Examination of UFO Cult Groups
Examination of UFO Cult Groups
On June 24, 1947, pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying over the Cascades when he reported seeing "nine shiny objects in a chain-like formation speeding by at some 1600 miles per hour" (Ellwood 393). Arnold compared what he saw to a saucer skipping across water. This characterization led the media to adopt the concept of "flying saucer". Arnold's report was quickly followed by many other sightings reported from various places around the country.
The introduction of this phenomenon into society brought about rumors as to the meanings behind these unidentified flying objects. Soon, people began to believe that UFOs had made contact with humans. These humans came to be known as “contactees.” The first contactee was George Adamski, who claimed to have met a UFO traveler from Venus. Throughout the fifties, there were many other contactees who claimed interaction with interplanetary occupants.
Some of these contactees wrote books, gave lectures, and formed small groups of friends following them. These groups could be characterized as UFO audience cults. Like many audience cults, these groups serve as a form of social entertainment rather than a serious life commitment. Through the fifties and the sixties, UFO cults substantially remained at this level.
By the Seventies UFO audience cults began to take the shape of cult movements. A group known as Human Individual Metamorphosis (now known as Heaven's Gate) appeared in California in 1975. The two leaders of this group persuaded followers to follow them into the wilderness. They would be met by UFOs and carried to the "level above human."
In the Eighties and Nineties several cults emerged with a Christian system of beliefs. These groups considered UFO beings to be spiritual guides (even angels) who are assisting humans.
Sacred or Revered Texts: It is not possible to identify texts that would be sacred to all UFO groups, but some groups clearly have books or writings that have a sacred character. For instance, The Urantia Book is a massive two thousand page tome that tells the story of the people of our planet, Uranti, our destiny and relation to God, as well as detailed information of other universes. The Heaven's Gate cult, which committed mass suicide in March, 1997 had a volume entitled How and When Heaven's Gate May be Entered which could be considered sacred text. They also sited specific Bible texts, especially...