Europe

Russian sect (1772+) that broke from the Khlysty over the requirement of literal self-castration ('the seal of fire', 'the small seal' / 'the great seal'). Founder Kondratii Selivanov claimed to be the resurrected Tsar Peter III and the second Christ. Criminalised throughout the Tsarist period; effectively extinct by mid-20th c.

Korean Christian-derived movement founded by Jeong Myeong-seok (1980). Leader convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault in 2009 (10y) and again in 2024 (23y). Subject of Netflix's 'In the Name of God' (2023).

Russian underground sect (17th c.–early 20th c.) believing the Holy Spirit re-incarnated in successive 'living Christs' and 'living Mothers of God'. Distinctive ecstatic spinning rite (radenie) and ascetic celibacy paired with sexual antinomian variants.

Neo-Nazi accelerationist terror organisation founded 2015. Multiple US members convicted of murder; UK proscribed as terrorist organisation 2021. Heavily entwined with Order of Nine Angles esoteric materials.

Catholic religious congregation founded by Marcial Maciel (1941). Vatican confirmed in 2010 that Maciel sexually abused seminarians and fathered children with multiple women. Major institutional reform followed.

Polish-origin Hasidic dynasty headquartered in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak. ~11,000 families globally. Distinctive 'Takkanot' rules sharply restricting marital intimacy and a 2019 succession split between the mainstream and Shaul Alter branches.

Neo-Nazi accelerationist organisation founded 2018 by Rinaldo Nazzaro. Designated terrorist organisation in UK, Canada, Australia. Multiple US members convicted of weapons and conspiracy charges.

Polish-origin Hasidic dynasty headquartered in Boro Park, Brooklyn. One of the largest Hasidic communities in North America (~10,000+ families). Long-running Bobov-45 / Bobov-48 succession schism since 2005.

Western Tibetan Buddhist organisation founded by Sogyal Rinpoche (1979). The 2017 open letter from eight long-term students forced Sogyal's resignation. Lewis Silkin investigation (2018) confirmed sexual and physical abuse.

Malawi-born self-styled 'Major 1' prophet Shepherd Bushiri leads ECG. Faced multiple South African fraud and money-laundering charges before fleeing to Malawi in 2020 in violation of bail conditions.

Mexican former physician who popularised the inhalation of vapor from the Sonoran Desert toad (Bufo alvarius / Incilius alvarius, 5-MeO-DMT) globally. Multiple in-ceremony participant deaths and Mexican criminal investigations.

Small insular anti-Zionist Haredi group (founded 1938) opposing the State of Israel as illegitimate before messianic redemption. Controversial alliances with Iran and other anti-Israel governments.

Russian private military company founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin (2014). Documented mass civilian casualties. Prigozhin killed in 2023 plane crash following his June 2023 mutiny; rebranded as Africa Corps under Russian state control.

Russian white-supremacist paramilitary organisation. Designated Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US State Department in 2020. Trains foreign neo-Nazis at Partizan camp.

UK-origin spiritual community led by the Stansfelds with documented severance and financial-extraction patterns.

Bulgarian-Indian-marketed cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme founded by Ruja Ignatova (2014). Estimated $4+ billion fraud. Ignatova disappeared in 2017; FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list since 2022. Multiple co-conspirator convictions.

Small global Trotskyist organisation. Documented internal control patterns including ideological subordination to leadership and severance of departing members.

American Trotskyist organisation founded by James Robertson (1966). Documented patterns of strict ideological control, severance of dissenting members, and intense personal commitment.

Brazilian Pentecostal megachurch founded by Edir Macedo (1977). Owns Brazil's second-largest TV network (Record). Subject of multiple Brazilian money-laundering and tax-fraud investigations over decades.

Decentralised white-nationalist combat-sports network founded by Robert Rundo (Rise Above Movement). Combines MMA training with explicit white-nationalist ideology. SPLC hate-group designation.

Nigerian Pentecostal Spiritual-warfare megachurch led by Daniel K. Olukoya. Substantial financial demands and a ministry centred on aggressive 'deliverance' prayer against alleged demonic strongholds.

Nigerian Word of Faith megachurch led by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, who hosts the global LoveWorld broadcast network. Fined by UK's Ofcom in 2020 for COVID-19 5G conspiracy broadcasts.

