An audio recording made on November 18, 1978, at the Peoples Temple compound in Jonestown, Guyana immediately preceding and during the mass suicide and murder of over 900 members of the cult.

I acquired the source cassette tape from a schoolmate c. 1979 whose father was an FBI agent







The sound levels were increased as close as possible to clipping when I mastered to CD-R from cassette and then normalized to -18dB average RMS power (loudness) in Sound Forge







An interesting website for further research is the Jonestown Institute which contains transcripts as well as commentary on this and other recordings recovered by the FBI from Jonestown after the mass suicide and murders.

plus-circle Add Review

comment Reviews

Reviewer: MandyHVZ - - May 12, 2020

Subject: For BixLives and others seeking more verified primary sources (esp audio) from Jonestown The website Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple ( jonestown.sdsu.edu ) , run by the sister and brother in law of the late Moore sisters (Carolyn Moore Layton and Annie Moore) is your one-stop website for primary sources regarding Jonestown and Peoples Temple. There you will find everything from transcripts and audio of the trove of tapes found at the Jonestown site (far beyond just Q045), a private journal kept by member Edith Roller, remembrances and commentary by defectors, survivors, and scholars on both the misconceptions about Jonestown and the truth of their experiences, an FAQ that addresses the conspiracy theories and the truth, and the now-defunct yearly "Jonestown Report", which I myself contributed 2 articles to in 2010. It's easily accessible for both the casually interested with questions and those who wish to dive deeply into the unvarnished story of Jones Town and Peoples Temple without the tinfoil hat spin. It's an absolutely invaluable resource for research. - May 12, 2020For BixLives and others seeking more verified primary sources (esp audio) from Jonestown

Reviewer: BixLives - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 11, 2019

Subject: Thanks

This is historically VITAL material. Yes, it reveals the darkest corner of human wretchedness, but unless we KNOW the devil and his incarnations, we will be doomed to repeat the perfidy.

Education and knowledge is a necessary thing that we MUST embrace in order to be Good humans. Such information is not always the marvels of Newtonian Physics or the pure beauty of The Calculus. Jim Jones tapes, are a HORROR, but must NOT be suppressed.

Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat history.

Insanity can be described as repeating behavior, but expecting different results. Yes, thanks for sharing. But via the Freedom of Information Act ALL Jonestown material SHOULD be available. Certainly, I have heard this and much more. I cannot understand why it is so difficult to find more jonestown material on the Archive.org This is historically VITAL material. Yes, it reveals the darkest corner of human wretchedness, but unless we KNOW the devil and his incarnations, we will be doomed to repeat the perfidy.Education and knowledge is a necessary thing that we MUST embrace in order to be Good humans. Such information is not always the marvels of Newtonian Physics or the pure beauty of The Calculus. Jim Jones tapes, are a HORROR, but must NOT be suppressed.Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat history.Insanity can be described as repeating behavior, but expecting different results. - September 11, 2019Thanks

Reviewer: nemobob - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 13, 2019

Subject: Gut wrenching. Was the background music that kind of sounds like someone talking backwards heard because you had to turn up the volume so much that you are hearing the other side of the tape? - August 13, 2019Gut wrenching.

Reviewer: DesiD - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 23, 2019

Subject: Thank You For The Upload Thank You For The Upload

Jim Jones was a sick, evil prcik.

How horrible for those children.

How horrible that people were stupid

and ignorant enough to be brainwashed

by him, he didn't even sound intelligent.

They talked about the white people who

abandoned, that's because they were

smart enough to know something wasn't

right. Only one lady who stayed there trying

her best to convince him it was wrong to end

everyone's life and the entire congregation

attacked her like vultures. Disgusting and not

true Christians. They all paid, dearly, for their

ignorance and in the worst way.

I feel so sorry for those children and teens

who suffered such an awful death.

It just sickens me to hear such an evil person

manipulate and lie to ignorant people who

didn't have the brains to defend themselves.

He took advantage of them all for his own

narcissistic, sick pleasure.

I pray that ALL of those souls have moved on into

a better life somewhere in the universe and gotten

a second chance, particularly the children and that

Jim Jones, hopefully, is STILL paying for his sins in

whatever Hell exists out there somewhere.



Thanks for the upload. I never heard it before.

So sad. - June 23, 2019Thank You For The Upload

Reviewer: Scott Ross1971 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 29, 2018

Subject: Tragic Very sad, tragic, wish that this horrible event could have been avoided. Jones was a coward, no matter how good his intentions were in the beginning. - August 29, 2018Tragic

Reviewer: someoneover40 - - July 10, 2015

Subject: About the background music Other people have mentioned this, but it's worth repeating: tape recorders had speed settings, the Temple recorded over old tapes, incomplete erasure (dirty erase heads) left audio artifacts on this tape.



