Horror Bites: The Heaven’s Gate Cult

The Heaven’s Gate cult was a religious group founded in the 1970s by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. The group entertained a mixture of Christian, New Age, and UFO-related beliefs, and claimed that they were extra-terrestrial beings who were sent to Earth to help people evolve spiritually.

The Heaven’s Gate Cult gained notoriety in 1997, when they committed a mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Thirty-nine members of the cult, including Applewhite, consumed a lethal mixture of phenobarbital and vodka in an effort to leave their physical bodies behind and join a spaceship they believed was following the Hale-Bopp comet.

The mass suicide shocked the world and raised questions about the dangers of cults and the psychological vulnerability of their members. It also prompted renewed scrutiny of the group’s beliefs and practices, and of the influence of charismatic leaders over their followers.

Who were Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles?

Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles were the co-founders of the Heaven’s Gate cult. Applewhite was born in 1931 and grew up in Texas, while Nettles was born in 1927 and grew up in both Texas and Louisiana.

The two met in 1972, when Applewhite was a music professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston and Nettles was a nurse. They became close friends and began to develop a shared belief in the idea that they were two witnesses mentioned in the Book of Revelation in the Bible.

After Nettles died in 1985, Applewhite began to believe that she was communicating with him from the afterlife, and he became increasingly convinced that they were both extra-terrestrial beings who had been sent to Earth to help people evolve spiritually. Applewhite rebranded himself as “Do” and Nettles as “Ti” and the cult began to attract followers to their movement which was called Total Overcomers Anonymous.

In the mid-1970s, Applewhite and Nettles began to travel around the country, recruiting followers and teaching their beliefs. They also encouraged their followers to sever ties with their families and to give up their worldly possessions.

What did they believe about UFOs and spaceships?

Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles taught that humans were in the process of transitioning to a new level of existence, and that this transition would be facilitated by the arrival of a spaceship that would take them to a higher level of existence.

The group believed that the spaceship was following the Hale-Bopp comet, which was visible in the sky in 1997. They believed that by committing suicide, they would be able to shed their physical bodies and join the spaceship on its journey through space. The group also believed in the existence of other extra-terrestrial beings, whom they referred to as “the Next Level.”

The Heaven’s Gate cult’s beliefs about UFOs and spaceships were influenced by a range of esoteric and New Age ideas, as well as by science fiction and conspiracy theories. The group saw themselves as part of a cosmic plan to help humanity evolve, and they believed that their beliefs and practices were a key part of this process.

What attracted others to the cult?

There were several factors that attracted people to the Heaven’s Gate cult. One of the main factors was the charismatic personality of Marshall Applewhite, who was seen as a compelling and persuasive leader. Applewhite was known for his dynamic speaking style and his ability to inspire devotion in his followers.

Another factor that drew people was the group’s message of spiritual transformation and the promise of a higher level of existence. Many of the cult’s members were searching for meaning and purpose in their lives, and the Heaven’s Gate teachings offered a way to achieve a sense of belonging and purpose.

The cult also appealed to people who were dissatisfied with mainstream society and who were looking for an alternative way of living. They lived in a communal setting and members were encouraged to give up their possessions and to focus on spiritual development rather than material gain.

The cult’s beliefs about UFOs and extra-terrestrial beings alos tapped into a wider cultural fascination with the idea of alien life and the possibility of contact with other worlds. For some people, the Heaven’s Gate teachings offered a way to explore these ideas in a spiritual context.

Heaven’s Gate cult: Mass suicide

On March 26, 1997, 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult committed a mass suicide in a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California.

The members, including Marshall Applewhite, consumed a lethal mixture of phenobarbital and vodka, and then covered themselves in purple shrouds. They believed that by dying, they would be able to shed their physical bodies and join a spaceship that was following the Hale-Bopp comet.

The mass suicide shocked the world and sparked a major media frenzy. The group’s website received millions of hits and journalists from all over the world descended on the site of the suicide to cover the story.

The impact of the mass suicide was felt both within the Heaven’s Gate group and in the wider community. Family of the cult’s members were devastated by the loss of their loved ones, and some questioned how such a tragedy could have happened. The suicide raised questions about the role of charismatic leaders in shaping the beliefs and behaviours of their followers, and about the need for greater understanding and support for people who may be vulnerable to cults and other forms of manipulation.

In the aftermath of the suicide, there was also debate about the appropriate response to the Heaven’s Gate group and other similar cults. Some argued that the government should take a more active role in regulating and monitoring them, while others emphasized the importance of protecting religious freedom and the right to free expression.

Books about the Heaven’s Gate cult

There have been several books written about the Heaven’s Gate cult and its beliefs and practices. Some of the most notable include:

1. “Heaven’s Gate: America’s UFO Religion” by Benjamin E. Zeller – This book provides an in-depth exploration of the history, beliefs, and practices of the Heaven’s Gate cult, and situates the group within the broader context of American religious history.
2. “Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth: A Novel” by Lin Oliver – This a fictional work based on the events surrounding the Heaven’s Gate mass suicide, and tells the story of a journalist who becomes involved with the group in the lead-up to the suicide.
3. “Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back” by Frank Schaeffer – While not specifically focused on the Heaven’s Gate cult, this memoir by a former member of a different religious group explores the dangers of cults and the psychological manipulation that can occur within such groups.
4. “UFOs, Cults, and the New Age” by James R. Lewis – This book provides a broader overview of the history of UFO cults and their beliefs, including the Heaven’s Gate group.
5. “Beyond Human Mind: The Soul Evolution of Heaven’s Gate” by Ti and Do – This is a collection of writings by the founders of the Heaven’s Gate cult, including their teachings on spirituality, the afterlife, and the role of extra-terrestrial beings in human evolution.

What happened to the Heaven’s Gate cult?

The group disbanded after the mass suicide of its members in 1997. The leaders both died in the mass suicide along with 37 of their followers. The group’s website and other online resources were taken down after the suicide, and there have been no reports of any attempts to revive it or continue its teachings.

Similar cults

There are several groups operating around the world that share some of the same beliefs as the Heaven’s Gate cult, although none are known to be identical in their teachings or practices. Some of these may also be considered cults due to their secretive and often manipulative tactics, as well as their tendency to isolate members from mainstream society.

One group that shares some similarities with the Heaven’s Gate cult is the Raëlian Movement, which is a UFO religion founded in the 1970s by Claude Vorilhon, who now goes by the name Raël. Like the Heaven’s Gate cult, the Raëlians believe that extra-terrestrial beings have visited Earth and helped humanity evolve to a higher level of consciousness. They also have a strong emphasis on personal transformation and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.

Another group that has been described as a cult and that shares some similarities with the Heaven’s Gate cult is the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies. The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in the 1950s by Sun Myung Moon, and is known for its strict hierarchical structure, its emphasis on family values, and its belief in the importance of spiritual purity.