39 Mitglieder des amerikanischen Ufo-Kults Heaven’s Gate haben sich am 26. März 1997 das Leben genommen. Die Mitglieder glaubten, dass sie ein Raumschiff hinter dem Kometen Hale-Bopp abholen und ihre Körper in außerirdische Wesen verwandeln würde. “Secta” widmet Folge 2 dieser Sekte, die durch den Massenselbstmord traurige Weltberühmtheit erlangte. Wie ist Heaven’s Gate enstanden? Was genau  haben die Mitglieder geglaubt? Und: Existiert der Kult heute noch?

Postproduktion: Tobias Sauer, ruach.jetzt

Die Titelmusik zu dieser Folge stammt von Kevin MacLeod, die Trenner-Sounds von Sergey Cheremisinov. Die Layer dieser Folge sind von Chris Zabriskie (Titel: Cylinder Six) und Rest You Sleeping Giant (Titel: Closer to the Sun).

• Buchtipp: Benjamin E. Zeller: Heaven’s Gate: America’s Ufo-Religion, NYU Press 2014.

FM: Hi, I’d like to ask something: The group “Heaven’s Gate” wasn’t always called that way, right? Do you know which names they had before and since when they called themselves Heaven’s Gate? Thanks in advance for the information! Fabian
HG: In the period of 1974 through 1978 we were called “Human Individual Metamorphosis”.  After that and through the 1980’s we referred to ourselves as “The Process”.  As we turned into the 1990’s and produced video works for the public we used the term “Total Overcomers Anonymous” in our dealings with the world. In the spring of 1996 we had to produce another mane for our new website and that is when “Heaven’s Gate” came into being. All these names were just for public consumption because internally there was and is only one term since the beginning that we know ourselves by “The Class”.  The only thing we wanted to do was enter the “Next Level”.
FM: May I ask why you did not enter the “Next Level” and if you plan to do so?
HG: We were given instruction to maintain the website, emails and the physical and intellectual properties. We will take care of this task knowing we will enter the Next Level when the chance comes again in our next incarnation on this planet. We are taken care of.
FM: How many are you? And next incarnation means, you’ll use your current human vehicle until its gone and you get a new one?
HG: Just two of us here in Arizona. All humans reincarnate into a new human infant after they die on this planet.  The cycle of existence on this planet is birth, life, death and reincarnation into you next life and the lesson steps it provides.  That’s just the way it is and no one can escape it until the Next Level comes and gives people an opportunity to break that chain and enter into the Next Level.  The first people to do that was March, 1997. We hope for many others to graduate as more Next Level visits and opportunities arise.
FM: How will you know when the next opportunity is there – and will you tell the world?
HG: To those who are interested, it will be obvious.
FM: Did you meet Ti & Do? And did the instruction to maintain the website come from Do? When did you leave The Class?
HG: We joined in 1975 and were students of Ti and Do for 22 years. The instruction did come from Do and the Next Level.