Rajneeshpuram: Osho’s Bold Experiment in the Oregon Desert

Rajneeshpuram: Osho’s Bold Experiment in the Oregon Desert

Rajneeshpuram was a controversial intentional community founded in 1981 by disciples of the Indian mystic Osho in rural Wasco County, Oregon. Spanning 64,000 acres of arid land purchased for $5.75 million, it was envisioned as a self-sufficient spiritual utopia where Osho’s teachings—blending meditation, personal freedom, and a rejection of societal norms—could flourish. What began as a bold dream, however, turned into one of the most infamous episodes in modern spiritual history.

 The Rise of Rajneeshpuram

After facing growing tensions with authorities in Pune, India, Osho and his followers, led by his dynamic secretary Ma Anand Sheela, relocated to the U.S. in 1981. They transformed the desolate Big Muddy Ranch into a thriving commune, housing over 2,000 permanent residents at its peak and welcoming up to 15,000 visitors for the annual World Festival. With remarkable speed, the sannyasins (Osho’s followers, identifiable by their red robes) built a city complete with roads, housing, a dam, an airport, a power station, and even a crematorium. Osho, often silent due to health issues, lived in a luxurious compound, his presence symbolized by his fleet of over 90 Rolls-Royces—gifts from devotees.

The commune embodied Osho’s vision of the “New Man”—a fusion of material abundance and spiritual awakening. Residents practiced dynamic meditation, worked collectively, and lived free from traditional constraints like marriage or religion. Rajneeshpuram was a magnet for Western seekers, drawn by Osho’s charisma and his radical ideas on sexuality, love, and consciousness.

 Controversy and Conflict

Rajneeshpuram quickly clashed with its conservative neighbors and U.S. authorities. Local ranchers and officials felt threatened by the influx of “red-robed cultists” and their rapid expansion. Legal battles erupted over land use, as Oregon laws restricted urban development on agricultural zones. The Rajneeshees fought back, incorporating Rajneeshpuram as a city and leveraging their numbers to influence local politics—most notoriously by busing in homeless people to vote in the 1984 Wasco County election.

Tensions escalated when the leadership, under Sheela’s direction, resorted to extreme measures. In 1984, they orchestrated the largest bioterror attack in U.S. history, poisoning 751 people with salmonella in nearby towns to suppress voter turnout. They also plotted assassinations and wiretapped dissenters within the commune. Osho, who claimed ignorance of these acts, remained a polarizing figure—revered by followers, reviled by critics.

 The Fall of Rajneeshpuram

The commune unraveled in 1985. Sheela fled to Europe amid internal power struggles, and U.S. authorities arrested Osho on immigration charges after he attempted to leave the country. He pleaded guilty to visa violations, paid a $400,000 fine, and was deported to India, barred from re-entering the U.S. Rajneeshpuram collapsed as followers dispersed, and the land was sold off, later becoming a Christian youth camp.

 Legacy

Rajneeshpuram remains a symbol of both utopian ambition and cautionary excess. It showcased the movement’s ability to mobilize resources and devotion, generating millions in revenue and global attention. Yet, its downfall—driven by criminal acts and hubris—tarnished Osho’s reputation and shrank his following. The story gained renewed fame through the 2018 Netflix series *Wild Wild Country*, sparking debate about Osho’s legacy: Was Rajneeshpuram a visionary experiment undone by rogue leaders, or a cult doomed by its own contradictions?

Today, the site stands quiet, but its brief, wild existence left an indelible mark—a testament to Osho’s dream of a new way of living, and the challenges of realizing it in a skeptical world.