Ep. 135: Deadly Faith & Folklore- Aum Shinrikyo & The Tokoloshe

Hey, spooky souls! Welcome back to another episode– today’s stories will take us to some dark and traumatic places. First, we’re heading underground to Tokyo in 1995, where the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo unleashed a deadly sarin gas attack on the subway. It’s one of the most shocking acts of domestic terrorism in history, with a mix of apocalyptic prophecy, twisted science, and cult control. Then, we head south to the folklore of South Africa to meet the Tokoloshe: a mischievous, terrifying creature blamed for everything from bad luck to sudden deaths. So grab your drink, keep your feet off the floor, and settle in for this dark, twisted, and spooky double feature. Cheers!As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts, hot takes, or theories on today’s stories. Drop a comment, leave a review, or share your own cult or cryptid encounters.Sign up for the newsletter @ ⁠⁠https://spiritswithcrime.wixsite.com/swcpodcast⁠⁠Send Me a Story! @ spiritswithcrime@gmail.comThreads & Instagram: spiritswithcrimepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Shaker & Spoon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoko_Asaharahttps://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/shoko-asaharahttps://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jii/4750978.0010.301/--reconsidering-japanese-religious-history-the-aum-incidenthttps://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/aum-shinrikyohttps://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/revisiting-aum-shinrikyo-new-insights-most-extensive-non-state-biological-weapons-program-date-1/https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/aum-shinrikyohttps://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/5/8/99-0409_articlehttps://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/congress/1995_r/aum/part05.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsumoto_sarin_attackhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakamoto_family_murderhttps://www.britannica.com/event/Tokyo-subway-attack-of-1995https://www.wired.com/2007/06/murderous-japan/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokoloshehttps://journals.co.za/doi/10.10520/ejc-linga_v21_n1_a10https://symbolsage.com/tokoloshe-zulu-mythology-mischief-maker/https://mythical-creatures.com/glossary/s-africa/tokoloshe/