Log in

goodpods headphones icon

To access all our features

Open the Goodpods app
Close icon
headphones
Sinister Societies

Sinister Societies

Spotify Studios

Their promises are alluring and their influence oh-so-subtle. Every week on Sinister Societies, friends Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire examine the unbelievable crimes and everyday insidiousness of cults. Expect plenty of prophets, apocalypses, and doom... alongside everything from bunkers and booze to utopias and URLs. A Spotify Original from Parcast.

1 Listener

bookmark
Share icon

All episodes

Best episodes

Top 10 Sinister Societies Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Sinister Societies episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Sinister Societies for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Sinister Societies episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Sinister Societies - Children of Thunder: Magic, Extortion & Murder
play

08/09/22 • 32 min

Taylor Helzer was a devout Mormon who was excommunicated from his church in the ‘90s. He toyed with starting an escort group, but ultimately settled on trying to usher in the “perennial reign of Christ.” Hannah and Suruthi discuss everything from his 12 Principles of Magic to the murders he committed during an extortion scheme.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 Listener

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Sinister Societies - Satanic Torture: The Ripper Crew
play

08/02/22 • 34 min

Just as America was entering its Satanic Panic era, a group of Devil worshippers led by Robin Gecht abducted and killed over a dozen people — mostly women — for gruesome Satanic rituals. Hannah and Suruthi cover Robin’s eerie work history, teenage followers, and the “chapel” he kept in his attic.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 Listener

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Sinister Societies - Colonia Dignidad

Colonia Dignidad

Sinister Societies

play

09/06/22 • 39 min

A former compound in Chile is getting a second life as a German-themed resort. But it was once the home of a notorious religious group led by a Nazi. Hannah and Suruthi dive into the dark history of Colonia Dignidad (“Dignity Colony”), its pedophile leader Paul Schaefer, and his alliance with the brutal dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

It was supposed to be a return to a purer form of Catholicism. Instead, it led to one of the largest cult-related killings in history. Fueled by messages from the Virgin Mary, Credonia Mwerinde and Joseph Kibwetere preached the apocalypse in Uganda. Then they created one.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Sinister Societies - The Kirtland Cult Murders

The Kirtland Cult Murders

Sinister Societies

play

08/16/22 • 33 min

In the winter of 1990, authorities uncovered five bodies that had been buried in a barn. An apocalyptic cult had put them there — convinced that human sacrifice was essential for Jesus Christ’s return. Hannah and Suruthi investigate the gruesome murders, dangerous beliefs, and spotted history of the man at the center of it all: Jeffrey Lundgren.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Sinister Societies - Brother Julius and The Work

Brother Julius and The Work

Sinister Societies

play

08/30/22 • 35 min

Donning a robe and a single gold earring, the so-called “Sinful Messiah” preached doom to hundreds of followers in the 1970s. Hannah and Suruthi analyze the life of Julius Schacknow — how he manipulated women into sleeping with him for the sake of their own salvation, how he created a company worth millions, and the tumultuous end to his bizarre cult.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Sinister Societies - Introducing: Sinister Societies
play

10/15/21 • 1 min

Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala are teaming up with Parcast Network to bring you an unprecedented look into the world’s most secretive groups — the occult, the collegiate, the vampiric, and so much more. Premieres Tuesday, October 19th.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Sinister Societies - Order of the Solar Temple

Order of the Solar Temple

Sinister Societies

play

07/26/22 • 35 min

In the 1990s, an occult group led by Luc Jouret and Joseph Di Mambro had members throughout the world. They embraced New Age philosophy and believed nature’s destruction would bring about the apocalypse. Their survival plan included “making a transit” to the star Sirius. But to get there, they’d first have to die.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Sinister Societies - Shoko Asahara’s “Supreme Truth”
play

07/19/22 • 38 min

They were a billion-dollar organization with followers all over the world. At their helm sat Shoko Asahara, who plotted to end the world in nuclear war. Hannah and Suruthi dive into the wealth and biochemical weapons of Aum Shinrikyo — one of the most dangerous cults that ever existed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Sinister Societies - Hogen Fukunaga & The Foot Reading Cult
play

12/28/21 • 36 min

The proof is in the podiatry? In the 1980s, a man claimed he was the successor to Jesus and Buddha before starting a business that would defraud people out of millions.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Show more best episodes

Toggle view more icon

FAQ

How many episodes does Sinister Societies have?

Sinister Societies currently has 49 episodes available.

What topics does Sinister Societies cover?

The podcast is about True Crime and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Sinister Societies?

The episode title 'Satanic Torture: The Ripper Crew' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Sinister Societies?

The average episode length on Sinister Societies is 37 minutes.

How often are episodes of Sinister Societies released?

Episodes of Sinister Societies are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Sinister Societies?

The first episode of Sinister Societies was released on Oct 15, 2021.

Show more FAQ

Toggle view more icon

Comments