Somebody recorded pop music at high tape speed, then Jim recorded over it at low speed: playback for voice creates slow eerie "ghost" music throughout. Also, in the last 1:50, you can hear radio communications on side B coming through backward - these were recorded at the same speed as the music, so they only become intelligible when you speed up the tape and reverse it.



If a listener doesn't understand the medium of audiotape, it would be natural to assume that music was playing during the suicide/murder. But that's not what happened. - July 10, 2015About the background music

Reviewer: ArdCu - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 14, 2014

Subject: Historical Sources This is undoubtedly a distressing recording and a subject of high emotion. However, it is important that everybody has access to historical sources, should they so choose. The best defence against the fabrication of history is the multiplication of sources.



Arguments about whether this is a primary (unedited) or secondary (edited) source can only happen because this material is published. We can only openly debate and come to our own conclusions because this material is published.



It is an historical document. If you believe it is edited for nefarious reasons, it is still evidence of that and, therefore, worthy of publication.



Finally, if you choose to listen to something clearly labelled 'Jonestown Death Tape' do not complain about listening to a tape of people in Jonestown dying. You chose to click the link and you chose to play it. - May 14, 2014Historical Sources

Reviewer: kitkatgrl100 - - May 11, 2014

Subject: very interesting For all of those people wondering how anyone would do this and listen to a man that is clearly insane:



When you put a frog in boiling water, the frog will jump out. When you put a frog in room temperature water and heat it slowly, it will stay in the water and die. This is usually used as a metaphor for abusive relationships. I think it is very appropriate to this context. This was an abusive relationship. At first it seemed normal. A sense of community that later developed into mob mentality. - May 11, 2014very interesting

Reviewer: god_is_fake - - October 6, 2013

Subject: To 'do not listen'



So why would you say such stuff about jesus christ? Don't you understand religion is fake and based on peoples willingness to be lead like sheep, peoples need to be part of something and believe in something. Hasn't this 'Jonestown' and many other church based things taught you that? (and catholics and how the priests have raped and abused so many kids?). And all the lies?



I'm sorry all these people died, but I am also sorry so many people are so gullible when it comes to 'religion'. People are so easily misled. People lose all their money to churches, people lose their sexuality to churches. People lose their lives. People kill people because the think it's what their god or religion wants etc. Why anyone wants to be part of any religion is a mystery to me, but do what you like and believe in life. I believe in nature and the natural elements. Mother nature. No god, no jesus, those were (possibly) people who came and died, just like you and I will, and like Jim Jones did. I think the whole bible and story around it is just like chinese whispers, changed over so many years, all from along time ago, it's not real. But as I said, believe what you like.



Religion is fake. Jim Jones was an evil man, rooted boys who didnt want it, adultery, lies, and ultimately murder, mass murder.



Good Doco tho. Opens your eyes up hey! Same with 'deliver us from evil' which I also suggest people watch.



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814075/?ref_=sr_2



Open your eyes people! Don't believe in people who preach, it's all crap. To 'do not listen' - Hey I know it's sad and bad and all that, but it happened, and the 'Love Of The Lord Jesus Christ didn't Protect them And Watch Over them & Keep them Safe From Harm.So why would you say such stuff about jesus christ? Don't you understand religion is fake and based on peoples willingness to be lead like sheep, peoples need to be part of something and believe in something. Hasn't this 'Jonestown' and many other church based things taught you that? (and catholics and how the priests have raped and abused so many kids?). And all the lies?I'm sorry all these people died, but I am also sorry so many people are so gullible when it comes to 'religion'. People are so easily misled. People lose all their money to churches, people lose their sexuality to churches. People lose their lives. People kill people because the think it's what their god or religion wants etc. Why anyone wants to be part of any religion is a mystery to me, but do what you like and believe in life. I believe in nature and the natural elements. Mother nature. No god, no jesus, those were (possibly) people who came and died, just like you and I will, and like Jim Jones did. I think the whole bible and story around it is just like chinese whispers, changed over so many years, all from along time ago, it's not real. But as I said, believe what you like.Religion is fake. Jim Jones was an evil man, rooted boys who didnt want it, adultery, lies, and ultimately murder, mass murder.Good Doco tho. Opens your eyes up hey! Same with 'deliver us from evil' which I also suggest people watch.Open your eyes people! Don't believe in people who preach, it's all crap. - October 6, 2013To 'do not listen'

Reviewer: olen - - September 30, 2013

Subject: Original poster's comments to reviewers In response to "DO-NOT-LISTEN" (June 21, 2013)



I understand the revulsion that many listeners (and even some non-listeners) of this recording may have, but I would request you put a "no rating" on your review rather than a "lowest rating" to express your feelings; your review is enough to make those feelings clear. Please see the last paragraph of my response to "MikeInFla" below: this is a recording that *had* to be posted because of its critical historical importance.



