People's Temple (Jim Jones) The People' s Temple of the Disciples of Christ, (originally Peoples Temple Full Gospel Church and commonly shortened to Peoples Temple). Ended in Jonestown in 1978 in Guyana S. America with mass suicides and murders.

Branch Davidians (Vernon Howell, later known as David Koresh) Known for masssive shoot out on April 19,1993 after a 51 day stand off with the FBI. More than 80 people died, with deaths on both sides.

Heaven’s Gate (founded in 1974 and led by Marshall Applewhite (1931-1997) and Bonnie Nettles (1927-1985). Mass suicide in 1997 coordinated with the closest approach of Hale-Bopp comet

The Rajneeshee cult, centered around Indian mystic Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho), was a controversial utopian community in Oregon (Rajneeshpuram) during the 1980s.Attempted to take over government by poisoning restaurant food so fewer non-members could vote in upcoming local elections

AUM/Om/Oumu Shinrikyo (lit.'religion of Aum Supreme Truth') founded by Shoko Asahara March 2, 1955 ‐ July 6, 2018), born Chizuo Matsumoto (Matsumoto Chizuo). A "Doomsday" cult that became violent, kidnapping, injuring and killing opponents, and even using chemical and biological agents in other attacks.Known for the chemical attackon the Tokyo subway.

Satanic Cults

Satanic "cults" became high in popularity at the end of the 1900's. The are complicated in that they are not organized into some organized theology, but rather seem to have been practiced by single individuals or small groups all rather independent of one another. Other than claiming to worship the devil (sometimes called "Lucifer", "Mephistopheles", "Satan" or a host of other names), the groups have little in common. Some even assert that the serpent (often equated with the devil) is the "good guy" because he wants people to have knowledge and the god of the bible (ultimately the author) is a bad guy trying to make himself look good and the real "good guy" (the serpent seen as the devil) the bad guy. There were a number of "Satanic crimes" which got lots of publicity like the MacMartin School case in Los Angeles in the 1980's. These "crimes" involved regressions to childhood by hypnotists in which people remembered all kind of abuse during Satan rituals. Another famous trials in which Satanism raised its head was the "Son of Sam" (David Richard Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco). Police were very taken by all this (not only in the US but also in Britain and some other places). They relied heavily on a book called Michelle Remembers, in which a pyschiatrist regresses "Michelle" back to her childhood where she remembers being taken by her mother to various Satanic meetings - at one of which, the devil actually puts in an appearance.

Much of this was occuring around the time of the "New Age Religions" which were also florishing around this time.

Nativistic Movements: Syncretic movements usually in response to contact