Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 3, Nos. 2 &3, 2004, Page 86
But at the extreme, a feeling of self-hate was instilled in Heaven‘s Gate members, reframed
as a hatred of their human self, known as the ―vehicle‖ in their parlance. Distaste and
disdain for anything human was fostered in them, an attitude that some have speculated
had its roots in the self-hatred Applewhite may have experienced in his own troubled life
regarding his sexuality. In the exit video recorded by the group members, the troublesome
vehicle was one of the most talked-about themes. Evidently struggling with one‘s vehicle
was a requirement, and a daily reality yet, the vehicle also served as the intermediary
between the human world and the Next Level. This made having a vehicle (or human body)
necessary in order to be a student, but at the same time this vehicle was to be rejected
because it originated outside the Class and students understood that it would not be needed
in the Next Level.
Such a dichotomous worldview becomes all encompassing. Given how sequestered the
group was, this worldview rather swiftly became their reified version of reality. For them,
life here on planet Earth was merely a training ground, and a torturous one at that. Ti and
Do‘s students understood that they had to completely separate from the human world in
order to achieve their goal. Anything associated with human existence was seen as a threat
to their advancement, to their ultimate goal of getting off the planet. Earth and its
inhabitants stood for everything that was negative this world was described as corrupt,
polluted, evil, primitive, and barbaric. Human life was equated with ignorance and death.
With their leaders as the ultimate role models, the students worked long and hard to
achieve their goal.
Charismatic Commitment
The conflation of the four dimensions of the social structure with their accompanying social
processes generate in the most devoted members what I call charismatic commitment. This
is the juncture at which there is fusion between the ideal of personal freedom (as promised
in the stated goal of the group or its ideology) and the demand for self-renunciation (as
prescribed by the rules and norms). At this point, the believer becomes a true believer at
the service of a charismatic leader or ideology. In such a context, in relation to personal
power and individual decision making, that person‘s options are severely limited as the
devotee lives in a narrow realm of constraint and control, of dedication and duty.
Ti and Do spared no effort at conveying the seriousness of their mission, which helped to
foster such a deep commitment. In early meetings as far back as 1975, they had asked
their followers how far they would go for the cause. Former members recalled Ti and Do
asking such questions as: ―Would you be willing to bear arms for this cause?‖ ―Would you
do anything?‖ ―Are you prepared to do anything for the Next Level...to adjust that fast?‖ At
other times, students were asked to write commitment notes describing the extent of their
commitment. And Applewhite readily conveyed the need for such a commitment in his
writings, talks with his followers, and audio and video recordings.
To seal the deal, members were motivated by a compelling moral imperative. Rather early
on in the life of the group, adherents learned and came to believe that at an earlier time in
their lives they had received a ―deposit‖ of Next Level knowledge. Believing you had such a
deposit was regarded as proof that you were destined to be with the group. It meant that
you had had some connection to Ti and Do in a previous life. In other words, once you
knew, you had to act. Having a Next Level deposit was acknowledged by the group as a
sense of ―knowing,‖ or an internal recognition. The opposite of having this special
knowledge, of course, was to be ignorant, which meant having no knowledge of the Next
Level, or perhaps once having had it and rejecting it. This growing sense of elitism in the
group was expressed by one long-time member when he said, ―The Class is only open to
people that are part of this family, that have that deposit of Next Level mind.‖ That right
was both an opportunity and an obligation. Even if someone had the deposit, he or she still
But at the extreme, a feeling of self-hate was instilled in Heaven‘s Gate members, reframed
as a hatred of their human self, known as the ―vehicle‖ in their parlance. Distaste and
disdain for anything human was fostered in them, an attitude that some have speculated
had its roots in the self-hatred Applewhite may have experienced in his own troubled life
regarding his sexuality. In the exit video recorded by the group members, the troublesome
vehicle was one of the most talked-about themes. Evidently struggling with one‘s vehicle
was a requirement, and a daily reality yet, the vehicle also served as the intermediary
between the human world and the Next Level. This made having a vehicle (or human body)
necessary in order to be a student, but at the same time this vehicle was to be rejected
because it originated outside the Class and students understood that it would not be needed
in the Next Level.
Such a dichotomous worldview becomes all encompassing. Given how sequestered the
group was, this worldview rather swiftly became their reified version of reality. For them,
life here on planet Earth was merely a training ground, and a torturous one at that. Ti and
Do‘s students understood that they had to completely separate from the human world in
order to achieve their goal. Anything associated with human existence was seen as a threat
to their advancement, to their ultimate goal of getting off the planet. Earth and its
inhabitants stood for everything that was negative this world was described as corrupt,
polluted, evil, primitive, and barbaric. Human life was equated with ignorance and death.
With their leaders as the ultimate role models, the students worked long and hard to
achieve their goal.
Charismatic Commitment
The conflation of the four dimensions of the social structure with their accompanying social
processes generate in the most devoted members what I call charismatic commitment. This
is the juncture at which there is fusion between the ideal of personal freedom (as promised
in the stated goal of the group or its ideology) and the demand for self-renunciation (as
prescribed by the rules and norms). At this point, the believer becomes a true believer at
the service of a charismatic leader or ideology. In such a context, in relation to personal
power and individual decision making, that person‘s options are severely limited as the
devotee lives in a narrow realm of constraint and control, of dedication and duty.
Ti and Do spared no effort at conveying the seriousness of their mission, which helped to
foster such a deep commitment. In early meetings as far back as 1975, they had asked
their followers how far they would go for the cause. Former members recalled Ti and Do
asking such questions as: ―Would you be willing to bear arms for this cause?‖ ―Would you
do anything?‖ ―Are you prepared to do anything for the Next Level...to adjust that fast?‖ At
other times, students were asked to write commitment notes describing the extent of their
commitment. And Applewhite readily conveyed the need for such a commitment in his
writings, talks with his followers, and audio and video recordings.
To seal the deal, members were motivated by a compelling moral imperative. Rather early
on in the life of the group, adherents learned and came to believe that at an earlier time in
their lives they had received a ―deposit‖ of Next Level knowledge. Believing you had such a
deposit was regarded as proof that you were destined to be with the group. It meant that
you had had some connection to Ti and Do in a previous life. In other words, once you
knew, you had to act. Having a Next Level deposit was acknowledged by the group as a
sense of ―knowing,‖ or an internal recognition. The opposite of having this special
knowledge, of course, was to be ignorant, which meant having no knowledge of the Next
Level, or perhaps once having had it and rejecting it. This growing sense of elitism in the
group was expressed by one long-time member when he said, ―The Class is only open to
people that are part of this family, that have that deposit of Next Level mind.‖ That right
was both an opportunity and an obligation. Even if someone had the deposit, he or she still
