Libsyn Directory

Episode 17: Sunset

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

The full weight of United States law enforcement finally lands on Bhagwan, Sheela, and their community.

Episode 16: Bhagwan's Allegations

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

With Sheela gone, Bhagwan takes to his stage to make a series of shocking criminal allegations about his former secretary. Law enforcement pounces on the opportunity to investigate, while disciples are left to piece together what happened in the heart of their community. BOOK NEWS: For a limited time, my publisher is extending a 25% discount on my book, , to listeners of Building Utopia. Use promo code BUILDINGUTOPIA when checking out at their website, .

Episode 15: Murder Summer

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Murder is in the air at Rajneeshpuram during the summer of 1985. We track the commune leaders’ audacious plots to assassinate public officials and commune members they felt were enemies, including U.S. Attorney for Oregon, Charles Turner, and Bhagwan’s closest companion, Vivek. The events culminate in Sheela making a drastic decision. BOOK NEWS: For a limited time, my publisher is extending a 25% discount on my book, , to listeners of Building Utopia. Use promo code BUILDINGUTOPIA when checking out at their website, .

Episode 14: The Downward Spiral

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

In the summer of 1985, commune leaders begin plotting the assassination of people who oppose them. In this episode, we examine the events that led them to believe that murder was the only way to preserve their community and their master. Explosive public hearings, concerns about the commune’s arsenal of semi-automatic weapons, and a sprawling surveillance apparatus all contribute to a frenzied atmosphere of paranoia.

Episode 13: The Enemy Within

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

NEW EPISODES! While external enemies mass against Rajneeshpuram, Sheela fixates on powerful disciples within the commune whom she believes pose an even greater threat. Her efforts to neutralize them lead to unintended — and catastrophic — consequences. Also, an update on my forthcoming book, "Rajneeshpuram: Inside the Cult of Bhagwan and Its Failed American Utopia," available for pre-order now!

An Update on Building Utopia

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

A quick update about upcoming episodes of Building Utopia, as well as an exciting new project!

Episode 12: God vs. The Universe

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Bhagwan, who once called organized religion "the corpse of religiousness," becomes the head of his own religion in 1983. But the Oregon Attorney General proves that "Rajneeshism" is the greatest existential threat the new commune has ever faced.

Episode 11: Something in the Water

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

The largest bioterror attack on U.S. soil hits the sleepy town of The Dalles, Oregon, two months before a high-stakes county election. But it’s just a dress rehearsal for the bigger scheme that Sheela’s closest ally—an enigmatic nurse named Puja—has cooked up in her secret laboratory at Rajneeshpuram, amid her rat cages, incubators, and petri dishes.

Minisode 4: A Child of the Commune

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

What was it like to be a child living at Rajneeshpuram? In this minisode we’re joined by a special guest — a person who lived at the ranch as a teenager for nearly four years — who discusses his unique experiences living, learning, working, and loving at Rajneeshpuram. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains a discussion of child sexual abuse and statutory rape.

Episode 10: How to Win an Election

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Sheela is given a new mission in 1984: win the Wasco County election, no matter what it takes. The plan she and her lieutenants put into place sets the state of Oregon into crisis mode, from the local politicians all the way to the governor's office.

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