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WWW.MY-SUBS.CO
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Unconditional love.
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Endless devotion.
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And the power to control people's minds,
bodies and souls.
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All of this can be yours.
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You just have to follow this playbook.
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A series of tactics
that aspiring cult leaders use
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to convert themselves
from humble mortals into living gods.
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But tread this path carefully
or things could get out of hand.
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Ready to save some souls?
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What is a cult anyway?
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A cult is a group
that's centered around a powerful,
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charismatic, often autocratic figure.
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Often these groups
involved an element of mind control
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and suppression of free thought.
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And in almost every instance,
they end up in bloodshed and death.
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But what cults really
offer people is the chance to belong.
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It's part of being human
to want to have easy answers,
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to want to be part of something
bigger than yourself.
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I never thought
that I would've been in a cult,
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but it was so inviting.
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We were making the world a better place.
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All of us end up in times in our lives
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where we are feeling a little bit lost
and feeling a little bit vulnerable.
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And, a good cult leader will come in
and say, "I've got just the thing."
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With this playbook in hand,
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you too can harness human vulnerability
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and make it work for you.
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It's definitely about
telling people what they want to hear
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and seeing us as little machines.
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They're just trying to find
the button to push,
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the carrot or the stick that we need
for motivation to do what they want.
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But before you can
transform people's lives,
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you need to start by reinventing yourself.
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Nobody did this quite like Charles Manson,
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the petty criminal,
and failed folk rock troubadour
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who went on to become a legend
in his own unique way.
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I know your fears.
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I see through your minds.
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This is the face
Charles Manson revealed to the world
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as he stood trial for murder.
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One year earlier,
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he inspired his followers
to embark on a brutal killing spree.
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- Do you have feelings about it?
- Feelings?
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All my feelings are good.
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One thing you can't deny,
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the man made the most of his abilities.
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He was an actor
and he loved the role.
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And he got into the role even deeper
than anyone would ever imagine.
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Ready to follow
Charlie's path to legend status?
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It starts with having
the right priorities.
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You don't get to be
a cult leader by saying,
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"Hey, I'm just like the rest of you."
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The most successful are going to claim,
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and sometimes even believe,
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that they've got something else.
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Or to put it another way...
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Cult leaders, every single one of them,
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has pathological narcissism.
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They don't give a fuck
about anybody but themselves.
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As I'll demonstrate,
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the best gurus were practically born
looking out for number one.
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As a kid,
Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones
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would order his cousins to do his bidding.
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If they didn't,
he would beat them with a stick.
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When Shoko Asahara,
future leader of Aum Shinrikyo,
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was attending
a Japanese school for the blind,
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he would earn spending money
by extorting his fellow students,
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forcing them to pay for his protection.
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While the Reverend Sun Myung Moon
claimed that on Easter Sunday,
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when he was just 16 years old,
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Jesus appeared to him and revealed
that Moon was the new Messiah
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and must complete his unfinished work.
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Jesus did not show the same interest
in young Charlie Manson.
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Manson started out as an unwanted child.
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He was born in Cincinnati
to a father he never knew
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and a wayward mother.
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When Charlie was still a toddler,
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his mother and uncle
were arrested for robbery,
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sent to a West Virginia state prison.
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He was taken in by his uncle and aunt
in McMechen, West Virginia,
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which is about as backwoods as it gets.
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That's where Manson's destiny
starts to come into view.
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Charlie's just five years old
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when he arrives
to live with his relatives.
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Still, he already has a habit
of protecting his interests.
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As the new kid at school,
little Charlie quickly becomes a target.
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Manson yearns to get even,
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but he's too small to do it alone,
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so he turns to his natural talent
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for persuasion.
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He finds some sympathetic ears
and lays on the charm.
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A few days later,
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Charlie's new friends
dish out his revenge.
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When everyone's called
to the principal's office,
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the girls claim little Charlie
put them up to the job.
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Charlie denies it.
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Convincingly.
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Just like that, Manson skates by,
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cementing a new bad-boy reputation
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while his partners take the fall.
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Discovering your power is a great start,
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but becoming a cult leader
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requires more
than just the right attitude.
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You also have to craft
a unique belief system
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with yourself at the center.
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And don't be afraid to get creative.
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Cults come in so many forms.
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You have religious cults.
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Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.
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Another huge category of cults
would be the self-help cult.
