In March 1997, 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult, led by a man named Marshall Applewhite, committed mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California.

The event sent a shockwave through the media, with many people questioning the history of the cult, investigating its beliefs (such as the idea that they would be taken away by a UFO trailing the Hale-Bopp comet), and, for some reason, trying to buy the Nike shoes that they all wore, which the brand promptly discontinued.

Before they did all that, though, the cult members recorded a video saying their farewells and discussing the nature of existence. An excerpt can be seen below, but the full two-hour video is available here, if you really want to ruin your evening.

Members of the Heaven's Gate cult record their final messages shortly before 39 of them took their own lives in a mass event in March 1997.
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