Who Were the Members of Heaven's Gate?
Heaven's Gate was a religious cult which committed group suicide in 1997. A total of 39 members were found dead on March 26, and two other members killed themselves within the next year. The group believed the Hale-Bopp comet that was visible in 1997 was a sign they were to leave Earth and progress to the next level of existence.
Identification
The Heaven's Gate group lived in a communal monastic-like setting in the San Diego, California area. They believed that everything on Earth was about to be destroyed, after which the planet would be refurbished. The only chance for survival was to leave. The Hale-Bopp comet was their sign that this event was imminent, especially once they heard about an unidentified flying object following the comet. They understood that this spaceship would take them away to their new lives.
History
The group was formed in the early 1970s by Marshall Applewhite, who believed that he and Bonnie Nettles were the two persons identified in Revelations 11:3-4, which says: "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." Applewhite said he and Nettles, both from the Evolutionary Level Above Human, had taken over two middle-aged human bodies, which had been designated at birth as vehicles for their usage.
Features
Heaven's Gate members gave up all their belongings and lived communally in an austere lifestyle. They earned money by working as professional website developers, and three of them worked for Advanced Development Group, which created computer-based instruction for the United States Army. They recruited new members through their website, a novel way of building cult membership. Several members, including Applewhite, were voluntarily castrated to show commitment to their strict moral views.
Misconceptions
A 1996 episode of Art Bell's Coast to Coast AM radio show added a new element to the cult's activities. The show's guest claimed to have photographs of the comet with an unidentified flying object following it, and Heaven's Gate members became convinced that this spacecraft would take them to the Next Level. They immersed themselves in UFO study, attending a conference and even buying insurance to cover alien abduction. They bought a telescope, but, disappointed, returned it when they couldn't find the spaceship. In January 1997, Art Bell published the photos on his Web site and they were subsequently shown to be a hoax. The Heaven's Gate group decided this was irrelevant, announcing on their own Web site that the comet was still the sign they had been waiting for.
Effects
The group killed themselves in March 1997 with Phenobarbital mixed with vodka, and by securing plastic bags around their heads. The scene as found by police was neat and orderly. Each member was lying in his or her bed, all dressed alike in black shirts and sweatpants, and brand new black Nike shoes.
Time Frame
Survivors and new followers eventually came together on a website called Heaven's Gate Continues, acknowledging 12 members along with an unknown number of silent followers. They do not live together and are scattered throughout the U.S. and Canada.
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