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The success cult,
where it's really all about achievement.
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You have New Age cults
that are about spirituality.
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And then you just have cults
where it's not necessarily
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even a specific ideology
you're aware you're following
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so much as just following this person.
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Whatever your hustle,
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what's important
is you deliver your truth with conviction.
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Cult leaders adopt whatever stance
can be effective for them.
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You have to find
some little nugget of truth
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and make yourself believe in that.
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Still, don't expect
to nail down your principles overnight.
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You may need to spend time
somewhere that offers solitude,
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reflection,
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and room for deep thought.
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Manson found his perfect refuge here.
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Charlie goes to jail
because he decided to turn to car theft.
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Charlie made
the most of his time.
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He had the perfect place to learn,
and he was like a sponge.
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He's listening to pimps in prison,
and they're now his idols.
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These guys have got
great things to teach him,
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but there's other sources too.
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In particular, there's the prison library.
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While behind bars,
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Manson dives
into all brands of soul-searching.
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He studies the teachings of Buddha...
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the gospel of born-again Christians,
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Hinduism's karmic wheel,
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and a new philosophy that promises
to unlock his human potential,
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Scientology.
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He adds in teachings
culled from lyrics by his favorite band,
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The Beatles,
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who become a growing obsession.
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And quotes from his favorite book,
Stranger in a Strange Land,
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about a psychic alien
who creates his own religion.
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It's an eclectic mix, but for Charlie,
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it's his own custom roadmap
for enlightenment.
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As for the final ingredient,
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that comes from an even more
unexpected place.
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Remember, if you want
to be liked instantly, do as a puppy does.
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Become genuinely interested
in other people and show it.
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The most popular class
in prisons around America,
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Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends
and Influence People.
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It's so popular that,
in every major prison in America,
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there's a waiting list of inmates
who want to get in on it.
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Manson was a big fan.
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And it said everything that he thought,
make life a razzle-dazzle, show off.
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Tell people how wonderful they are.
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Carnegie had other handy tips,
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like let the other guy
do most of the talking.
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Make him feel important.
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Say his name a lot,
because everyone likes that.
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Even if you disagree,
never tell someone they're wrong.
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Just ask questions,
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and always make them think
that your idea is really their own.
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Sales techniques,
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or emotional manipulation,
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for an aspiring cult leader,
it's all the same.
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That's how to make someone like you.
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It worked for Dale Carnegie,
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and then it worked for Charlie Manson.
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With help
from a master salesman,
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Manson crafted a dogma all his own.
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But to truly capture people's imagination,
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you're going to need flare.
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Let the playbook show you the way.
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A great cult leader isn't born,
he's made.
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And how you choose to present yourself
to the world can make all the difference.
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Cult leaders feed off of their image.
It's important to make an impression.
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You need to be able to demonstrate
you can do something nobody else can do.
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There's nothing wrong
with a little trial and error.
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It's very much like advertising.
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If one thing doesn't work
to get someone's attention,
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try something else.
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After emerging
from his latest prison stay,
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thirty-two-year-old Charles Manson
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is ready to put
this playbook lesson into action.
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And the timing for an aspiring cult leader
could not have been better.
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In the 60s, it was turmoil.
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America was in a state of flux.
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There had been many assassinations,
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Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King,
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and a Vietnam War that was very unpopular.
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There was so much mistrust
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toward institutions that were supposed
to provide us with support,
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and so folks started to turn
to alternative sources of community
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and connection and meaning
to fill those voids.
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By offering the right package,
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you can provide that meaning.
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But you'll also need to have
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the secret weapon
no cult leader can do without,
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charisma.
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Part of what charisma is
is your ability to form intimacy,
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an intimate connection between you
and the person you're speaking to.
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When we are presented with charisma,
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we start smiling, believing,
we start listening and saying, "Yes."
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Our logic turns off.
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It clouds our criteria for what we need.
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Charisma is an incredibly dangerous thing.
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But having
this natural gift isn't enough.
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To perfect your persona,
you need to know how to use it.
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Most cult leaders, and Manson is included,
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have a lot of false starts.
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It takes a while
to really get it figured out.
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Charlie Manson, for a little while,
took a job as a dance instructor.
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I mean, that makes absolutely no sense.
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But it enabled him
to meet young women again.
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He didn't hold the job very long.
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He also tried another career,
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in the service industry.
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What Charlie Manson really wanted
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was to be the most successful pimp
in America.
