The CULTural Zeitgeist

The Hare Krishna Murders: Part 2

Well, this one was full of trashy audio and went on for well over an hour before we artfully edited it to a manageable 52 minutes (you're welcome).
 
Today we finish our story about the disgusting Keith Ham (a week late...sorry, not sorry) and the multiple murders he committed to keep his followers from knowing he was a pedocreep. 
 
In case you wanted one: Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Tee from Discount Cemetery
 
 

The Hare Krishna Murders: Part 1

Keith Ham was a Hare Krishna leader of the West Virginia ashram called New Vrindaban, but he was harboring pretty gross secrets that would lead him to commit not one, but two grisly murders. 
 
Krishnas: Gurus. Karma. Murder - Documentary on Peacock
Hare Krishna Leader Tied to Murder Plot - Washington Post 

doodooTerra

If you think Young Living was bad, doTerra isn't much better. doTerra turns a blind eye to the shady business dealings of it's middle man and lies about it's charitable work overseas 
 
IUCN
The Price of Purity on Vice TV
Beeyo Mal
 
 

D. Gary Young: Essential Oil Tycoon, Ex-Convict, and Baby-killer

D. Gary Young is known as an essential oil trailblazer who started a wildly successful company with millions of devoted followers, but before Gary introduced the world to Thieves he had also spent a good amount of time in jail. Apparently, pretending to be a doctor is against the law, but don't worry, jail didn't stop this go-getter. 

Fruitlands: Dickensian Hipsters Start A Cult

A non-depressing tale of how Little Women author Louisa May Alcott grew up in a failed Dickensian hipster cult run by her father, an educator and dedicated vegan, who was very much, ahead of his time.
 
 

Guru Jagat and the Secret Alien War

Katie Griggs was a girl-bossing yoga teacher and somehow a follower of two cult leader creeps (Osho and Yogi Bhajan) we have already covered. So things went really well...
 
 
Resources 
Phelan, Hayley. “The Second Coming of Guru Jagat.” Vanity Fair. 1 December 2021
 
Orecchio-Egresitz, Haven. “Before the sudden death of its leader, Ra Ma Yoga Institute was accused by some former members of being a cult. What happens now?” Business Insider. 30 October 2021
 
George, Cassidy. “Inside the Dubious World of RA MA Yoga, and Its Girl Boss Guru to the Stars” Vice. 13 July 2021
 
@RamaWrong on Instagram 
“The Scandalous Celebrity Cult Leader From Suburbia” Not The Good Girl. Youtube. 27 December 2022

The Cult of Yogi Bhajan

Yogi Bhajan came to the US to spread the teachings of Kundalini Yoga, something he claimed was an ancient spiritual practice, but ...turns out he made the whole thing up and left a trail of sexual abuse and shady business deals along the way. 
 
RESOURCES
Deslippe, Philip. “From Maharaj to Mahan Tantric: The Construction of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga”
 Dyson, Pamela Saharah. Premka: White Bird in A Golden Cage. Eyes Wide Publishing. 2020
Scofield, Be. “Master of Deceit: How Yogi Bhajan Used Kundalini Yoga for Money, Sex And Power.” The Guru Magazine

Belle Gibson: The Worst Part 2

Belle Gibson continues to take her scheme to new levels, gets blasted on 60 Minutes, and takes cultural appropriation to a new level. 
 
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Cancer Research Institute
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Resources
Donelly, Beau and Nick Toscano. The Woman Who Fooled The World: Belle Gibson’s Cancer Con. Scribble, 2018
Ackerman, Tessa. “Cancer Fraudster Belle Gibson Rejected by Ethiopians.” The Weekend Australian. 24 January 2020
Donelly, Beau and Nick Toscano. “Friends and doctors raise doubts over 'Healing Belle' cancer claims.” The Age, 10 March 2015
Donelly, Beau and Nick Toscano. “Backlash over app developer Belle Gibson's missing charity money.” The Age, 9 March 2015
Weaver, Claire. “Belle Gibson: The Girl Who Conned Us All.” Now To Love, 25 July 2015