The new Netflix documentary series returns to Claude Vorilhon, known as Raël, at the origin of the still active Raelian movement: but how old is the “prophet of the extraterrestrials” today?
The word sect makes many people tremble these days, but it was not always like this. When Claude Vorilhon began to emulate and gather followers, his new community praying to the “Elohim” , alien entities who would have created humans in their image, the members of his strange cult were not so badly viewed.
Things have changed a lot in the meantime, and the new Netflix documentary has retraced the various key moments in the life of Raël, who called himself the “last prophet” . An extremely busy life, full of meetings and somewhat crazy projects. Especially since the Raelian movement lasted several decades!
And his self-proclaimed prophet even speaks in the last episode, casually addressing the sectarian excesses which will have plunged many of his followers into serious problems. But how old is Claude Vorilhon, aka Raël, today?
How old is Claude Vorilhon, the self-proclaimed prophet Raël, these days?
While the Netflix documentary series is released on February 7, 2024, Claude Vorilhon is 77 years old. The man who would later be called Raël was born on September 30, 1946 in Vichy, in Allier (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes).
The cult of the Elohim was therefore born in France, and was established there for many years. Far from fearing surveillance by the state or its justice system, the “mediator” between aliens and humans was clamored for on television sets, which took advantage of his presence to attract numerous viewers. He thus obtained significant media coverage, appearing as a positive figure to the public, and convinced many followers through this.
Where was Raël the guru of his movement?
In 1995, the Raelian movement caused a scandal: after a broadcast by Christophe Dechavanne highlighting sexual sectarian abuses involving minors, the group was clearly no longer welcome in France. Faced with the media setback and the rejection of the rest of the population, the decision was made to emigrate to Canada. After 21 years in France, the Raëlians left France to prefer Quebec and its more flexible laws on religions – and especially its population less aware of the headlines of the French press of the time. Raël will create UFOland there, in Valcourt.
This time, in addition to the sectarian excesses and the mental manipulation linked to the cult, revealed by two undercover Quebec journalists, another scandal will hit the Raëlians: the story of the cloned baby, a matter which has never been proven until now. Worse: according to the words of a former Raelian working in the movement’s laboratory, the declarations of biologist Brigitte Boisselier are nothing more than a lie. Still, once again, Claude Vorilhon is no longer welcome. After France and Quebec, the guru leaves for Japan.
Small amusing detail, in 2018, the campsite having taken over the former UFOland site offered an unusual sale, according to Le Journal du Québec: that of the famous saucer visible in the documentary series and supposed to illustrate the devices of the aliens who visited Claude Vorilhon, and the alien DNA strand, gigantic and colorful decoration. The relics would therefore still exist, in someone’s garden.
How long has Claude Vorilhon been at the head of the Raelian movement?
Claude Vorilhon was Raël for 50 years: it was at the end of 1974 that he founded MADECH (the Movement for the Welcoming of the Elohim Creators of Humanity), which later became the Raelian movement.
Claude Vorilhon still resides in Japan, and has done so since 2007 according to the Netflix documentary series. He took the opportunity to mix some elements of Buddhist religion into his movement.
He will therefore have played his role as “last prophet” in France for 21 years (1974 – 1995), in Quebec for 8 years (1995 – 2003), and in Japan for 21 years to date (2003 – 2024). In all, the self-proclaimed prophet was “Rael” for 50 years.
During the filming of Raël: The Prophet of Extraterrestrials in 2021, he explained to the documentary team: “I am very happy with what I accomplished with the means at my disposal. I am very satisfied. And now everything is planned so that the movement does not stop when I disappear. If I disappear, there is another guide of guides who will be elected. And it can come from every country on Earth.”
The documentary series Raël: The Prophet of Extraterrestrials has been available on Netflix since February 7, 2024.
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