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He loved that there would be women
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who would go out and work for him
and he wouldn't have to do anything.
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This would become a theme.
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But as they say, pimping ain't easy.
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Charlie never had more than a couple women
working for him at once.
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The women he could recruit,
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the best they could do
was basically snare two dollar hookups
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in the front seat of a car.
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Well, hi.
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You can't live long on that.
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He was one of the most inept pimps
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in the history
of the United States of America.
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Sometimes, the key to success
is just understanding your moment.
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When Manson gets paroled, he heads north,
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to a place where he can start fresh,
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San Francisco.
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There he discovers
the birthplace of 60s counterculture,
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Haight-Ashbury,
in the midst of The Summer of Love.
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There's sex, easy drugs,
rock and roll.
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Charlie discovered, "This is Nirvana."
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On every corner,
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innocent young hippies are looking
for their guru,
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someone who they can revere,
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who will inspire them.
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Manson realizes
his current look is all wrong,
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so he starts
reinventing himself to fit the times
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while keeping his trademark edge.
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Charlie's mix of flower power
250
00:15:14,163 --> 00:15:16,498
with just a hint of danger
251
00:15:16,582 --> 00:15:17,917
soon pulls in a crowd.
252
00:15:18,751 --> 00:15:20,586
He had this hypnotic look,
253
00:15:21,253 --> 00:15:24,381
and if you were a troubled young teenager,
254
00:15:25,424 --> 00:15:26,759
it was a knockout.
255
00:15:28,177 --> 00:15:32,640
But even with Manson's charm
and strategically constructed image,
256
00:15:32,723 --> 00:15:34,183
to become a cult leader,
257
00:15:34,266 --> 00:15:37,019
you still need to identify
potential followers.
258
00:15:37,102 --> 00:15:40,981
Start by using a tactic
straight from Marketing 101.
259
00:15:45,694 --> 00:15:47,780
Would this guy make a good devotee?
260
00:15:50,115 --> 00:15:51,325
What about him?
261
00:15:54,244 --> 00:15:56,664
How about her? She looks a little lost.
262
00:15:58,666 --> 00:15:59,959
Lucky for you,
263
00:16:00,042 --> 00:16:04,129
the playbook holds the keys
to look out for when hunting your targets.
264
00:16:04,838 --> 00:16:07,925
What traits does somebody have
that makes them susceptible?
265
00:16:08,008 --> 00:16:11,679
Usually it's 'cause
they're open-minded, they're idealistic.
266
00:16:11,762 --> 00:16:13,097
This is a free country,
267
00:16:13,180 --> 00:16:16,141
and no one has the right
to take away my constitutional rights.
268
00:16:16,225 --> 00:16:17,685
They get a chance
269
00:16:17,768 --> 00:16:20,980
to feel like they're going to be able
to repair the world in some way.
270
00:16:22,022 --> 00:16:25,818
And when you're looking
to capture souls, timing is everything.
271
00:16:26,902 --> 00:16:30,781
There's a specific demographic
that we think of when we think
272
00:16:30,864 --> 00:16:33,993
of potential cult members, young people.
273
00:16:34,076 --> 00:16:38,831
During that time period of life
when you're trying to figure out
274
00:16:38,914 --> 00:16:41,667
who you are
separate from what your family,
275
00:16:41,750 --> 00:16:43,585
what your parents told you to be.
276
00:16:43,669 --> 00:16:46,714
That's a prime time
to take advantage of someone.
277
00:16:49,591 --> 00:16:51,844
Weeks after arriving
in San Francisco,
278
00:16:51,927 --> 00:16:55,222
Charles Manson begins
putting this playbook wisdom into action.
279
00:16:56,306 --> 00:16:58,350
He spots his first mark,
280
00:16:58,434 --> 00:17:01,520
Mary Brunner, a shy librarian at Berkeley.
281
00:17:02,354 --> 00:17:04,148
Mary Brunner wanted love,
282
00:17:04,231 --> 00:17:05,774
but beyond that,
283
00:17:05,858 --> 00:17:07,693
she was an environmentalist.
284
00:17:07,776 --> 00:17:09,945
Charlie Manson convinces her
285
00:17:10,029 --> 00:17:15,951
that saving the environment
is maybe his greatest goal in life,
286
00:17:16,577 --> 00:17:18,245
and within a few days,
287
00:17:18,787 --> 00:17:20,330
Charlie's living with her.
