One of the most infamous cult suicide cases is that of Heaven's Gate. Centered in California, Heaven's Gate was one of three foundations established by Marshall Herff Applewhite and Bonnie "Ti" Lu Trusdale Nettles, also known as "The Two".
The pair's first organization, founded in 1975, was Human Individual Metamorphosis (HIM). Followers of HIM travelled to the Colorado desert to await the arrival of a UFO. As could be expected, no UFO arrived.
Ten years later, Bonnie Nettles succumbed to cancer, leaving Applewhite to lead the loyal followers on his own. In 1993, he organized a group of followers known as Total Overcomers Anonymous (TOA). The group put an advertisement in USA Today, announcing that the Earth's present population was going to be "recycled". When the public negatively received the ad, Applewhite and his TOA members moved to San Diego County, California.
The Beginnings of Heaven's Gate
In San Diego, the group adopted the new name of "Heaven's Gate". The cult combined elements of Christianity along with unusual beliefs regarding UFOs (Un-indentified Flying Objects). They interpreted passages from the Biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as the entire book of Revelation to be about UFO visitation. Revelation 11 speaks of two people who die, remain dead for 3 and half days, and are then resurrected and "went up to Heaven in a cloud". This reinforced their extra-terrestial beliefs.
Heaven's Gate viewed Earth as being in control of evil forces, and only the elite (members of the cult) would attain Heaven. Rising out of this belief, members believed in an extremely dualistic view of the body, leading Applewhite to describe the body as:
"...[Bodies are] the temporary containers of the soul...the final act of metamorphosis or separation from the human kingdom is the 'disconnect' or separation from the human physical container or body in order to be released from the human environment."
Extra-Terrestrial Beliefs
Members of Heaven's Gate believed that approximately 2000 years ago, a group of aliens came to Earth from the "Kingdom of Heaven", also known as "The Next Level". The team was led by "Do", and his female companion "Tu", whom Do referred to as his "Heavenly Father". Do left his alien body, transported to Earth in a spaceship, and moved into the human body of Jesus Christ.
A second expedition was led in the 1920s with Do as "The Leader" and Ti as "The Admiral". Upon landing on Earth, each alien sought a hosting human body. However, while searching for their hosts, the alien members became scattered. Do and Ti remained together, and held public meetings to discuss and publicate their beliefs. Much to their surprise, they found that most of their newest converts were actually long-lost alien members who had found their way back. Following this tale, Applewhite's followers referred to him as "Do" and to Nettles as "Ti".
Life In San Diego
The Heaven's Gate members lived together in a large, rented San Diego County home, known as the Ranchero Santa Fe mansion. Members referred to each other as "brothers and sisters", and viewed themselves as "monks and nuns". They referenced their mansion home as their "monastery". Members had little contact with their "human" family, friends, or neighbors. Many had successful professional careers prior to joining the cult, but chose to sacrifice that pleasant lifestyle for one of ascetic behavior. Many abandoned their children and families before joining, even though they were free to leave the cult at any time.
Heaven's Gate followers dressed in unisex clothing, consisting of black garments with Mandarin collars, black pants, and black Nike shoes. Once joining the cult, members agreed to lead a celibate lifestyle, which prompted some to venture to extreme measure. Eight followers, including Applewhite, submitted to a voluntary castration. They believed that it would prepare them for their "next level of existence": one free of gender and sexual activity.
Higher Source
The cult supported themselves through Higher Source, a company which designed web pages for a profit. They then began to use the Internet as a recruitment tool. On the site http://www.heavensgate.com/, Applewhite drew parallels between himself and the heavenly spirit that occupied the body of Jesus Christ. Displayed prominently on the homepage of the site is the message:
"As was promised- the keys to Heaven's Gate are here again in Ti and Do (The UFO Two) as they were in Jesus and His Father, 2000 years ago."
Also posted on the site is the task of the group:
"To work individually on our personal overcoming and change, in preparation for entering the Kingdom of Heaven."
After the Heaven's Gate suicides, the FBI seized control of the site.
UFOs
Heaven's Gate believed that UFOs are "inter-stellar spaceships operated by extra-terrestrial beings who are attempting to bring humanity to a higher level of knowledge". They believed that by ending their lives at the correct time, they would be able to leave their bodies, also known as "containers", behind. The soul, keeping in the dualistic mindset, would remain asleep until it was "replanted" in another container. The soul would be grafted onto a representative of the "level above human". That representative would be onboard a UFO ship, much like the one they believed was behind the Hale-Bopp comet.
Comets = Killings?
Near Easter 1997, when the comet was closest to Earth, the members believed that they had been sent a celestial "marker". A video tape shot shortly before the suicides showed that the members were extremely excited about their futures. This excitement may have been due to the feeling of release of the tortures of Earth. Heaven's Gate feared persecution, death, arrest, physical and psychological torture while on Earth. They feared it would come from outside of their group, either from an "irate individual" or "the powers that control the world".
On that fated day in 1997, 21 women and 18 men prepared for their deaths. Apparently, the cult died in three groups; one round of 15 members, then another round of 15, and then a last round of 7. All seemed to have died by ingesting phenobarbital mixed with either applesauce or pudding. Phenobarbital is a drug used as a sedative hypnotic and as an anticonvulsant in subhypnotic doses. After ingesting this combination, members chased it down with a shot of vodka. They then proceeded to asphyxiate themselves by placing a plastic bag over their heads. All members, except for 2, died with shrouds covering their bodies. Marshall Applewhite, 65 years old at the time, died alone in the master bedroom.
Sources Used:
Gleick, Elizabeth. "It Was The Marker We Were Waiting For." Time Magazine. 7 Apr. 1997. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. http://www.time.com/time/reports/cult/heavensgate1.html
Robinson, B.A. "Heaven's Gate: Christians/ UFO Believers". ReligiousTolerance.org. N.p., 12 Dec. 2002. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. http://www.religioustolerance.org/dc_highe.htm
"Phenobarbital (Phenobarbital Tablets And Elixirs)". Rx List: The Internet Drug Index. N.p., 2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. http://www.rxlist.com/phenobarbital-drug.htm
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