In response to "MikeInFla" (May 29, 2012)



If you read through the serious reviews for this recording (ignoring the conspiracy theorists and bigots) and check other sources, there is some consensus regarding your questions.



There are indeed numerous edits. This is the case for many recordings from the Peoples Temple, so was likely a standard operating procedure for the group. The edits appear to have been made by stopping and starting the tape explaining why the edits are so abrupt. Reasons for why they did this are more speculative. Of course, in the case of this recording, everyone was dead by the end of it so that is why it just trails off.



The "music" heard in the background is an artifact of recording over previous recordings. There are a few reviews that address it in great detail.



A number of people did attempt to escape or refused to be poisoned and were shot, but the vast majority were compliant: Jones *did* hold that degree of control. You can also hear it in the recording with the people shouting down Christine Miller, the woman who so courageously argued against what was about to happen.



I posted this recording because of its critical, historical importance: George Santayana said it best, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". We can probably never prevent the odd Heaven's Gate, but hopefully we can prevent something on the scale of Jonestown by better understanding the psychosocial dynamics involved. - September 30, 2013Original poster's comments to reviewers

Reviewer: DO-NOT-LISTEN - favorite - June 21, 2013

Subject: DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS! This Wicked Man Killed over 900 People. The sounds of children and Babies Crying as they die will haunt you. I couldn't imagine watching my children die and hearing this brings this nightmare to reality. They cry "no NO NO!!!" being forced to watch their friends and family die... Please listen to me. I feel physically sick. Please, I beg you. DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS RECORDING!!! THIS IS EVIL. May the Love Of The Lord Jesus Christ Protect You And Watch Over You & Keep You Safe From Harm. Please Don't Listen to this Audio Recording. - June 21, 2013DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS!

Reviewer: Tearable_Paperdoll - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 15, 2013

Subject: FACT: Never EVER trust anyone who calls themself "REVEREND" - it's purely a mask to cover his EVIL... always was, always will be. Every time. - April 15, 2013FACT:

Reviewer: aritz95 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 12, 2013

Subject: tell me why I listened to this So, upon researching a band I recently discovered, The Brian jonestown Massacre (psychadelic type band) I was curious as to where the name came from . In 17 years of life I had never heard about this, just the "Don't drink the kool-aid" joke.

I thought I would be listening to this for historical purposes, or to see just how brainwashed these people were, but I really have no reason to justify having listened to this. I feel awful.

Other than that, wonderful recording.. haha - April 12, 2013tell me why I listened to this

Reviewer: Blueyed451 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 1, 2012

Subject: =-/ this is soo sad. i dont even have words for how heavy my heart feels when i listen to this. I had a hard time listening to this tape, when i first did, it was on youtube, and i couldnt get through it, it was too sad it was like listening to someones last words and it was truly chilling. even now i still get chills listening to it, and the reason its soo chilling to me is the fact that these people were actual people, and it wasnt some hollywood stunt these people were actually dieing and when you get through half of the tape you realize that your listening to people die your listening to these peoples last day on this earth and it literally just breaks your heart 3 in two not only adults but children? and that is whats truly heart breaking. - July 1, 2012=-/ this is soo sad.

Reviewer: MikeInFla - - May 29, 2012

Subject: Why so many edits? First of all, Leslie Wilson, I have read your touching book. I cannot imagine what you endured in Jonestown. Thank you for sharing your story. As for this tape I listened on headphones and noticed quite a few edits. Were these edits done in Jonestown while the tape was being made or was it done later by the FBI? Also, listen closely to the music in the background. It sounds as if it is being played at a different speed (much like playing a 45 record at 33 speed). And does the tape "run out" at the end or did someone stop it? Other questions i have about the tragic events cannot be answered by the death tape. I'm just wondering why more people didn't run or attempt to stop what was happening. Did he really have that much control over the people? Due to the subject matter I offer no rating. - May 29, 2012Why so many edits?

Reviewer: keinternetarchive - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 22, 2012

Subject: Who uploaded this audio?



Thank you! Hello, I'd like to know who uploaded this audio to the Internet Archive? I'm interested in ownership/ copyright of this piece. Is there a way to confirm/ document that it is in the public domain? Please contact me at egankristen@ gmail.com Thank you! - May 22, 2012Who uploaded this audio?

