A Sociological Analysis of Heavens Gates Belief System, Methods of Organization - Coursework Example

Heaven’s Gate – A sociological analysis of their belief system, methods of organization and impact on wider society and culture 19th April, 2007 Introduction According to the social philosopher Eric Hoffer in his excellent manuscript “The True Believer”, the psychological structure of an ideal extremist requires something to focus on for worshipping even at the plane of obliteration (Hoffer, 2002). His essential objective is to surrender every sort of thing to meet the impossible dream. There are several extremist movements, known as either cults or sects are quite prevalent in our society, however, those act in an insensitive manner such as committing mass suicide or declaring the end of the world may get into media notice. Heaven’s Gate was among the most disquieting. In order to better identify Heaven’s Gate with the new religious movement, essentially a cult, in general terms as well as the unexpected consequences of its termination in specific, a sociological analysis is essential. This paper aims at illustrating the history of Heaven’s Gate movement along with their belief system in particular in reference with the methods of organization by applying theories and models of new religious movements and a detailed analysis of the impact on wider society and culture as a whole. Belief System During 1972, the onset of the Heaven’s Gate movement began when Marshall Herff Applewhite congregated with Bonnie Lu Trousdale Nettles, a nurse working in the hospital and an active member of . The belief system had been structured by these two individuals consisting of several unusual elements such as alien, new age movements, higher plane of consciousness, Christianity, theosophy as well as popular cultural myths and legends. Heaven’s Gate also referred to as Human Individual Metamorphosis (HIM), was actually a millenarian movement, integrating the ideologies behind the traditional biblical analogy in association with the conception of space travel and reality from additional dimension whatsoever. The cult group’s belief system essentially transformed through several manifestations during two decades of their subsistence. As the time passed by, the group’s belief system had been matured with the belief that the leaders Applewhite and Nettles, later also known as Bo and Peep or Do and Ti, had been sent into “The Human Level” from “The Next Level” in order to organize and direct fellow individuals in their journey for being united with higher evolutionary existence. The leaders believed in the metaphorical ideas taken from metaphysics and UFO subcultures that the extraterrestrials provided the human beings another chance to move forward to the plane of higher consciousness – the ideology in essence was amalgamated the Christian significance of sin and liberation in combination with the components taken from Eastern religious philosophy primarily focusing on the termination of the cycle of death and reincarnation. However, the heavenly monarchy that Applewhite and Nettle used to describe was not only spiritual but it had literal base as well. They used to preach that the journey towards higher plane would be conducted by using a spacecraft. The term Human Individual Metamorphosis (HIM) was coined to make individuals or essentially followers to understand about the bodily metamorphosis, a literal transformation of a being’s physiological existence, resembling to the life-cycle of a caterpillar to butterfly through the method of self-discipline. To identify their gradual process of revelation to higher dimension, various folk wisdoms depending on the regular and usual physiological changes had been employed in order to build the confidence in between. Examples may include the explanation of ‘headaches’ as the proof for “explosion of consciousness” or menstrual cycle as the active working of androgyny. Moreover, the ideology of the group asserted that all human beings possess the ability to transcend to the higher state of consciousness in order to become graduated to the ‘Next Level’ which was corresponded with the idea of Jesus arrival on planet around two thousands years ago. The leaders believed that unlike the conventional heavenly concepts, the followers in Heaven’s Gate would be issued a “New Level Body” comprising of no specific gender identity and no digestive or sexual organs (88 Update: 20). They also emphasized that the planet used to hold several next level physical beings that travelled using spacecraft, which essentially mainstream societal perspective labelled as ‘alien’ and ‘UFO’ respectively. During the approaching year 2000, the group members frantically declared in order to deliver the message to all potential members to follow their ideology as “the Earth’s present ‘civilization’ is about to be recycled – ‘spaded under’ in order that the planet might be refurbished” (Last Chance 1994: 1). The essence of the belief system was thus the incorporation of the beings from the Higher Level coming in a spacecraft to take the prepared individuals to the higher dimension of consciousness and those not prepared would be ‘spaded under’ to make the option for the successive evolution to be created in due course of time. Theoretical and Critical Approaches Considered There are a variety of theoretical approaches and various models that have been considered to contribute to the development of the belief system of religious movements and activities so far, few among them having great significance are discussed below. But prior to the