288
00:17:22,249 --> 00:17:25,461
Before long,
Charlie picks up another young disciple,
289
00:17:25,544 --> 00:17:26,879
Lynette Fromme.
290
00:17:27,963 --> 00:17:31,508
Lynette Fromme had problems with her dad.
291
00:17:31,592 --> 00:17:34,720
They'd argue a lot,
and she'd run away from home.
292
00:17:34,803 --> 00:17:37,598
Charlie meets her,
and she's sitting on a bench.
293
00:17:37,681 --> 00:17:42,394
He's going to convince Lynette Fromme
he's the one for her.
294
00:17:45,147 --> 00:17:46,815
Charlie's next addition?
295
00:17:46,899 --> 00:17:49,943
Patricia Krenwinkel,
who meets him at a party.
296
00:17:50,027 --> 00:17:56,033
Patricia Krenwinkel was a sweet,
absolutely naive young woman.
297
00:17:56,658 --> 00:18:02,623
Charlie seduced the living daylights
out of her on their first meeting,
298
00:18:02,706 --> 00:18:06,001
and Miss Krenwinkel was in heaven.
299
00:18:07,669 --> 00:18:10,631
The core of the Manson family
is beginning to form.
300
00:18:11,256 --> 00:18:15,177
It was like the Pied Piper
started playing his flute
301
00:18:15,260 --> 00:18:17,429
and the girls flocked to him.
302
00:18:18,472 --> 00:18:19,765
In the coming months,
303
00:18:19,848 --> 00:18:22,893
Charlie continues
drawing in more young disciples.
304
00:18:24,311 --> 00:18:26,188
Let's hear from one, shall we?
305
00:18:26,939 --> 00:18:28,190
Take one. Mark.
306
00:18:29,650 --> 00:18:32,736
I was 14 when I met Charlie.
307
00:18:32,820 --> 00:18:36,990
My family had dropped out,
taken LSD,
308
00:18:37,074 --> 00:18:40,327
and I'd taken LSD in my own living room.
309
00:18:40,410 --> 00:18:44,706
My parents
moved into a van and I was lost.
310
00:18:44,790 --> 00:18:46,500
I was totally susceptible
311
00:18:46,583 --> 00:18:49,753
to someone like Charlie
coming into my life.
312
00:18:50,546 --> 00:18:51,588
He was funny.
313
00:18:52,297 --> 00:18:53,799
I thought he was cute.
314
00:18:53,882 --> 00:18:57,344
And he's short,
but I was short too, so I don't know.
315
00:18:57,427 --> 00:19:00,139
He just had a way about him.
316
00:19:00,222 --> 00:19:04,685
But as we found out later,
that was his strength.
317
00:19:05,477 --> 00:19:09,273
He could play
to your weakness or to your need.
318
00:19:09,815 --> 00:19:14,111
His so-called power,
it only lies in his happiness.
319
00:19:14,194 --> 00:19:16,822
That's what attracts people,
is he's completely happy.
320
00:19:16,905 --> 00:19:18,157
Warm. Glowing.
321
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:20,242
Generally he dances, he sings.
322
00:19:20,325 --> 00:19:24,830
He looks beautiful, he looks happy,
and this draws a lot of people,
323
00:19:24,913 --> 00:19:26,915
just like people
are drawn to little babies.
324
00:19:27,749 --> 00:19:32,254
Finding your perfect targets
isn't as simple as spotting lost souls.
325
00:19:33,172 --> 00:19:37,885
Manson had a rule
for the people he approached.
326
00:19:37,968 --> 00:19:41,763
He always said he wanted them
bruised but not broken.
327
00:19:42,389 --> 00:19:45,684
Because if they're broken,
completely helpless,
328
00:19:45,767 --> 00:19:49,271
they're of no use to Charlie,
and let's face it, he's right.
329
00:19:49,897 --> 00:19:52,900
And once you have
your future disciples on the hook,
330
00:19:52,983 --> 00:19:54,943
it's time to reel them in.
331
00:19:55,652 --> 00:19:57,362
Charlie had this ability
332
00:19:57,446 --> 00:20:01,491
to make each one of us
feel like we were the special one.
333
00:20:02,117 --> 00:20:03,619
He was a good lover.
334
00:20:03,702 --> 00:20:07,915
That was, you know, a draw for the girls.