British-founded Buddhist community (originally FWBO, 1967) led by Dennis Lingwood / Sangharakshita until his 2018 death. The Adhisthana centre and the Triratna Order have publicly acknowledged Sangharakshita's history of sexual abuse of male members.

Western Tibetan Buddhist organisation founded by Chögyam Trungpa (1973). Sakyong Mipham (Trungpa's son) stepped back in 2018 after Project Sunshine reports documenting sexual misconduct.

Umbrella entry for the various individual Western Vajrayana teacher circles whose ex-students have documented high-control patterns (samaya weaponisation, sexual misconduct, financial extraction).

UK-origin philosophical-spiritual school (1937, Leon MacLaren). Distinctive Advaita Vedanta + Sant Mat-derived teaching. Multiple historical school-corporal-punishment legal cases.

Folkish (racially exclusive) Germanic heathen organisation founded by Stephen McNallen (1994). Classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group since 2017 for explicit white-only doctrine and frequent intersection with white-nationalist movements.

Russian extremist political-ideological party founded by Eduard Limonov (1994). Distinctive 'national Bolshevik' synthesis. Banned by Russia 2007. Limonov died 2020.

Nigerian Word of Faith megachurch led by Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of Africa's largest church auditorium (Faith Tabernacle, 50,000 seats). Substantial financial demands tied to prosperity teaching.

Italian intentional spiritual community founded by Oberto Airaudi ('Falco', 1975) in the Valchiusella valley. Famous for the 'Temples of Humankind' underground complex built secretly without permits over decades.

Esoteric movement founded by Bulgarian Peter Deunov (Beinsa Douno, 1900) and developed in France by his disciple Mikhaël Aïvanhov. Distinctive paneurhythmy dance practice and solar-yoga meditation.

Western Karma Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist organisation founded by Danish lama Ole Nydahl (1972). Aligned with the Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje. Documented patterns of cult-of-personality around Nydahl, sexual relationships with students, and political controversies.

Australian-founded Pentecostal megachurch network whose worship music dominates global evangelicalism. Multiple recent governance failures including the 2022 resignation of founder Brian Houston and the 2020 dismissal of NYC pastor Carl Lentz.

Yogananda-derived organisation founded by Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters, d. 2013). Operates Ananda Village (California) and global centres. Defendant in 1998 Bertolucci v. Walters jury verdict for sexual misconduct.

Sufi tariqa with global presence under the late Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani lineage. Mainstream is non-coercive; specific sub-currents around current sheikhs exhibit moderate control patterns documented by ex-members.

Umbrella entry for the diverse set of Western-facing ayahuasca retreat facilitator circles (often Peru, Costa Rica, USA) that exhibit high-control patterns. Distinct from the established Brazilian Santo Daime / UDV churches.

Japanese new religion founded by Yoshikazu Okada (1959) practising 'okiyome' palm-radiation purification. Split into multiple successor branches after Okada's 1974 death.

Filipino Catholic charismatic movement founded by Mariano 'Brother Mike' Velarde (1984). Distinctive seed-faith giving and political influence in Philippine elections. Operates within (rather than separate from) the Catholic Church.

Priestless wing of the Russian Old Believer schism that rejected the 1652–66 Nikonian liturgical reforms. Concentrated in remote Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania (Lipovans), Alaska, and Oregon. Subsumes the Pomortsy, Fedoseyans, Filippovtsy and others.

Mainstream Breslov is a low-control Hasidic tradition; specific Na Nach street-evangelism variants ('Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman') exhibit moderate-control patterns.

Esoteric Left-Hand Path organisation founded by Michael Aquino (1975) splitting from Anton LaVey's Church of Satan. Distinctive Set-veneration theology. Aquino's history including the 1980s Presidio child-care abuse allegations (never charged) drew sustained scrutiny.

Tracks ongoing 2024–2026 Triratna Buddhist Community reform process post-Sangharakshita reckoning. See primary Triratna entry.

Cross-reference entry — see primary Raëlian Movement entry.

Umbrella for European Jewish Orthodox communities beyond named entries (Stamford Hill UK, Antwerp Belgium, etc.).