processing so further, few terms and definitions need to be taken under consideration such as Churches, sects as well as cults. A Church is defined as a traditional religious institution (Stark & Bainbridge, 1996), whereas a sect movement can be clarified as a non-standard religious association instituted with conventional beliefs and practices as to the cult movement can be described as a non-standard religious association instituted with novel beliefs and practices (Stark & Bainbridge, 1996). Stark and Bainbridge (1996) illustrated the characteristic socio-cultural environment among these three types of groups with a continuum in which the churches and mainstream religious groups located at the low tension end whereas the cults and sects represent the high tension end. To establish their idea behind the preference towards religious movement, Stark and Bainbridge (1996) put their emphasis on ‘rational choice’ which leads them to hypothesize a deductive theory of religion which is primarily focused on the idea of cost and benefit analysis in association with human religious attitude and behaviour. Brainwashing Paradigm Brainwashing is a phenomenon that is defined as a coercive style of influence that purportedly drastically modifies the belief system of an individual in question by virtue of inducing archaic states of consciousness in which the person actually perceives immobilized to defend against new suggestions (Anthony & Robbins, 1994). There have been various studies carried out in an effort to master the modus operandi of brainwashing; however, by using physical power and pressure, one’s overt behaviour can be modified, but the principles behind brainwashing as a mode of altering one’s state of consciousness has been greatly deflated within the era of scientific commune (Bromley & Richardson, 1983; Barker, 1984 and Lifton, 1989). As discussed by Anthony and Robbins (1994), the universal principles governing the cult as dominated the popular culture goes kaput essentially into five simplifications. Firstly, it has been assumed that the ability to mind control as stemmed in the cult cultural is highly effective. Secondly, the consideration of predisposing aspects resulting in an individual to get affiliated with new religious movement is greatly lessened. The third factor contribute to the biased simplification is that the activity of cult member is primarily governed under the induction of altered states of consciousness. Fourth simplification of course includes the notion of member’s losing the individual decision-making ability. Fifthly, the cult culture involves the system of influence opposed to the conventional system of religious practices. The Subcultural Evolution Model The model of cult formation, as proposed by Stark and Bainbridge (1996), has an important significance in understanding the ideology and fate of Heaven’s Gate. The model put a special emphasis on the group role in the development of new religious belief by virtue of seeking importance of rewards and compensators during the interaction of the group. Moreover, as the mode of interaction becomes more intensified, it will lead to the group to become socially encapsulated and socially implosion. This eventually escorts in a unified and consistent pattern of group structure separated from the rest of the society, leading the group to get engaged into performing more novel culture freely (Stark and Bainbridge, 1996). However, it is difficult to analyze the degree at which the group members mutually affect each other in order to influence the belief system of the group as a whole, as all of the principles during the onset were assumed to come through the “Next Level” Do and Ti contributing to the primary part of the group philosophy. However, the second phase (1976-1992) was characterized by the acute social implosion in terms of an almost total separation from outside world, during which many of the beliefs were actually developed as a result of group process. The Entrepreneur Model As the new principle is evolved, it becomes mandatory to be shared it with others in order to give a birth of a movement in consideration. This is the primary essence of the ‘Entrepreneur Model’. This ideology essentially characterizes the leaders’ willingness to ‘sell’ their novel compensators and principles to the entrepreneurs in order to promote restructuring and experimenting with these principles. While selling their compensator system, Applewhite and Nettles put an effort in entrepreneurial activities during the early years of group formation through the promotion of ‘Anonymous Sexaholics Celibate Church’. Another effort on entrepreneurship was made by Applewhite and Nettles before they in practice recruited any followers of their ideology. During 1970s, they initiated a business with the name ‘Christian Art Centre’ inclusive of various offbeat classes such as theosophy, astrology, mysticism and performing arts (Balch, 1994). The significance of progression and novelty is a central theme of the Entrepreneur Model. So was the effort of Applewhite and Nettles in order to promote evolution of the group in the due course of time. Impact of Wider Society and Culture The catastrophe of Heaven’s Gate (27th March, 1997) had received widespread exposure both in newspaper and on radio and TV stations since the authorities in Rancho Santa Fe, California found out bodies of 39 cult members on 28th March, 1997. However, the initial storyline was found rather deceptive and highly misleading including information in relation to age group lied between 18-24 years, for example, which had proven