Heaven's Gate Wednesday, August 24, 2005

I found a mirror site of the Heaven's Gate website as of the day of the mass suicide in March 1997. It can be somewhat eerie looking back on a moment frozen in time.

In doing some research on the group, I discovered that there is something quite unique about them: they are possibly the single most well-documented cult in modern history, with extensive written records from within the group as well as work done by sociologists Balch and Taylore, who worked with them in the 70's and 80's.

The extensive records left by the group, plus the good fortune of an able sociologist pursuing research on this group from near the beginning of its life, combine to provide an extraordinary research archive. The members of Heaven’s Gate left a lot of information that spans the full life of the movement from its founding, through growth, and finally extinction.
—The Religious Movements Homepage at the University of Virginia

I had no idea the literature was so vast. Perhaps by learning more about this group we can come to understand more about what would drive such a shocking act. But surprisingly, I could find just one title on Amazon directly pertaining to it. Jonestown, on the other hand, has tons written about it, but the questions and allegations of government conspiracy seem unanswerable due to the dearth of credible support. Why hasn't more extensive research gone into Heaven's Gate if we want to understand what makes a cult commit mass suicide?