‘Starve yourself to meet Jesus’ to ‘We will ride on a comet to escape apocalypse’: How doomsday cults have claimed thousands of gullible victims across the world

Cult leaders use fear tactics to persuade naive people that they are under attack from the outside world and that only the cult and its charismatic leader can protect them. Ironically, their yearning for comfort, stability, approval, community and a twisted quest of 'meeting God' or 'attaining salvation' leads them to mental and physical torture and ultimately to their tragic end.

The term “cult” most commonly refers to a group of individuals who live in a state of solitude from the rest of the world and have unusual beliefs. They tend to center on a charismatic figure—the cult leader—who orders the beliefs, behaviors, and customs of all members. The cult followers are influenced to such an extent that they feel incapable of living a free life outside the belief system of their cult.

History has witnessed many such doomsday cults emerge, thrive, and end. Let’s take a look at some notorious cults that have caused widespread deaths and pain.