A UFO Cult Tragedy
In what would become the largest mass suicide in America, 39 members of the Heaven's Gate gave their lives up to a mad man, and a sad excuse for human reasoning. Believing that a spaceship was following the Hale-Bopp comet, and somehow they would miraculously be transformed on a spiritual plane to the ship, these weak, eager-to-believe-anything followers did themselves in.
They had eaten a pudding laced with downers which did the trick. Of course, they were only following orders of their guru, Marshall Applewhite, who was also known as “Do.” To aid in warding off the temptations of sin, Applewhite and six of his followers had been castrated some years earlier-a fact only revealed when autopsies were done on the bodies. I suppose anyone looking for ways to not give in to the sins of the flesh could find many ways to help themselves, but I can't go there. You can find more details on this strange account at Heaven's Gate- Ten Years Ago.
Comments
What discredits UFOlogy are sites that keep posting tons of images of alleged ufos. Without a proper investigation you cannot claim the man walking the dog spooted an alien saucer. It’s absurd.
I agree that cases like Heaven’s Gate discredit ufology, but such cults are worthy of serious study. A good way to observe society is to watch cults, for their abnormal behaviour is, in many ways, just extreme elements of the normal. We can learn a lot about ourselves from them.