Aleph (Aum Shinrikyo successor)
Direct successor organisation to Aum Shinrikyo. Renamed Aleph in 2000. Under continuous Japanese Public Security Intelligence Agency surveillance. Continues to retain ≈1,500 members despite legal restrictions.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — direct successor to Aum Shinrikyo; under continuous Japanese Public Security surveillance.
Profile facts
In context
Aleph continues Asahara's Aum Shinrikyo teachings under modified leadership. The Japanese Public Security Intelligence Agency renews surveillance designation periodically; Aleph and the related Hikari no Wa continue under restrictive monitoring. Multiple Aleph members have been prosecuted for individual offences post-2000.
Key control doctrines
- Continuation of Asahara teachings
- Communal commitment
Recovery resources
- INFORM (Information Network on Religious Movements) — LSE-founded UK research-based information service; substantial Aum Shinrikyo / Aleph successor archive.
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — ICSA archive carries Lifton's Aum analysis and post-Asahara successor-group material.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources covering Aum lineage.
- HAYAT-Deutschland — German family-support service for relatives of people in violent religious movements; methodologically relevant to Aleph cases.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Legal cases & controversies
- Continuous PSIA surveillance
- Multiple individual member prosecutions
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 2000Aleph renames from Aum Shinrikyo
- 2018Asahara executed
- ContinuousPSIA surveillance renewals
Sources
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗ runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
You may also want to explore
Found something wrong on this profile?
We accept correction requests from anyone — current and former members, researchers, journalists, family members, and the listed organisation. Submissions are reviewed by an editor; we do not auto-publish.