Ep 3. Heaven's Gate
- TV-14
- June 17, 2019
- 42 min
In the third episode of People Magazine Investigates: Cults season 2, the focus is on the infamous Heaven's Gate cult. The cult, founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, believed that Earth was about to be "recycled" and that a spaceship was coming to take them to a higher level of existence. In 1997, 39 members of the cult committed mass suicide in order to reach the spaceship they believed was trailing the Hale-Bopp comet.
The episode takes us back to the beginning of the cult, explaining Applewhite and Nettles' journey and how they convinced their followers to leave their lives behind and join them. We hear from former members of the cult who reflect on their experiences and how they were lured in. They explain the intense recruitment process, where Applewhite and Nettles convinced them that they were part of an elite group that was chosen for a higher mission.
As the story progresses, we see the group grow and become more isolated as their beliefs became more extreme. Members of the cult underwent a series of bizarre and invasive rituals, including castration, to rid them of their earthly desires and prepare them for their afterlife on the spaceship.
The build-up to the suicide is carefully explored, with details of the preparations made in the days leading up to the event. We hear from surviving family members who reveal how they learned of their loved ones' participation in the mass suicide and how they processed the news.
The episode concludes with a look at the aftermath of the event, the media attention it received at the time and how the Heaven's Gate cult continues to be remembered today. We see how the beliefs of the cult have continued to resurface over the years and how they still have the power to captivate and inspire groups of followers.
Overall, this episode of People Magazine Investigates: Cults season 2 gives a thorough and balanced overview of the history of the Heaven's Gate cult. It provides insight into the beliefs, rituals and recruitment methods of the cult and explores the impact that the mass suicide had on both the survivors and the wider community.