wrong in later investigation. Moreover, the cultural significance of this incidence triggered the renewal of warnings of the perceived dangers of practicing cult. The anti-cult culture, promoting rationalization for effective exclusion of cult members from the group of belongings as well as practicing ‘deprogramming’ and ‘exit counselling’ in order to get the individual back to a conventional construal of life (Bromley & Shupe, 1995), becomes prevalent in analysing the significance about the risks of cults including various features considered dangerous and the chance to become violent (Lewis, 2001; Corbett 2000; Wessinger, 2000) as the mass media put great effort in making sense of this ostensibly weird happening. Considering its impact wider society and cultural prevalence, the high rate of defection needs to be considered in addition to the theological perspective of Heaven’s Gate as not being able to set up itself as a conventional religious organization. Several researches have been conducted to analyse the components contributing to the decision-making style of an individual to leave a cult. Researchers in general concluded three essential aspects of the defection of an individual from a group. The first factor may include disaffection leading the individual to become emotionally withdrawn from the group where he used to belong. The second factor contributed to the disillusion factor, occurred as a reason of doubt about the teaching and divination proposed by the group. The third factor includes disaffiliation leading an individual to become separated from the group being an absconder (Wright & Ebaugh, 1993). As illustrated by Balch (1985) by constructing a model of defection in order to explain the cultural significance of Heaven’s Gate and impact on wider society, the defection primarily occurs in nine stages essentially attributing to the lack of socialization causing doubt, interpersonal conflict arresting personal growth, vacillation contributing to the dilemma of choosing between the conviction and disillusionment, behavioural disengagement, being trapped into conflicted realism and cognitive reorganization. Summary and Conclusion This paper has attempted to express the sociological and cultural implication of the cult group called Heaven’s Gate in terms of their proposed belief system and the principles as put forward by mass media. Their formation, progress and bizarre termination can be understood in relation with general sociological theory. However, there are several facets yet to be undiscovered and highly questionable such as the popular notion of mysterious methods employed in mind-control phenomenon or mass mental instability and psychological control and the mass willingness to accept such a bizarre message without any undue force. The members of the Heaven’s Gate left voluminous manuscripts illustrating the life of the movement ranging from its onset, through development and finally extermination. This extensive volume of activities demonstrating the philosophy and discipline of the group is combined to offer an amazing research archive for future consideration. References Hoffer, E (2002). The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements. Pub: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, Reissue Edition (3rd September, 2002). Paperback Edition. Heavens Gate Members. 1988. “88 Update-The UFO Two and their Crew" (On-line). Available: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-s...ents/heavensgate/data/3-3.htm#seed. Applewhite, M. H. (1994) "Last Chance to Evacuate Earth Before Its Recycled". (Transcript of Video). (On-line). Available: http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/heavensgate/misc/vt092996.htm. Stark, R and Bainbridge, W. S. (1996). A Theory of Religion. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. (originally published 1987). "Networks of Faith: Interpersonal Bonds and Recruitment to Cults and Sects". American Journal of Sociology, 85, 6: 1376-1395. Anthony, D. and Robbins, T. (1994). "Brainwashing and Totalitarian Influence," in Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, Vol 1. Academic Press pp.457-471. Bromley, D. and Richardson, J.(1983). The Brainwashing-Deprogramming Controversy Edwin Mellen, New York, Toronto. Barker, E. (1984).The Making of a Moonie: Choice or Brainwashing? Blackwell, Oxford. Lifton, R. J. (1989). Chinese Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism. University of North Carlina Press, Chapel Hill. Balch R. W. (1994). "Waiting for the Ships:Disillusionment and the Revitalization of Faith in Bo and Peeps UFO Cult." Syzygy: Journal of Alternative Religion and Culture, 3:1-2, pp. 95-116. Bromley, D. G. and Shupe, A. (1995). "Anti-cultism in the United States: Origins,Ideology and Organizational Development" Social Compass 42, 2, p. 221-236. Lewis, J. R., ed. (2001). Odd Gods: New Religions and the Cult Controversy. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. Corbett, J. M. (2000). Religion in America. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Wessinger, C. (2000). How the Millennium Comes Violently: From Jonestown to Heaven’s Gate. New York: Seven Bridges Press. Wright, S. and Ebaugh, H. (1993). "Leaving New Religions" in The Handbook on Cults and Sects in America. Bromley, David G. and Jeffrey K. Hadden, Eds., Greenwich, CT, JAI Press, pp. 117-138. Balch, R. W. (1985). "When the Light Goes Out, Darkness Comes: A Study of Defection from a Totalistic Cult." in Religious Movements: Genesis, Exodus and Numbers. Rodney Stark (Ed). Paragon House Publishers. pp. 11-63. Read More