Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh rose from a precocious boy in India to a spiritual guru to tens of thousands of people worldwide. He became famous for his controversial teachings and lavish lifestyle, leading some to call him a cult leader. Building Utopia paints an immersive, unflinching portrait of Rajneesh and the people who chose to devote their lives to him -- including his top lieutenants, who fled his Rajneeshpuram commune in 1985 amid a cloud of criminal allegations. Building Utopia will captivate those familiar with Rajneesh, as well as those who have not yet discovered his fascinating and troubling story.

Episode 17: Sunset 04/09/2022

Episode 17: Sunset The full weight of United States law enforcement finally lands on Bhagwan, Sheela, and their community. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/22739201

Episode 16: Bhagwan's Allegations 02/28/2022

Episode 16: Bhagwan's Allegations 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/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/22276256

Episode 15: Murder Summer 02/14/2022

Episode 15: Murder Summer 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/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/22120277

Episode 14: The Downward Spiral 01/31/2022

Episode 14: The Downward Spiral 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/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/21955874

Episode 13: The Enemy Within 01/17/2022

Episode 13: The Enemy Within 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! /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/21801686

An Update on Building Utopia 05/01/2020

An Update on Building Utopia A quick update about upcoming episodes of Building Utopia, as well as an exciting new project! /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/14226749

Episode 12: God vs. The Universe 06/18/2019

Episode 12: God vs. The Universe 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/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/10198634

Episode 11: Something in the Water 05/03/2019

Episode 11: Something in the Water 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. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/9633749

Minisode 4: A Child of the Commune 03/25/2019

Minisode 4: A Child of the Commune 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/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/9120941

Episode 10: How to Win an Election 03/13/2019

Episode 10: How to Win an Election 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. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/8984321

Episode 9: Reign of Terror 02/11/2019

Episode 9: Reign of Terror The Rajneeshees extend themselves into the community in an effort to sway public opinion and make some money. But now their enemies have easy access to them — a vulnerability that is violently exploited on July 29, 1983. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/8596055

Episode 8: Making it Legal (?) 01/28/2019

Episode 8: Making it Legal (?) How could Sheela and Bhagwan establish their new commune in America when most of their members came from other countries? The answer rested in a sacred institution — one the sannyasins were not afraid to twist to their own advantage. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/8418671

Minisode 3: Noah's Ark 01/21/2019

Minisode 3: Noah's Ark Bhagwan develops a bizarre — and potentially lethal — way to escape his silent isolation at Rajneeshpuram. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/8325512

Episode 7: Inside the Compound 01/07/2019

Episode 7: Inside the Compound How do the Rajneeshees go about fulfilling their Master's vision of a new utopia on their ranch? We see what life was like for the hundreds of commune members who toiled from sun-up to sundown each day to make it happen. And later, we catch up with the big man himself. Bhagwan had entered into a silent phase before leaving India. So if he wasn’t talking… what was he doing in his secluded compound? /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/8159045

Minisode 2: A Very Rajneeshee Holiday 12/17/2018

Minisode 2: A Very Rajneeshee Holiday It’s the holiday season in Rajneeshpuram! We’ll explore the Rajneeshees’ three major holidays and see how they were celebrated during Bhagwan's first year in America. This culminates in the First World Festival in July 1982, which attracted 5,000 visitors and helped lay the foundation for the city of Rajneeshpuram. We’ll close by hearing Bhagwan’s thoughts on Santa Claus. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/7937963

Episode 6: Between a Rock and Antelope 12/10/2018

Episode 6: Between a Rock and Antelope War is looming between the Rajneeshees and a town of just 39 people — a “ghost town,” as Sheela calls it. Bhagwan’s followers are about to go to battle with the people of Antelope. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/7858385

Episode 5: Foundations in the Desert 11/26/2018

Episode 5: Foundations in the Desert As Sheela and the first Rajneeshees arrive at the Big Muddy Ranch in July 1981, we explore why Oregon was about the last place they should have picked for Bhagwan's new commune. To transform the huge tract of agricultural land into a commune fit for an enlightened Master and thousands of his disciples, they'll need to concoct stories to tell their neighbors and government officials. But the truth becomes clear when Bhagwan arrives amidst a fleet of Rolls Royces. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/7680773

Episode 4: Buying Utopia - Rajneeshpuram 11/12/2018

Episode 4: Buying Utopia - Rajneeshpuram We visit the launching pad for Bhagwan’s American experiment: a castle in Montclair, New Jersey. Bhagwan's followers scramble to prepare for his arrival, and then he manages to get into some trouble while waiting for his next move. Later, we travel America with Sheela as she searches for the perfect place for Bhagwan’s new commune. She’ll wind up about as far from New Jersey as you can get, in a dusty desert town, negotiating the biggest deal of her life. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/7519727

Minisode 1: Dynamic Detours 11/05/2018

Minisode 1: Dynamic Detours Our first "minisode" provides some additional color on topics covered in the first three episodes. We’ll revisit Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh as a boy and look at the life-or-death events that may have turned him into the brash guru. Then we’ll sidle up to some of his earliest Western followers to see why they fell under Bhagwan's spell. We’ll end the episode at his ashram in Poona and learn about the not-quite-legal methods that some desperate sannyasins used to earn enough money to stay close to their Mas /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/7431839

Episode 3: Trouble in Paradise 10/26/2018

Episode 3: Trouble in Paradise As Bhagwan's dreams for the future continued to blossom, outside pressures, like the Indian government, threatened to squeeze the life out of his ashram. We'll also meet a woman who would shape the rest of Bhagwan's life: Ma Anand Sheela. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/7326935

Episode 2: Oasis in Poona 10/26/2018

Episode 2: Oasis in Poona Today we'll take a grand tour of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s first ashram in the city of Poona, India. Within a couple years of its founding in 1974, it had expanded into one of the most popular — and controversial — ashrams in India, where people could meditate, commune with likeminded people, and be close to the man they called Master. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/7326908

Episode 1: Finding the Master, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh 10/26/2018

Episode 1: Finding the Master, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh We'll examine Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh's early life and his first years as an enlightened master. We'll explore his initial efforts to organize his followers and how he was able to cement his master/disciple relationship with people from the West. We’ll also visit a tiny farm in the middle of nowhere where Bhagwan conducted an experiment that pushed his followers to the brink of death. /episode/index/show/buildingutopiapodcast/id/7326710

Building Utopia: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

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