EXPLORING PERSUASION in L HE RHETORIC of the HEAVEN's GATE CULT by HALEY D. DRAPER, B.A. a THESIS in COMMUNICATION STUDIES Submi
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EXPLORING PERSUASION IN l HE RHETORIC OF THE HEAVEN'S GATE CULT by HALEY D. DRAPER, B.A. A THESIS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfdlment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved Accepted August 2001 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to first thank my mother and friend, Anita Lee Draper. She not only brought me into this world, but has also been a pillar of strength for me throughout my life. Her courage, wisdom, and sense of humor have helped me survive graduate school and writing a thesis. Thank you, mom, I love you more every day. My stepfather, "Howdy" Dean Geurin, has been very loving and supportive of me, even before I really deserved it. He has consistently provided the encouragement and approval I needed from a father figure. His devotion and patience went above and beyond my expectations. Thanks, Howdy, for doing everything you didn't have to do. Jeff R, Anthony has shown me what it really means to be loved in a romantic relationship. His amazing faith in me was a source of bravery to enter and complete graduate school. I would have been lost with out his belief in my abilities. Thank you, Jeff, for believing in me before I could believe in myself Next, I want to thank Dr. Bolanle A. Olaniran, my thesis chairperson. He has taught me much of what I know about communication during both my undergraduate and graduate experience at Texas Tech University. Although his classroom instruction is excellent, he is even more skilled at teaching life's lessons. He has a keen understanding of what it means to be human and has helped me to grow in many ways. Thank you. Dr. Olaniran, I am a better student and person for having known you. Dr. Patrick Hughes has greatly contributed to the success of completing this research. His skills and abilities were really appreciated. He is a gifted professor who 11 treats every student as rare, unique individuals. I have had the benefit of his guidance and suggestions through out the writing process. All of his help and input made this thesis possible for me. Thank you, Dr. Hughes, may the best still be yet to come for you and your family. Dean Robert Stewart helped to shape this thesis. His uncompromising ethics and genuine regard for the research process have manifested themselves (hopefully) in the following pages. I have been impressed by Dr. Stewart's teaching, honesty, and insight. He is among the finest faculty that I have had the pleasure to work with and leam from over the years. I truly thank you. Dean Stewart, for all your effort and energy. I want to thank Dr. David Roach for all his enthusiasm and kind words. He always took time for me, regardless of the situation. As an undergraduate in his Business and Professional Communication course he really challenged me to leam. As a graduate teaching assistant, he challenged me as a student and a teacher. Striving to reach his high standards has improved my own. Thanks, Dr. Roach, for your warmth and compassion. Allow me to humbly thank Leta Hamilton and Deborah Simpson. Without their help and support I could have never made it through the past year. Thanks to each of my graduate professors in the Communication Studies Department. They have all had an impact on my life and my education. Thesis Coordinator Extraordinaire, Barbi Dickensheet, also deserves thanks for her time in revising and editing this paper. Finally, this thesis is dedicated to the loving memory of my father, Glenn Thomas Draper, and my grandmother, Melba Frances Draper. Ill TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale 1 Definitions 3 Cultic Organizations 4 People's Temple 6 Movement for the Restoration 8 Branch Davidian 10 Order of the Solar Temple 11 Heaven's Gate 12 II. LITERATURE REVIEW 14 The Group Process 14 Persuasive Forces 17 Comphance Gaining 22 Symbolic Convergence 23 Fantasy Themes 25 Concertive Control 27 III. METHODOLOGY 30 IV IV. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS 31 The Saga 31 Fantasy Chains 32 Metaphors and Similes 33 Doomsday 35 Christian References 35 Us Versus Them 36 Rhetorical Vision 38 V. CONCLUSION 39 Discussion 39 Limitations 40 Future Research 41 REFERENCES 42 APPENDIX 47 A. DO'S INTRO: PURPOSE - BELIEF... 47 B. OVERVIEW OF PRESENT MISSION... 51 C. CREW FROM THE EVOLUTIONARY LEVEL... 55 D. '95 STATEMENT BY AN E.T.... 61 E. INCARNATING AND DISCARNATING... 67 F. EARTH EXIT STATEMENT 75 G. OUR POSITION AGAINST SUICIDE 78 H. ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR LEARNING... 