E562 - Cults & Cons: The Raëlians

Today's first episode of Cults & Cons is all about the Raëlians cult. In the 1970s, a French journalist claimed he was contacted by extraterrestrial beings who revealed that humanity was scientifically created by an advanced alien race. From that encounter, the Raëlian Movement was born, blending UFO belief, sensual freedom, and a futuristic vision of human destiny. Vanessa Richardson examines the rise of founder Claude Vorilhon, known as Raël, and the group’s teachings about the Elohim, cloning, and eternal life through science. As the movement spread internationally and made headlines with controversial claims of human cloni...