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Hidden Cults

Hidden Cults

Von: Nik Hunter
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 From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place. New episodes weekly. Listener stories always welcome. Anonymity guaranteed.

Listener stories: hiddencultspodcast@gmail.com

International Resources
  • International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)
    https://www.icsahome.com
    Provides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families.
  • Open Minds Foundation
    https://www.openmindsfoundation.org
    Offers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations.
  • The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse)
    https://www.thehotline.org
    📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse.
  • Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan)
    https://freedomofmind.com
    Resources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education.
  • FaithTrust Institute
    https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org
    Support and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.
United States
  • Cult Recovery Hotline (ICSA)
    📞 1-239-514-3081
    Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers.
  • RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
    https://www.rainn.org
    📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.
Canada
  • Cult & Trauma Support Resources 🧠
  • Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.org
  • Phone: 📞 514-274-2333
  • Email: infosecte@qc.aira.com
  • Canada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse.
  • Offers confidential support, referrals, and information in English and French.

United Kingdom
  • The Family Survival Trust
    https://familysurvivaltrust.org
    Support and advocacy for those affected by cults and coercive control.
  • Cults Information Centre and Family Support
    https://cults.org.uk
    UK-based information and guidance for cult survivors and families.
  • Mind UK (Mental Health Support)
    https://www.mind.org.uk
    📞 0300 123 3393 — Non-judgmental mental health advice and support.
Australia
  • Cult Information and Family Support (CIFS)
    https://www.cifs.org.au
    National support for individuals and families affected by cults.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hidden-cults--6633392/support.Copyright Nik Hunter Sozialwissenschaften True Crime
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  • Ep.43 The Source Family (Father Yod)

    Ep.43 The Source Family (Father Yod)
    Mar 1 2026
    In this episode of Hidden Cults, we examine the rise and fall of The Source Family, the Los Angeles commune led by Jim Baker, who renamed himself Father Yod and later Ya Ho Wha. What began in 1969 as a successful health food restaurant on the Sunset Strip evolved into a tightly structured spiritual movement built on discipline, devotion, and absolute loyalty to its earthly spiritual father. We follow Baker’s transformation from Marine veteran and businessman to charismatic patriarch, tracing the formation of the Mother House, the Ten Commandments of the Aquarian Age, the spiritual wife system, and the daily rituals that shaped life inside the commune. As the Family’s public image grew more theatrical and their teachings more apocalyptic, they sold the restaurant that funded their vision and relocated to Hawaii in pursuit of purity and self-sufficiency.Part 1 – The Making of Jim Baker (1922–1969)Part 2 – Becoming Father Yod (1969–1971)Part 3 – The Family System (1971–1973)Part 4 – Provocation and Expansion (1973–1974)Part 5 – Hawaii and Collapse (1974–1975)From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place.New episodes weeklyListener stories always welcomeAnonymity guaranteed.Listener stories: hiddencultspodcast@gmail.comInternational ResourcesInternational Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)https://www.icsahome.comProvides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families.Open Minds Foundationhttps://www.openmindsfoundation.orgOffers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations.The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse)https://www.thehotline.org📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse.Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan)https://freedomofmind.comResources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education.FaithTrust Institutehttps://www.faithtrustinstitute.orgSupport and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.United StatesCult Recovery Hotline (ICSA)📞 1-239-514-3081Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers.RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)https://www.rainn.org📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.Canada Cult & Trauma Support Resources Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.orgPhone: 📞 514-274-2333Email: infosecte@qc.aira.comCanada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse.Offers confidential support, referrals, and information in English and French.United KingdomThe Family Survival Trusthttps://familysurvivaltrust.orgSupport and advocacy for those affected by cults and coercive control.Cults Information Centre and Family Supporthttps://cults.org.ukUK-based information and guidance for cult survivors and families.Mind UK (Mental Health Support)https://www.mind.org.uk📞 0300 123 3393 — Non-judgmental mental health advice and support.AustraliaCult Information and Family Support (CIFS)https://www.cifs.org.auNational support for individuals and families affected by cults.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hidden-cults--6633392/support.
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    39 Min.
  • Ep.42 The Bergholz Community (Samuel Mullet)

