Cult of Death: Heaven's Gate

Venice is famous for its beautiful canals, but hidden beyond the tourist crowds lies a darker history that few visitors ever see.In this episode, we explore the infamous island of Poveglia, a place long associated with plague victims, abandoned hospitals, ghost stories, and one o ...  Show more

When the Spanish arrived in what they called "The New World," they documented the life of the indigenous people, new plants, and animals. They would report this back to their own governments. But along those handwritten documents, there were stories of dark, sinister entities tha ...  Show more

In 1997, 39 Heaven’s Gate cult members died by mass suicide, believing a UFO would grant them salvation. In this debut episode, Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes peels back the layers of how a cosmic prophecy and Marshall Applewhite’s delusion ended in the deadliest cult suici ...  Show more

Members of the Heaven’s Gate UFO cult believed they were meant to shed every scrap of humanity they had. Paradoxically, they ran a promotional website and made videos promoting their beliefs. Greg and Vanessa dig into the minds of members who joined and later left the cult, as we ...  Show more

The Manson Family. Jonestown. Waco. So many cults end in tragedy. But it may be the cults you haven't heard of that are the most brutal. Ash and Alaina explore famous, infamous and lesser-known cults to determine the deadliest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic ...  Show more

In 1993, a cult outside Waco, Texas went to war with the U.S. government. Seventy-six people, including 25 children, didn’t survive. In this episode, "Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes" unravels the terrifying rise of David Koresh and the Branch Davidians...and how belief in a ...  Show more