Thousands of religious, political and self-improvement cults are active around the world, and an estimated two to five million Americans have been involved in a cult at some point in their lives. While not all cults are destructive, these stories demonstrate how unwavering faith in an infallible leader can lead lay the groundwork for criminal acts a heinous as murder or mass suicide.
True crime author Joan Biddlecombe Agsar uncovers what really happened inside some of modern history's most notorious cults, including:
Hippie devotees turn violent to manifest God's race war
Hundreds of utopia seekers meet their end in the Guyanese jungle by ingesting a cyanide-laced drink
Teenagers consume blood and bludgeon an unsuspecting Florida couple to death
Nike-adorned disciples commit suicide to transport onto a spaceship approaching
Cult Members collect sacrificial blood by slicing open victims' veins while their hearts are still beating