Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2003, Page 28
Preceding the tragedies, their apocalyptic doctrine predicted cataclysmic upheavals that
threatened the planet with destruction. The earth was believed to be a living entity that
could no longer endure the ecological inflictions of humankind. Solar Temple members
believed themselves to be of ―‗the pivotal elite‘ which ‗has been removed from the collective
by superhuman effort‘‖ (Mayer, 1999: 188). Their goals included ―the release of the ‗inner
man‘ from the bonds of the world and his return to his native realm of light‖ (Mayer, 1999:
181). Messages from other dimensions told the group that Jupiter was their ―Next Home,‖
and exhorted them to ―put [their] last things in order to leave Earth free and clear‖ (Mayer,
1999: 183).
Internal dissent from members and former members as well as external opposition to the
group fueled the paranoia of one of the leaders, Joseph Di Mambro, and strengthened the
group‘s resolve to depart for a higher plain of existence (Mayer, 1999: 188).
After the first deaths were discovered, forensics clearly established that some were
murdered, while others submitted to execution voluntarily. Most had absorbed a strong
soporific before being shot. The core group had been injected with a poisonous substance
(Mayer, 1999: 191).
Before the tragedies of the Order of the Solar Temple, a newspaper article by Jean-Marc
Provost appeared under the sub-heading: ―Info-Secte: Refuse d‘Intervenir‖ and ―À Quoi Ça
Sert Info-Secte? (―Info-Cult: Refuses to Get Involved‖ and ―Of What Use is Info-Cult?‖)
Provost wrote that former member, Rose-Marie Klaus, came to Info-Cult for help only to be
turned away because, ―On m‘a répondu qu‘on n‘avait pas d‘argent pour s‘occuper de cette
affaire. Que je devais m‘arranger seule‖ (―They said they didn‘t have the money to handle
this affair. I should handle it myself.‖) (Provost, 1993: 6). Later in the same article under
the heading, ―Puisque Info-Secte ne Fait pas Son Job‖ (―Because Info-Cult isn‘t Doing Its
Job‖) (p. 7) readers were encouraged to contact the paper with their problems related to
cults because Info-Cult, according to Provost, was not doing its job.
After the tragedies, Hall and Schuyler (1997) wrote this about Klaus: ―One friend suggested
that Rose-Marie contact Info-Secte (or Info-Cult, as they call themselves in
English)...Whatever Casgrain [author‘s note: Yves Casgrain was Info-Cult‘s Research
Director at the time] made of Klaus‘s account, he took no public action‖ (p. 298).
Two years later, Jean-Francois Mayer offered this analysis of the circumstances in his
article, ―Our Terrestrial Journey is Coming to an End‖: The Last Voyage of the Solar Temple
(Mayer, 1999):
Oddly enough, in the end critical coverage did not come from Europe or
Canada, but from the island of Martinique: on 10 September 1991, Lucien
Zécler, president of the local branch of the Association for the Defense of
Families and Individuals (ADFI), the leading anti-cult movement of France,
sent a letter to several associations and centers in Quebec, asking for
information on the OTS. (p. 179)
Mayer, considered to be the foremost expert on the Solar Temple, continues:
While it cannot be doubted that the external opposition encountered by the
Solar Temple strengthened the resolve of its leaders to depart for a higher
plane of existence, the root of Di Mambro‘s decision to launch the process
which led to the ‗transit‘ is most closely connected to internal dissent (p.
188).
Up to this point, the reporting on Info-Cult‘s involvement was accurate. However, in a more
recent book (Wessinger, 2000), blame is heaped on Info-Cult. Whereas in previous
Preceding the tragedies, their apocalyptic doctrine predicted cataclysmic upheavals that
threatened the planet with destruction. The earth was believed to be a living entity that
could no longer endure the ecological inflictions of humankind. Solar Temple members
believed themselves to be of ―‗the pivotal elite‘ which ‗has been removed from the collective
by superhuman effort‘‖ (Mayer, 1999: 188). Their goals included ―the release of the ‗inner
man‘ from the bonds of the world and his return to his native realm of light‖ (Mayer, 1999:
181). Messages from other dimensions told the group that Jupiter was their ―Next Home,‖
and exhorted them to ―put [their] last things in order to leave Earth free and clear‖ (Mayer,
1999: 183).
Internal dissent from members and former members as well as external opposition to the
group fueled the paranoia of one of the leaders, Joseph Di Mambro, and strengthened the
group‘s resolve to depart for a higher plain of existence (Mayer, 1999: 188).
After the first deaths were discovered, forensics clearly established that some were
murdered, while others submitted to execution voluntarily. Most had absorbed a strong
soporific before being shot. The core group had been injected with a poisonous substance
(Mayer, 1999: 191).
Before the tragedies of the Order of the Solar Temple, a newspaper article by Jean-Marc
Provost appeared under the sub-heading: ―Info-Secte: Refuse d‘Intervenir‖ and ―À Quoi Ça
Sert Info-Secte? (―Info-Cult: Refuses to Get Involved‖ and ―Of What Use is Info-Cult?‖)
Provost wrote that former member, Rose-Marie Klaus, came to Info-Cult for help only to be
turned away because, ―On m‘a répondu qu‘on n‘avait pas d‘argent pour s‘occuper de cette
affaire. Que je devais m‘arranger seule‖ (―They said they didn‘t have the money to handle
this affair. I should handle it myself.‖) (Provost, 1993: 6). Later in the same article under
the heading, ―Puisque Info-Secte ne Fait pas Son Job‖ (―Because Info-Cult isn‘t Doing Its
Job‖) (p. 7) readers were encouraged to contact the paper with their problems related to
cults because Info-Cult, according to Provost, was not doing its job.
After the tragedies, Hall and Schuyler (1997) wrote this about Klaus: ―One friend suggested
that Rose-Marie contact Info-Secte (or Info-Cult, as they call themselves in
English)...Whatever Casgrain [author‘s note: Yves Casgrain was Info-Cult‘s Research
Director at the time] made of Klaus‘s account, he took no public action‖ (p. 298).
Two years later, Jean-Francois Mayer offered this analysis of the circumstances in his
article, ―Our Terrestrial Journey is Coming to an End‖: The Last Voyage of the Solar Temple
(Mayer, 1999):
Oddly enough, in the end critical coverage did not come from Europe or
Canada, but from the island of Martinique: on 10 September 1991, Lucien
Zécler, president of the local branch of the Association for the Defense of
Families and Individuals (ADFI), the leading anti-cult movement of France,
sent a letter to several associations and centers in Quebec, asking for
information on the OTS. (p. 179)
Mayer, considered to be the foremost expert on the Solar Temple, continues:
While it cannot be doubted that the external opposition encountered by the
Solar Temple strengthened the resolve of its leaders to depart for a higher
plane of existence, the root of Di Mambro‘s decision to launch the process
which led to the ‗transit‘ is most closely connected to internal dissent (p.
188).
Up to this point, the reporting on Info-Cult‘s involvement was accurate. However, in a more
recent book (Wessinger, 2000), blame is heaped on Info-Cult. Whereas in previous
