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Heaven's Gate was the name of a cult co-led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles until Nettles' death. The cult's end, coinciding with the appearance of Comet Hale-Bopp, created a sensation in the United States in 1997. Applewhite convinced 39 followers to commit suicide so that their souls could take a ride on a spaceship that they thought was hiding behind the comet; members reportedly believed themselves to be aliens.
Cult members gave up their material possessions and the male members of the cult underwent castration. In preparation for their suicide, members of the cult drank citrus juices to ritually cleanse their body of impurities. In the wake of the cult's suicide, some attributed the cult's ability to attract new members to the growth of the Internet. (The cult earned money by providing their services as professional web page designers.) The thirty-nine bodies of the cult members were found in a rented mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California on March 26, 1997. Their suicide, conducted in shifts, was accomplished by ingestion of phenobarbitol-laced apple sauce and vodka. A video of the bodies in bunkbeds, covered neatly with purple blankets and wearing identical brand new Nike sneakers, was shown repeatedly during the media coverage following the suicides. They had also packed suitcases and money, presumably for the UFO trip.
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The Keepers of Heaven's Gate:
The Millennial Madness, the Religion Behind the Rancho Santa Fe Suicides
By William Henry
The Keepers Of Heaven's Gate: The Millennial Madness explores the religious and philosophical ideas behind a number of "doomsday groups" in an attempt to elucidate the mystical and prophetic happenings which are fueling the furor of many new millennial cultists. The end of the last millennium brought suicides and a rash of prophetic ideas surrounding "the end of the world". Today history is again repeating this pattern. The Keepers Of Heaven's Gate presents the time line of escalating events that led to the suicides in Rancho Santa Fe, California. beginning in November 1996 with the first radio talk show and news reports about a space ship hiding behind the comet Hale-Bopp. Author William henry presents the facts behind this new millennial "end of the world" thinking. Through painstaking research conducted throughout the 1990s, The Keepers Of Heaven's Gate presents a thorough understanding of the belief structures of these new millennial groups.
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Cosmic suicide:
The tragedy and transcendence of Heaven's Gate
By Rodney Perkins, Forrest Jackson
Cosmic Suicide is the definitive study of the Heaven's Gate cult. Consisting of neither tabloid trash nor New Age pabulum, it details the group from its origin in the early 1970's to the sensational mass suicide in 1997. By providing perspective and insight into the cult's attitudes and beliefs, Cosmic Suicide places Heaven's Gate within a historical context of millenarian movements. The book gives intimate details about the cult's doomsday philosophy, including the influence of Christianity, UFOs, and conspiracy theories. These factors prompted the androgynous believers to think that the passing of the Hale-Bopp comet would usher the UFO Crew into the Next Level of human evolution. Bizarre facts are revealed about the cult's lifestyle, including the odd monastic rituals designed to indoctrinate new members. In fact, the text features a rare transcription from a recruitment meeting held in Dallas in early 1994. It also contains extensive appendices, which include leader Marshall Applewhite's autopsy report and numerous documents of otherworldly propaganda. Cosmic Suicide is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in learning the real truth behind this strange End Times religion.
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The Heaven's Gate Suicide:
Unlocking the Answer to Why It Happened
By Tom Brown
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Inside Heaven's Gate:
The Uf0 Cult Leaders Tell Their Story in Their Own Words
By Brad Steiger
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