Blinded by ‘faith’: 5 toxic groups that shocked Singapore and the world

The self-styled ‘godman’ Nithyananda is the 46-year-old founder of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam – an organization focused on yoga, meditation and Hindu teachings – initially in Bidadi, near Bangalore, in 2003.

He built a global presence around traditional Hindu practices, which emphasize the soul’s connection with the universe.

He is the subject of the 2023 docuseries My Daughter Joined A Cult, which sheds light on how his followers are brainwashed.

Many of his ardent followers report that he has helped them manage stress and find peace through New Age lectures on mental clarity, which resonate with those seeking personal growth.

But his career was marred by serious allegations of criminal activity, including sexual assault and abuse, leading to an international manhunt.

The spiritual figure has been wanted in India since 2010 after allegations of sexual assault and abuse came to light, which he denied.

He was caught in a video aired on Indian national television channel Sun TV in 2010 with an Indian actress. This led to a police investigation.

In 2019, police in the state of Gujarat said he had fled India after choosing not to appear at several court hearings. Days before leaving the country, he was accused in a separate police complaint of kidnapping and detaining children at his ashram in the western state of Gujarat.

That same year, he announced on social media that he had purchased an unknown island off the coast of Ecuador, South America, and founded a fictional “sovereign” nation called Kailasa. Since his whereabouts are unknown, he operates through social media and has 500,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel called Kailasa’s Supreme Priest of Hinduism Nithyananda.

He also wrote a letter to the United Nations in 2021, claiming persecution and asking the world body to recognize Kailasa as a “Hindu nation.” The UN has ignored his numerous petitions.

South Korean Jeong Myeong-seok and his spiritual group Jesus Morning Star