CULT: The I AM Movement
June 10, 2026
41 min
74
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77 of 83
Episode 74 · June 10, 2026
CULT: The I AM Movement
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Conspiracy Theories Cults and Crimes Episodes Around June 10, 2026
Episode 77 of 83 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
41:02This episodeCULT: The I AM Movement
Summary
<p>In this episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes, Vanessa traces how Guy and Edna Ballard built the I AM Movement, a Depression-era spiritual empire claiming contact with immortal "Ascended Masters," and turned it into a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme. When federal prosecutors charged them with mail fraud for promising supernatural miracles they could never deliver, the Ballards fought back all the way to the Supreme Court, and won a landmark ruling on religious freedom that still shapes U.S. law today.</p><p>Head over to our Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes YouTube channel to WATCH our video episodes: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Conspiracytheoriescultscrimes" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@Conspiracytheoriescultscrimes</a></p><p>If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes to never miss a case! To hear episodes ad-free and released a day early, subscribe to Crime House+. Join at<a href="http://crimehouseplus.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"> crimehouseplus.com</a> or if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, tap “Try Free” at the top of this show’s page. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios.</p><p>🎧 Need More to Binge? </p><p>Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Serial Killers & Murderous Minds, Crime House 24/7, Murder True Crime Stories and more wherever you get your podcasts!</p><p>Follow me on Social</p><ul><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/crimehouse/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@Crimehouse</a></li><li>TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@crimehouse" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@Crimehouse</a></li><li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crimehousestudios" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@crimehousestudios</a></li><li>X: <a href="https://x.com/crimehousemedia" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@crimehousemedia</a></li><li>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@crimehousestudios" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@crimehousestudios</a></li></ul>