335
00:20:08,624 --> 00:20:09,624
These women,
336
00:20:10,876 --> 00:20:14,588
who each assume
she's Charlie's one and only,
337
00:20:14,671 --> 00:20:19,134
suddenly finds herself
part of a harem and accepts it,
338
00:20:19,218 --> 00:20:20,802
that it's part of it.
339
00:20:22,304 --> 00:20:24,598
Whatever else you can say
about Charlie Manson,
340
00:20:25,307 --> 00:20:27,100
he was good at what he did.
341
00:20:28,685 --> 00:20:31,063
It's indeed one thing
to entice vulnerable sheep
342
00:20:31,146 --> 00:20:33,065
to follow you down a path,
343
00:20:33,148 --> 00:20:35,901
but how do you make sure they don't stray?
344
00:20:35,984 --> 00:20:37,945
Help! Save me!
345
00:20:44,034 --> 00:20:47,996
As a cult leader, you're going
to be asking a lot of your followers.
346
00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,540
You need to know who's got your back.
347
00:20:50,624 --> 00:20:53,085
Manson had this down pat.
348
00:20:53,168 --> 00:20:57,881
Charlie liked to test his followers
to show that they had faith in him,
349
00:20:57,965 --> 00:20:59,675
and that he was their leader,
350
00:20:59,758 --> 00:21:03,178
and they would do what he said
no matter how outrageous.
351
00:21:03,262 --> 00:21:04,763
He wasn't the only one.
352
00:21:08,016 --> 00:21:12,104
After Heaven's Gate co-founder
Marshall Applewhite had himself castrated
353
00:21:12,187 --> 00:21:14,856
to prepare for the so-called "Next Level,"
354
00:21:15,983 --> 00:21:20,612
several members followed suit
without proper medical supervision.
355
00:21:21,738 --> 00:21:22,864
Roch Thériault,
356
00:21:22,948 --> 00:21:25,450
leader of Canadian cult
"The Ant Hill Kids,"
357
00:21:25,534 --> 00:21:27,911
would force his followers to spend hours
358
00:21:27,995 --> 00:21:30,414
fist-fighting naked
in a makeshift gladiator ring
359
00:21:30,497 --> 00:21:31,623
for his amusement
360
00:21:32,666 --> 00:21:34,042
while he kept score.
361
00:21:35,460 --> 00:21:39,131
While Branch Davidians leader
David Koresh tested his flock's loyalty
362
00:21:39,214 --> 00:21:41,425
by forcing the men to remain celibate
363
00:21:42,384 --> 00:21:44,219
while he got to know their wives.
364
00:21:45,220 --> 00:21:46,388
How selfless.
365
00:21:49,016 --> 00:21:53,186
The action itself
matters a lot less to the cult leader
366
00:21:53,270 --> 00:21:57,941
than just knowing
that if they tell someone to do something,
367
00:21:58,025 --> 00:21:59,026
they're gonna do it.
368
00:22:02,237 --> 00:22:03,613
As for Charlie,
369
00:22:03,697 --> 00:22:07,159
his early loyalty tests
were of the chemical variety.
370
00:22:09,828 --> 00:22:14,708
Charlie would gather everybody
and hand out portions of LSD.
371
00:22:15,334 --> 00:22:18,879
He would place the dose
on each of our tongues.
372
00:22:20,922 --> 00:22:24,134
Charlie kind of used it
as almost like a sacrament.
373
00:22:24,676 --> 00:22:28,805
We would take a larger dose,
he took less or none.
374
00:22:29,389 --> 00:22:33,602
All members was expected
to take Charlie's form of communion.
375
00:22:34,436 --> 00:22:38,440
He had a crucifixion experience
on LSD one time,
376
00:22:38,523 --> 00:22:42,819
and he re-enacted that for us
on several occasions.
377
00:22:42,903 --> 00:22:46,031
I mean, he would stand up,
and he'd put his hands out,
378
00:22:46,114 --> 00:22:48,909
and he'd talk about
the nails in his hands,
379
00:22:48,992 --> 00:22:50,202
and the blood.
380
00:22:50,285 --> 00:22:51,703
And when you're on acid,
381
00:22:51,787 --> 00:22:56,917
you could imagine
that he really was being crucified.
