Just below the surface of our polite society, it’s not really a surprise for many of us that there are doomsday cults. A 2020 study by BioMed Central Geriatrics found that roughly 1.25% of people had persistent death wishes, and that was among people who did not have underlying mental illnesses. Of even that group less than a quarter admitted being suicidal. That’s a lot of the general population that would respond well to a group that tells them that it will all be over soon without necessarily bringing the stigma of suicide into it.
Some of these brought the eyes of the world upon them for sheer spectacle. Others had influence that spanned the globe and lasted for generations if not to this very day. Such is the bewildering, passively self-destructive spirit concealed in society.
This is an encore of one of our previous lists, as presented by our YouTube host Simon Whistler. Read the full list!