Eng-121-1n: Why Did the 39 Members of Heaven’s Gate Commit Suicide?

Jessica Mazzucca

ENG-121-1N

November 4, 2015

Why did the 39 Members of Heaven’s Gate Commit Suicide?

        On March 27, 1997 39 people were found to have committed suicide in a San Diego home. However it was no mystery as to why they killed themselves. The group of 39 people were infamously known as the Heaven’s Gate cult. Media such as television and websites knew about the cult but didn’t have enough information to warn people about the manipulative behavior associated with the cult. After the members of Heaven’s Gate committed suicide a few articles were written about the cult’s background and what lead up to the group’s suicide. Ultimately, the members of Heaven’s Gate committed suicide because of their illogical beliefs in a “level above human.”         In “Heaven’s Gate- Ascent to Madness Part 1,” Willy Wegner explains that the Heaven’s Gate cult was founded by two people who referred to themselves as “the two. “  Their real names were, Marshall Herff Applewhite and Bonnie Lu Nettles. Wegner states that the two met in a psychiatric hospital where Applewhite was a patient and Nettles was a nurse. They got together and decided that they were from a higher level and that a UFO would be coming to pick them up soon to bring them to “a level above human.” Applewhite and Nettles believed they were on a mission or task to recruit people and bring them to “level above human.” Wegner goes on to explain the meetings that were held to recruit more people. He also tells about the training that the cult members had to go through. They were required to shave their heads and communication was kept at a minimum. They also had a strict uniform they were all required to wear. Wegner ends the article with talking about the death of Nettles and how if someone broke the rules they were kicked out of the group. However they were given a paid ticket to go anywhere they wanted. (Part 1).

        Although some people were kicked out and others just left, there were still 39 members left in the cult. In “Heaven’s Gate- Ascent to Madness Part 2,” Willy Wegner tells how the 39 members moved one last time to a luxurious mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California.  He explains that the cult payed the rent by doing a website creation business. Wegner goes on to tell the cults views on why they were here. They claimed that their bodies were merely “containers.” They believed they were only on earth to gain knowledge of earthly things. Wegner then says that Applewhite claimed to have been Jesus. He said that in a past life he was Jesus and now he has been sent to earth by his heavenly father who is with Nettles since she passed away. Applewhite said he was still receiving guidance from her. Wegner also states that there was a final sign that it was time for the cult to leave earth. There was a comet discovered in space that was to fall to earth. It was called the Hale- Bopp comet. Applewhite and his cult members believed that was the UFO that was supposed to come pick them up.  According to Wegner, on Easter week in 1997 the cult made the decision to leave their “human containers.” They believed the only way to do that was to commit suicide. Before they committed suicide they all made videos talking about their time with the cult and what they were hoping for in the next level above human. The videos were sent to a former cult member who left the group years earlier. They all committed suicide in an orderly fashion. Every member drank a fatal dose of phenobarbital mixed with vodka and put a bag around their head. They all wore their uniforms and brand new Nike sneakers, they had IDs and had a suitcase packed for the next level.  After everyone was dead the former cult member received the videos in the mail. He knew they were dead so he went to the house in Ranch Santa Fe and found all the bodies. The authorities were called and they were all taken out of the house and put in their final resting place. A UFO never came to pick them up even though they believed it would. (Part 2).

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