Reviewer: Faithalways - favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 22, 2012

Subject: Survivor The first time I listened to this entire tape was 2008. Everytime I hear it or see footage I find myself searching the dead bodies for my family I lost in Jonestown. I lived in Jonestown for sixteen months. Was it a slave camp? Absolutely. I was brought to Peoples Temple at the age of 13. Indoctrinated at an early age. Went to Jonestown because he took my son with him when he ran from the United States because of allegations from ex members in an article to be published in New West magazine. Actually the same things that happened in the States were the same and worse in Jonestown, because we had no way to leave. I and nine others escaped the morning of the massacre.

After 34 years, I realize that Jim is not the total blame for any of it. People knew he was crazy in the United States, but they compromised everything. The lessons of Jonestown is for you to follow your own mind. I am spiritual not religious. My personal relationship with a higher power is personal and I do not have an intermediary to connect. The purpose of Peoples Temple was good- people wanted a better world with no 'isms. However, they blinded themselves for what reason I will never know. My mother paid the ultimate price of watching her daughter, son, and grandchildren die. Never will I have the opportunity to ask her why she did not run like hell when Jim Jones began speaking of sexual exploits outside his marriage when we first got the the church.

We have to take responsibility for our own spiritual growth and for our lives.

Remain blessed.

Leslie Wagner Wilson - April 22, 2012Survivor

Reviewer: liberalhater - favorite - March 24, 2012

Subject: Ridiculous Literally lol'ing at all these ridiculous DEAD SF Nigger Commies.... they're pathetic. - March 24, 2012Ridiculous

Reviewer: janarthomas1 - - March 21, 2012

Subject: Heart breaking to listen to This is the first time that I have listened to these recordings in their entirety. I have only heard bits and pieces of it before now. It made me sick to my stomach. The hardest part was hearing all those babies and children in the background and knowing that they are about to die. It was heartbreaking to hear. - March 21, 2012Heart breaking to listen to

Reviewer: lhiggi8177 - - November 15, 2011

Subject: Lost family I am only starting to review the tapes-so I have no real thoughts. I am looking for anyone that wa there ot know how was there. I lost my younger sister there and would like to find out as much inormation as I can so myself and other family memebers can lay this to rest. thanks - November 15, 2011Lost family

Reviewer: USABG58 - favorite favorite - June 25, 2011

Subject: I Felt Voyeuristic and Stopped Listening I made it to about 34:00 or so and stopped listening. There was no point in continuing. I got a sense of this terrible tragedy but did not want to experience it any longer. This was a kind of murder and I would not want to listen to someone's murder, torture, rape, etc. -Right on!-, if you don't share my opinion and can listen to it, but I cannot. I hope people can be strong enough to rebuff such an evil trickster as Jim Jones, Adoph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, et al. - June 25, 2011I Felt Voyeuristic and Stopped Listening

Reviewer: Sacred Vow - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 19, 2010

Subject: Link to the most accurate transcript

http://peoplestemplewiki.org/wiki/Q042



This transcript was created using "Audacity" sound software, to remove noise and amplify unclear segments. A great number of hours were spent in its creation. It contains many background voice statements not included in other transcripts. Additional speakers have been identified as well.



Time stamps listed in this transcript work with the "FLAC" format recording above. The most accurate transcript for this recording may be found at:This transcript was created using "Audacity" sound software, to remove noise and amplify unclear segments. A great number of hours were spent in its creation. It contains many background voice statements not included in other transcripts. Additional speakers have been identified as well.Time stamps listed in this transcript work with the "FLAC" format recording above. - May 19, 2010Link to the most accurate transcript

Reviewer: m0 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 26, 2010

Subject: tape

speaking of 'ghosts' on tapes.

the last

I just speeded it up and used 'shazam' iphone app to find the actual song.

looks like this speech was recorded over the delfonics album.

one thing that I dont really understand, is why it turned out to be slowed down twice? or was the jones speech recorded on tape at half speed or something?



upd: googled a bit and realised it's all been done already:

http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/JonestownReport/Volume9/TapesRay1.htm#_ftn12 hi.speaking of 'ghosts' on tapes.the last 1:50 of the recording is actually a song by the Delfonics "I'm sorry", but 2 times slower of the original.I just speeded it up and used 'shazam' iphone app to find the actual song.looks like this speech was recorded over the delfonics album.one thing that I dont really understand, is why it turned out to be slowed down twice? or was the jones speech recorded on tape at half speed or something?upd: googled a bit and realised it's all been done already: - April 26, 2010tape

Reviewer: brokensignal - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 19, 2009

Subject: Too disturbing to listen to but necessary... This evening trapped in this epic snowstorm that is sweeping across the East Coast, I sat and read "Guyana Massare" by Charles Krause front to back and then went online to do more research. I always knew a bit about this but was ignorant of the specific details of the "kool-aid" story.



