Jonestown
Guyana mass suicide
Jonestown was a settlement in Guyana established by American cult leader Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple.
In 1978, over 900 members died there in a mass murder-suicide, drinking cyanide-laced punch at Jones's direction.
The event gave rise to the expression drinking the Kool-Aid, meaning blind acceptance of dangerous beliefs.
It's becoming a Jonestown situation suggests a group following a leader toward self-destruction.
Northern South American republic
- mass suicideGroup killing themselves together
- cyanideToxic carbon-nitrogen compound
- 1978A calendar year
- murder-suicideKilling others then yourself
tragedy · bodies · compound · poison · mass casualty · religious violence · defectors · survivors
Systematic uncritical belief instillation
- charismatic leaderCompelling person with authority
- brainwashingCoercive psychological manipulation
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- isolationComplete separation from others
control · followers · devotion · obedience · groupthink · exploitation · religious commune · loyalty tests
Northern South American republic
- South AmericaWestern Hemisphere's southern continent
- jungleDense tropical forest
- settlementResolved dispute or colony
- communeShared-living community
compound · remote · pavilion · cottages · isolation · cleared land · encampment · tropical
Adopting group beliefs uncritically
- blind obedienceCompliance without critical thought
- groupthinkConformity-driven poor decisions
- conformityAdherence to norms
- cult mentalityDevotion overriding independent thought
fanaticism · warning · cautionary tale · mass delusion · manipulation · compliance · true believer · herd mentality
Guyana
Northern South American republic
- mass suicideGroup killing themselves together
- cyanideToxic carbon-nitrogen compound
- 1978A calendar year
murder-suicide · tragedy · bodies · compound · poison · mass casualty · religious violence · defectors · survivors · aftermath
indoctrination
Systematic uncritical belief instillation
- charismatic leaderCompelling person with authority
- brainwashingCoercive psychological manipulation
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
isolation · control · followers · devotion · obedience · groupthink · exploitation · religious commune · loyalty tests · white nights
Guyana
Northern South American republic
- South AmericaWestern Hemisphere's southern continent
- jungleDense tropical forest
- settlementResolved dispute or colony
commune · compound · remote · pavilion · cottages · isolation · cleared land · encampment · tropical · rainforest
drinking the Kool-Aid
Adopting group beliefs uncritically
- blind obedienceCompliance without critical thought
- groupthinkConformity-driven poor decisions
- conformityAdherence to norms
cult mentality · fanaticism · warning · cautionary tale · mass delusion · manipulation · compliance · true believer · herd mentality
- 70sdisco, bell-bottoms, Saturday Night Fever, pet rock, leisure suits
- Communescommunes, communal living, kibbutz, hippie commune, utopian communities
- cultsbrainwashing, mind control, Scientology, Charles Manson, Manson Family
- Mississippi DeltaClarksdale, Cleveland, Greenville, Greenwood, Indianola
- Modern Religionevangelicalism, fundamentalism, Pentecostalism, New Age, Scientology
- Mass Deathswar casualties, pandemic deaths, massacres, mass starvation, Holocaust
Jonestownsanctuary
Protected sacred space
refuge · safe haven · shelter · asylum · haven
Jonestownkibbutz
Israeli communal farm
monastery · ashram · commune · Amish community · intentional community
JonestownWoodstock
Landmark 1969 music festival
Plymouth Rock · Ellis Island · Selma · hope · liberation