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The Process Church of the Final Judgment was founded by former Scientologists in 1960s London. The group’s beliefs were a jumble of Dianetics, paganism, nominal Christianity, and pre-New Age ideals. Much of this was inspired by experiences with hallucinogenic drugs. Central to the Process Church creed was the idea that Christ, Lucifer, Satan, and Jehovah were the four main aspects of human personality. The group never numbered more than few hundred, despite moving around the world and publishing a magazine. After a split in 1974, the remaining members leaned more heavily into Christian beliefs. The group then cycled through various names involving the word Foundation before—bizarrely—becoming a non-religious dog rescue in Utah.
Were it not for nostalgia for hippie culture, rumors, and tabloid journalism, it’s likely no one today would remember the Process Church of the Final Judgment. A series of murders committed by the Manson Family cult in the late 1960s captured wide attention. The Process Church interviewed Charles Manson while he was in prison. Rumors circulated that Manson’s cult was inspired by The Process, in part because Manson made comments to that effect to police. While no such link was ever established, the association greatly damaged the group’s reputation, and the Process Church eventually collapsed.
Conspiracy theories and legends about the 1960s and 1970s, as well as modern documentaries such as Sons of Sam, have continued to suggest that The Process Church of the Final Judgment was connected to Satanic murders. No such link has been proven, and it’s likely none existed. All in all, the group’s spiritual impact was negligible, and they are more remembered for aesthetics and urban legends than for any meaningful religious contributions.