80 V CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Suicide cults or "doomsday" cults have been associated with thousands of deaths across racial and global borders (Galanter, 1989). Unfortunately, these cults often have the characteristics of many other faith-based organizations. For instance, they operate in groups (usually with a leader), use persuasion to gain a following, and their members seem to adhere to a common rhetorical vision. This paper explores how these factors negotiate the reality co-constructed among cult members. This investigation will deal with many aspects of social psychology and how the communication process can be manipulated to gain compliance. This study uses theory triangulation (the incorporation of multiple explanations and ideas) to examine the communication produced by members of the "Heaven's Gate" cult mass suicide. Rationale The victims of suicide cults are not only those that lose their lives, or even those who lose family members and friends. Needless death and destruction can ripple out into the community with devastating results. Proof of this can be found during dark periods of human history, such as Hitler's reign of Germany. Tragedies that rob humans of their lives should be examined to diminish the harm they cause. Research must be conducted to provide more knowledge about how suicide cults gain control over their members. This study attempts to reconstruct the meaning behind the rhetoric of "Heaven's Gate" members to understand the cuh's persuasive appeal. Although suicide cults are not among the most pleasant of subjects in the communication field, it is necessary that research like this be conducted. The value and importance of human lives are too great to ignore any groups that treat it otherwise. Religious affiliations should not prohibit people from having a long, rich, meaningful life. In this researcher's opinion, a person's spiritual fulfillment should provide a means by which to live. However, the freedom of religion and the right to practice a faith are among the most sacred of values. It seems that the suicide cult of the "Heaven's Gate" successfully estabhshed itself as a legitimate spiritual organization to at least 39 people. This research inquires into how communication was used to recruit and manipulate these victims. Only taped testimonies and other communicative artifacts remain of those under study. The current investigation seeks to explore these artifacts with the tools provided by the theory of symbolic convergence. This theory identifies the fantasy themes that are the foundation of behavior. Once this foundation is uncovered, the theory of concertive control will be applied to trace the roots of motivation for the behavior. Diminishing the power and tragic impact of these groups is the first and foremost justification of the current study. This analysis should provide anti-cult groups with more knowledge to help victims. Such an inquiry could aid in the efforts of those working to minimize the risk suicide and other destructive groups can cause. Definitions It is important to clearly define the terms and concepts this inquiry discusses. Bormann (1972) found that the "rhetorical vision of a group of people contains their drives to action" (p. 251). It is the motives under which the communication is operating and this is the key focus for the current study. Conceptually, cults can be defined as an organization espousing "radical" views and using "extreme" strategies for gaining and keeping members. However, this definition is too loosely constructed as to not differentiate cults from many other faith-based groups or organizations not aligned with the popular opinion. First, "radical" could describe any thought or action that is dramatically different from the status quo. "Extreme" can mean any thought not held by the majority. Even those terms are too subjective. For example, many things considered radical and/or extreme in America during the 1960's are deemed relatively normal in 2001, such as women working outside the home. For this study, the term "cult" will be operationally defined as any group that uses persuasion to enlist and dominate followers, depends on members for financial support, and requires strict adherence to group norms. These groups tend to involve a clear leader who governs autocratically. "Suicide cults" is subsequently defined as any cult (as defined above) in which members participated in a mass death ritual, whether voluntarily or by force. The focus will remain on how these groups were able to persuade others to adopt the common worldview. Cultic Organizations Although cults do share several qualities with other organizations, there are characteristics that differentiate the cult from other groups. For example, a cultic groups appear to gain complete power and control over its members. One attempt to explain how cults have power research proposed the "BITE" model. "BITE" is an acronym for Behavior control, Information control. Thought control, and Emotional control, respectively (Hassan, 2000). He argued that cults tried to control people along those four levels. It became clear during the research done by the model's creator that cults enacted a particular type of communication.