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Rajneeshpuram

Inside the Cult of Bhagwan and Its Failed American Utopia

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Rajneeshpuram

By: Russell King
Narrated by: Russell King
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A tale of breathtaking ambition, flamboyant personalities, palace intrigue, and casualties strewn along the path to enlightenment.

In 1981, ambitious young Ma Anand Sheela transported the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh to the United States to fulfill his dream of creating a utopia for his thousands of disciples. Four years later, the incendiary Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon collapsed under the weight of audacious criminal conspiracies hatched in its inner sanctum, including the largest bioterrorism attack in US history, an unprecedented election fraud scheme, and multiple attempted murders.

Rajneeshpuram explores how this extraordinary spiritual community, featured in the Netflix docuseries Wild Wild Country, went so wrong. Drawing from extensive interviews with former disciples and an unprecedented review of commune records, government and police files, and archival materials, author Russell King probes the charismatic power that Bhagwan (later known as Osho) and Sheela exercised over the community and the turbulent legal and political environment that left commune leaders ready to deceive, poison, and even murder to preserve their home and their master.

Rajneeshpuram is a fresh examination of the Rajneesh story, using newly available information and interviews with high-ranking disciples who have never before shared their stories.

©2022 Russell King (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing
Religious Studies True Crime Crime Murder
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Have grown up in Rajneeshpuram it been fascinating to learn what was going on at top of the commune and all the legal stuff too. We were all just working all the time and had no idea that Sheela was plotting to kill members of the commune! Truly shocking.

Excellent!

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