Raelian

Raelian refers to a follower of the Raelian Movement, a new religious movement founded by Claude Vorilhon, who adopted the name Rael. Vorilhon reported a transformative encounter with an extraterrestrial being in the early 1970s, which led to the establishment of the movement in 1974 in France. Adherents are commonly called Raelians and describe the movement as a religion or philosophy based on science and spirituality.

Central to Raelian belief is the idea that life on Earth was created by extraterrestrial scientists known as the Elohim, who used genetic engineering to seed humanity. Raelians hold that many biblical figures were messengers of the Elohim and that religious texts contain messages from these beings. Humans are viewed as a product of deliberate design rather than divine creation, and the Elohim’s eventual return is anticipated as a sign of a new era. The movement also emphasizes human-friendly ethics, world peace, and the use of science and technology for the advancement of humanity.

Practices associated with the movement include the promotion of sexual freedom and what Raelians call sensual meditation, as well as public education campaigns and charitable activities. They have established international networks and organizations, and they have pursued biotech ventures such as Clonaid, a company founded in the 1990s to explore cloning; in 2002–2003 Clonaid claimed to have cloned a human, a claim that was not independently verified.

Scholars and critics often categorize the Raelian Movement as a new religious movement or cult-like group. It has attracted attention for its provocative claims and its involvement in controversial cloning publicity, while maintaining a global constituency with varied levels of organizational activity.