A closer look
Hassan-i Sabbah established an elite order of mystical assassins in the eleventh century from a heavily fortified mountain fortress called Alamut. To guarantee absolute loyalty, he reportedly drugged his followers and placed them in a beautiful garden filled with food and women, convincing them they had temporarily visited paradise. He then told them the only way to return to this divine utopia permanently was to die carrying out his political murders. This wild psychological manipulation successfully terrified the entire Middle East for nearly two centuries. It is a harsh reminder that the line between a profound mystical awakening and an incredibly lethal cult initiation is usually just a charismatic guy with access to strong narcotics and a flair for dramatic landscaping
