Rajneesh / Osho Movement
Movement of the late Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh / Osho (1931–1990). Famous for its Oregon Rajneeshpuram commune (1981–85), the 1984 Salmonella attack on The Dalles (largest US bioterror attack until 2001), and the 'free love' philosophy. Subject of the 2018 Netflix series 'Wild Wild Country'.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
+1 for the documented 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack in Oregon (largest in US history at that time).
In context
Osho's neo-tantric movement attracted Western seekers through 1970s Pune and the 1980s Oregon commune. Sheela Birnstiel orchestrated the 1984 Salmonella attack — the largest bioterror attack in US history at that time — to influence local elections. After Osho's 1990 death, the renamed Osho International Foundation continues globally with reduced control. The Netflix 'Wild Wild Country' (2018) made the case mass-cultural reference.
Key control doctrines
- Osho as enlightened master / Bhagwan
- Tantric / neo-tantric sexual practice
- Sannyasin renunciate identity
Notable public ex-members
- Hugh Milne (Shiva)
- Tim Guest
- Multiple 'Wild Wild Country' interviewees
Legal cases & controversies
- 1984 Salmonella attack (Sheela & 9 others convicted)
- Multiple immigration-fraud convictions
- 1985 commune dissolution
Timeline
- 1974Pune ashram established
- 1981Rajneeshpuram founded in Wasco County, Oregon
- 1984-09Salmonella attack sickens 751 in The Dalles, OR
- 1985Sheela arrested; commune collapses
- 1990Osho dies in Pune
Sources
- Hugh Urban, 'Zorba the Buddha: Sex, Spirituality, and Capitalism in the Global Osho Movement' (2015)
- Win McCormack, 'The Rajneesh Chronicles' (2010)
- Netflix 'Wild Wild Country' (2018)
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Search the source title plus the group name to find the original.