    Ep.42 The Bergholz Community (Samuel Mullet)
    Feb 22 2026
    In this episode, we examine the rise and unraveling of the Bergholz Community, a breakaway Amish settlement in Ohio led by Samuel Mullet Sr. What began in 1995 as an attempt to form a stricter religious district gradually drew national attention after a series of beard-cutting attacks shocked both Amish society and the wider public. We follow the timeline from Mullet’s early leadership and disputed ordination, through the growing divide with other Amish bishops, to the events of 2011 that led to federal charges, trials, and appeals. This episode explores how one isolated settlement moved from internal conflict to criminal investigation, and how the aftermath continues to shape conversations about belief, authority, and accountability inside closed religious communities.Part 1 – The Leader Before BergholzPart 2 – Formation of the Bergholz SettlementPart 3 – Belief System and Internal StructurePart 4 – Life Inside the CommunityPart 5 – The Beard-Cutting Attacks and Legal InvestigationPart 6 – Survivors, and LegacyFrom silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place.New episodes weeklyListener stories always welcomeAnonymity guaranteed.Listener stories: hiddencultspodcast@gmail.comInternational ResourcesInternational Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)https://www.icsahome.comProvides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families.Open Minds Foundationhttps://www.openmindsfoundation.orgOffers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations.The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse)https://www.thehotline.org📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse.Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan)https://freedomofmind.comResources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education.FaithTrust Institutehttps://www.faithtrustinstitute.orgSupport and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.United StatesCult Recovery Hotline (ICSA)📞 1-239-514-3081Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers.RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)https://www.rainn.org📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.Canada Cult & Trauma Support Resources Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.orgPhone: 📞 514-274-2333Email: infosecte@qc.aira.comCanada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse.Offers confidential support, referrals, and information in English and French.United KingdomThe Family Survival Trusthttps://familysurvivaltrust.orgSupport and advocacy for those affected by cults and coercive control.Cults Information Centre and Family Supporthttps://cults.org.ukUK-based information and guidance for cult survivors and families.Mind UK (Mental Health Support)https://www.mind.org.uk📞 0300 123 3393 — Non-judgmental mental health advice and support.AustraliaCult Information and Family Support (CIFS)https://www.cifs.org.auNational support for individuals and families affected by cults.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hidden-cults--6633392/support.
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    23 Min.
  • Ep.41 Fountain of the World

    Ep.41 Fountain of the World
    Feb 15 2026
    In this episode of Hidden Cults, we examine the rise and violent collapse of the Fountain of the World, a California-based religious movement founded in the late 1940s by Krishna Venta, born Francis Herman Pencovic. Set in Box Canyonin in Southern California, the group presented itself publicly as a humanitarian, communal sect devoted to Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, and Love, while privately centering around apocalyptic prophecy, and a leader who claimed to be Christ returned to Earth.Part 1 – The Man Before the MessiahPart 2 – Building the Fountain of the WorldPart 3 – Life Inside the Community and the Fracture Beneath ItPart 4 – The Explosion, the Dead, and the Immediate ReckoningPart 5 – Survivors and What Remained From silent compounds to subway attacks, from charismatic prophets to catastrophic ends, Hidden Cults is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Each episode unpacks a different cult with investigative depth, emotional clarity, and gripping storytelling. You'll hear the full timeline: from the origins and ideology, to the rise of control, to the final descent into chaos. We're not here for the sensational. We're here for the truth. If you've ever wondered how ordinary people fall into extraordinary belief systems, and what happens when those systems implode, you're in the right place.New episodes weeklyListener stories always welcomeAnonymity guaranteed.Listener stories: hiddencultspodcast@gmail.comInternational ResourcesInternational Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)https://www.icsahome.comProvides information, recovery support, referrals, and events for survivors and concerned families.Open Minds Foundationhttps://www.openmindsfoundation.orgOffers education and support about undue influence and manipulative organizations.The Hotline (USA – Domestic Abuse)https://www.thehotline.org📞 1-800-799-7233 — 24/7 support for victims of domestic, emotional, and religious abuse.Freedom of Mind Resource Center (Steven Hassan)https://freedomofmind.comResources on cult recovery, exit counseling, and mind control education.FaithTrust Institutehttps://www.faithtrustinstitute.orgSupport and resources for survivors of religious abuse, especially within faith communities.United StatesCult Recovery Hotline (ICSA)📞 1-239-514-3081Referral and support line for ex-members, families, and researchers.RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)https://www.rainn.org📞 1-800-656-4673 — Confidential support for trauma survivors.Canada Cult & Trauma Support Resources Info-Cult / Info-Secte (Montreal-based, Canada-wide) Website: https://infosecte.orgPhone: 📞 514-274-2333Email: infosecte@qc.aira.comCanada’s leading organization for individuals and families affected by cults, coercive groups, and spiritual abuse.Offers confidential support, referrals, and information in English and French.United KingdomThe Family Survival Trusthttps://familysurvivaltrust.orgSupport and advocacy for those affected by cults and coercive control.Cults Information Centre and Family Supporthttps://cults.org.ukUK-based information and guidance for cult survivors and families.Mind UK (Mental Health Support)https://www.mind.org.uk📞 0300 123 3393 — Non-judgmental mental health advice and support.AustraliaCult Information and Family Support (CIFS)https://www.cifs.org.auNational support for individuals and families affected by cults.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hidden-cults--6633392/support.
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    27 Min.
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