Here are ten of the most famous and strange sects that ever existed, describing what they revolved around, their leaders, and what their beliefs were:

1. Heaven's Gate (United States)

  • What's it about? Heaven's Gate believed that an alien spaceship would take them to a “higher level of existence” after their death.
  • Leader: Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles.
  • What do they stand for? The cult combined New Age belief with science fiction. They thought their souls would be liberated by ritual suicide. In 1997, 39 members committed suicide en masse.

2. Aum Shinrikyo (Japan)

  • What's it about? This sect combined elements of Buddhism, Hinduism, and apocalyptic predictions.
  • Leader: Shoko Asahara.
  • What do they stand for? They believed they had to prepare the world for a nuclear apocalypse. In 1995, the group committed a sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, killing and injuring hundreds.

3. The Peoples Temple (United States/Guyana)

  • What's it about? The Peoples Temple preached equality and community life.
  • Leader: Jim Jones.
  • What do they stand for? It ended in tragedy when more than 900 followers committed mass suicide in 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana, by drinking cyanide in grape juice.

4. Order of the Solar Temple (Switzerland/Canada)

  • What's it about? This sect believed in a mix of Christian and occult beliefs.
  • Leader: Joseph Di Mambro and Luc Jouret.
  • What do they stand for? They believed that their death would take them to a higher spiritual level. In the 90s, more than 70 members committed suicide or were killed en masse.

5. Raelism (International)

  • What's it about? Raelism claims that humans were created by aliens (the Elohim).
  • Leader: Claude Vorilhon, aka Raël.
  • What do they stand for? They believe in peace and scientific progress. They made headlines around the world when they claimed to have created the first human clone.

6. The Family (Australia)

  • What's it about? This sect revolved around the belief that their leader was a divine incarnation.
  • Leader: Anne Hamilton-Byrne.
  • What do they stand for? The cult adopted and abused dozens of children and tried to indoctrinate them. They believed they had to become “perfect” spiritual beings.

7. The Branch Davidians (United States)

  • What's it about? This sect split from the Seventh-day Adventists and believed in an imminent end of time.
  • Leader: David Koresh.
  • What do they stand for? They believed that Koresh was a messianic figure. An armed raid by the FBI in 1993 ended in a conflagration that killed 76 people.

8. Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God (Uganda)

  • What's it about? This sect revolved around strict adherence to the Ten Commandments and the end of time.
  • Leader: Credonia Merinde and Joseph Kibetere.
  • What do they stand for? In 2000, hundreds of members were killed in a massive fire, probably set up by the leaders, after their apocalyptic predictions failed to come true.

9. The Church of the Last Testament (Russia)

  • What's it about? This sect is focused on the conviction that their leader is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.
  • Leader: Sergey Torop, aka Vissarion.
  • What do they stand for? Vissarion preaches veganism, ecological lifestyle, and pacifism, but the sect has often been criticized for strict rules and isolation.

10. The Manson Family (United States)

  • What's it about? Charles Manson convinced his followers that a racial war, called “Helter Skelter,” was imminent.
  • Leader: Charles Manson.
  • What do they stand for? The cult carried out murders to accelerate the war, including the infamous 1969 murder of actress Sharon Tate.

These sects show how people can become entangled in extreme beliefs, often with tragic consequences. Many began with spiritual or idealistic intentions but ended in destruction and chaos.

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