October 5, 2018 ▸ People, Religion

Episode 336: The Rajneeshees: Sex Cult, Salmonilla, and Poisoned Beavers

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On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we look at one of the most interesting cults we’ve ever covered: The Rajneeshees. Let me give you a teaser. Their story involves the bombing of a hotel by a radical Islamic group, a bio weapon attack involving poisoned salads, an assassination attempt of a prominent politician, a lot of capitalistic sex, a war against Nike, the attempt to take over a town in Oregon, an army of hoboes who were knowingly high on Haldol, and a plot to poison the water supply with an army of beavers.

Yes. That’s all true. It sure seems like a lot when you string it all together.

So, who are the Rajneeshees, and what did they believe? They started as the followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (also known as Osho), a public speaker from India who specialized in meditation seminars. He got backing by some wealthy folks in India, and he quickly rose in prominence, securing a whopping 100,000 followers in just a few years.

They lived in an ashram in India but spread throughout the globe. They started to be a group that was somewhat hedonistic, celebrating things that made you feel good, from material possession to sex. Lots of sex. Eventually, they settled on a plot of land in rural Oregon, and there, they went to war with one of the co-founders of Nike to claim dominance over the area. This battle got intense, and eventually led to the group doing all they could to win local elections and stay in power (this is where the bio attack, army of hoboes, an assassination plot, and poisonous beavers come on the scene).

So, what was up with Rajneesh’s 93 Rolls Royce cars? How much sex did this sex cult have? How big was their militia? What did the Rajneeshees secretary do to take power, and where did she end up? What happened to the army of hoboes? Why did the cult try to cultivate live AIDS cultures? Listen, laugh, learn.

List of Crazy Crimes from the Cult: https://www.thedailybeast.com/wild-wild-country-the-most-shocking-reveals-from-the-sex-cults-fbi-informant