Jonestown - 25 years later
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: Jonestown - 25 years later

Jkm

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 06:40 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I remember it being on the news everywhere - the US Rep. being shot and then finding all the bodies.... Wow -- 25 years ago....

Reader234

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 07:16 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I still use that as an example, remind people how easy cults can take a hold on impressionable minds. Many people in the group I was trying to explain it had no clue what I was trying to say! 25 years ago? No wonder they forgot. I havent, and I'm glad you reminded us too!

Eliz87

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 08:09 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I have always been fascinated with this and have watched the movie on television at least six times.

I was a little too young to pay complete attention when this tragedy occurred, but it definitely made me start me reading at a fairly young age about cults in general including the Manson family, Hare Krishna's, Scientology, etc.

This is a morbid fascination probably, but it just totally amazes me to think that someone could give up their lives, bodies, minds and souls really to a cult and I wish I could truly understand just how that happens.

It has also raised some questions in my own mind about mainstream religion and how that differs, if at all, from a cult mindset and why one is considered socially and morally acceptable while the other is not. *sigh* I really should have gone to university and taken philosophy and/or sociology (and psychology definitely would have been a major plus).

Jkm

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 08:25 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Did anyone have family they lost there?

Tabbyking

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 08:53 am EditMoveDeleteIP
i worked in a medical office in san francisco when that happened. many, many of our patients lost multiple family members in guyana. it was tragic, especially for the innocent children who did not have a choice.

Llkoolaid

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 09:02 am EditMoveDeleteIP
My son was a 4 month old baby then. I remember rocking him to sleep while watching tv and clearly clearly remember seeing the pictures of the bodies of the children and wondering what could possess a mothers mind to line them up to take that poison. It is something I will never forget.

Reader234

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 09:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Mind control, they gave up their lives in the states to move to Guyana. When Patricia Hurst came threw her ordeal, I couldnt believe how she was treated, and now Elizabeth Smart is questioned when she wasnt chained, why did she stay with that person... mind control. It is total shock to have so many, why didnt someone in the back of the line figure it out, and think get me outta here? I havent walked a mile in those moccasins, so I cant imagine, but, I've seen a person lose control, and a charismatic (and often really ugly - go figure?!) leader take control.

Twiggyish

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 09:25 am EditMoveDeleteIP
You wonder if it could happen again..and then think about how blindly people follow some leaders. (Such as Bin Laden or Saddam)

Meridian

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 10:22 am EditMoveDeleteIP
This site has some great information on Mind Control:
http://www.trufax.org/general/psychosocial.html

Babyruth

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 10:34 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The classic book The True Believer, by Eric Hoffer, talks about these phenomenons.
Amazon.com has some very well thought out, well written reviews of this book, posted by readers.
Amazon.com...The True Believer

Twiggyish

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 02:04 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Meridian, I'll check that out.

BR, I'll look at that book.

Zachsmom

Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 08:23 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I was too young to remember this, but I do know that the first time I heard about it, it started me on a lifelong love of books about true crime/evil events. I don't understand what was going through peoples minds, perhaps they felt drinking the Kool-aide was better way to die.