Raëlian Movement
UFO religion founded by French former motoring journalist Claude Vorilhon ('Raël') in 1974, claiming humans were created by extraterrestrials called the Elohim. Promoted human cloning (Clonaid 2002 hoax) and 'sensual meditation'.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — UFO religion; less coercive than other NRMs but distinctive doctrinal demands.
Profile facts
In context
The Raëlian Movement teaches that humanity was scientifically created by extraterrestrials and that Raël is their final prophet. Members donate to support construction of an extraterrestrial embassy. The 2002 Clonaid claim of having produced the first human clone (never substantiated) brought international attention. Compared with other NRMs the movement is less coercive — members maintain outside lives — but practices distinctive 'sensual meditation' workshops.
Key control doctrines
- Elohim as scientific creators
- Raël as final messenger
- Future ET embassy as mission
Legal cases & controversies
- Clonaid claim (2002, widely regarded as hoax)
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 1973Vorilhon claims first contact with Elohim
- 1974First book published; movement founded
- 2002Clonaid claim of first human clone (never substantiated)
Sources
- Susan Palmer, 'Aliens Adored: Raël's UFO Religion' (2004) search ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. The search ↗ link runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.