15 of the Most Dangerous Cults in History

Most people that join a cult don’t even think about them in that way, and that’s what makes these groups dangerous. They rely on charismatic leaders that sway the minds of people on a low point in their lives, promising answers to every question and doubt, even the ones humanity has none to offer.

What they ask in return is absolute devotion, often monetary compensation, and putting the group, its leader, and their ideals above your own dignity. These are some of the most dangerous cults that have appeared throughout history, and what made them so dangerous.

Peoples Temple and the Jonestown Massacre

Founded in 1955 by Jim Jones, the group ended in tragedy on November 18, 1978. Over 900 people, including a U.S. Congressman, died through self inflicted means at their remote Jonestown settlement in Guyana.

Heaven’s Gate’s Cosmic Journey

This UFO cult believed a spaceship trailing the Hale-Bopp comet was their ticket to a higher existence. In March 1997, 39 members, including leader Marshall Applewhite, took their own lives to ‘board’ the craft.

The Branch Davidians and the Waco Siege

The group, led by David Koresh, became infamous after a 51-day siege with federal agents in 1993. It ended tragically on April 19 when their Waco compound (located in Texas) burned, killing 76 people inside.

Aum Shinrikyo’s Tokyo Subway Attack

On March 20, 1995, this Japanese doomsday cult unleashed sarin gas on the Tokyo subway system. The attack, orchestrated by leader Shoko Asahara, killed 13 people and injured thousands during rush hour.

The Manson Family Murders

Charles Manson convinced his followers an apocalyptic race war he called ‘Helter Skelter’ was coming. In August 1969, his ‘family’ committed a series of brutal murders in hopes of starting the conflict.

The Order of the Solar Temple

Active between 1994 and 1997, this group saw over 70 members die in large numbers across Switzerland, Canada, and France. The deaths were staged as ritualistic ‘transits’ to another planet, often having the participants take their own lives.

NXIVM’s Self-Help Trafficking Scheme

Masquerading as a self-help program, NXIVM hid a disturbing secret. Leader Keith Raniere was convicted in 2019 for crimes including human trafficking, after running a secret group where women were branded.

Rajneeshpuram’s Bioterror in Oregon

In the first known bioterror attack in U.S. history, this Oregon-based commune tried to sway a local election in 1984. They contaminated salad bars in The Dalles with salmonella, sickening more than 750 people.

Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God

After their doomsday prophecy for 1999 failed, tragedy struck this Ugandan group. On March 17, 2000, hundreds died in a church fire, and later investigations revealed mass graves bringing the total murdered to over 900.

The Family’s Australian Dystopia

Led by Anne Hamilton-Byrne, who claimed to be Jesus, this cult raised children in isolation. The children were given identical clothing and hairstyles, and were subjected to drugs and abuse before a 1987 police raid.

The Thuggee Cult of India

For centuries, this secret society of assassins terrorized travelers in India. Worshipping the goddess Kali, they believed their murders were religious duties, typically strangling victims with a cloth called a rumal.

Antares de la Luz and the Infant Sacrifice

In a horrific act, this Chilean doomsday cult sacrificed the leader’s newborn son in a bonfire in November 2012. Leader Ramón Castillo Gaete convinced followers he was a messiah before fleeing and later taking his own life.

The Matamoros Human Sacrifice Cult

This group, led by Adolfo Constanzo in the late ’80s, mixed drug smuggling with ritual murder. The search for a missing American student in 1989 led police to a ranch containing 15 mutilated bodies.

Superior Universal Alignment’s Ritual Murders

This Brazilian UFO cult was responsible for a series of ritual murders. In 2003, five members were convicted, but the group’s founder and leader, Valentina de Andrade, was controversially acquitted of the charges.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Rebellion

This group’s leader claimed to be Jesus’s younger brother and started a civil war in China from 1850 to 1864. The conflict is one of history’s deadliest, resulting in an estimated 20 to 30 million deaths.