This list of reported cults indexes a number of groups that have been referred to:

1. as a "cult" directly by specific listed sources;
2. as a "sect" directly by specific listed French-language or United Kingdom sources;
3. as such within the last 50 years;

Disclaimer: Inclusion of a group within this list is dependent upon that group being labelled a "cult" or "sect" by one or more of the listed sources. It does not imply that it has been proved, in any manner, that that group is a "cult" or "sect". Nor does it imply any harmful or beneficial aspects of that group. These terms may be used as pejoratives and their application to specific groups is sometimes controversial. Very few groups or organizations are willing to accept the label of "cult," and some groups have vehemently resisted such a classification. The definitions and common use of the term are examined in depth at the article on cults. In religion and sociology, a cult is a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and new religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream. ... A sect is a small religious or political group that has branched off from a larger established group. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... In religion and sociology, a cult is a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and new religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream. ...

Not included in this list are personality cults (heads of state), fancults of popular culture, and groups that don't have actual followings (fictional or self-nominated groups).

Groups

• Aesthetic Realism (SH)
• Al-Qaeda (Asianweek) (USA Today) (Le Monde Diplomatique) (Le Nouvel Observateur)
• Antoinism (FR)
• Aquarian Concepts San Diego Union Tribune
• Aum Shinrikyo (Wpost) (BBC) (Enc) (Insight) (FR) (OCRT)
• Beasts of Satan (BBC)(Guardian)
• The Body of Christ (AKA Attleboro Cult) Boston Herald, NEIRR, (SH)
• Branch Davidians (Wpost) (Salon) (Enc) (SF Chronicle) (Insight) (FR) (OCRT)
• Chen Tao (BBC)[1]
• Children of God (a.k.a. "The Family") (WPost) (Guardian) (FR) (NY Times)
• Christadelphians [2] [3]
• Christian Science (FR) (Salon)
• Church of Scientology (Salon) (WPost) (FR)[4] [5] [6] [7]
• Church Universal and Triumphant (BBC) U.S. Congressional Report: Suspect Organizations and Individuals Possessing Long-Range Fifty Caliber Sniper Weapons (PDF) (RM)
• Colonia Dignidad or Villa Baviera of Paul Schäfer (NY Times)(BBC),TVNZ
• Concerned Christians (BBC) (Wpost) (OCRT) [8][9]
• Creativity Movement (Guardian) (OCRT)
• Elan Vital (previously known as Divine Light Mission) (FR)
• Endeavor Academy(The Courier Mail (Australia))
• est (Forbes)
• Exclusive Brethren (BBC)(Guardian)
• Falun Gong[10] (Guardian)
• Grail Movement (FR)
• Green Dragon Temple TVNZ
• Heaven's Gate (Wpost) (Enc) TIME Insight (OCRT)
• Ho No Hana (BBC), (Salon), Cesnur
• House of Yahweh (OCRT)
• Iglesia ni Cristo (Le Monde) (Le Monde Diplomatique) (SH) (Bookrags) (catholic.com)
• International Churches of Christ (FR) As of 2003, no longer a centralized organization with common beliefs or practices. See entry.
• ISKCON (AKA Hare Krishna) (Salon) (FR)
• Jeffrey Lundgren (Associated Press) (OCRT)
• Jehovah's Witnesses (FR) (Guardian) (BBC) (Time)
• Landmark Forum (FR)
• Lyndon LaRouche movement (Wpost) (Guardian)
• Mahikari-Sukyo Mahikari (FR)
• Manson Family (WPost) (OCRT)
• MOVE (Salon) (WPost)
• Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God (BBC)(ABC)(Guardian)) (Guardian) (OCRT)
• Mungiki (BBC) (Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board)
• Neo-Apostolic Church (FR)
• Order of the Solar Temple (Salon) (WPost) (Enc) (FR) (OCRT)
• Pana Wave [http://www.rickross.com/reference/pana_wave/pana_wave2.html (Reuters) (BBC)(Sydney Morning Herald)
• Peoples Temple (Salon) (Enc) (WPost) (SF Chronicle) (FR) (OCRT)
• Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (BBC)
• Posse Comitatus (WPost) (FR)
• Quillabamba Pentecostal (BBC)
• Raelism (Salon) (Guardian) (FR),
• Rajneesh/OSHO (Salon) (WPost) (Court TV)
• Roch Theriault (Salon)
• Sathya Sai Baba (Salon)
• Society of St. Pius X [11]
• Soka Gakkai (FR)
• Symbionese Liberation Army (WPost) (Guardian) (SF Chronicle)
• Synanon (Salon)(Point Reyes Light)
• Temple of Set (SF Chronicle)
• Thuggee, the cult of Kali (BBC)
• Transcendental Meditation (FR)
• Unification Church (Salon) (WPost) (Guardian) (SF Chronicle) (FR)
• United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors/Malachi York (AP)
• Universal Alliance (FR)
• Universal Church of God (FR)
• Vishwa Nirmala Dharma/Sahaja Yoga (FR)(RM)
• The Way International (WPost)
• Westboro Baptist Church of Fred Phelps (Salon)
• Wikipedia (Guardian) Sydney Morning Herald,ABC.Net

