Aum Shinrikyo is one of the most closely studied new religious movements in the academic literature, because it is a rare case in which a religious group carried out mass-casualty terrorism. Founded in Japan in the 1980s by Shoko Asahara, it combined elements of Buddhism and Hinduism with yoga and meditation practice, apocalyptic prophecy of an approaching final war, and the absolute spiritual authority of its founder, who claimed enlightenment and, increasingly, a messianic role. The group attracted well-educated recruits, including scientists and engineers, and built a substantial organization with significant assets. Its trajectory turned catastrophic as Asahara's apocalyptic teaching hardened and the group secretly developed chemical weapons.
On 20 March 1995 members released the nerve agent sarin on the Tokyo subway, killing 13 people and injuring thousands, an attack that shocked Japan and prompted a fundamental rethinking of its approach to religious movements. Asahara and several senior members were tried, convicted, and ultimately executed in 2018. The organization was disbanded under that name; small successor and offshoot groups remain under close state surveillance. Scholars examine Aum as a case study in how apocalyptic belief, charismatic authority, and isolation from outside scrutiny can, in rare combination, turn a movement toward violence.