Who Are the Rajneeshees and What Is Their Origin
The Rajneeshees are followers of the spiritual teacher Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, later known as Osho, who founded a movement centered on meditation, conscious living, and communal living. The movement gained significant prominence in the 1980s when thousands of followers relocated to a large ranch in Wasco County, Oregon, establishing the city of Rajneeshpuram source. The community attracted global attention due to its rapid growth, unique economic experiments, and subsequent legal controversies involving bioterrorism and immigration fraud.
Today, the Rajneeshee movement continues to exist in various forms, with meditation centers and communities operating worldwide, though the large-scale communal model of the 1980s has dissolved. Osho died in 1990, and the movement fragmented into multiple organizations and sects, each claiming different lineages and interpretations of his teachings. Current estimates of active Osho-related centers range from several dozen to over a hundred, depending on the source and definition of active affiliation source.
Major Legal Cases, Criminal Acts, and Regulatory Actions
The 1984 Bioterror Attack and Criminal Convictions
In 1984, members of the Rajneeshee commune deliberately contaminated salad bars at ten restaurants in The Dalles, Oregon, with Salmonella bacteria, causing 751 people to become ill and marking the largest bioterrorism attack on U.S. soil at the time. The perpetrators, including top commune officials, were eventually convicted on charges including attempted murder, assault, and conspiracy, with several leaders receiving prison sentences ranging from a few years to decades source. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon led the prosecution, and the case remains a landmark reference in bioterrorism preparedness and response training for public health agencies.
Immigration Fraud and Deportation Proceedings
Simultaneously, the commune faced a massive immigration fraud scheme in which followers entered the United States on fraudulent marriage visas and then were coached to divorce and remarry within the community to maintain legal status. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service uncovered the scheme, leading to the deportation of numerous Rajneeshee leaders, including Ma Anand Sheela, who later pleaded guilty to charges related to the bioterror attack and immigration fraud source. These legal proceedings resulted in significant policy changes regarding visa fraud detection and the monitoring of religious communal groups.
Current Status, Related Entities, and Financial Legacy
Osho International Foundation and Meditation Centers
The Osho International Foundation, based in Pune, India, manages the legacy of Osho's teachings and operates the Osho International Meditation Resort, which attracts visitors from around the world seeking meditation programs, workshops, and retreats. The foundation maintains a global network of affiliated meditation centers, though it does not operate a single unified commune like the Oregon ranch source. Financially, the movement transitioned from a communal model to a commercial retreat and publishing model, with the resort and associated businesses generating revenue through