Aesthetic Realism is the philosophy founded by the American poet and critic Eli Siegel in 1941. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... The antoinist temple of the 13ème arrondissement, Paris Antoinism is a minority religion (or cult, depending on the point of view) founded by Louis-Joseph Antoine(1846-1912). ... Aum Shinrikyo (also spelled Om Shin Rikyo) was a religious group which mixed Buddhist and Hindu beliefs and was based in Japan. ... The Body of Christ, also known as the Attleboro cult, was a small religious group founded in Attleboro, Massachusetts, which began as a Bible study group in the late 70s but became a cult. ... The Branch Davidians are a religious group originating from the Seventh_day Adventist church. ... Chen Tao is the name for a UFO group that originated in Taiwan. ... The Children of God (COG), later known as the Family of Love, the Family, and now The Family International is a new religious movement that started in 1968 in Huntington Beach, California, USA. It was part of the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s, with many of its early converts... The Christadelphians (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) are a nontrinitarian Christian denomination, which developed in Britain and North America in the 19th century. ... Christian Science is a teaching regarding the efficacy of spiritual healing according to the interpretation of the Bible by Mary Baker Eddy, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. ... Official Scientology Cross Symbol The Church of Scientology was founded in 1954 by the late author L. Ron Hubbard. ... The Church Universal and Triumphant is a New Age new religious movement and organization founded by Mark L. Prophet and Elizabeth Clare Prophet. ... Colonia Dignidad (Dignity Colony, now known as Villa Baviera, Bavaria Village), is a settlement located in an isolated area in the Maule Region of southern Chile, near the village of Parral. ... Concerned Christians is an apocalyptic Christian group widely deemed to be a cult. ... The Creativity Movement is a racist, anti-semitic, anti-Christian and white-supremacist organization which advocates a White Religion called Creativity. ... Elan Vital is an organization that supports the work of Prem Rawat also known by the honorary title Maharaji. ... The Divine Light Mission (DLM) was founded by the Shri Hans Ji Maharaji in Northern India in 1960 and registered in Patna. ... Endeavor Academy, also known as The New Christian Church of Full Endeavor, is located in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, and is a spiritual residential community/ school that incorporates many aspects of the spiritual teachings known as A Course In Miracles (ACIM). ... Erhard Seminars Training, or est (always in lower-case), was a controversial New Age large group awareness training (LGAT) seminar program, widespread during the 1970s. ... Until about 1960, the people now referred to as the Exclusive Brethren, EB, or sometimes the Closed Brethren, comprised a quiet, conservative, fundamentalist, Christian group who desired to remain spiritually separate from the world surrounding them, and also from the divisions and confusion they perceived in Christendom. ... Falun emblem. ... Heavens Gate was the name of a UFO cult co-led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles until Nettles death. ... Ho No Hana is often called the foot reading cult. ... The House of Yahweh is an established non-profit religious organization based in Abilene, Texas and officially recognized by the United States, Canada and Israel as a legitimate religion. ... Iglesia ni Cristos first chapel The Iglesia ni Cristo (IPA: ) (also known as INC or Iglesya ni Kristo; Filipino for Church of Christ) is an independent religious organization which originated in the Philippines. ... The International Churches of Christ (ICOC), sometimes known as the Boston Movement, are a group of Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement Christian churches. ... The International Churches of Christ (ICOC), sometimes known as the Boston Movement, are a group of Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement Christian churches. ... The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is a new religious movement based on Bengali, or more specifically Gaudiya, Vaishnavism founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, referred to by followers as His Divine Grace, in New York in 1966. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Landmark Education (LE), founded in 1991 and long known as Landmark Education Corporation or as LEC, purchased certain rights to a so-called training course known as The Forum from Werner Erhard and Associates (WEA -- the corporate successor of Erhard Seminars Training or EST). ... Defunct California Proposition 64 North American Labour Party Party for the Commonwealth of Canada Parti pour la république du Canada U.S. Labor Party Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche, Jr. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... // Introduction and disclaimer Sukyo Mahikari, according to scholars, is a Japanese shinshukyo. ... Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) was the leader of a group known as The Family, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ... MOVE is an organization formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972 by John Africa (Vincent Leaphart) and Donald Glassey. ... The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God was a breakaway group from the Roman Catholic Church that formed in Uganda in the late 1980s. ... Mungiki-A religious sect primarily of the Kikuyu. ... The Order of the Solar Temple also known as Ordre du Temple Solaire (OTS) in French, and the International Chivalric Organization of the Solar Tradition or simply as The Solar Temple was a secret society based upon the new age myth of the continuing existence of the Knights Templar (see... Pana-Wave: A recent cult in Japan run by a 70 year old (approx, unknown birthdate) woman. ... Brochure of the Peoples Temple portraying cult leader Jim Jones as the loving father of the Rainbow Family. The Peoples Temple was a cult that is best known for a mass suicide at Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978. ... The Posse Comitatus (from the Latin phrase meaning power of the county) is a loosely-organized right-wing social movement that opposes the United States federal government and believes in radical localism. ... Raels first published book, the basis of the Raelian movement Raëlism is the belief system promoted by the Raëlian Movement, a religious organization which believes that scientifically advanced extraterrestrials known as the Elohim (one of the words used to refer to God in the Torah) created life... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Roch Moses Theriault was the charismatic leader of a tiny sect based near Burnt River, Ontario. ... The front cover of a biography of Sathya Sai Baba. ... His Excellency Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Society of Saint Pius X. The Society of St. ... Soka Gakkai International or SGI is the umbrella organization for affiliate lay organizations in over 190 countries practicing a form of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. ... The Symbionese Liberation Army was an American terrorist group that considered itself to be a revolutionary vanguard army and was a proponent of radical ideology. ... Synanon was initially a drug rehabilitation program founded by Charles Dederich Sr. ... The Temple of Set is an initiatory occult society that claims itself to be the worlds leading Left-Hand Path religious organization. ... Sculpture depicting Kal Bhairab Thuggee (or tuggee) (from the Sanskrit root sthag (Pāli, thak), to conceal, mainly applied to fraudulent concealment) was an Indian cult sometimes described as the worlds first mafia, operating from the 13th to the 19th centuries, whose members were known as Thugs. ... Transcendental Meditation or TM is a form of meditation developed in 1955 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a disciple of Guru Dev. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... (26 June 1945— ) a. ... (26 June 1945— ) a. ... Vishwa Nirmala Dharma or Sahaja Yoga International is a nonprofit organization and new religious movement established in 1970 by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi to teach Sahaja Yoga, a meditation method. ... Sahaja Yoga (Sahaja meaning born with and Yoga meaning union) is a type of meditation, religion and yoga. ... The Way International is a religious organization founded by Victor Paul Wierwille in 1942. ... WBC member Jael Phelps (right) and an unidentified WBC child protesting in Tulsa, Oklahoma Westboro Baptist Church is an organization based in Topeka, Kansas, headed by minister Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. ... Fred Phelps, c. ... For information on the internal side of Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:About. ...

