mass suicide
Group choosing death
Mass suicide is the deliberate, coordinated killing of oneself by a large group, typically occurring simultaneously or within a short period.
The term most often describes cult members acting on a leader's directive, as in Jonestown or Heaven's Gate.
It also applies to historical events where communities chose death over capture or subjugation: The defenders committed mass suicide rather than surrender to the enemy.
Infamous cult settlement
- brainwashingCoercive psychological manipulation
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
- charismatic leaderCompelling person with authority
- followersPeople who support someone
manipulation · groupthink · Kool-Aid · doomsday · apocalypse · millenarianism · prophecy · fanaticism
Ancient Judean mountain fortress
- SaipanNorthern Mariana Islands capital
- kamikazeReckless to fatal extremes
- seppukuRitualized Japanese self-disembowelment
- HolocaustNazi genocide of Jews
siege · occupation · defiance · resistance · martyrdom · honor · defeat · invasion
Those killed or wounded
- fatalitiesLosses of life
- victimsThose who suffer harm
- survivorsThose still alive after
- mourningPeriod following loss
grief · trauma · horror · shock · devastation · loss · bereavement · memorial
Fame from misdeeds
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- atrocityUnforgivable mass cruelty
- tabooCultural or social prohibition
- condemnationSevere disapproval expressed formally
stigma · shame · disgrace · outrage · sensationalism · media coverage · documentary · true crime
Jonestown
Infamous cult settlement
- brainwashingCoercive psychological manipulation
- indoctrinationSystematic uncritical belief instillation
- charismatic leaderCompelling person with authority
followers · manipulation · groupthink · Kool-Aid · doomsday · apocalypse · millenarianism · prophecy · fanaticism · zealotry
Masada
Ancient Judean mountain fortress
- SaipanNorthern Mariana Islands capital
- kamikazeReckless to fatal extremes
- seppukuRitualized Japanese self-disembowelment
Holocaust · siege · occupation · defiance · resistance · martyrdom · honor · defeat · invasion · surrender
casualties
Those killed or wounded
- fatalitiesLosses of life
- victimsThose who suffer harm
- survivorsThose still alive after
mourning · grief · trauma · horror · shock · devastation · loss · bereavement · memorial · investigation
notoriety
Fame from misdeeds
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- atrocityUnforgivable mass cruelty
- tabooCultural or social prohibition
condemnation · stigma · shame · disgrace · outrage · sensationalism · media coverage · documentary · true crime · cautionary tale
mass suicidemass murder
Killing multiple people simultaneously
mass killing · genocide · massacre · mass execution · natural disaster
mass suicidemass evacuation
Organized large-scale departure
baby boom · population explosion · Dunkirk evacuation · population boom · mass exodus