10 Jaw-Dropping Podcasts About Cults

There's a lot to be fascinated by when it comes to cults—and for a curious outsider, there's plenty to learn. For example, how do cults work? Why would someone uproot their lives to join one, and if they want to leave, how can they? And what happens when a seemingly well-intentioned "community" becomes an oppressive and ultimately deadly environment, as with Heaven's Gate, Jonestown, and the Manson Family?

Because we live in the golden age of great podcasts, there's a variety of offerings that aim to answer these questions and more, usually in a respectful way that goes beyond "look at what these weirdos believed about the apocalypse!" Some even speak to former members who provide firsthand accounts of what it's like living inside an extremist sect (and address the allegations of brainwashing and abuse associated with the more infamous groups). There is definitely plenty of genre overlap with the true crime podcast world—and shows like Last Podcast on the Left and My Favorite Murder have devoted many one-off episodes to cult-focused macabre tales—but these picks are entirely devoted to topic, often focusing several or all of their installments on one specific group. These best podcasts about cults will keep you riveted all weekend long.