Advertise on podcast: I Am Rama
Rating
4from
This podcast has
12 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Sony Music EntertainmentExplicit
Yes
Date created
2022/06/15
Latest episode
2026/03/26
Average duration
30 min.
Release period
126 days
Description
To some he was an enlightened master, and to others a dangerous cult leader. One thing’s for sure, the spiritual leader Rama was a product of the 80s: designer clothes, a rock band, sports cars and a modern message were only some of the things that made Rama a fascinating and complex teacher. Host Jonathan Hirsch explores his life and untimely death. Smoke Screen is an investigative documentary series on people with complex motives and morals. Follow characters on the fringes of society - con artists, cult leaders, corrupt politicians - as they seduce their marks and bend communities to their will. Join us as we unravel their stories and bring justice to the people they've deceived. Smoke Screen: I Am Rama is part of The Binge - subscribe to listen to all episodes, all at once, ad-free right now. From serial killer nurses to psychic scammers – The Binge is your home for true crime stories that pull you in and never let go. Follow The Binge Crimes and The Binge Cases wherever you get your podcasts to get new stories on the first of the month, every month. Hit ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Smoke Screen: I Am Rama show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com. The Binge – feed your true crime obsession. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
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Check latest episodes from I Am Rama podcast
Out Now: Crime Scene Weekly — Unforgettable True Crime Stories
2026/03/26
From The Binge, Crime Scene plunges you into stories you can’t stop thinking about—revisiting cases that deserve a second look.
Join Jonathan Hirsch (My Fugitive Dad, Dear Franklin Jones) and investigative reporter Cooper Moll as they crack open overlooked details, challenge the official narrative, and uncover what others missed. Each episode delivers the depth of a true crime mini-series in a single, gripping listen.
If you’re drawn to unresolved mysteries and stories that stay with you long after they end...this is for you.
Follow Crime Scene wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Thursday.
Subscribers to The Binge+ can listen ad-free, in addition to our network of limited series.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Legacy
2022/06/15
In this episode, we explore all that Rama left behind: students, a charitable foundation, music, books, and a complicated legacy.
A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production
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Conscience Bay
2022/06/15
Power trips to paradise and never-before shared knowledge -- were these golden times, or Rama’s way of saying goodbye? This episode explores the final years leading of Rama's life.
A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production.
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Public Opinion
2022/06/15
As Rama’s image took a hit in the public sphere, his students circled the wagons around their teacher. In something of a last ditch effort to win over the media, Rama accepts an invitation to appear on Dateline.
A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production.
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Accused
2022/06/15
Multiple women accuse Rama of sexual misconduct and emotional manipulation. Many of Rama’s students defend their teacher.
A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production.
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Deprogramming
2022/06/15
Rama finds himself in the crosshairs of the Cult Awareness Network, a group dedicated to extricating people from what they consider to be cults by “deprogramming” them. But Rama’s students tell a much different story.
A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production.
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Brenda
2022/06/15
A young woman follows Rama to New York, and mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind many to wonder what happened. In this episode, people who knew and loved Brenda Kerber piece her story back together.
If you have any information about the death of Brenda Kerber that wasn’t reflected in this episode, please contact the White Plains Police Department in New York at https://whiteplainspublicsafety.com/submit-a-tip/ or 914-422-6111.
A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production.
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Spiritual Contract
2022/06/15
Will Arntz is a man of many talents, from filmmaker to laser physicist. In this episode, Will relives the time he spent studying with Rama and how it changed his life.
A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production.
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California Dreaming
2022/06/15
Rama’s growth as a spiritual teacher in the mid-80s starts in California but takes him and his students all over the country. Rama defines his doctrine, turning his attention to the potential of the computer industry. But for his students, it’s not always easy to keep up with their teacher, or stay in his good graces.
A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production.
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Becoming
2022/06/15
This episode follows Frederick Lenz III from his early days and education through his introduction to spiritualism with his mentor, Sri Chinmoy, at the dawn of the New Age. Young Freddie becomes “Atmananda,” a recruiter for his mentor, until it becomes time to strike out on his own, as Zen Master Rama.
If you want to know more about Rama’s early years, you can read more from the people who we interviewed for this episode. Liz Lewinson’s book is called “American Buddhist Rebel The Story of Rama, Dr. Frederick Lenz.” Mark Laxer's books is called “Take Me For a Ride, Coming of Age in a Destructive Cult.”
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Golden Light
2022/06/15
Rama was a man of many faces: teacher, tech entrepreneur, friend - and to some, a scam artist. This episode introduces Rama, examining the world from which he came, the way he shaped those who entered his orbit for better and for worse, and the mysterious circumstances around his demise.
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Introducing Smoke Screen I Am Rama
2022/06/15
Rama was a spiritual teacher in the 80s and 90s who inspired many of his students while helming what many of his detractors would describe as a cult. He defied society’s archetypal vision of a New Age leader, eschewing minimalism for wealth and celebrity. He was also a man ahead of his time, encouraging his students to develop careers in computer science before that was mainstream.
For some, following Rama's lead worked out spiritually, and financially too. But for others, Rama's actions contradicted his cool persona; some eventually came forward with accusations of abuse, others vanished, whistleblowers went to the media, and the group began to shrink and splinter.
In this 10-part investigative series, Jonathan Hirsch explores the life, death and impact of Rama.
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Podcast reviews
Read I Am Rama podcast reviews
summerd87 2025/05/29
Loved this story
I really enjoyed this podcast. The unbiased opinion of Rama to be able to give us our own opinions was really well done. The guys voice was perfect.
BlindedByTheLight505 2024/12/28
First episode missing
The “first” episode is actually the second episode. So you get to listen to the second episode twice. Kind of an important part of the whole podcast. ...
StayHydrated! 2024/10/15
It’s ok
pretty ok
Exposure is gone 2024/10/04
It felt like a promo in the end
It’s nice to hear about the details of this cult, or not cult. But Jonathan’s constant reminder that he’s portraying both sides to be unbiased is the ...
Loven it yah 2024/08/06
Where is the first episode?
I tuned in, excited to listen to this podcast, but the first episode sounded as if there should have been something previously—as if I already knew th...
T.marie13 2024/01/29
Boring
This was God Awful boring. It put me to sleep (and wasn’t supposed to)
What was the point of this podcast? His followers are ubber rich people who ap...
WWB3084 2023/01/04
Thought it was unbiased
I like the unbiased reporting and encouraging the listener to form their own opinion. Great work on an interesting person and topic.
Caban1122 2022/12/18
Second episode runs twice.
No first episode.
Pillowpants the troll 2022/12/14
Where is the 1st episode?
The first episode is actually the 2nd episode, so I am not able to listen from the beginning.”
nanoo9888 2022/09/24
A lot if information was not verified
I feel like if there was so much information that could not be independently verified maybe the story is not ready to run. All hearsay, is not fact.
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