Transmissions From Jonestown

The Attention Span Recovery Project
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Transmissions From Jonestown Podcast

On November 18 1978 Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple died in Jonestown in what is considered to be the largest mass suicide in modern history. Locked deep within an FBI vault, the tapes chronicling the history of Peoples Temple were finally made public after 20 years. From Jim Jones shady beginnings as a faith healer to that final tragic night that his loyal followers drank the Koolaide. Join us as we piece together the history of Peoples Temple and try to understand what led to their demise.

  1. The Peoples Temple

    EPISODE 1

    The Peoples Temple

    On November 18 1978, an entire community of United States Citizens died deep in the jungle of Guyana. At the command of  their charismatic leader Rev. Jim Jones 909 members of the peoples temple agricultural project lost their lives, some believed they were committing a revolutionary act of suicide, others were forced or coerced by the group. A colorful toxic mix of flavor aid, Kool-Aid and cyanide was passed around in Dixie cups, for those unable or unwilling the mixture was administered using syringes. Most of us have heard the story, an egomaniacal madman and his brainwashed cult of zombie followers commit mass suicide in the heart of darkness. Nothing more than a cautionary tale reminding us all to think for ourselves and never ever drink the Kool-Aid. Join us as we investigate how it all began.

    45 min
  2. Life In The Promised Land

    EPISODE 2

    Life In The Promised Land

    After the New West article, Jim Jones fled to his jungle compound bringing several hundred Peoples Temple members with him. The population of Jonestown exploded from about 50 to over 900 residents. Resources and food were scarce and Jim Jones rambled over the loudspeakers warning the community of a coming siege. The atmosphere in Jonestown was tense and chaotic, the people toiled 10 hours a day in the fields as Jim Jones slipped into a drug induced waking nightmare. For the members of Peoples Temple who’d sold all of their worldly possessions to live in the promised land, the realization that the pied piper of lies was in total control came the moment they entered Jonestown and handed in their passports. Join us as we investigate life in Jonestown.

    47 min
  3. Revolutionary Suicide

    EPISODE 3

    Revolutionary Suicide

    Unable to delay Leo Ryan's congressional inquiry any longer, Jim Jones readied the settlement for what he believed to be an attempt to destroy the Peoples Temple by defectors. An elaborate show was performed in the pavilion and fried chicken was served. To the visitors the people seemed happy and well nourished.  The atmosphere in Jonestown relaxed as Leo Ryan expressed how impressive the community was , it seemed the Peoples Temple had survived yet another attack by outside forces. As the Jonestown Express played on, a note was passed to newsman Don Harris that said, "HELP US GET OUT OF JONESTOWN". This episode focuses on Jonestown, on its last day on earth.

    48 min
  4. The Death Tape

    EPISODE 4

    The Death Tape

    Of all the evidence collected in Jonestown a single audio recording proved to the world that over 900 American citizens chose to drink cyanide laced Kool-aid on the command of their cult leader Jim Jones. But what if the tape was edited? Or spliced together from earlier white nights and planning commission meetings in which suicide drills took place? Join us as we analyze the death tape.

    57 min
  5. The Consequences Of Apathy

    EPISODE 5

    The Consequences Of Apathy

    Leo Ryan wasn’t the only publicly elected official assassinated the week of November 18. In the weeks following the mass tragedy in Jonestown, rumors of a Peoples Temple hit squad terrified the concerned relatives and survivors. In the wake of false news reports, the world struggled to understand what had happened to the Peoples Temple. For the few who made it out of Jonestown, the process of reentering society was traumatic. Surviving the lonely road home in a world demanding answerers robbed many survivors of their grief. Join us as we investigate what became of the Peoples Temple.

    1h 2m
  6. Apostolic Socialism

    EPISODE 6

    Apostolic Socialism

    Guyana has a strange and fascinating history. Once believed to hide the lost city of El Dorado, the northwest territory of Guyana is home to a violent mythology predating the Jonestown massacre by hundreds of years. Mined for its gold and known for its mysterious mountains, mid century Guyana emerged as a newly independent nation lost in a world of espionage. Join us as we investigate why Guyana was chosen to be Jim Jones’s socialist paradise.

    55 min
  7. The Electric Koolaid Acid Tests

    EPISODE 7

    The Electric Koolaid Acid Tests

    After world war two German scientists were recruited by the American military into intelligence programs. MKULTRA, a behavior modification program, used American citizens for its experiments after the war until 1974 when the program went underground. As society attempted to understand how a massacre like Jonestown could happen, many theorized that the Peoples Temple were victims of a CIA medical experiment. Join us as we investigate Jonestown conspiracy theories and MKULTRA.

    1h 3m
  8. The Psychodelic Elephant

    EPISODE 8

    The Psychodelic Elephant

    Truth often requires those who search for it to accept coincidence as a form of nature. How are Jim Jones, Patty Hearst, Jack Ruby, and Sirhan Sirhan all connected? Find out as we go further down the rabbit hole.

    1h 7m
See All Season 1 (21)

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About

On November 18 1978 Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple died in Jonestown in what is considered to be the largest mass suicide in modern history. Locked deep within an FBI vault, the tapes chronicling the history of Peoples Temple were finally made public after 20 years. From Jim Jones shady beginnings as a faith healer to that final tragic night that his loyal followers drank the Koolaide. Join us as we piece together the history of Peoples Temple and try to understand what led to their demise.

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