Content Warning: This summary discusses manipulative cult practices, including sexual abuse and exploitation. Reader discretion is advised.

Episode Summary: My Victorian Nightmare - Ep. 36: Victorian Cults: Messiahs, Manipulation & Custom Tea Blends

Host: Genevieve Mannion
Release Date: March 31, 2025

Introduction

In this episode, Genevieve Mannion delves into the dark and intricate world of Victorian-era cults. She explores the origins, beliefs, and manipulative tactics of two significant cults of the time: the Koreshan Unity Cult and the Agape Monites. Through historical accounts and personal testimonies, Mannion sheds light on how these groups exploited societal changes and vulnerable individuals to establish control and propagate their distorted ideologies.

The Socio-Religious Landscape of the Victorian Era

Mannion sets the stage by discussing the Second Great Awakening—a period of religious revivalism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that spurred the creation of numerous Protestant sects. This era was marked by:

• Social and Economic Transformation: Post-Revolutionary War America experienced urbanization and a burgeoning market economy.
• Religious Reformation: A shift towards more personal and emotional religious experiences, moving away from traditional institutions like the Church of England and Catholicism.
• Progressive Ideals: Concepts such as temperance, free love, veganism, spiritualism, women's rights, and transcendentalism gained traction, particularly among women seeking greater autonomy and expression.

The Koreshan Unity Cult

Origins and Beliefs

Founded by Cyrus Teed in the 1870s, the Koreshan Unity was a communal utopia that combined utopian ideals with unconventional beliefs:

• Equality Between Sexes: They believed God was a balance of male and female components.
• Celibacy for Immortality: Practicing celibacy was seen as a path to achieve immortality.
• Concave Earth Theory: Teed posited that the world was hollow, with the sky representing the inner surface of the Earth. He created a device called the "rectilineator" to "prove" this theory (Timestamp: [08:22]).

Manipulative Practices

While the Koreshan Unity did not engage in mass violence or suicide, internal accounts reveal manipulation and coercion:

• Financial Exploitation: Teed demanded that members relinquish personal property and wealth to the cult, promoting communal ownership (Timestamp: [08:22]).
• Psychological Control: Personal testimonies, such as that of Elwin E. Damcolara, highlight Teed's violent and manipulative nature. For instance, Teed once shot birds for amusement, demonstrating his unpredictable and tyrannical leadership (Timestamp: [08:22]).

Legacy and Demise

Despite attracting around 4,000 believers nationally, the community at New Jerusalem in Florida remained relatively small. After Teed's death in 1908, his corpse became a focus of failed resurrection beliefs, ultimately leading to the cult's decline by the 1950s. Today, the site serves as a historic park, allowing visitors to glimpse the remnants of this once-prominent cult (Timestamp: [08:22]).

The Agape Monites Cult

Founding and Doctrine

The Agape Monites, originally the Lampeter Brethren, were led by Henry Prince, a clergyman who proclaimed himself as the Holy Ghost:

• Claim to Divinity: Prince asserted that he was the living embodiment of the Holy Ghost, Jesus, and God on earth (Timestamp: [08:22]).
• Manipulative Expansion: After being defrocked by the Church of England for his radical sermons and inappropriate behavior, Prince relocated to Brighton and expanded his following by promising salvation and exclusivity (Timestamp: [08:22]).

Controversial Practices and Abuse

The Agape Monites were notorious for their extreme and abusive practices:

• Sexual Exploitation: Prince orchestrated the rape of a 16-year-old girl, Zoe Patterson, as a ritualistic demonstration of his divinity. This act was intended to solidify his authority but instead caused significant upheaval within the cult (Timestamp: [08:22]).

  "He raped a 16 year old girl on a billiard table in front of all of them... 'thus the Holy Ghost took flesh in the presence of those whom he had called as flesh.'” (Timestamp: [29:58])

• Kidnapping and Coercion: Members who attempted to leave or resist were subjected to kidnapping and forced into compliance, often being locked up in asylums or isolated away from their families (Timestamp: [08:22]).

• Cult Infrastructure: The cult established a heavily guarded compound with high brick walls and vicious dogs to maintain isolation and control over members (Timestamp: [08:22]).

Internal Struggles and Leadership Transition

After Henry Prince's death in the mid-1920s, the Agape Monites experienced internal conflict over succession:

• Reverend Smythe Pidgeot: Prince's appointed successor, Smythe, claimed to replace Prince as the new Messiah. This claim led to a schism within the cult, with half the congregation rejecting Smythe's leadership (Timestamp: [08:22]).

• Continued Fragmentation: Even after Smythe’s brief leadership, the cult dwindled, with the last member departing in the 1950s.

Manipulative Tactics Employed by Victorian Cults

Mannion highlights several common strategies used by these Victorian-era cults to manipulate and control their adherents:

1. Introduction of Insane Beliefs: Cults often introduced bizarre and unprovable doctrines to destabilize members' understanding of reality, making them more reliant on the leader's guidance.

   "If you can make people believe something insane with no proof whatsoever, you can make them believe anything with no proof whatsoever." (Timestamp: [08:22])

2. Gradual Escalation: Starting with seemingly benign or appealing ideologies, cults gradually introduced more extreme beliefs and practices to prevent members from leaving before they were too deeply invested.

3. Emotional Manipulation: Leaders exploited emotional vulnerabilities, using tactics like hypnosis, fearmongering, and promises of salvation to maintain control.

4. Exploitation of Women: Both cults primarily targeted women, leveraging their desire for equality and autonomy to ensnare them in manipulative schemes. Women were often coerced into roles that perpetuated the cult’s control over others.

   "The truth is too painful to admit to themselves that they've been victimized, so they submit to the fantasy." (Timestamp: [08:22])

5. Isolation: Creating physical and social isolation through guarded compounds and separation from family prevented members from seeking external support or information.

Modern-Day Implications and Legal Responses

Mannion draws parallels between these historical cults and contemporary ones, emphasizing the evolution of legal and societal measures to combat such manipulative organizations:

• Increased Accountability: Modern cult leaders are less likely to escape consequences, with many receiving lengthy prison sentences for their crimes.

  Examples include Keith Raniere of NXIVM, Elijah Bishop of the Nature Boy cult, and Warren Jeffs of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, all facing severe legal repercussions. (Timestamp: [08:22])

• Support Systems: The efforts of psychologists, deprogramming experts, and support foundations like Safe Passage Foundation have improved the prospects for cult victims to escape and recover from abusive environments.

Conclusion

Genevieve Mannion's exploration of Victorian-era cults reveals the intricate ways in which charismatic leaders exploited societal shifts and personal vulnerabilities to establish and maintain control over their followers. By examining the Koreshan Unity Cult and the Agape Monites, Mannion illustrates the timeless nature of manipulative tactics used within cults and underscores the importance of awareness and support systems in preventing and addressing such abuses.

Notable Quotes:

• "In a religion, a healthy religion, the top serves the bottom, but in a cult, the bottom serves the top." — Genevieve Mannion ([08:22])

• "They made good progress with my father, but not with me. Because Dr. Teed could not hypnotize me." — Elwin E. Damcolara ([08:22])

• "They made good progress with my father, but not with me. Because Dr. Teed could not hypnotize me." — Elwin E. Damcolara ([08:22])

• "I felt this was a ridiculously impossible thing for the savior of mankind to do." — Elwin E. Damcolara on Teed's actions ([08:22])

References:

• Transcript provided by the user.

Connect with Genevieve Mannion:

• Instagram: @myvictoriannightmare
• Patreon: myvictoriannightmare.com