I just finished watching Wild Wild Country on Netflix.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

And I'm amazed because the events took place during my lifetime, and yet this was literally the first time I ever heard of the Rajneesh/Bhagwan movement ever.

Granted, I was probably too young to remember it as it actually happened, but it was a pretty wild story and received national news coverage, and things like those tend to linger for years after they happen. And even as a young kid I paid more attention to national news than a lot of other kids.

I remember hearing about Jonestown and that actually took place before I was born. I clearly remember Waco.

But I never heard anything about the Rajneesh or Bhagwan taking over a town in Oregon and clashing with the local population and authorities.

Was it because unlike Jonestown or Waco no one actually died (although it came close to that)? Or is it something that just got swept under the rug because nobody wanted to talk about it after it all happened?

[hlthe2b]

1. That was a different time. The salmonella-seeding of the salad bars was investigated by

a former epidemiologist friend from CDC. At the time, INTENTIONAL food-borne outbreaks were essentially unheard of, so despite his being totally convinced (and certainly looking now, the data was inarguable), he was not allowed to present the findings that way until many years later.

...a more naive time in this country.

[elfin]

2. Same here. I vaguely remember the leader getting attention, but I had no idea of the actual numbers

Fascinating story. It took them a long time to get rid of them.

Unbelievable reporting using old tapes. Very well done.

[Upthevibe]

3. I'd never heard about it either and I was very much alive when it happened....

And, even at a young age, I listened to the national new and kept up with current events. I started this show and am looking forward to watching the whole series.

[OregonBlue]

4. Most of us in the Northwest remember it well but then we saw daily, nightly clips. It happened where

I live now, although I was in Seattle at the time it was going on, I came to see my folks a lot and they thought it was all too strange. Having raised 3 hippy daughters they weren't freaked out like lots of people, just perplexed about why anyone would even want to live there. It was veryyyyyyy bizarre.