They “rehearsed” the mass suicide
One of the major atrocities Jones committed was to control and manipulate his followers into suicide, saying there was no other option. And he rehearsed the mass suicide long before it happened. These rehearsals were called White Nights, and he shouted through loudspeakers that an army surrounded the complex and they must run to the pavilion to save their lives.
By the end of the simulation, after everybody( including women and children) drank the beverage, Jim Jones said that this was a test of loyalty, and they all passed it. After that, everybody was advised to go home and sleep. What a good night’s sleep after someone tried to murder you!
There was an elderly woman who slept through the whole massacre
In Jonestown, a few survivors were among the 900 dead bodies. Hours before the shocking incident took place on November 18, 1978, a party of 11 Temple members, including a woman and her three-year-old kid, traveled 35 miles to flee under the guise of going on a picnic.
Hyacinth Thrash, an old African-American woman who slept in her cabin the whole time, has one of the most intriguing Jonestown tales. Everyone she loved was dead and wrapped in sheets, which surprised her. In an interview, she admitted that she thought Jim would let them all down. Everyone had hoped for a better existence and a cohesive society, but they received the exact opposite…
Bottomline
Jim Jones deceived his whole community by teaching them lies about how every individual had the potential to bring about change and that if they wanted a new world, they needed to start with themselves. You want to be a part of a community where everyone loved one another and was consistently prepared to lend a helping hand to others without expecting anything in return during a period when injustice and violence were all you saw around you.
Even though they drank the beverage voluntarily, many people hold the opinion that Jim Jones assassinated them by making them do so since they were unable to flee the situation alive.
Curious about other cults that shocked the entire world? Check out 5 U.S. Cults So Terrifying We Can’t Get Over Them.