Continuation of the Raëlian Movement after Claude Vorilhon's 2024 death (already covered in core dataset). Tracks succession-period dynamics.

Major online personal-growth platform founded by Vishen Lakhiani. Most courses are mainstream consumption; specific high-control sub-communities around individual instructors (transformation coaches) have been documented.

Gujarati Hindu denomination following Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the Akshar Purushottam Darshan. Substantial global presence (Akshardham temples). 2021 New Jersey labour-trafficking lawsuit involving temple construction workers brought scrutiny.

Major Western esoteric movement founded by Rudolf Steiner (1912). Operates global Waldorf school network and biodynamic agriculture. Documented anti-vax sub-currents.

Mainstream Effective Altruism movement (2009+, William MacAskill, Toby Ord). Substantial controversy after the 2022 Sam Bankman-Fried / FTX collapse exposed EA-aligned governance failures.

Stanislav Grof's intensive hyperventilation practice. Mainstream training (Grof Transpersonal Training) is non-coercive; specific high-control facilitator-led communities have produced ex-participant accounts.

Indian guru Mata Amritanandamayi ('Amma') leads a global humanitarian organisation famous for her 'darshan hugs'. Documented patterns include substantial donations, devotee severance, and Gail Tredwell's 2013 memoir alleging abuses.

Traditional Catholic priestly society founded by Marcel Lefebvre (1970). Largest traditional Catholic body. Operates in canonical irregularity with Rome but is not sedevacantist.

UK-origin charismatic apostolic network founded by Terry Virgo (1980). Substantial international expansion with apostolic-team governance.

17th-century Catholic mystical movement teaching total passivity of the soul before God. Miguel de Molinos's 'Spiritual Guide' (1675) was condemned by Innocent XI in 1687; Madame Guyon and Fénelon were censured.

Major Sant Mat-derived Indian movement headquartered at Dera Beas, Punjab. Distinctive lineage of living Sant Satgurus. Substantial global following.

Western Soto Zen lineage founded by Jiyu-Kennett (Shasta Abbey, 1970). Distinctive monastic-style residential training. Some ex-monastic accounts of moderate-control patterns.

Distinct Christian denomination with living apostles (Catholic Apostolic Church offshoot, 1863). Substantial African and European following.

Brazilian Christian-syncretic churches that use ayahuasca sacramentally — Santo Daime (founded 1930s) and União do Vegetal (UDV, 1961). US Supreme Court 2006 ruling protected UDV ritual ayahuasca use. Mostly low-control; specific high-control sub-chapters exist.

17th–18th-century German Lutheran renewal movement initiated by Philipp Jakob Spener (Pia Desideria, 1675) and institutionalised by August Hermann Francke at Halle. Foundational influence on later evangelicalism and Methodism.

Major Punjabi Ravidassi dera following Guru Ravidas's 15th-century teachings. The 2009 Vienna Singh Sabha attack on dera leadership drew international attention.

Anthroposophy-aligned intentional communities (1939+) supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Substantial international network.

Strictest contemplative Catholic order founded by Bruno of Cologne (1084). Hermit-cell life with minimal community contact.

Umbrella for European modern occult-revival movements (Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn lineage, Aurum Solis, etc.).

Wim Hof's cold-exposure and breathing practice has a global mainstream following. Specific extreme franchise instructor sub-communities have produced ex-participant accounts of cult-like dynamics including physical harm.

Russian Orthodox Christians who rejected the 1666 Nikonian liturgical reforms. Several million globally, primarily in Russia and diaspora. Mostly low-control with strong tradition of distinctive practice.

Ancient indigenous religion of the Yazidi people, primarily in northern Iraq. Closed-membership: no conversion in or out, strict endogamy. Subject of 2014+ ISIS genocide recognised by UN and multiple national governments.

Surviving ancient Gnostic monotheist tradition centred on John the Baptist as the chief prophet. ~60–70k adherents historically rooted in southern Iraq and Khuzestan, Iran; now largely diaspora after post-2003 violence.

Longtermist philosophical movement (2010s+, William MacAskill, Nick Bostrom, Toby Ord). Mainstream academic ethics with substantial documented critique especially post-FTX.