382
00:22:57,793 --> 00:23:04,091
So that was kind of his hook
in getting us to wonder,
383
00:23:04,174 --> 00:23:07,594
"Was he some kind of a messiah person?"
384
00:23:10,472 --> 00:23:13,683
Charlie's mind games
were just getting started.
385
00:23:13,767 --> 00:23:19,272
He said that we didn't need to eat
and that we didn't feel pain.
386
00:23:19,356 --> 00:23:23,485
I remember him
holding my fingers over a candle flame.
387
00:23:23,568 --> 00:23:25,612
It burned, it hurt, and he said,
388
00:23:25,695 --> 00:23:29,199
"It's all in your mind. There's no pain."
389
00:23:29,282 --> 00:23:31,868
I noticed that X
on your forehead. How it was there?
390
00:23:31,952 --> 00:23:34,663
- Wasn't that pain...
- First we cut them, then...
391
00:23:34,746 --> 00:23:37,791
They weren't leaving a scar, so she...
No, it wasn't painful.
392
00:23:37,874 --> 00:23:39,042
With a knife?
393
00:23:39,126 --> 00:23:41,920
At first, then we burned them in
with a screwdriver.
394
00:23:42,003 --> 00:23:43,255
No, it doesn't hurt.
395
00:23:47,342 --> 00:23:49,678
Over time,
Manson's loyalty program
396
00:23:49,761 --> 00:23:54,933
escalated to a home makeover project
he called "Creepy Crawling."
397
00:23:55,016 --> 00:23:58,770
The people that were involved
would put on black clothes,
398
00:23:58,854 --> 00:24:03,483
and then they would go and sneak in
other people's houses at night.
399
00:24:03,567 --> 00:24:07,487
Charlie called it
"just messing with their minds,"
400
00:24:07,571 --> 00:24:11,283
like rearranging the furniture,
eating some of the food.
401
00:24:11,366 --> 00:24:13,076
Fortunately, nothing more serious.
402
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:16,580
When the people got up next morning,
they would be stunned to see
403
00:24:16,663 --> 00:24:20,125
their living room
had been turned upside down.
404
00:24:21,126 --> 00:24:24,880
Of course, this wasn't
just about trolling local homeowners.
405
00:24:24,963 --> 00:24:30,469
It was another way to gauge obedience
and commitment to him.
406
00:24:30,552 --> 00:24:32,262
You know, like, "Go do this."
407
00:24:33,346 --> 00:24:37,225
He was just playing
little mind games with us,
408
00:24:37,309 --> 00:24:40,604
just messing with what was right,
what was wrong.
409
00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,107
This confusion
will come in handy.
410
00:24:45,066 --> 00:24:49,237
I think in hindsight,
really what it was, was practicing.
411
00:24:52,157 --> 00:24:54,659
If you followed
the playbook's opening lessons,
412
00:24:54,743 --> 00:24:56,495
you now have the right point of view.
413
00:24:57,579 --> 00:25:00,123
You've cemented your ideology and image,
414
00:25:00,207 --> 00:25:04,377
and built a core of disciples
who will do anything you demand.
415
00:25:05,003 --> 00:25:08,924
But there's still one obstacle
on your path to cult greatness,
416
00:25:09,007 --> 00:25:10,717
no one knows who you are.
417
00:25:11,593 --> 00:25:14,471
Charles Manson
wouldn't have this problem long.
418
00:25:21,645 --> 00:25:25,565
Cult leaders know very well
how to be the center of attention.
419
00:25:26,441 --> 00:25:27,609
If they couldn't do that,
420
00:25:27,692 --> 00:25:30,153
they wouldn't get followers
in the first place.
421
00:25:30,237 --> 00:25:32,280
If there's someone else
422
00:25:32,364 --> 00:25:37,827
who is given attention
that they think should be going to them,
423
00:25:38,328 --> 00:25:41,206
they will have an extremely hard time.
424
00:25:43,208 --> 00:25:46,169
Even before
Charlie's pivot to cult building,
425
00:25:46,253 --> 00:25:48,588
he had a plan to grab the spotlight.
426
00:25:49,589 --> 00:25:54,427
Charlie Manson in jail
learned to play the guitar.
427
00:25:54,511 --> 00:25:56,596
Let me go back and play some music.
428
00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,057
And walk around where I just came from.
429
00:25:59,140 --> 00:26:01,726
He wanted to be
a rock and roll star.
