as we take on a new cult of interest!Episodes starting October 6th, 2020!To... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…