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The 1970s was a time of searching and exploration around the world. Following decades of war and unrest, young people yearned for happiness, meaning, and peace. They wanted to be enlightened, spiritually awakened. They craved to be part of something bigger and more meaningful than the regular 9-5 grind. This desire was the perfect foundation for cults. Flower children devoted themselves to people like Charles Manson and James Jones, who made promises of something bigger and better to come–if they only devoted their lives to serving them. When one man, Roch Thériault, found that his charm had a certain power over people–that on words alone he could draw audiences in and leave them begging for more –he saw an opportunity to start a cult of his own, The Ant Hill Kids.
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Sources
Sources for this episode include Very Bad Men, Maclean’s Magazine, and Dark Histories podcast.
Research by: lauratownsend
Photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash
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