430
00:26:01,810 --> 00:26:08,358
You cannot separate the cult aspects
from the musical aspirations.
431
00:26:08,441 --> 00:26:14,656
Charlie had believed that he was gonna be
the biggest musical superstar of them all.
432
00:26:16,783 --> 00:26:20,912
Where better to realize
those dreams than sunny Los Angeles?
433
00:26:22,998 --> 00:26:28,587
And that's why Charlie and the family
go from Haight-Ashbury down to L.A.,
434
00:26:28,670 --> 00:26:31,298
because Charlie wants to connect
435
00:26:31,381 --> 00:26:35,093
with the people
who could get him a recording contract.
436
00:26:35,176 --> 00:26:37,762
Lucky for Charlie,
he had a secret weapon,
437
00:26:38,763 --> 00:26:41,349
his alluring and motivated groupies.
438
00:26:41,433 --> 00:26:44,686
The object now
is to use some of these young women
439
00:26:44,769 --> 00:26:48,064
to scatter around L.A.
and try to find a rock star.
440
00:26:49,024 --> 00:26:52,652
A couple of them do,
it's Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys.
441
00:26:52,736 --> 00:26:57,574
The Beach Boys were like
one of the ultimate bands in the world.
442
00:26:57,657 --> 00:27:01,995
A couple of the girls
were picked up by Dennis hitchhiking
443
00:27:02,704 --> 00:27:06,958
and they were super excited
to introduce Dennis to Charlie.
444
00:27:08,293 --> 00:27:11,421
Dennis parties with the girls
at his Hollywood mansion
445
00:27:11,504 --> 00:27:13,423
until he leaves for a recording session.
446
00:27:14,966 --> 00:27:17,302
When he arrives home after midnight,
447
00:27:17,385 --> 00:27:19,471
he gets a big surprise.
448
00:27:19,554 --> 00:27:22,432
Charlie has invited himself over as well.
449
00:27:23,642 --> 00:27:25,810
Dennis is, believe it or not,
450
00:27:25,894 --> 00:27:27,771
intrigued by this development.
451
00:27:28,772 --> 00:27:31,650
Dennis really liked Charlie.
452
00:27:33,735 --> 00:27:36,279
And I think that
Dennis was also impressed
453
00:27:36,363 --> 00:27:41,159
that he had this flock of girls,
you know, to do his bidding.
454
00:27:41,242 --> 00:27:42,522
Manson and his family
455
00:27:42,577 --> 00:27:45,413
stay at Dennis's mansion
for the entire summer,
456
00:27:45,497 --> 00:27:48,041
enjoying the fruits of Wilson's celebrity
457
00:27:49,167 --> 00:27:51,127
while Charlie works on his music.
458
00:27:52,087 --> 00:27:54,756
Dennis even arranges
a recording session for Charlie
459
00:27:54,839 --> 00:27:57,092
at his brother Brian Wilson's home studio.
460
00:27:58,009 --> 00:28:00,136
With one stipulation.
461
00:28:00,220 --> 00:28:02,430
He tells Dennis Wilson,
462
00:28:02,514 --> 00:28:08,770
"You can mess with the music how you want,
but do not change any of the lyrics."
463
00:28:10,230 --> 00:28:12,440
Manson plays his favorite song,
464
00:28:12,524 --> 00:28:13,817
"Cease to Exist."
465
00:28:15,151 --> 00:28:18,530
Brian Wilson and the other producers
have some notes,
466
00:28:19,656 --> 00:28:22,826
but Charlie is not
in a collaborative mood.
467
00:28:24,327 --> 00:28:26,287
Brian Wilson cancels the session.
468
00:28:29,457 --> 00:28:32,001
Charlie came out and said,
"Girls, we're leaving."
469
00:28:32,794 --> 00:28:36,715
Charlie was angry
that they didn't make him a star
470
00:28:36,798 --> 00:28:41,469
because it was all wrapped up
in him thinking that he was special.
471
00:28:41,553 --> 00:28:43,972
He didn't want anybody
messing with that specialness.
472
00:28:44,764 --> 00:28:46,474
But one way or another,
473
00:28:46,558 --> 00:28:48,768
Charlie was going to make his voice heard.
474
00:28:52,522 --> 00:28:57,235
Manson decided that everybody
in the music business was corrupt.
475
00:28:57,736 --> 00:29:00,405
He said, "I'm gonna get revenge."