Although I did my best to press on through this bit of audio history I could not bring myself to rape my own psyche any longer and endure hearing the horrified dying screams of the children in the background!



This is a necessary and essential piece of audio history to remind us of the ominous words that hung above Jim Jones' throne... "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it". Now that we can hear the past with our own ears and not rely on our faulty memories or our subjective opinions of the things we read ... Will it make a difference? If it doesn't than maybe we deserve all that comes to us and more.





And in response to MV's comments about the audio "ghosting." (A fitting description) While I am certain that there are many explainable/logical factors on this recording contributing to the ominous and disturbing music and voices playing underneath this psychopath's words it seems to fit the event a little too well to be a total accident. I find the gloomy/morose/disturbing background noise/music and the actual events transpiring to gel in a cohesive and fluid way that suggests a much more significant synchronicity. While it may be a bleed through of the other side of the tape playing backwards at a slower speed I can't help but feel that its there on purpose no matter how it got there.



This is what evil sounds like. Period. - December 19, 2009Too disturbing to listen to but necessary...

Reviewer: piratenews - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 17, 2009

Subject: MK Commies



Bo Gritz, Delta Force and MK-Ultra

http://www.militiaradio.com/bo-gritz-delta-force-and-mk-ultra/



RE "Jones had been contacted in Ukiah by 'Christian missionaries' from World Vision (World Vision is a CIA controlled front operation), an evangelical order which had performed espionage work for the CIA in Southeast Asia."



World Vision was owned by George Bushes' CIA cousins the Hinkleys. John Hinkley Jr was arrested for shooting President Ronald Reagan to promote VP Bush Sr to president 8 years early. George Bush Jr released Hinkley from the loonybin, and he was allowed to go home, since he was found not guilty by "insanity".



"John Warnock Hinckley, Jr., (born May 29, 1955) attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 1981. According to the March 31, 1981, edition of the Houston Post, and reported by AP, UPI, NBC News and Newsweek, Hinckley is the son of one of George H.W. Bush's political and financial supporters in his 1980 presidential primary campaign against Ronald Reagan; John Hinckley, Jr.,'s elder brother, Scott Hinckley, and Bush's son Neil Bush had a dinner appointment scheduled for the next day. Associated Press published the following on March 31, 1981: 'The family of the man charged with trying to assassinate President Reagan is acquainted with the family of Vice-President George Bush and had made large contributions to his political campaign ... Scott Hinckley, brother of John W. Hinckley, Jr., was to have dined tonight in Denver at the home of Neil Bush, one of the Vice-President's sons.'"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hinckley,_Jr.



Mark David Chapman also worked for World Vision.



"On the night of 8 December 1980, at around

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_lennon



Corporate media mafiya does the same thing for Uncle Scam. US Supreme Court legalized genocide in 1973 with Roe v Wade, with 60-million babies murdered in USA, so far, including over 50% of all black Americans killed.



Break the brainwash, buy your guns, ammo, food and water, pay off all your debts, buy a house in the country, get electric generators, and hunker in your bunker during the current Civil War. Identify Friend of Foe, and Survive To Operate, is what the Pentagon tells its employees in its Pentagram newsletter. Your taxdollars at work in CIA's MKULTRA. Gunshots are what killed most, not suicide. Brainwash FAIL.Bo Gritz, Delta Force and MK-UltraRE "Jones had been contacted in Ukiah by 'Christian missionaries' from World Vision (World Vision is a CIA controlled front operation), an evangelical order which had performed espionage work for the CIA in Southeast Asia."World Vision was owned by George Bushes' CIA cousins the Hinkleys. John Hinkley Jr was arrested for shooting President Ronald Reagan to promote VP Bush Sr to president 8 years early. George Bush Jr released Hinkley from the loonybin, and he was allowed to go home, since he was found not guilty by "insanity"."John Warnock Hinckley, Jr., (born May 29, 1955) attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 1981. According to the March 31, 1981, edition of the Houston Post, and reported by AP, UPI, NBC News and Newsweek, Hinckley is the son of one of George H.W. Bush's political and financial supporters in his 1980 presidential primary campaign against Ronald Reagan; John Hinckley, Jr.,'s elder brother, Scott Hinckley, and Bush's son Neil Bush had a dinner appointment scheduled for the next day. Associated Press published the following on March 31, 1981: 'The family of the man charged with trying to assassinate President Reagan is acquainted with the family of Vice-President George Bush and had made large contributions to his political campaign ... Scott Hinckley, brother of John W. Hinckley, Jr., was to have dined tonight in Denver at the home of Neil Bush, one of the Vice-President's sons.'"Mark David Chapman also worked for World Vision."On the night of 8 December 1980, at around 10:50 pm, Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times in the entrance of the Dakota apartment building. Earlier that evening, Lennon had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman. FBI admitted it had 281 pages of files on Lennon but refused to release most of them, they contained "national security" information."Corporate media mafiya does the same thing for Uncle Scam. US Supreme Court legalized genocide in 1973 with Roe v Wade, with 60-million babies murdered in USA, so far, including over 50% of all black Americans killed.Break the brainwash, buy your guns, ammo, food and water, pay off all your debts, buy a house in the country, get electric generators, and hunker in your bunker during the current Civil War. Identify Friend of Foe, and Survive To Operate, is what the Pentagon tells its employees in its Pentagram newsletter. - December 17, 2009MK Commies

