1/3 Cults Become A World Religion | Crazy Stats To Save Your People
Episode script. Originally published 2026-08-18 at https://basedcamppodcast.substack.com/p/13-cults-become-a-world-religion
NOTE: This episode has a companion guide with graphs, links, and stats—don’t miss it! https://technopuritan.com/new-religions/
What if most new religions don’t fail — and the ones that follow a few simple rules have a 93% survival rate and over 50% chance of becoming major world religions?
In this episode of Based Camp, Malcolm and Simone dig into original research on new religious movements founded since the 1700s. When you filter for groups with a unique metaphysical framework + a real written (or recorded) corpus, the numbers are already surprisingly high. Add an explicitly pro-natalist framing and something beyond ordinary materialist reality, and the success rate becomes almost absurd.
They break down:
- Why humanist/secular projects almost always die
- Why “silliness” actually protects a religion
- Why probable scams have some of the best survival rates
- Succession systems that work (and the ones that kill movements)
- Hard vs soft religion and fertility
- What this means for anyone trying to build a durable culture or tradition today — including their own techno-puritan project
If you’re interested in cultural survival, fertility, intentional community, or just love weird religious history, this one’s for you.