Fatal Attraction

by Lucy Doyle

Arguably one of the most sinister, yet fascinating aspects to the world of cults is that of mass suicide.

The very notion of a single leader having the power and influence to persuade a group of people to take their own lives may seem far fetched, yet large-scale examples of this have shocked the world over, making for dramatic and intriguing headlines.

But just what is it that makes seemingly rational people fall under this spell?

Extra takes a look at some of the most notorious cases of suicidal cults, as well as uncovering the disturbing influence that modern technology can have on cult-like activity.

Jonestown

On November 18, 1978, over 900 members of American cult The People’s Temple died in Jonestown, Guyana, in one of the largest mass suicides in modern history.

Shockingly, 276 were children.

Most members of the group had consumed a drink laced with cyanide and sedative, whilst founder and leader Jim Jones is believed to have shot himself in the head.

The self-appointed ‘messiah’ and his 1,000 strong group had moved to the settlement in Guyana from San Francisco, after the church (set up by Jones) was investigated for tax evasion.

Although Jones had been credited for setting up a racially mixed church, former members and concerned relatives had reportedly informed the US government of abuse, brainwashing, murders and the planned mass suicide, but were not believed.

In the events that led to the suicides, California congressman Leo Ryan had arrived in Guyana to question People’s Temple members, but cut the trip short, taking a few escapees with him.

However, as he boarded a plane, Temple gunmen opened fire, killing Ryan, an NBC reporter, and three others.

Hearing the news of the assassination, Jones told his followers that in order to preserve their church they would have to sacrifice their lives.

He convinced them that: “If we can’t live in peace, then lets die in peace. We are not committing suicide - it’s a revolutionary act.”

Deborah Blakey, a former member, said in1978 “Any disagreement with (Jones’s) dictates came to be regarded as ‘treason’. Although I felt terrible about what was happening, I was afraid to say anything, because I knew that anyone with a differing opinion gained the wrath of Jones and other members.”

Order of the Solar Temple

In 1994, 74 members of the Order of the Solar Temple were found dead in two towns in Switzerland.

The majority of deaths were murders, including the ritual stabbing of a three-month-old baby believed to be the "anti-Christ" by group leader Joseph Di Mambro.

Causes of death included smothering and gunshot wounds, and many had also been drugged.

Members reportedly believed that they were escaping from the oppression of the world, yet incredibly, police found that some had donated over $1 million dollars to Di Mambro.

Heaven’s Gate

Heaven’s Gate was an American UFO religion which claimed the lives of 39 members in 1997.

Formed by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, members believed that the earth was due to be destroyed and started afresh.

In order to survive, they had to leave their human bodies immediately, in preparation for a new genderless afterlife.

Because of this belief, some men even reportedly underwent voluntary castration.

The role of the internet

With the expansion of the internet during the last decade, a worrying internet suicide cult emerged.

Brought to the media’s attention in 2008, fears of a teen "suicide chain" were sparked after 14 young people took their own lives in Bridgend, Wales, over the course of one year.

The suicides triggered a police investigation into whether the victims, fuelled by chat on social networking sites, thought it was "cool" to have an internet tribute site after taking their own life.

Meanwhile, in Japan internet suicide pacts caused panic with the first known case occurring in 2000.

Dr Sundararajan Rajagopal commented in the British Medical Journal in December 2004: “The recent suicide pacts in Japan might just be isolated events in a country that has even previously been shown to have the highest rate of suicide pacts."

"Alternatively, they might herald a new disturbing trend in suicide pacts, with more such incidents, involving strangers meeting over the internet, becoming increasingly common.”