25 years ago, comet Halebop ripped through the night sky.

On Earth, Marshall Applewhite and his followers prepared to ascend to a spacecraft flying in its wake.

What were they in search of, and why did the trajectory of their mission turn tragic?

For the first time since 2017, we're covering Heaven's

Gate in this special four-part retrospective from the Spotify original from Parcast,

Cults, enjoy. Listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussion of suicide.

Please keep this in mind when deciding if, how, and when you'll listen.

For resources on these topics, visit Spotify.com slash resources.

We're going to start today's episode with a pretty basic question.

What makes a cult a cult?

The answer might seem obvious.

We've been discussing it on this show for years.

A cult needs a leader, followers, and a system of beliefs that sets them apart from everyone

else.

That system creates an in-group dynamic,

and eventually the leader is able to control their followers' thoughts, feelings, and actions.

That's really the crucial ingredient when identifying a cult, control.

And it's what makes Heaven's Gate and their mass suicide such a complicated case.

The leaders of Heaven's Gate who were accused of brainwashing and mind control.

But the group was founded on principles of free will and self-determination.

It had an open-door policy. Members could leave any time.

They could also rejoin if they wanted. No one was blacklisted.

...