CultNEWS101 Articles: 2/10/2026
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Patrick Ryan
Feb 10, 2026, 3:00:35 AMFeb 10
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Faith Healing,
Aum Shinrikyo, Unification Church, Nepal
In 1987, Eugenie Scott went undercover as a blind woman at a faith-healing revival.
What followed was a masterclass in how scammers operate and how skeptics, journalists, and ordinary people working together can expose them.
The Japan Times: Aum Shinrikyo successors continue to gain new young members
"Three successor groups of the now-defunct Aum Shinrikyo continue to attract new young members, 30 years after the doomsday cult carried out a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.
Aleph, the most mainstream successor group, is believed to have systematically conducted recruitment activities while disguising its name. Although such activities stalled in recent years partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Public Security Intelligence Agency official said that "risks still remain."
According to the agency, over 860 people joined the three successor groups in the decade through 2023. Of the new members, 52% were in their 20s or younger, meaning they were born after the sarin gas attack on March 20, 1995.
The three groups had about 1,600 believers as of the end of January this year, of whom at least 1,200 were members of Aleph.
Aleph's recruitment tactics are characterized by the concealment of the group's name and the use of conspiracy theories.
Recruiters approach people through street surveys and speak to people reading books on yoga at bookstores before inviting them to participate in study sessions. After meeting potential recruits several times and building a rapport, Aleph members reveal their group's identity and explain that the sarin gas attack was a conspiracy by an outsider.
"(Recruiters) make people join by putting psychological pressure on them and making them think that it is too late to refuse," an agency official said. "It's a deceitful method."
"Many (believers) are originally interested in philosophy and religion," a former believer who was involved in Aleph's recruiting work before leaving the group in the 2010s said. "Even if we talk about the (sarin gas attack) incident, we end up talking about religion."
The former believer said that Aleph's "excellent doctrine" was behind young people joining the group. The former believer did not hide the group name nor past incidents when recruiting new members.
However, Aleph's recruitment efforts stalled in recent years as face-to-face activities became difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An activity-restricting measure imposed by authorities since March 2023 has also made it harder for the group to seek new members.
Limiting the use of Aleph facilities such as training facilities and offices under the measure has "made believers unable to collaborate with each other," an agency official said.
The annual number of people joining Aleph has therefore fallen below 10.
But the three successor groups "still have dangerous elements that may trigger another incident in the future," a senior agency official said. 'It's necessary to continue thorough observation measures such as on-site inspections.'"
"Investigative reports reveal alleged political ties between the church and Nepali leaders, raising questions about influence and accountability.
Public interest in the Unification Church’s connection to Nepal has intensified following a series of investigative reports published last week. The reports have highlighted alleged links between the South Korea-based religious movement and senior Nepali political figures, prompting wider debate on foreign influence in domestic politics.
The Nepal connection came to light through confidential documents obtained by the Korean Center for Investigative Journalism, NewsTapa. These documents were analysed and published by Duniya.org, with parallel reports appearing on Onlinekhabar.com, Himalkhabar.com and in the Nepali Times. The investigation, referred to as the ‘True Mothers Report’, alleges close ties between the church and several prominent Nepali politicians.
Those named include Nepal Pariwar Dal chairman Eknath Dhakal and former prime ministers KP Sharma Oli, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Baburam Bhattarai. According to the reports, Dhakal maintained regular communication with senior figures of the Unification Church and sought political support through alliances with major parties, particularly the CPN-UML. A leaked letter dated November 30, 2017 cited in the investigation also alleged Dhakal demanded money from church officials.
Dhakal has denied wrongdoing, saying attempts were being made to malign him by linking his political cooperation with the UML to the Unification Church. However, documents cited by NewsTapa suggest that Dhakal informed church leaders about the UML’s electoral prospects during the 2017 elections and discussed his placement on the party’s proportional representation list.
The investigation further claims that the church’s ambitions in Nepal went beyond electoral politics. According to the documents, the long-term objective was to influence lawmakers and promote a constitution aligned with the concept of ‘Cheon Il Guk’, a theological vision described by the church as a “nation of cosmic peace and unity”.
The Unification Church was founded in 1954 by South Korean national Sun Myung Moon. After Moon’s death, leadership passed to his wife, Hak Ja Han, now 82, who describes herself as the “only daughter of God”. She is widely known for organising mass wedding ceremonies and for expanding the church’s global presence under the banner of religion, world peace and family values.
Over the decades, the church has extended its influence far beyond religious activities, building interests in politics, real estate, media, education and luxury businesses. It owns The Washington Times newspaper in the United States, the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, the Yongpyong Ski Resort in PyeongChang—host of the 2018 Winter Olympics—and the Cheongshim International Academy in Gapyeong."
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