If one thing’s true about cults, it’s that they’re all dangerous—but some more than others. And here are 10 of the deadliest ones! The most persuasive (and terrifying) people led these organizations. They convinced their followers to do the unthinkable — we should all learn from their stories to never fall for something similar in our lives.
Featured Image Credit: EdZbarzhyvetsky /Depositphotos.com.
Peoples Temple
In the 1950s, Jim Jones started the Peoples Temple. It ended tragically. In 1978, over 900 people took part in a murder-suicide on a huge scale that involved cyanide poisoning in Jonestown — a settlement in a Guyanese remote jungle. Through his manipulation, Jones convinced his followers to drink poison. He claimed it was a revolutionary act.
Heaven’s Gate
In 1997, members of Heaven’s Gate believed so strongly that they could hitch a ride on a spaceship trailing a comet that they ended their lives to get there. Led by Marshall Applewhite, 39 people took poison, wearing matching clothes. Why? Because they thought they were ascending to a higher existence.
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Branch Davidians
The 1993 Waco Siege is something straight out of a movie but unfortunately, it was all too real. David Koresh and the Branch Davidians (his followers) took part in a deadly standoff with federal agents that lasted 51 days. It ended with a fire that killed 76 people. Let this be a lesson—when religious zealotry meets government force, we all lose.
Aum Shinrikyo
Aum Shinrikyo, under Shoko Asahara, was behind the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack that killed 13 and injured thousands of others. The group had apocalyptic visions and weren’t afraid to use chemical weapons to achieve their goals. Sadly, the incident just goes to show the lengths some people will go to bring about their idea of the end times.
The Manson Family
Charles Manson had a talent for manipulation that led his “family” to commit a series of brutal murders in 1969. This included the actress Sharon Tate. Manson’s bizarre interpretations of pop culture and the Bible convinced his followers they were part of a coming race war. Now, Manson has become the ultimate example of how people can weaponize their charisma.
The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God
In Uganda, over 700 people died in a church fire & mass poisonings that were organized by leaders of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God. How did they do it? They promised their followers salvation by strictly following the Ten Commandments—but with a deadly twist.
The Solar Temple
The Order of the Solar Temple mixed New Age beliefs with Christian doomsday prophecy. And the result was over 70 deaths in the ’90s through mass suicides/murders. Like many other cults, they believed death was a gateway to a new spiritual plane, where they could apparently escape the world’s problems.
The National Socialist Underground (NSU)
The NSU was not your typical cult as they were a German neo-Nazi group, yet they functioned like one. They were responsible for a series of racially motivated murders from 2000 to 2007. In 2013, some of the members were put on trial and it wasn’t until 2018 that the final member was sentenced.
The Children of God/The Family International
David Berg founded the Children of God group that became infamous for its practices, including sexual exploitation under the guise of “Flirty Fishing.” Unsurprisingly, there have been many stories of abuse within the cult’s ranks. While it has rebranded to The Family International, the allegations of abuse haven’t left.
The Nuwaubian Nation
Talk about a wild mix—The Nuwaubian Nation, led by Dwight York, believes in Egyptian mythology, UFOs & many conspiracy theories. It started as a Black Muslim group in the 1970s but morphed into something much stranger. York claimed to be from another planet and promised his followers salvation. But behind the bizarre beliefs, there were darker accusations of financial scams & abuse.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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