Reviewer: skilpad - - December 3, 2009

Subject: Extremely disturbing... The part about showing the little kids how the adults could die peacefully was chilling.



Shocking how the minds of 900+ could be so twisted by a mad man. - December 3, 2009Extremely disturbing...

Reviewer: MandyVZ - - December 2, 2009

Subject: "Background Music" (editted by MandyVZ) The music you hear in the silences and under the dialogue during the audio is a phenomenon exclusive to cassette tapes, mainly those such as generic, store brands from the 70's and early 80's (and, from personal experience, Maxell brand audio cassettes from the early 90's). It's called "ghost audio". I learned about it in two dovetailing ways: One, as an only child, I was constantly recording solo "radio plays" (where I played all the characters) and "concerts". Frequently I would record new things over old recordings, and faintly, yet VERY distinctly in the silences and-- depending on the quality of the cassette-- sometimes distinctly even under the new voice or music recorded on the tape, I would hear the faint echo of what I had recorded previously. I complained about this to my dad, who was at the time a TV producer (he is today a producer of corporate communications for a major shipping corporation), who explained the "ghost recordings" concept to me. There is only one way to completely obliterate these "ghosts" on cassettes before recording on them again. My father gathered all my formerly blank tapes and we took them to the news station. In the sound engineering section, my father showed me a large square metal box-type device with a handle. He gave me his watch and told me to stand across the room as he ran the device over both the plastic sides of the cassettes. When he put them into a tape player and played them for me, there were no more "ghosts", no more primary audio, no more anything except blank-cassette hiss. My dad then explained that the device was essentially a large magnet (He gave me the watch and kept me at a safe distance so as not to damage the watch itself; the magnet box presents no danger to humans). Runningit over the cassettes could "wipe" the tapes so they were totally blank again. This technique was used extensively by sound engineers at TV stations to save money in the days when cassette tapes and dictaphones or walkman-type recorders were used in interviews; after transcribing the interview, which was usually also preserved on video, the cassettes were "wiped" to be re-used without "ghosts". This process would be avoided in only 2 instances:



1. When cassettes were used by organizations like People's Temple who most likely frequently reused them (probably to preserve all of the so-called wisdom of Jones) but had either no knowledge of or access to the "wiping" device.



