CultNEWS101 Newsletter: 7/15/2026
Patrick Ryan
New PublicationsHannah Murray: The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness
From her breakout role as a teen actor on the cult TV show Skins to critically acclaimed movies to the smash hit Game of Thrones, Hannah Murray built a career in Hollywood, cracking open her own psychological foundations and pushing her body to its limits. But one day, the line between make-believe and reality disappeared, and she found herself confined to a psych ward, dangerously in love with the leader of a shadowy wellness organization, and believing in magic. How she got there—and how she managed to rebuild her life—is the heart of this gripping, powerful memoir that asks: How far would you go to find enlightenment?
For Hannah, it was deceptively easy to fall down the rabbit hole. As she struggled with her mental health, she sought help in the form of wellness and self-care. After an eye-opening session with an energy healer, Hannah was introduced to an organization that she was told would bring her further spiritual rewards. Enthralled by its charismatic leader and his teachings of a world filled with magic and meaning, Hannah found herself sucked into a rigorous practice involving high control and financial outlay. And as her sense of reality began to slip, eventually resulting in her hospitalization and diagnosis with bipolar disorder, she realized she had fully ceded control of her life to this mysterious organization. And, she thought, as she reckoned with the Hollywood career that conditioned her to give her body and soul over to others, maybe she’d been doing that her whole life.
Both a cautionary tale and a cry for radical empathy, Hannah’s story of learning to trust herself will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find agency. The Make-Believe is a probing exploration of womanhood and mental health, and a search for the healing that comes from reclaiming our own narratives.
Domestic & True Crime:"The Bishnoi gang is designated as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government and is reported to have infiltrated Cricket Canada to lead match-fixing and corruption within the organization.
“Operation Hard Ball” is the result of a years-long federal investigation into three Indian crime syndicates led by the Bishnoi that engage in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion, large-scale drug trafficking and other crimes.
The mysterious and murderous gang is led by 33-year-old Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster long imprisoned in India, who runs the operation from his jail cell.
The Bishnoi gang is affiliated with an eco-religious sect of the same name, founded in the 15th century in Rajasthan, and they worship the Indian antelope, the Blackbuck, which they consider a reincarnation of their spiritual guru.
Bishnoi delegates control of his gang to trusted lieutenants and regional leaders of the criminal enterprise to conduct “targeted killings, shootings, kidnappings, maimings, assaults, extortions, and drug trafficking,” court papers charge.
New Indian Express: UP Cabinet approves 28 vital proposals, including renaming of Jalalabad city as Parashurampuri
The recent article from the *New Indian Express* detailing the 28 vital proposals approved by the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet contains a brief but significant reference to the "Maharishi" namesake. Specifically, the cabinet approved the establishment of the **Maharishi Mahesh Yogi International Agriculture University**.
This new private educational institution is slated to be located in Bilhaur, Kanpur. The approval of this university was part of a broader educational and developmental push by the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government, which included greenlighting two other private universities: Ajay Kumar Garg University in Ghaziabad and Thakur Yugraj Singh University in Fatehpur.
While the article focuses heavily on the high-profile renaming of Jalalabad city to Parashurampuri—a nod to the birthplace of Lord Parashuram—the inclusion of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi International Agriculture University highlights the state's concurrent focus on expanding higher education and specialized academic infrastructure. The university's namesake, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, was a renowned Indian guru known for developing the Transcendental Meditation technique, though the article itself restricts its mention to the institution's title and location.
Furthermore, this university's approval is bundled with other forward-looking agricultural and youth-centric initiatives passed during the same cabinet session. These include the establishment of a Horticulture College and Research Center in Rae Bareilly, a new livestock insurance scheme for farmers, and amended recruitment rules for medal-winning athletes. In summary, the sole reference to "Maharishi" in the text concerns the state's official authorization of the new agricultural university in Kanpur, reflecting UP's broader developmental agenda.
AL Monitor: Cardinal tipped to be pope accused of molesting several women
Spanish-born Cardinal Cristobal Lopez Romero, 74, the Archbishop of Rabat in Morocco, is stepping down following allegations of sexual assault by at least five women. Lopez, who had been considered a strong candidate to succeed Pope Francis before withdrawing from the papal conclave last year, denies the allegations.
A complaint filed with the Vatican embassy in May details "particularly insistent and prolonged hugs" and an attempted kiss. Church sources indicate a history of similar complaints dating back to his missionary work in South America, citing a "culture of complicity and silence" among his close associates who allegedly protected him.
The Catholic Church has opened a preliminary investigation into the claims. While no criminal charges have been filed in Morocco, local law allows for harsher penalties when sexual crimes involve a person in authority. The Vatican's doctrinal office has also received letters regarding the abuse allegations.
AI Research Disclosure: To bring you the most relevant stories, parts of this newsletter utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to search the web, source articles, and assist with content curation. This content is for informational purposes only; we recommend verifying critical facts independently.
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