Wild Wild Country: Love, Spirituality and Crime

Una docu-serie di grande successo ricorda il caso del movimento mistico di Osho che, dietro un messaggio di spiritualità e armonia, nascondeva una torbida rete di corruzione e delitti. Una delle protagoniste di questa storia ci racconta la sua versione dei fatti.

Bandera UK
Sarah Davison

Speaker (UK accent)

Aggiornato il giorno

Disciples (sannyasins) of Osho

Ascolta questo articolo

Stampare

In 1983, a group of people wearing red settled down in Wasco County, a rural region in Oregon in the United States. What began as a ranch on dry land soon became a self-sufficient and prosperous community. Ninety miles away from the nearest city, a settlement calling itself Rajneeshpuram grew, with restaurants, a shopping mall and even an airstrip established there. Its founder was an Indian guru named Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who, with the help of his personal secretary, Ma Anand Sheela, put into practice his desire to build a society where respect, solidarity and peace reigned. Unfortunately, their idealistic plan was already sparking tensions with neighbouring towns, and among its own community members. 

DOCUDRAMA

Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country describes the rise and fall of Rajneeshpuram. From the early days, Bhagwan and his followers – called ‘Sannyasins’ – faced the rejection of locals. Crimes were committed, such as a salmonella attack, in an attempt to sway a local election, homeless people were recruited for voting purposes, among other irregular practices. 

INVESTIGATION

As tensions mounted, the FBI began investigating the commune. Meanwhile, Sheela’s behaviour became more extreme: she was accused of stealing fifty-five million dollars, and ordering the killing of Bhagwan’s personal physician. Once the most influential woman in the commune, Sheela had to run away to Germany, where she was arrested. 

AN EMPIRE

After spending thirty-nine months in prison, Sheela moved to Switzerland and married a homosexual man to obtain Swiss nationality. In the meantime, Bhagwan continued building an empire based on his persona. He published over six hundred books on spiritual themes, and owned a fleet of nearly a hundred Rolls-Royces, and countless watches worth several million dollars. Bhagwan died in 1990, but to this day there are centers in his name and his books are best-sellers all over the world.

“I am a professional mermaid”
Jim Wileman

People

“I am a professional mermaid”

“Ho deciso di diventare una sirena quando sono tornata a vivere nella città in cui sono cresciuta, dopo aver attraversato un brutto periodo. Ora mi sento felice mentre nuoto con la mia coda fatta su misura”.

Justin O. Schmidt

Canberra: The Centenary of a Capital
AdobeStock

Places

Canberra: The Centenary of a Capital

La capitale dell'Australia, Canberra, festeggia il suo centenario. Costruita per essere il centro del potere e amministrativo del Paese, oggi è una città moderna con un elevato standard di vita e un'ampia offerta culturale ed educativa.

Alex Phillips

More in Explore

Sentence Structure in English: Rules and Common Mistakes
iStock

Grammar

Sentence Structure in English: Rules and Common Mistakes

Imparare a costruire frasi in inglese può sembrare complicato all'inizio, ma una volta che comprendi la struttura di base, diventa molto più facile. Ti offriamo una guida semplice per iniziare a scrivere le tue frasi.

Natalie Gommon

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

A Short Story: Frost Fair

Fiction

A Short Story: Frost Fair

Lo spettacolo del Tamigi ghiacciato trasforma Londra in uno scenario unico, dove una storia di amicizia inizialmente meravigliosa si trasforma rapidamente in un incubo.

Rachel Roberts

Sentence Structure in English: Rules and Common Mistakes
iStock

Grammar

Sentence Structure in English: Rules and Common Mistakes

Imparare a costruire frasi in inglese può sembrare complicato all'inizio, ma una volta che comprendi la struttura di base, diventa molto più facile. Ti offriamo una guida semplice per iniziare a scrivere le tue frasi.

Natalie Gommon