The spectacular rise and fall of an audacious guru and his cult
How I Created Cult explores the spectacular rise and fall of Andrew Cohen and his organization, EnlightenNext. How did the American guru go from devotion to denouncement? And what drives legions of ordinary people to join cults?
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How I Created A Cult on BBC Select
Charismatic but controversial spiritual cult leader Andrew Cohen was one of the most notorious gurus in recent history. His organization, EnlightenNext, collected millions of dollars from devotees and became a lucrative global empire. But soon Cohen’s devotees began to report tales of psychological abuse, extortion and coercive control. Featuring archive footage and in-depth interviews with group members and Cohen himself, this BBC documentary reveals what life was like inside the cult, and asks: how did a seemingly-idealistic spiritual venture succumb to corruption, greed and exploitation? And why do so many of these groups end in turmoil and tragedy?
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