Cult Following
J. W. Ocker
From the author of Cursed Objects and The United States of Cryptids comes an eye-popping compendium of the most infamous, audacious, and dangerous cults in history.
Have you ever wondered how smart, normal people end up enmeshed in extreme cults? Weird history expert J. W. Ocker strives to answer that question in Cult Following. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about history’s most notorious cults–and the psychology of the people who join them–is packed into this accessible, engaging volume. Walk in the footsteps of the followers who were lured into these sinister groups, including:
Branch Davidians: Led by David Koresh, this cult was waiting out the apocalypse in 1993 when the FBI infamously raided their compound in Waco, Texas.
Narcosatanists: This cult of drug traffickers in 1980s Mexico was led by Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, who believed he had magic powers and committed human sacrifice.
Brotherhood of the Seven Rays: The earliest known UFO cult, the infiltration and study of the Brotherhood by psychologists inspired the term “cognitive dissonance.”
Ho No Hana Sanpogyo: The founder, Hogen Fukunaga, claimed to be able to tell someone’s fortune by examining their feet.
Breatherianism: Breatherians believe that humans can live on air alone. Their founder, Wiley Brooks, claimed to have gone without food for nineteen years.
NXIVM: This twenty-first century cult attracted several members of Hollywood and engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering under the guise of personal development seminars.
In Cult Following, Ocker sheds light on the terrifying attraction of cults, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust.
Duration - 8h 17m.
Author - J. W. Ocker.
Narrator - Kimberly M. Wetherell.
Published Date - Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
Location:
United States
Description:
From the author of Cursed Objects and The United States of Cryptids comes an eye-popping compendium of the most infamous, audacious, and dangerous cults in history. Have you ever wondered how smart, normal people end up enmeshed in extreme cults? Weird history expert J. W. Ocker strives to answer that question in Cult Following. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about history’s most notorious cults–and the psychology of the people who join them–is packed into this accessible, engaging volume. Walk in the footsteps of the followers who were lured into these sinister groups, including: Branch Davidians: Led by David Koresh, this cult was waiting out the apocalypse in 1993 when the FBI infamously raided their compound in Waco, Texas. Narcosatanists: This cult of drug traffickers in 1980s Mexico was led by Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, who believed he had magic powers and committed human sacrifice. Brotherhood of the Seven Rays: The earliest known UFO cult, the infiltration and study of the Brotherhood by psychologists inspired the term “cognitive dissonance.” Ho No Hana Sanpogyo: The founder, Hogen Fukunaga, claimed to be able to tell someone’s fortune by examining their feet. Breatherianism: Breatherians believe that humans can live on air alone. Their founder, Wiley Brooks, claimed to have gone without food for nineteen years. NXIVM: This twenty-first century cult attracted several members of Hollywood and engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering under the guise of personal development seminars. In Cult Following, Ocker sheds light on the terrifying attraction of cults, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust. Duration - 8h 17m. Author - J. W. Ocker. Narrator - Kimberly M. Wetherell. Published Date - Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
Language:
English
Introduction
Duration:00:09:25
The Search For Truth: Raëlism
Duration:00:16:55
The Search For Truth: Koreshan Unity
Duration:00:15:43
The Search For Truth: Home Of Truth
Duration:00:16:40
The Search For Truth: John Frum Movement
Duration:00:14:25
The Search For Truth: The C-Word
Duration:00:03:22
The Search For Truth: Chen Tao
Duration:00:15:12
The Search For Truth: Ordo Templi Orientis
Duration:00:16:51
The Search For Truth: Divine Order Of The Royal Arms Of The Great Eleven
Duration:00:14:06
The Search For Protection: Peoples Temple
Duration:00:17:24
The Search For Protection: Ant Hill Kids
Duration:00:15:46
The Search For Protection: Los Narcosatánicos
Duration:00:14:07
The Search For Protection: Heavenly Jerusalem
Duration:00:13:25
The Search For Protection: Cult vs. Occult
Duration:00:03:27
The Search For Protection: Manson Family
Duration:00:17:38
The Search For Purpose: Children Of God
Duration:00:20:18
The Search For Purpose: Rajneesh Movement
Duration:00:16:07
The Search For Purpose: Aum Shinrikyo
Duration:00:17:48
The Search For Purpose: Fandom And Cultdom
Duration:00:03:45
The Search For Purpose: Sullivan Institute
Duration:00:14:12
The Search For Purpose: Nuwaubian Nation
Duration:00:14:57
The Search For Purpose: Order Of The Solar Temple
Duration:00:14:18
The Search For Salvation: Branch Davidians
Duration:00:17:46
The Search For Salvation: Movement For The Restoration Of The Ten Commandments Of God
Duration:00:17:07
The Search For Salvation: Superior Universal Alignment
Duration:00:13:12
The Search For Salvation: Synanon
Duration:00:16:41
The Search For Salvation: The Woman Who Survived Two Cults
Duration:00:03:40
The Search For Salvation: The Seekers
Duration:00:16:30
The Search For Betterment: Remnant Fellowship Church
Duration:00:12:30
The Search For Betterment: I Am
Duration:00:13:42
The Search For Betterment: NXIVM
Duration:00:14:36
The Search For Betterment: Ho No Hana Sanpogyo
Duration:00:12:18
The Search For Betterment: Can You Actually Wash A Brain?
Duration:00:03:40
The Search For Betterment: Planetary Activation Organization
Duration:00:14:24
The Search For Betterment: Breatharianism
Duration:00:13:59
The Search For Betterment: Heaven's Gate
Duration:00:15:38
Epilogue
Duration:00:05:53