Prompt Cast
The Tragic Cult of Coconuts: A Story of Survival and Death
TLDR August Englehart believed that coconuts were all you needed to survive, but his exclusive diet of coconuts led to severe malnutrition and ultimately his death. The cult he started on a remote island in Papua New Guinea also suffered from dehydration, heat stroke, and even fatal coconut accidents.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Coconuts are not actually everything you need to survive, despite the Sanskrit saying.
02:38
August Englehart believed that all you needed to survive was coconuts and sunlight, and he even tried to live exclusively on coconuts, but ended up living and dying on a sparsely populated island.
05:36
August Englehart moved to a tiny island in Papua New Guinea to live how he believed humans were meant to live, but his diet of coconuts alone lacked essential vitamins and protein, causing him to wither away.
08:34
After convincing others to join him on the island, the story takes a turn.
11:16
Only two people joined the Son and Norton cult, with one dying shortly after arrival and the other getting along with the cult leader.
13:56
The tension between Lutzau and Engelhardt over their differing tastes in music led to arguments, with Lutzau eventually leaving to spend the night on a nearby boat, where he died after refusing to eat any of the food; more people showed up to the cult and died from dehydration, heat stroke, and even being hit by a coconut.
16:42
August Engelhardt survived on coconuts for about 20 years, suffering from severe malnutrition and weighing less than 70 pounds before his death in 1919.
Categories:
Society & Culture
