Do all cults end in suicide?
No. In fact, it’s highly unusual. Conway and Siegelman, in Snapping talk about the unique events and pressures that bring about the “death spiral” of a Jonestown, Waco, or Heaven’s Gate. There is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy that takes place when the cult leader begins to fear the loss of his or her power, whether through intrusion of or exposure to outside authorities, internal defections, a rival group, or the leader’s real or imagined impending death. The members may begin to stockpile weapons or make strange public pronouncements, which in turn invite public scrutiny — eventually igniting the final holocaust. Most cults end gradually through defections, ceasing operations when the leader is exposed, dissolution on the leader’s death, splitting into many rival groups, or gradually evolving into a more open society, such as a mainstream religion or political party.