2. Television stations, who DID have access to the device and routinely wiped tapes, might keep taped interviews when they deemed the tapes themselves to be of great historical significance. This would be rare, unless you had extremely sharp and insightful staff or someone who wanted to keep a tape for posterity or otherwise, perhaps as a souvenir. This is why more video than audio usually remains of historical events. Audio only presentations in retrospective television programs recounting history-making moments usually comes from "sound bites". Theses are bits of audio taken from video but with the audio portion editted onto still photos, other video that is used without its original audio, etc. They may also use what production calls "nats sound", that is,the natural sound coming from around the event such as wind, birds, or other environmental noise. A good example of "nats" is employed by shows like 48 Hours, Dateline and their ilk: the ubiquitous shot of a bulldozer digging into a grave while we hear the diesel engine chugging away under a voice-over that tells us how someone's body must be exhumed to help solve their disputed death or a cold case. As is the case with one controversial Kennedy assassination tape, the actual shots are "nats sound" heard over a police radio. Because it is esssentially beefed-up ambient noise "nats" can be notoriuosly unreliable and difficult to decipher (refer again to the gunshots in the Kennedy case and the dispute over the number of shots fired). This can be due to distortion, poor quality, distance from the open microphone wherever it may be-- on a camera, held by a news reporter, or, as mentioned, on a police radio-- or it can be "chatter" or "garbage". Examples of chatter are crowd noise and conversation nearby but not close enough to be picked up by a microphone as discernable and distinct. Wind across the microphone, heavy breathing by the camera operator from running, excitement, (or emphysema for that matter, haha), "mike rub" from clothing or skin, covering applause, and static are all good examples of "garbage", as are "ghost recordings. Most notably the PBS radio broadcasts, the MSNBC documentary "Witness to Jonestown", the documentary "Jonestown: Life and Death of People's Temple", and I THINK also in Jonestown: Paradise Lost, the History Channel's documentary/re-enactment the "ghosts", "chatter" and "garbage" are editted out. ANY good sound engineer whose name is going to be creditted on a television show, historic or otherwise, or movie using old cassette will clean everything up so the main recording sounds pristine and, above all, what is imoprtant is able to be clearly heard. This is also to remove the distractions "ghosts", "garbage", and "chatter" may cause. The source audio will frequently not be heard in entirety and be played out of order to form a cohesive narrative in the program, illustrate points made and put into context the audio and footage. Tapes also may be editted for time, to remove elements of dilogue having no narrative context in the program or deemed too disturbing for viewers or listeners (VERY relevant here!), to clarify the situation being presented via the audio/ video at that moment in the program, and to remove portions that are unintelligible, obscene, may cause litigation or do not conform to FCC "safe harbor" laws. Portions may also be removed by network or AMA censors or to achieve the desired television or movie rating.



I AM NOT AN EXPERT, but by accompanying my father to work s well as working with him on our own projects, I have spent an extensive amount of time both seeing and hearing audio as well as video evolve from concept to production to being editted and complete. I am a true-crime buff as well as a rabid reader, and after studying both the concept that these tapes and their transcripts do not represent a true or full picture of the events at Jonestown (up to and including the conviviance of the CIA and/or other shadowy organizations) My personal opinions not only on the tape but on Jones and the Guyana masssacre are as follows:



1. Other audio cassettes that have been conclusively authenticated as coming from People's Temple have the same types of what texts on the subject call "heavy edits". I cannot speak for those who wrote about "heavy editting" as to THEIR meaning. I was taught "heavy editting" to refer to a type of aubidble thump that is the hallmark of a stop of the recording device and may indicate portions of tape that are re-recorded. Speculatively, someone could do this to "script" a comment and record it over an ad-lib or to hide swomething incriminating or secretive on the tape. Though I have not heard other Peoples Temple audio, there may be ghosts on them as well. As for the ghost music on the death tape, there is footage I have personally seen in documentaries of a group of young female members in the Jonestown Pavilion rehearsing or performing a dance. My own guess is that the death tape may be recorded over a tape previously containing music for other performances of this kind or other entertainment.



2. The music in the background is immediately and clearly recognizable as a "ghost recording" to anyone who has ever seen/heard the phenomenon.



3. It is abundantly clear that Jim Jones fully expected and demanded that his "children" follow him to his version of "heaven" or "glory" even to the point of murdering those who wouldn't drink the provberbial Kool-Aid willingly. It is also abundantly clear from interviews and testimony from survivors that on the day of the Jonestown Massacre AND THE DAYS, MONTHS, AND YEARS LEADING UP TO IT, Jim Jones was secretly to some, quite obviously to others, ever increasing his dependance on a cocktail of drugs. Reference the scene in "Witness to Jonestown" with son Stephan Jones recounting how his mother Marceline pulled him aside one day and insisted they must have an intervention with Jim Jones, Stephan reply was, "Mom, you don't tell GOD he has a drug problem!" This is made all the more apparent when Jones is confronted-- on video-- by the notes passed to members of the party visiting with with Leo Ryan on the day of the massacre. He is sweaty, fidgety, and at one point turns to another member, presumably one of his aides to request that the individual (not seen on camera) "please get him some medication." This drug abuse in of itself was one of the reasons for the move of the Temple and Jones himself to Guyana: his addiction had become too apparent to hide from Temple members at close range.



4. Jim Jones had a special kind of "crazy" that belonged to him alone and was disiminated BY him alone. To quote an old southern expression, the man "had snakes in his 'haid'" and didn't need any help from the CIA or anyone else with that.

He also had a very bewitching quality. Those in Guyana had followed a man they considered as close to them as a parent, beneavolent, compassionate-- their advocate. Most could not conceive of malice in Jim Jones. This is a quality that anyone, be they a religous leader, a politician or even just a popular person with an abundance of friends possesses. Something makes people follow those with this quality, and it ain't the CIA.