476
00:29:00,488 --> 00:29:03,450
Things escalate quickly,
so hang on.
477
00:29:03,533 --> 00:29:06,453
He talks about "Helter Skelter."
478
00:29:06,536 --> 00:29:08,913
He said there was gonna be
this Black-white race war,
479
00:29:08,997 --> 00:29:12,625
and that we had to prepare for it
and hide from it.
480
00:29:12,709 --> 00:29:18,214
Charlie told his followers
that while this war is going on,
481
00:29:19,048 --> 00:29:21,760
he's gonna take 'em out into the desert
482
00:29:21,843 --> 00:29:25,764
and they would become
the rulers of the world.
483
00:29:25,847 --> 00:29:28,975
There's a revolution coming very soon.
484
00:29:29,809 --> 00:29:33,188
When Helter Skelter
fails to materialize on its own,
485
00:29:33,271 --> 00:29:35,940
Manson decides to give it a nudge.
486
00:29:38,693 --> 00:29:40,361
Friday night in Los Angeles,
487
00:29:40,445 --> 00:29:43,281
a movie actress
and four of her friends were murdered.
488
00:29:43,364 --> 00:29:45,450
The circumstances were lurid.
489
00:29:46,367 --> 00:29:49,287
The movie actress was Sharon Tate, 26.
490
00:29:49,370 --> 00:29:51,414
Lino Labianca, a supermarket owner,
491
00:29:51,498 --> 00:29:54,667
and his wife
had both been stabbed to death.
492
00:29:54,751 --> 00:29:57,545
On his body, the word "war"
had been carved in the chest.
493
00:29:59,005 --> 00:30:03,301
Then, with blood, the killer scrawled
on a refrigerator door the words,
494
00:30:03,384 --> 00:30:04,552
"Death to pigs."
495
00:30:07,722 --> 00:30:11,518
Manson has turned
his loyal followers into deadly weapons
496
00:30:12,060 --> 00:30:16,105
and hopes the crimes will spur
further chaos and racial violence.
497
00:30:16,189 --> 00:30:19,359
But Charlie's revenge plot falls flat.
498
00:30:22,237 --> 00:30:25,365
Five members
of the Manson family, including Charlie,
499
00:30:25,448 --> 00:30:27,450
are arrested and charged with murder.
500
00:30:30,161 --> 00:30:32,247
The world is getting crazy.
501
00:30:32,330 --> 00:30:34,499
It's all a play, isn't it?
502
00:30:34,582 --> 00:30:37,377
They danced through hallways,
telling all who will listen
503
00:30:37,460 --> 00:30:39,546
that the defendants are innocent,
504
00:30:39,629 --> 00:30:43,007
that when the trial is over,
they'll go back to the desert
505
00:30:43,091 --> 00:30:44,551
and live off the land.
506
00:30:44,634 --> 00:30:47,345
The jury hearing the charges
against Charles Manson
507
00:30:47,428 --> 00:30:50,014
and three girl members
of his so-called family
508
00:30:50,098 --> 00:30:51,975
brought in its verdict this afternoon.
509
00:30:52,058 --> 00:30:55,186
All were found guilty
of murder in the first degree.
510
00:30:59,983 --> 00:31:02,986
Less than three years
after starting his family,
511
00:31:03,611 --> 00:31:06,281
Manson is sent to prison
for the rest of his life.
512
00:31:07,448 --> 00:31:10,827
Yeah, I'm going back down
in an old hole in the ground.
513
00:31:11,703 --> 00:31:15,206
He did become an icon
in some circles.
514
00:31:15,915 --> 00:31:17,500
But Charlie flamed out
515
00:31:17,584 --> 00:31:20,628
before he could truly realize
his cult leader potential.
516
00:31:23,673 --> 00:31:25,216
Surely you can do better.
517
00:31:27,719 --> 00:31:31,389
The next chapter of the playbook
will show how to turn your cult
518
00:31:31,472 --> 00:31:35,393
into a movement
that will follow you anywhere.
519
00:31:36,102 --> 00:31:37,102
Your guide?
520
00:31:37,854 --> 00:31:40,565
A man who grew his flock so successfully,
521
00:31:41,274 --> 00:31:43,192
they built a whole town for him.
522
00:31:43,985 --> 00:31:46,696
Just a warm fellowship
and acceptance of all people.
523
00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:49,157
The Reverend Jim Jones.