The 15 Most Famous Cults in History
Aum Shinrikyo
This dangerous Japanese cult was founded in 1984 by Shoko Asahara and started out as a non-violent cult for yoga and meditation. The cult was granted the status of a religion and soon enough turned violent, with records of forced donations, several frauds, and even murders. At the peak of its destructive spell, Asahara was captured with a stockpile of weapons and explosives and enough poison gas to kill more than 4 million people.
