Raëlism: The UFO Religion | Sinisterhood & Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes

Follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes to hear the full episode and our in-depth conversation with Vanessa Richardson about Raëlism and our takeaways from the cult. 

In the 1970s, a French journalist claimed he was contacted by extraterrestrial beings who revealed that humanity was scientifically created by an advanced alien race. From that encounter, the Raëlian Movement was born, blending UFO belief, sensual freedom, and a futuristic vision of human destiny. In this episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes, Vanessa Richardson examines the rise of founder Claude Vorilhon, known as Raël, and the group’s teachings about the Elohim, cloning, and eternal life through science. As the movement spread internationally and made headlines with controversial claims of human cloning, critics challenged its credibility and internal practices. This episode explores how a message of cosmic origins and technological salvation evolved into one of the most unusual and debated new religious movements of the modern era.

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