Yahoo Home Jo Thornely
Jo Thornely is a writer, podcaster, and author of Zealot: A Book About Cults. Obsessed with cults, crime, fraud, and fancy drinks, she waits for people to explain her jokes back to her on Twitter at @jothornely
Yahoo News AustraliaInside the Moonies: 'Perfect' cult celebrates mass weddings, sex rituals
The cult's enormous weddings involving hundreds of couples have long attracted attention from outsiders. Read more to learn about the Moonies.
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From a deadly train attack to drinking blood: Inside a truly bizarre cult
Aum Shinrikyo carried out a brutal attack in 1995, killing 13 people and leading to the executions of multiple members. Read more about what Jo Thornely has described as the weirdest cult.
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Cult's horrific journey from strict rules on bedtimes and showers to mass suicide
This cult became infamous due to a mass a suicide which claimed 39 lives, but there's actually much more to the group's bizarre story. Read more to find out the details.
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Cloning, aliens and topless women: The bizarre cult run by a pop star
As far as cults go, the Raelians are definitely not as dangerous as most. Find out more about this strange group which was started by a French pop star.
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Torture, murder, child molestation: The horrific cult run by a one-eyed Nazi
WARNING - DISTURBING CONTENT: The leader of this horrific cult not only molested children and tortured people but he even shot Santa Claus. Read more to discover the story of this disturbing cult.
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The shocking 'Orange People' cult which tried to steal an election
When this cult which worshipped sex and greed moved to the US and set up their own town the locals weren't too happy. Read more to find out how the cult tried to seize power.
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How the terrifying 'Big Daddy of cults' claimed 900 people's lives
The confronting story of this cult was the source of the saying 'drink the Kool-Aid'. Read more to find out how it started and how one man was responsible for ending the lives of hundreds.
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The man behind the disturbing sex cult which branded women
The women thought they were being branded with a symbol that represented the elements, but the reality was much more sinister. Read more to find out how this chilling cult mistreated its members.
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'Flirty fishing', incest and child abuse: Inside a chilling sex cult
Sex underpinned most of the Children of God's policies. Find out more about the history of this disturbing group.
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Yoga-loving adults and 'adopted kids': The Australian 'family' cult
Anne Hamilton-Byrne, the leader of The Family, was driven by her obsession with motherhood. Find out more about her in the first episode of the Cults Unpacked series.
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What does it take to become a cult leader?
If you believe it or not, many of the most notorious cult leaders of the world had totally 'normal' day jobs first.
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5 Reasons people are so obsessed with cults
Our thirst for information about weird groups with bizarre beliefs and practices preying on innocent people doesn’t seem close to being quenched.
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How to tell if you're in a cult
People don’t join cults, they join groups, and if they’re unlucky, those groups either become cults, or are very good at pretending they’re not one.
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Spaceships and sex robots: 3 cults obsessed with aliens
From spaceships to sex robots, here are just three cults that were obsessed with UFOs and aliens. Here's why they believed in life on Mars...
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8 things most cults have in common
Most cults actually share a big chunk of the same characteristics.
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Top 3 scariest cults that shocked the world
From the Jonestown massacre to one-eyed Nazis, read on to find out about three groups that left cult-obessed contributer Jo Thornely terrified.
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The most famous sex cults in the world
From NXIVM to Children of God, these sex cults are fascinating - and awful.
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The most famous female cult leaders in the world
One of the most notorious lady cult leaders was actually Australian.