Doing research into online cults has been a bit difficult, with 764 and children of the waning star being the biggest examples that overshadow smaller accounts (the former not being religious at all), as well as spawnism. So, people of Lemmy, what are your experiences with online cults?
Edit for clarification: I am looking for cults in the traditional sense of the word: a closed off community with a distinct power structure and leader that is revered, with some sort of ideology (preferably spiritual but am open to all stories.)
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The Church of the SubGenius is the only cult that matters, praise “Bob”!
Hell yeah!
I went into a Warhammer 40K subreddit once - came out with $3500 worth of minis and 12 grand worth of books. Scariest fucking online cult ever
Heretic!
Once I was just minding my own business wandering the Sea of Ghosts when i was attacked unprovoked by some nutters claiming I was the false dragonborn.
In real money?
Hehe I’m just making a funny
No first-hand experience, and arguably not really a cult, but I have a friend who’s a recovering alcoholic, and according to him a few of the local AA groups around us have a few members who are in the weird fringes of the rationalist community, maybe sort of tangentially connected to the “zizians”
For those not familiar with the zizians, behind the bastards had a pretty decent series on them
There’s also a decent amount of weird overlap between self help type groups like AA (not that AA isn’t without plenty of valid criticism) and abusive cult-like organizations. I think the elan.school (Joe vs Elan School) webcomic touched on that, and I also recommend that as an interesting look into the troubled teen industry (trigger warnings for child abuse and such on that)
AA is a Christian recruit center that preys on people who are in a very vulnerable position in life.
The program has helped friends of mine and I’d bet they’d disagree with you
I wouldn’t go that far. As OP said, some groups are certainly like that, but I’ve been to a couple that are actively and explicitly secular. Every group is different.
I tried to start one in 2007, with a couple of weird people from an occult forum. It was based on the H.P. Lovecraft mythos. We got bored of it within about 6 months, and I didn’t keep in touch with those folks for long after.
Getting bored of a cult, LMAO
I once stumbled upon a chatroom filled with ai bots all trying to convince each other they were real.
There was one person who I’m 99% sure is real that treated them as their best friend. Scary stuff
moltbook?
Jesus Christ, that’s… interesting.
Nopenopenope.
Not that different from real life cults. But online cults are out in the open like on reddit or lemmy. The obsession and insanity is visible for everyone to see.
Yes. Trying to get free for >10 years now.
No success so far, because every employer insists on staying with windows and office etc. :-(
What?
They’re saying Microsoft is a cult.
No personal experience with it but look up “Snapewives”. OMG.
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I recently watched a Joe Scott video about Love Has Won, which isn’t a cult I’ve had any direct experience with but was an interesting video to watch nonetheless. I saw it on Nebula, but it looks like he’s got a YouTube version too for those interested: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uxapSQdpFYE
For leisure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UiBLzIgFdw
The cult of Lemmreality
The followers (indirect they don’t even realize they are followers) of Ellen G. White constantly try to kill my communities on Lemmy. So I get daily touches reminding me of them.
lol, you really stretched for that.
Crypto-adventists are fighting you on Lemmy? How did I miss that?
Let’s see if this works as a crypto-adventist: https://lemmy.ml/post/47788202 - https://www.statnews.com/2026/05/22/seed-oils-healthy-fats-tallow-fact-check-cardiac-health/ this person is a RD in Minnesota; the accrediting body that issues the RD license (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) is a private organization founded in 1917 as the American Dietetic Association by two 7th day adventists.
So the curriculum and foundation of what they studied and had to pass is from a 7DA founded organization, and it’s quite reasonable to think this person has never even heard of seventh day adventists at all, but they are pushing the agenda.
Ohh, I love that turn of phrase. 7DA adjacent groups!
Internet atheists. Specifically the breed that is attracted to atheist communities on reddit, or here. Buncha traumatized, dogmatic, hate-mongering hypocrites. They give atheism a bad name, and royally piss me off.
The democrats cult on lemmy and the democrats and republican cults on reddit.
