On March 26, 1997, thirty-nine individuals associated with the Heavens Gate cult committed a notable mass suicide. They ingested a mixture of Phenobarbitals, applesauce, and alcohol. The individuals were dressed entirely in black and had their faces concealed with purple shrouds. Those wearing glasses had their glasses placed neatly beside them, and each person carried identification documents for the authorities to discover.
The house appeared exceptionally tidy, even more organized than when the victims had moved in. It seemed as though they were getting ready for their demise, following the guidance of the prophet Isaiah: “Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” However, their way of life is even more perplexing. The group was established in the mid-1970s by Marshall Herff Applewhite and his partner Bonnie Lu Nettles, a former nurse. They went by the names Bo and Peep for a brief period before becoming secretive in 1976. After residing in seclusion across various Southwestern cities, the group briefly resurfaced in 1994 to recruit new members through public lectures.
In the group’s documents, Applewhite and Nettles are portrayed as representatives of an extraterrestrial realm known as the Kingdom of Heaven. They have arrived on Earth to offer a path to membership for those who can overcome their attachment to money, sex, and family life. The group preached that complete separation was necessary because Earth’s governmental, economic, and religious structures were controlled by demonic forces, referred to as Luciferians and evil space aliens. Over time, they began to identify themselves as the Two, referencing the two witnesses mentioned in the Bible’s Book of Revelation. According to biblical prophecy, these witnesses are prophets who will be murdered by a beast from the bottomless pit before being resurrected and ascending to Heaven.
Both individuals were against the establishment and displayed intolerance, advocating for complete disconnection from society, leading a minimalistic lifestyle with communal resources, and following a strict moral set of rules. Applewhite additionally enforced a uniform appearance, speech pattern, and behavior among cult members. This included uniform clothing for all individuals, shaving their heads, and abstaining from using personal pronouns like “he” or “she.” Additionally, marriage, sex, and drinking were strictly forbidden. Furthermore, members were required to surrender all their belongings to the cult, with some even opting for voluntary castration.
On the group’s website, a lengthy first-person statement written by Mr. Applewhite in 1995, under the title “An E.T. Presently Incarnate”, outlines many of the fundamental beliefs of Heaven’s Gate. Ms. is mentioned in the statement.
Nettles passed away in 1985, or as he described it, separated from his borrowed human vessel and returned to the Next Level. The remaining aspects of their belief system are outlined in a 200-page book that the members of Heaven’s Gate self-published. According to one member, they underwent seventeen years of re-education, a metaphorical classroom experience aimed at transforming their consciousness and behavior, in order to evolve and attain a level that would allow them entry into the higher realm advocated by Mr. Applewhite and Ms. Nettles. Through various writings, the group expanded on their theology, which was rooted in Christianity but included a unique set of millennialist beliefs reminiscent of renowned science fiction literature.
The beliefs revolve around the appointment of an Older Member by the beings of the Kingdom Level Above Human 2000 years ago. This appointed Representative, also known as Jesus, was sent to Earth to teach people how to enter the true Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, humans influenced by demonic forces killed this individual, referred to as the Captain, and distorted his teachings into a diluted form of religion practiced in exclusive clubs. However, in the 1970’s, the Kingdom Level offered humanity a fresh opportunity by sending two Older Members to inhabit human bodies and resume the teachings. The group’s members also adopted unique names, further demonstrating their complete separation from the outside world.
Applewhite and Nettles were known as Do and Ti respectively on the Internet. The group’s members came to Earth in staged spacecraft accidents and initially existed without physical bodies before inhabiting specially chosen human forms provided by other crews from the Level Above Human. The document expresses concern about the state of the world, cautioning that the Government, wealthy individuals, and moral leaders are under the control of malevolent extraterrestrials. These aliens have utilized various religions to deceive humans regarding God. It predicts an imminent apocalypse that will result in the destruction of civilization, using gang warfare and ethnic cleansing as evidence that this process has already commenced. Eventually, a restoration period will occur, leading to the emergence of a new civilization.
The text reveals the group’s strictly authoritarian code, which dictates that individuals can only grow within the Next Level by becoming dependent on their Older Member for unlimited growth and knowledge. As a result, younger members in good standing are forever reliant on and look to their Older Member for all things. According to the most recent post on the Heavens Gate Internet site, the approach of the Hale-Bopp comet signaled the anticipated arrival of a spacecraft from the Level Above Human, which would transport them to their literal Heavens. Heaven’s Gate made it clear that they held a negative perception of worldly life. They adhered to a gnostic religious belief that viewed the soul as a separate and superior entity temporarily residing in a physical form. The group emphasized that bodies were merely temporary vessels for the soul and that an evolved soul would receive a new physical form to accommodate its higher level of being.
According to the text, the final stage of the transformation or separation from the human realm involves disconnecting from the physical body as well as the human environment. Heaven’s Gate, despite claiming to be against suicide, paradoxically suggested the possibility. The group anticipated leaving Earth in their physical bodies when a spaceship arrived to transport them to the Next Level. However, they acknowledged that if they faced violent opposition, they would be mentally prepared for any outcome. They referred to the Jews at Masada who opted for self-destruction instead of surrendering to Roman legions in A.D. 73 as an example.
Furthermore, the group expressed that their understanding of suicide was not typical. They believed that “suicide” meant rejecting the Next Level when it was presented. According to their beliefs, a spaceship following Hale-Bopp would provide this opportunity. In summary, the Heavens Gate cult had an atmosphere that resembled a late night TV movie. Similar to other millennialist groups, members strongly believed in an impending apocalypse and that only a select few would attain salvation. The dissemination of their teachings on the Internet raised concerns about the influence of the web.
The discussion about the alleged correlation between the Internet and cult involvement has decreased over time. Personally, I find this claimed association to be highly absurd, as it would require an individual to have a significant degree of vulnerability and susceptibility to adopt such peculiar beliefs.