Sources

• British Broadcasting Corporation, marked as (BBC).
• Encarta online encyclopedia, marked as (Enc). [12]
• The Guardian, marked as (Guardian).
• The New York Times, marked as (NY Times).
• Salon.com, marked as (Salon).
• Washington Post's 1997 series, The Cult Controversy, marked as (WPost) . [13]
• France's 1996 controversial parliamentary commission report, in which a list of purported cults was published (compiled by the general information division of the French National Police (Renseignements généraux) with the help of cult-watching groups), are marked (FR). (Report in French, Report in English) See also French legislation for the prevention and repression of cultic groups.
• U.S. Congressional Report: Suspect Organizations and Individuals Possessing Long-Range Fifty Caliber Sniper Weapons (PDF file)
• San Francisco Chronicle
• Point Reyes Light
• San Diego Union Tribune
• TVNZ
• Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, marked as (OCRT). [14]
• Steven Hassan of the Freedom of Mind Center website, marked as (SH). [15]
• The Religious Movements Homepage Project at the University of Virginia, marked as (RM) [16]
• Insight Magazine (published by the Washington Times, a Unification Church publishing company)

This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... Microsoft Encarta Logo Encarta is a digital multimedia encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... The New York Times is a newspaper published in New York City by Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr. ... Screenshot of Salon. ... ... The National Police (Police Nationale) is one of two national police forces and the main civil law enforcement agency of France, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns. ... The Renseignements Généraux or RG (General Information) is a directorate of the French National Police. ... Following the second wave of suicides (and murders) of the Order of the Solar Temple in 1995, and the complaints of some individuals against the activities of some groups that present themselves as religious, the French government has encouraged public caution toward groups that exhibit sectarian (cultish) behavior. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance is a non-scholarly website dedicated to promoting religious tolerance. ... Steve Hassan Steven Alan Hassan is an anti-cult activist and director of the Center for Freedom of Mind. ... Website Virginia. ... The Washington Times is a daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C.. It was founded in 1982 as a conservative alternative to the Washington Post by members of the controversial Unification Church. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

External links

• Apologetics Index - large Evangelical Christian database on religious cults, sects, and related issues
• 1997 Washington Post series: The Cult Controversy
• CESNUR article about anti-cult terrorism
• Cult Awareness Network - currently run by members of Scientology (see: Cult Awareness Network)
• CultFAQ.org Frequently asked questions about cults
• Cultic Studies Journal - critical list of groups
• F.A.C.T.Net A nonaligned news and archive service on cult and mind control issues
• Steve Hassan - critical list of groups
• Website of the Justice for Jeremiah campaign
• University of Virginia Religious Movements website - many groups are treated; list includes all major religions as well as new movements; older entries no longer updated
• Rick Ross - large database on groups, including faq, history, overview of individual groups, and archived news reports