Heaven's Gate (cult)

Heaven's Gate was a UFO cult.^[1]

39 of the cult's members committed ritual mass suicide believing Comet Hale Bopp was a spacecraft from an advanced race of aliens, and that their suicide would transport them to that craft.^[2]

References

↑ Martin Gardner (2023). "Heaven's Gate: The UFO Cult of Bo and Peep" (PDF). Encounters With the Paranormal: Best of Skeptical Inquirer. Center for Inquiry. p. 146. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2026-06-17. Retrieved 2026-08-20. The nation's shocked reaction to the suicides in March of thirtyeight happy brainwashed innocents and their demented leader at Rancho Santa Fe, California, has been twofold. It has reawakened public awareness of die enormous power of charismatic gurus over the minds of cult followers, and it has focused attention on the extent to which the myth of alien spacecraft has become the dominant delusion of our times.
↑ Elizabeth Howell (2022-02-09). "Hale-Bopp: The Bright and Tragic Comet". Space.com. Retrieved 2026-08-20. Sadly, there was a tragic footnote to the appearance of Hale-Bopp, 39 people who were part of the "Heaven's Gate" cult in San Diego committed mass suicide as the comet came close to Earth.

[centerforinquiry-MartinGardner-HeavensGate-1] Martin Gardner (2023). "Heaven's Gate: The UFO Cult of Bo and Peep" (PDF). Encounters With the Paranormal: Best of Skeptical Inquirer. Center for Inquiry. p. 146. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2026-06-17. Retrieved 2026-08-20. The nation's shocked reaction to the suicides in March of thirtyeight happy brainwashed innocents and their demented leader at Rancho Santa Fe, California, has been twofold. It has reawakened public awareness of die enormous power of charismatic gurus over the minds of cult followers, and it has focused attention on the extent to which the myth of alien spacecraft has become the dominant delusion of our times.

[space-HaleBopp-2022-02-09-2] Elizabeth Howell (2022-02-09). "Hale-Bopp: The Bright and Tragic Comet". Space.com. Retrieved 2026-08-20. Sadly, there was a tragic footnote to the appearance of Hale-Bopp, 39 people who were part of the "Heaven's Gate" cult in San Diego committed mass suicide as the comet came close to Earth.

[1]

[2]

See also

References