# How did Mt Shasta become the Woo Capital of the World? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** vacation-travel\ **Created:** [August 10, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906 "2025-08-10T14:44:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/61 "2025-08-19T05:04:45Z")
> [@Kropotkin](#): > > Does Buddhism count as woo? Depends on the sect. This is Soto Zen, not a very big sect but a normal one. Soka Gakkai is one that’s unusually popular with westerners which is kind of a cult. Aum Shinrikyo? Yeah, that’s dangerous woo. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/62 "2025-08-20T14:20:25Z")
Investigative journalist Be Scofield went to Crestone and dug up tons of very dirty dirt, enough to fill several exposés. The barking insane Love Has Won cult met its downfall there. The seamy criminal underbelly of Crestone involving drug dealing and murders has its corresponding woo-woo dimension: _black magic,_\*\* pursued seriously by some very unsavory elements in the criminal underground. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/63 "2025-08-20T17:54:41Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > . Are there others? Taos, NM was woo crazy when I lived there. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/64 "2025-08-20T23:37:42Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Whereas the “I AMers” (the St. Germain folks) are famously secretive and mostly keep to themselves Secretive except for their Chicago skyscraper with an “IAM Temple” prominently on the first floor, which seems to be at least **some** effort at proselytizing. Link. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/65 "2025-08-21T15:39:58Z")
Really? I somehow missed that after having moved from Mt. Shasta to Chicago. Bummer! Would’ve been fascinating to check out. (Link is broken, btw) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/66 "2025-08-21T16:12:34Z")
Oops on that link! Skyscraper may be a bit of an exaggeration nowadays, but it’s a 13+ story building at 176 W. Washington with the IAM Temple seemingly occupying the entire frontage; that is, no apparent separate entrance for office space. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/67 "2025-08-21T16:14:56Z")
Will have to add that to the list next time I visit! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/68 "2025-08-21T16:26:34Z")
Let me try the link again, as it works on my computer and includes an interesting discussion of both the building and IAM/St. Germain, including mentioning Mt. Shasta: [Link.](https://www.wbez.org/morning-shift/2016/03/10/whats-that-building-the-i-am-temple-in-chicagos-loop) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2025, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/69 "2025-08-22T09:20:50Z")
Wait - so St. Germain isn’t a saint called Germain, he’s a guy called St. Germain? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2025, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/70 "2025-08-22T10:06:25Z")
Yeah, nobody knows what his real name was. International man of mystery. Some think his original name might have been Rakoczi, but history knows him as the Comte de St.-Germain (hyphenation is the French style and that makes it clearer that he’s no saint). ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2025, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/71 "2025-08-22T14:21:22Z")
There’s a small investment firm in Shanghai that’s wondering why they keep getting Google alerts for a message board in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906/72 "2025-08-22T14:47:05Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Wait - so St. Germain isn’t a saint called Germain, he’s a guy called St. Germain? There is an original [Saint Germain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germain_of_Paris) aka Germanus of Paris, which is where all those little towns, villages and churches in France got the name. It’s just not who most people think of when the name comes up. There’s also apparently a much more recent (relatively) female Saint Germain, [Germaine Cousin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germaine_Cousin), who I hadn’t heard of. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-mt-shasta-become-the-woo-capital-of-the-world/1021906.md?page=3)