Mainstream international disability-support community network founded by Jean Vanier (1964). 2020 and 2023 investigations confirmed Vanier's systematic sexual abuse of women over six decades.

Symbolic-atheist organisation founded by Anton LaVey (1966) in San Francisco. Largely individualistic philosophy of self-empowerment using Satanic imagery; not theistic. Mostly low-control; included as Pagan/Wiccan-spectrum reference point.

Mainstream Eastern Orthodox church; largest single Orthodox church globally. Substantial post-2022 entanglement with Russian state support for invasion of Ukraine.

Indian Zoroastrian community descended from 8th–10th century Persian refugees. ~50,000 in India today; endogamy disputes are a major intra-community fault line.

Heterodox Bektashi-Alevi Sufi order. Suppressed in Ottoman Turkey in 1826; relocated its world headquarters to Tirana, Albania, in 1925, where it remains.

Mainstream French / Brazilian mediumship religion founded by Allan Kardec (1857). Substantial Brazilian following (millions). Distinctive doctrine of reincarnation and progressive evolution.

Umbrella entry for European mainline Christian renewal movements — Taizé, Iona Community, Focolare, etc. Mainstream low-control reference.

Surinamese Afro-syncretic religion combining West African traditions with European elements.

Cross-reference entry — see primary Findhorn Foundation entry.

Mainstream Eastern Orthodox church with substantial national role in Georgia.

Goddess-spirituality fellowship founded by Olivia, Lawrence and Pamela Robertson (1976) at Clonegal Castle, Ireland. Mainstream low-control esoteric Goddess movement.

Mainstream Eastern Orthodox church with substantial national-identity role in Serbia / Montenegro / Bosnian Serb region. Autocephalous since 1219.

Mainstream Swedenborgian / New Church tradition based on Emanuel Swedenborg's writings (1745+). Substantial influence on later New Age and Spiritualism.

Mainstream Zen Buddhism (Japanese Soto, Rinzai, Korean Seon, Vietnamese Thien, Chinese Chan) is a low-CLCI reference point with voluntary practice and recently strengthened safeguarding in Western centres after 1990s–2010s teacher misconduct revelations.

Eastern Catholic Ukrainian national church in full communion with Rome. Voluntary mainstream tradition.

Turkish Sufi order founded by followers of Rumi (13th c.). Famous for sema 'whirling' meditation. Mainstream low-control reference point.

Engaged Buddhist tradition founded by the late Thich Nhat Hanh (1926–2022). Plum Village (France) and global affiliated centres. Mainstream low-control reference point.

Original Gerald Gardner-derived initiatory Wiccan tradition (1950s). Coven-based with three-degree initiation. Mainstream low-control.

Alex Sanders / Maxine Sanders-derived Wiccan tradition (1960s). Slightly more ceremonial than Gardnerian. Mainstream low-control.

Ukrainian autocephalous Orthodox Church recognised by Constantinople in 2018. Distinct from Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (which is declining since 2022 invasion).

Mainstream Eastern Orthodox church; second-largest Orthodox church after ROC MP. Autocephalous since 1885.

Mainstream Eastern Orthodox church under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. First among equals in Eastern Orthodox Communion.

Mainstream Eastern Orthodox; autocephalous since 1870; substantial reform process post-1989 communism.

Major West African Sufi tariqa founded by Ahmad al-Tijani (Algeria, 1782). Tens of millions of adherents primarily in Senegal, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania. Mainstream low-control reference point for Sufi traditions.

Small reformist Catholic offshoot (1873) rejecting papal infallibility. Mainstream low-control reference.

Heterodox Anatolian Shia / Sufi-influenced tradition. Estimated 15–25% of Turkey's population. Mainstream low-control reference point.

Mainstream Nordic state Lutheran churches (Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic). Very low-control mainstream reference. Disestablishment ongoing.

Foundations preserving and disseminating the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895–1986), who famously dissolved the Order of the Star (1929) and rejected all spiritual authority including his own.

Modern Druidry — Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD), British Druid Order, Druid Network. Very low-control voluntary tradition.

Mainstream secular Humanist organisations — American Humanist Association (1941), Humanists UK (1896 as Ethical Society). Very low-control reference.

UK-based mainstream cult-recovery education charity. Educates on coercive control across high-control groups and abusive relationships.