True Way Cult, Circa 1997 Isabel in San Dimas

Forensic psychologist Dr. Shiloh of the podcast L.A. Not So Confidential joins me as we uncover the story of God's Salvation Church, also known as Chen Tao or the True Way Cult, which called San Dimas home for a short time in the mid-1990's. The cult originated in Taiwan, and congregants believed they would be saved by God aboard a spaceship. As we explore this interesting bit of San Dimas history, Dr. Shiloh and I discuss what makes a cult, explore how cults work, and touch on some modern-day cults and conspiracy theories.

Related media recommended by Dr. Shiloh:
L.A. Not So Confidential: QAnon and the Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
L.A. Not So Confidential: California Cults
Die-Alogue: Rick Alan Ross | Cult Expert, Part 1
Die-Alogue: Rick Alan Ross | Cult Expert, Part 2
Die-Alogue: Janja Lalich, Cult Expert, Sociologist, Author
Die-Alogue: Frank Lyford, Heaven's Gate Cult Survivor
Die-Alogue: Female Persuasion: Women and Cults
HBO's The Vow

Links + resources for this episode
Congregants Wait for Spaceship, Associated Press 12/23/1997
Chen Tao (True Way Cult), Wikipedia
Taiwanese Group Prepares to Meet God--In Texas, The New York Times 3/4/1998
San Dimas City Council Study Session: February 9, 2021 | 5:30pm | Watch here
San Dimas City Council Meeting: February 9, 2021 | 7pm | Watch here