Rajneeshpuram
Inside the Cult of Bhagwan and Its Failed American Utopia
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Narrated by:
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Russell King
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By:
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Russell King
About this listen
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 PublishingListeners also enjoyed...
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Until We Are Free
- My Fight for Human Rights in Iran
- By: Shirin Ebadi
- Narrated by: Shohreh Aghdashloo
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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The first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin Ebadi has inspired millions around the globe through her work as a human rights lawyer defending women and children against a brutal regime in Iran. Now Ebadi tells her story of courage and defiance in the face of a government out to destroy her, her family, and her mission: to bring justice to the people and the country she loves.
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Book of Trurth
- By Babak on 07-27-17
By: Shirin Ebadi
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Road to Jonestown
- Jim Jones and Peoples Temple
- By: Jeff Guinn
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially mixed, and he was a leader in the early civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California, where he got involved in electoral politics and became a prominent Bay Area leader. But underneath the surface lurked a terrible darkness.
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An Important Accurate Historical Report
- By Julia on 08-24-17
By: Jeff Guinn
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Giuliani
- The Rise and Tragic Fall of America's Mayor
- By: Andrew Kirtzman
- Narrated by: Gibson Frazier
- Length: 15 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Rudy Giuliani was hailed after 9/11 as “America’s Mayor,” a national hero who, at the time, was more widely admired than the pope. He was brilliant, accomplished—and complicated. He conflated politics with morality, made reckless personal choices, and engaged in self-destructive behavior. A series of disastrous decisions and cynical compromises, coupled with his need for power, money, and attention gradually ruined his reputation, cost him political support, and ultimately damaged the country.
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You Clearly See His Story
- By Anonymous User on 10-06-23
By: Andrew Kirtzman
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L.A. Noir
- The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City
- By: John Buntin
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
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Midcentury Los Angeles: A city sold to the world as "the white spot of America", a land of sunshine and orange groves, Midwestern values, and Hollywood stars, protected by the world's most famous police force, the Dragnet-era LAPD. Behind this public image lies a hidden world of "pleasure girls" and crooked cops, ruthless newspaper tycoons, corrupt politicians, and East Coast gangsters on the make. Into this underworld came two men - one L.A.'s most notorious gangster, the other its most famous police chief - each prepared to battle the other for the soul of the city.
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A good (but a little corny) history of LA
- By Jimmy on 10-23-12
By: John Buntin
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Death of a Dissident
- The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB
- By: Alex Goldfarb, Marina Litvinenko
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Abridged
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The November 2006 assassination of former Russian intelligence officer Alexander "Sasha" Litvinenko, who was poisoned by the rare radioactive element polonium, caused an international sensation. Within a few short weeks, the fit 43-year-old lay gaunt, bald, and dying in a hospital, the victim of a "tiny nuclear bomb". Suspicions swirled around Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB, and the Putin regime.
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Very interesting and scary...
- By A. M. on 03-21-15
By: Alex Goldfarb, and others
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How to Survive a Plague
- The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
- By: David France
- Narrated by: Rory O'Malley
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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A riveting, powerful telling of the story of the grassroots movement of activists, many of them in a life-or-death struggle, who seized upon scientific research to help develop the drugs that turned HIV from a mostly fatal infection to a manageable disease. Ignored by public officials, religious leaders, and the nation at large, and confronted with shame and hatred, this small group of men and women chose to fight for their right to live by educating themselves and demanding to become full partners in the race for effective treatments.
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Read This Book!
- By Kay M Hawklee on 05-30-17
By: David France
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Bad City
- Peril and Power in the City of Angels
- By: Paul Pringle
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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On a cool, overcast afternoon in April 2016, a salacious tip arrived at the L.A. Times that reporter Paul Pringle thought should have taken, at most, a few weeks to check out: a drug overdose at a fancy hotel involving one of the University of Southern California’s shiniest stars—Dr. Carmen Puliafito, the head of the prestigious medical school. Pringle, who’d long done battle with USC and its almost impenetrable culture of silence, knew reporting the story wouldn’t be a walk in the park. USC is the largest private employer in the city of L.A., and it casts a long shadow.
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Wow.
- By Anna on 07-22-22
By: Paul Pringle
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Out of Mao's Shadow
- The Struggle for the Soul of a New China
- By: Philip P. Pan
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Prize-winning journalist Philip P. Pan offers an unprecedented inside look at the momentous battle underway for China's future. On one side is the entrenched party elite determined to preserve its authoritarian grip on power. On the other is a collection of lawyers, journalists, entrepreneurs, activists, hustlers, and dreamers striving to build a more tolerant, open, and democratic China.
