#211: Exposing The Rajneesh Cult With Jane Stork

You’ve probably seen Wild Wild Country if you're into Netflix documentaries. My guest on this week’s episode is Jane Stork, a former follower of the Rajneesh movement – led by Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Bhagwan is one of the most controversial religious leaders of his time and rose to international fame when he relocated his entire community from India to Oregon in the United States to build his own city. In this episode, Jane - then known as Ma Shanti Bhadra - was one of the members closest to Bhagwan and his counterpart, Sheila, and shares what it was like living in this cult-like community, how she was driven to attempt murder, her time in prison, and how she broke free from the community.   Discussion points   00:03:29 How Jane got involved in the Rajneesh movement 00:10:16 Jane’s first experience with meditation 00:14:53 Jane’s first trip to India 00:19:17 Getting to know Bhagwan 00:22:04 Moving to the ashram 00:25:32 Separating from her husband 00:31:17 How Bhagwan made money 00:34:29 Bhagwan’s ranch in Oregon 00:40:48 Jane’s relationship with Sheila 00:43:55 Jane’s opinions on religion 00:47:22 Bhagwan’s leadership 00:53:15 Jane’s plan to kill Bhagwan’s doctor 01:00:40 Realising Bhagwan’s doctor didn’t die 01:02:27 Jane’s plan to leave the community 01:08:27 Arriving in Germany 01:12:25 Bhagwan leaving the ranch 01:13:40 Jane’s legal battles and prison 01:20:28 Jane’s decision to face extradition 01:24:17 Having the charges dropped 01:26:26 The importance of family 01:27:10 Jane’s take on spirituality 01:28:40 The last time Jane spoke to Sheila 01:29:44 Jane’s relationship with her children   Show Sponsors:  Smartkas: Providing food security as a service [https://www.instagram.com/smartkastech/?hl=en]   Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor [https://www.instagram.com/najahievents/?hl=en]   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Jane Stork https://www.janestork.eu/BTS_index.html