Prophesied to die young and surviving near-death-experiences, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh felt discomfort with his own mortality from a young age. Over time, his spiritual studies and strong beliefs about capitalism and sexuality led Rajneesh to become a charismatic cult leader. This charisma attracted Ma Anand Sheela, the woman who rose from a 20-year-old devote ... Show More
Nov 2022
Waco Siege & Branch Davidians Pt. 1
On February 28th, 1993, ATF agents raided a compound in Waco, Texas, belonging to a religious group known as the Branch Davidians. A 51-day standoff ensued, ending in a violent siege. Eighty-one people lost their lives, many of them children — but to this day, no one knows which ... Show More
33m 53s
Oct 2022
Listen Next: Who is Rama?
Listen ad-free to all episodes of Smoke Screen: I Am Rama with your subscription to The Binge. To some he was an enlightened master, and to others a dangerous cult leader. One thing’s for sure, the spiritual leader Rama was a product of the 80s: designer clothes, a rock band, spo ... Show More
5m 20s
Jun 2021
“The Guru's Secretary” Sheela Birnstiel Pt. 2
With her relationship with Bhagwan strained and her power slipping away, Sheela Birnstiel knew she had to do something drastic to make him happy and gain it all back. So in 1984, assisted by a group of loyal followers, Birnstiel masterminded the largest bioterrorist attack the U. ... Show More
51m 55s
Aug 2023
98. The Death of Geetika Sharma
Over the last decade, India has been home to a slew of unexpected, scandalous and devastating suicides with sinister back stories. These suicides, those of Jiya Khan, Pratyusha Banjerjee, Sushant Singh Rajput, Tunisha Sharma and more, weren’t just stories of people who gave up on ... Show More
45m 41s
Jul 2016
The 93 Rolls-Royces of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Some called Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh a messiah, and some called him a cult leader. Beginning in the 1980s, this controversial guru and his followers slowly took over an area of rural Oregon. Yet despite all his spiritual teachings and publications, he's perhaps best remembered for ... Show More
1h 2m
Oct 2022
Ruth Harris, "Guru to the World: The Life and Legacy of Vivekananda" (Harvard UP, 2022)
Guru to the World: The Life and Legacy of Vivekananda (Harvard UP, 2022) tells the story of Swami Vivekananda, the nineteenth-century Hindu ascetic who introduced the West to yoga and to a tolerant, scientifically minded universalist conception of religion. Ruth Harris explores t ... Show More
44m 56s
Feb 2023
Ep. 219 – Death of the Guru
In this powerful recording from 1974, Ram Dass talks about dealing with the death of his guru, working with the concept of dharma, and connecting to our inner wisdom and intuition.Want to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join the Ram Dass Fellowship v ... Show More
55m 14s
Oct 2018
Mahabharata Episode 54: The Bhagavad Gita
Arjun listens to the enlightening words from Krishna.On the first day of the war, Krishna drives Arjuna's chariot to the middle of the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Watching Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and many of his relatives and friends assembled on the Kaurava side as his opponent, A ... Show More
27m 12s