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Great insight into changes in China
- By Paul on 04-14-09
By: Philip P. Pan
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Living History
- By: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Narrated by: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
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You've probably heard clips from Senator Clinton's interview with Barbara Walters. But now you can listen to her full account of her years in the White House. Hillary Clinton vividly describes her pain over her husband's betrayal with Monica Lewinky saying that former President Bill Clinton lied to her about the relationship until the weekend before he admitted the nature of it to a grand jury.
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Dare To Read - She Will Dare To Compete in 2008
- By Michael on 06-17-03
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A Very Expensive Poison
- The Assassination of Alexander Litvinenko and Putin's War with the West
- By: Luke Harding
- Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith
- Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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On November 1, 2006, journalist and Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned in London. He died twenty-two days later. The cause of death? Polonium—a rare, lethal, and highly radioactive substance. Here Luke Harding unspools a real-life political assassination story—complete with KGB, CIA, MI6, and Russian mobsters.
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Cover-To-Cover, This'll Have You Mindblown!
- By Gillian on 02-03-17
By: Luke Harding
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Killing a King
- The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Remaking of Israel
- By: Dan Ephron
- Narrated by: Assaf Cohen
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin remains the single most consequential event in Israel's recent history and one that fundamentally altered the trajectory for both Israel and the Palestinians. Killing a King relates the parallel stories of Rabin and his stalker, Yigal Amir, over the two years leading up to the assassination, as one of them planned political deals he hoped would lead to peace - and the other plotted murder.
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Tragic history well presented.
- By Mmday on 02-28-16
By: Dan Ephron
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The Politician
- An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal that Brought Him Down
- By: Andrew Young
- Narrated by: Kevin Foley
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Like a nonfiction version of All the King's Men, The Politician offers a truly disturbing, even shocking, perspective on the risks taken and tactics employed by a man determined to rule the most powerful nation on earth.
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Politician Phony. A must listen!!!
- By Sherman on 02-09-10
By: Andrew Young
What listeners say about Rajneeshpuram
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- jb
- 10-02-23
Well researched and haunting
I loved how well researched this book was. The author was able to use facts to create a seamless narrative about the history and mentality behind this cult. I was especially interested in the psychological motivation and the inter connectivity between key players within the cult community. Some very smart people unwittingly become victims and this is as haunting cautionary tale but also a beautiful story that stands on its own.
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- Anonymous User
- 03-17-22
Absolutely fascinating and a must read!
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of Rajneeshpuram or history about insular religious communities established in the U.S.
I have watched the Netflix documentary, Wild Wild Country, multiple times each year since it aired. I also watched multiple news clips and interviews. Yet, I always went back for more because there is so much we miss between the footage.
King offers necessary insights from overlooked voices and perspectives from the commune. They spend much of the narrative on the activities of the top of the commune hierarchy. For those without the time to scour the documents relevant to the case, this book is a must read since the author refrains from their own moralisms, and is comprehensive and concise synthesis of the history.
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1 person found this helpful
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- KndlRdr
- 03-20-22
Intriguing. Truth that reads like a novel.
An intriguing point in history. Russel King writes out the facts in a way that’s so engaging you feel like you’re in the room. I loved hearing it read in the author’s own voice.
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- Stuart King
- 04-10-22
Fascinating!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this detailed accounting of one of the strangest stories I’ve ever heard! I had watched the documentary prior to reading this book but discovered so many additional details captured by King that I hadn’t heard before. Wonderful!
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- jay
- 04-29-22
Love it
Really interesting story about Rajneeshpuram. Really like the voice, tells the story perfectly without being biased. Definitely recommend.
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- Sky
- 03-06-24
In Depth Cult Culture
I can’t say enough about this read, and it’s because I was there, I lived it! It’s so important to take the time to understand how things like this can happen, because they are happening all over the world! People give up their power, their knowingness as a trade for what they consider as something better.
I am going to listen again, Netflix should contact me for an in-depth story of how Bhagwan operated!
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- Nancy Anderson
- 05-16-22
Outstanding
Very well written. Captivating. Incredible research evidenced and quite well narrated. Absolutely !oved the book!
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- NOAH T. SMITH
- 03-08-23
Fascinating and riveting read!
Absolutely brilliant read - a story beyond belief. Highly recommend this for anyone interested in cults, modern American history, or the darker side of the New Age.
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- Lisa
- 03-27-22
Excellent book!!
I was in my early teens in The Dalles, Oregon located in Wasco County. I remember bits and pieces of what was going on at the time. This book did an excellent job of filling in any holes my memory had and also explaining the big picture, which is something I wouldn’t have understood at that age. I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in knowing more about what went on during the Rajneesh stay in Oregon. Very well written and the author did an excellent job of narrating.
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- E s Cohn
- 08-06-22
As what I expected!
Thanks Mr King. As an ex student of yours, I had a feeling there was more to you! I was correct! Awesome book and read! Now it's my turn to say "keep up the good work!"
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