The cult has existed since 1974, with headquarters in Pune, India. In its infancy, they practiced their beliefs in meditation centers; they would connect over free love, spirituality, and meditation. However, neighboring religious groups and the Indian government were against the Rajneesh. After an assassination attempt against Osho, they fled to America.
"Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh," "Britannica."
"‘Calling it a cult is degrading’: Wild Wild Country’s Ma Anand Sheela on her time as Bhagwan’s lieutenant," The Guardian.
"Anyone who has ever dipped a toe in the pool of new-age mysticism is likely to have come across Osho. The bearded Indian mystic has had his books translated into more than 60 languages, published by more than 200 publishing houses – you’re likely to find his works next to the crystals and yoga mats in your local hippy shop."
~The Guardian, "The free-love cult that terrorised America – and became Netflix’s latest must-watch," April 7th 2018, Sam Wolfson
Ma Anand Sheela was a main leader and Oshos's Personal Secretary. She and Osho met in India when she was 16, and they immediately “fell in love.” Sheela considers herself obsessed with Osho. Despite her love for him, she was responsible for most of the plans without telling him and even got caught stealing $55 million dollars from the cult. Today, Sheela is working at an elderly home.
"‘Calling it a cult is degrading’: Wild Wild Country’s Ma Anand Sheela on her time as Bhagwan’s lieutenant", The Guardian.
"No, because I was there because I wanted to be there, and I would do it again. It was a very powerful creative project."
~Sheela Birnstiel, previously known as Ma Anand Sheela, was, in the early 1980s, personal secretary to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. (The Guardian.)
Baghwan Shree Rajneesh (later changed to Osho) was born in 1931. He was extremely educated, majoring in philosophy. Many traveled the world to meet him. His practice of dynamic meditation and spirituality gained him half a million followers worldwide in the cult's prime.
"Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh," Biography.
"No, I don’t describe myself as anything. I describe myself as me. I have heard since the film has come out that people think I’m a feminist, but I don’t know what gives them that idea."
~Sheela Birnstiel, previously known as Ma Anand Sheela, was, in the early 1980s, personal secretary to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. (The Guardian.)
"The only thing I didn’t like was that Sheela was given so much air time which is, of course, what she absolutely adores, given the egotist she is. She got far more attention than she deserved, in my opinion. In my book, she was the big bad wolf. It all went wrong because of her. I only went there for three weeks for the summer celebration of 1988. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like all the guns. And I could see by then it had turned rotten. We didn’t feel safe. It felt like an artificial society by then. The fact that she’s running an old people’s home and looking after elderly people frightens me to death. She’s not fit to be looking after vulnerable people. And of course that’s what’s she was doing when she was head of the ranch. She was overseeing a lot of vulnerable people."
~John Jameson. Handwriting analyst in the U.K., visited the ranch for three weeks. (The Cut.)