What Really Happened in the Heaven's Gate Cult? (REUPLOAD)

Bonnie Lu Nettles and Marshall Herff Applewhite Jr. started a cult mostly centered around christian ideals, but with a sci-fi twist...they believed they and their followers would shed their "vehicles" and transform into aliens and board a spaceship to heaven. What started out as a mostly innocent albeit odd group, morphed into something dangerously bizarre. And, sadly the members let their delusions (and cult leader) lead them to their tragic ends.

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[luvheeley]

i really like that you focus on Herff’s development pre-cult. it really shows how his path shifted and brings more understanding to the story.

[TheXmeimei]

No chains, no locks, no threats, no beatens ... the magic power of brainwash is what set Heaven's Gate stands out amongst all cults.

[themichael]

I'm from San Diego. I remember someone handing me a flyer of Heaven's Gate when I was walking the boardwalk in Mission Beach. I showed it to my friends later that evening on the beach and we laughed.
If we only

[michaelneedssleep]

Some cults start off as a con that’s obvious to most outsiders. Sometimes it will be about money, the exploitation of vulnerable people, and/or powered by the ego of the leader, like with Jim Jones or David Koresh. I think Marshall Applewhite was a true believer, and that’s what makes Heaven’s Gate feel so unique.

Thanks for the amazingly well-researched piece! I learned a lot of new information despite having read quite a bit about HG in the past. 🙂

[mamasmurf]

I was 20 years old when this happened, and I want to thank you for this thorough explanation! 🙌 My friends and I had gone deep into the mountains to witness the amazing comet, hours from any city lights. We camped, and had a view of the comet that most people would wish for. The tail was visible for such a long distance! When we returned home, the Heaven’s Gate tragedy was all over the news, and this was before internet was available, so all we got was whatever info the news told. It was only enough information to blow my mind at how many people could believe such an insane thing….. You’ve at least humanized these people for me. I had no idea they were a group for SO long, and I definitely didn’t know the back story on any of them. I think if his father had accepted and embraced his son, none of this would have happened. The irony…. One crazy religious belief spawned another equally crazy religious belief 🙁 It’s one huge tragedy. It’s just sad.

[MaryLenore]

I almost didn’t listen to this because I thought I knew all about it. Thank you for this, you presented this in such a compassionate and compelling way. Up until now I assumed they were like every other cult out there, looking for self gain regardless of who or what they hurt.
I now look at them in an entirely different light. I think they were lost and empty people just looking for anything to fill that void. It’s so sad. I wish he was welcomed by his family. He had so many wonderful talents, I wish he could have seen that. Really just heartbreaking.

[darksoldiersbowl]

I remember this. Always wondered about the back story, which you have given excellently. The saddest part is the cult members were not brutalised, just lost souls needing something in their lives. Saddest part was the exit videos. As always, thank you for posting.

[AllThingsUnderTheSun]

I was 17 when this happened and what I remember about it is that, leading up to Hale Bopp, every single teacher at school was hyping it up and forming lots of lessons and activities around this Hale Bopp comet that was coming. You know, how teachers do just using real world events to create interesting stuff for their students. Obviously, no one knew about Heaven’s Gate until it happened so there was this really icky cognitive dissonance because students had been innocently engaged and drawn into this coming phenomenon not knowing that these people were doing much the same but for a different reason 👀 It’s one of my most vivid memories from school because it just got soooo weird and uncomfortable and teachers dropped the subject instantly.

[philosopherking]

The HBO documentary was excellent, and one of their conclusions was that both Bonnie and Marshall wanted to leave at some point, they just didn't know how to get off the crazy train they created. Marshall, especially, let himself be pushed on by the newer, more fanatical members who themselves suggested castration, which Marshall went along with. To me, Bonnie seemed like she had something more sinister going, and a deep need for controlling. One of the most compelling moments was when her daughter met with surviving members, and she shared the letters her mother had sent her for years. The members were shocked and mad, because Bonnie and Marshall had been strict about not contacting their families for any reason. Unsurprisingly, the cult leader was doing precisely the things her underlings were not "allowed" to. Marshall was more like a wounded bird with no grit, who couldn't let go of the fantasy they had built or the cult of people who accepted him and made him feel important.

[worksbydandeprez]

My sister and a friend attended one of the lectures "The Two" gave in late 1975, in Olympia, WA. She said the pair and their message was "creepy" and "kooky." The majority of the audience was interested but skeptical.

[BunnySlippers]

This is so sad. All of those people seemed like genuinely kind and sensitive souls who believed in the cult. Hopefully their souls are at peace.

[EcclesiastesLiker-pyts]

There was an apocalyptic scare around the year 1000 as well, throughout the Catholic world people thought Jesus would return. People like round numbers, it seems.

[kara]

I’m a new subscriber and I really appreciate your in depth coverage of this case. I was in my 20s when it happened and lived in CA. I remember being shocked and curious about it. The news coverage was just sensational and not informative, which probably caused more harm to the families of these people.
I’ve scrolled by a lot of “Heavens Gate” videos in the past, but bc I have seen other videos you’ve done on other cults, I thought you’re research was worth a watch.
I have tears. It’s such a hard cult to think about. Perhaps Ms. Nettles had nefarious intent, although it doesn’t seem like it... it seems like they were all deluded. But it seems clear that it wasn’t typical for a cult. Their intentions weren’t money or power... so sad.

[melanietoth]

Really well done. You tell this story with more compassion than Ive ever heard it told before. I remember when this happened and I remember images of the shoes. Their end was made fun of in the media. Thank you for this kind, intelligent, well researched, and respectful presentation of the tragedy.

[AnovaLisaDragonfly]

Your research is excellent! I’ve seen maybe 2-3 documentaries on Heaven’s Gate, but you provided so much more information and background.
With cult leaders and others, it’s just as fascinating to know as much as possible about where they came from, and what made them change. It’s great that you do do that.

[vladtheimpala]

Wow! That’s why more information about Heaven’s Gate than I’ve ever seen on any other video! You humanized them way more than anything I’ve seen before.
That’s ironic since they tried so hard to leave their humanness behind.

[campguy]

i had heard about this for this is the BEST description of all the stuff involved with this strange case I have ever to see what folks will do when they give up on being truly happening all over the place now.

[ld-zjbn]

This is great. I remember this happening but I'm so glad you've done all this research because I never knew all these details. The facts put a completely different light on the subject.

[deathweaselx]

Your choice of referring to him as Herff really sets this apart from other media about this cult. I learned so much. Thank you for this! ❤

[YakBat]

The 90's were such a crazy time to grow up, we had so much going on that decade event wise, from Desert Storm to Columbine, that I only really recall Heavens Gate for 2 things- School wide mockery of their website, and the shock/cruel amusement when we realized the cult we made fun of killed themselves.