Heaven’s Gate is a cult that will always be remembered for its members committing mass suicide. They did this as an attempt to reach a level above ‘human’. The group’s leader, Marshall Applewhite, was a “mentally disturbed” music teacher and had controversial beliefs.
Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles founded the cult in the early 1970s. There are contrasting stories as to how they met. Some sources say the pair met when Applewhite was visiting a friend in a hospital whereas others say they met at drama school. Supposedly, he was a teacher and Nettles’ son was a student.
The pair initially described themselves as ‘The Two’ and they said they were figures from the Book of Revelation. They believed that the human body was merely a “temporary container” for the soul. Members’ soul could be transported past the human level to the ‘Next Level’ or the ‘Level above Human’. In order to do this though, one had to separate themselves from a human’s needs and desires. In 1975, they convinced 20 people to join, move to Eastern Colorado and leave their homes and their families. They told the recruits that a spaceship would arrive and taken them to this higher level. After the spaceship did not arrive, the members lost belief.
Nettles, who then became known as ‘Ti’ to the group, had to have her eye removed due to cancer in 1983. Her doctor warned her that the illness was spreading. However, she was critical towards him for his ignorance. The concept of ‘Do’ (Applewhite) without Ti was inconceivable to them and they always thought of ‘ascending’ together. The cancer continued to spread and moved down to her liver; she died in 1985.
The group remerged in the early 1990s. Applewhite began to warn people that the end of the world was coming soon. The group broadcast a number of videos called ‘Beyond Human - The Last Call’ which explained Heaven’s Gate and the ‘Next Level’. Later in the century, a photo emerged of the Hale-Bopp comet with a spot trailing behind it. Do told them that the spot was a spaceship, led by Ti and it was following the comet. He added that if the members wanted to join her and reach the ‘Next Level’, they would have to commit suicide.
The suicide process took three days, beginning on 22nd March 1997 and was completed in stages. 21 women, 17 men from the ages of 26 to 72 proceeded to end their own lives. They eat applesauce or pudding laced with Phenobarbital and drank vodka. Other members then put plastic bags over their head to suffocate them. After they died, they were placed on beds with a large purple cloth over them. They all wore the same clothes- long black sleeve shirts, black trousers and black and white Nike shoes. The shirts had a patch on the arm that said: “Heaven’s Gate Away Team”.
“Our 22 years of classroom here on planet Earth is finally coming to conclusion -- "graduation" from the Human Evolutionary Level. We are happily prepared to leave "this world" and go with Ti's crew.” This is the current message on the Heaven’s Gate website and it summarises the feelings of the group before committing suicide.
Heaven’s Gate will live long in the memory for many people because of how it concluded its time on Earth. Applewhite was at the centre of the controversy due to his mental problems and beliefs. His followers had such a strong confidence in him, they were even willing to take their own lives.
You can see real video footage of him and members of the group, including their ideas about the ‘Next Level’, by clicking on this link. Also, there is a book called: ‘Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion’, which gives an in-depth look at the cult and its development over time. See it on Amazon by clicking this link.
By Zach Emmanuel
Read More:
Profile - Heaven's Gate
Sources:
Biography
Heaven's Gate website
Finding Dulcinea
History
New York Times
Amazon
The pair initially described themselves as ‘The Two’ and they said they were figures from the Book of Revelation. They believed that the human body was merely a “temporary container” for the soul. Members’ soul could be transported past the human level to the ‘Next Level’ or the ‘Level above Human’. In order to do this though, one had to separate themselves from a human’s needs and desires. In 1975, they convinced 20 people to join, move to Eastern Colorado and leave their homes and their families. They told the recruits that a spaceship would arrive and taken them to this higher level. After the spaceship did not arrive, the members lost belief.
Nettles, who then became known as ‘Ti’ to the group, had to have her eye removed due to cancer in 1983. Her doctor warned her that the illness was spreading. However, she was critical towards him for his ignorance. The concept of ‘Do’ (Applewhite) without Ti was inconceivable to them and they always thought of ‘ascending’ together. The cancer continued to spread and moved down to her liver; she died in 1985.
The group remerged in the early 1990s. Applewhite began to warn people that the end of the world was coming soon. The group broadcast a number of videos called ‘Beyond Human - The Last Call’ which explained Heaven’s Gate and the ‘Next Level’. Later in the century, a photo emerged of the Hale-Bopp comet with a spot trailing behind it. Do told them that the spot was a spaceship, led by Ti and it was following the comet. He added that if the members wanted to join her and reach the ‘Next Level’, they would have to commit suicide.
The suicide process took three days, beginning on 22nd March 1997 and was completed in stages. 21 women, 17 men from the ages of 26 to 72 proceeded to end their own lives. They eat applesauce or pudding laced with Phenobarbital and drank vodka. Other members then put plastic bags over their head to suffocate them. After they died, they were placed on beds with a large purple cloth over them. They all wore the same clothes- long black sleeve shirts, black trousers and black and white Nike shoes. The shirts had a patch on the arm that said: “Heaven’s Gate Away Team”.
“Our 22 years of classroom here on planet Earth is finally coming to conclusion -- "graduation" from the Human Evolutionary Level. We are happily prepared to leave "this world" and go with Ti's crew.” This is the current message on the Heaven’s Gate website and it summarises the feelings of the group before committing suicide.
Heaven’s Gate will live long in the memory for many people because of how it concluded its time on Earth. Applewhite was at the centre of the controversy due to his mental problems and beliefs. His followers had such a strong confidence in him, they were even willing to take their own lives.
You can see real video footage of him and members of the group, including their ideas about the ‘Next Level’, by clicking on this link. Also, there is a book called: ‘Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion’, which gives an in-depth look at the cult and its development over time. See it on Amazon by clicking this link.
By Zach Emmanuel
Read More:
Profile - Heaven's Gate
Sources:
Biography
Heaven's Gate website
Finding Dulcinea
History
New York Times
Amazon