5. Some People's Temple followers had already sensed the change in the wind and wanted badly to defect. They remained out of fear of reprisal--not only against them, but possibly against family they may have had to leave behind, as with Timothy and Grace Stoen. This repisal, both from Jones himself and those among them considered more devout due to their conviction to remain with "Father" could be disimination of the false documents they had been forced to sign. It could also be a very physical revenge up to and including death. This was illustrated to them long before Jonestown and Guyana, before People's Temple was even called by that particular name, by the sessions that had members "Called onto the Floor" to "confess" their "sins" and then endure corporal punishment, carried out by the entire congregation present. Jones extolled the violence and enthusiastically encouraged escalation, all for the cleansing of "sins" which could be admitted by or charged against the member. These alleged sins could have been, in any particular case, true or simply fabrications designed to foster greater favor for the accuser with "Father". He not only relished these beatings but felt they unified and purified his "children". The atmosphere was as that of the Salem Witch Trials, and every school child knows what happened to the accused who attempted to deny charges in that case. Because of Jones' extreme paranoia, amped by the drugs he consumed ever increasingly, they had also been rehearsing for the ultimate end of Jonestown and themselves for quite awhile. This was in the form the "White Night Raids", which Jones would also categorize as tests of loyalty. The fear of being considered disloyal must have been overwhelming. Their positions were hopeless: drink what might or might not be actual poison and die, refuse and be injected or force-fed this witch's brew, or be labeled a potential threat and suffer a fate unkown. This may explain both the eerie calm exhibitted as the followers both watched children be the first to have the sinister potion squirted into their mouths, their willingness to line up and "take their medicine", and the later screams as those who mistakenly believed this to be a drill realized something much worse was occurring.



To me, Jones was a perfect example putting into action something Charles Manson said during his own murder trial-- and this is paraphrased-- you threw these people out of your homes and into the gutter and told them they everything they believed was wrong, they were bad and they deserved to lay there in the gutter because of it and for it. No brainwashing had to be done, all it took was for someone to pick them up out of that gutter and say, "You are beautiful, you were created from love, so you are love, and nothing about love can be wrong or bad." Most of "The Family" members were not poor, but willingly left from middle to upper class families, some had spouses and children. Many were reportedly doing well or very well in school before running away; some had even run from colleges. In the same way, Peoples Temple members were largely quite an intelligent group-- witness what they were able to accomplish both in California and Guyana. Jones himself, like Manson, was a highly intelligent man who was also extremely shrewd and conniving. IT WAS NOT a group of stupid girls that went out into the desert with Manson or mudered innocents at his command. Nor did a line of stupid people head to a vat of valium and cyanide to die and to kill for their cause and for "Father". THAT is what makes these men and events so frightening. - December 2, 2009"Background Music" (editted by MandyVZ)

Reviewer: AudioFreek - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 10, 2009

Subject: NPR Program Link



http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1509317 You can listen to the NPR radio program at the following link. It has a lot of audio from other Jonestown meetings. - August 10, 2009NPR Program Link

Reviewer: Baron Empain - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 1, 2009

Subject: No one Remembers "Father Cares"? Thank you for posting this, the last of this sad story. This tape is the logical ending to the program I am mentioning below:



I am surprised with all the reviews that I don't see (unless I overlooked it) anyone mentioning the NPR radio program "Father Cares: The Last of Jonestown" which came out a number of years back.



It is an absolutely unforgettable show, consisting of Jonestown recordings, accompanied by some haunting narration and minimal music.



It's a must-hear if you are interested in how he dealt with people both there and 'outside, and how he got progressively more abusive as time went on.

I was lucky to catch it by accident a few minutes after it started on the radio and slapped cassettes in my recorder to have it.



BE - August 1, 2009No one Remembers "Father Cares"?

Reviewer: Paul Crik - - July 18, 2009

Subject: horrible I recently saw a talk be a former member of this cult. She said that the ideas that are fed to people grow multiply and overpower like a virus. Frightening lesson! - July 18, 2009horrible

Reviewer: Dammit - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 17, 2009

Subject: Chilling Thanks for posting this, I'd never heard it before. I remember when the Jonestown massacre hit the news. I had belonged to a church much like Jones'. The possibilities were frightening.



That said, I hadn't realized what a bad lisp Jones had. - June 17, 2009Chilling

Reviewer: wileycat - favorite favorite - January 11, 2009

Subject: I don't know about this audio I watched the documentary from PBS on this a few times. When Christine is confronting Jones on his promise about Russia, the audio is different. In the documentary, she asks him, "Is it too late for Russia?" He responds (not sure if I have this verbatim,) "I've put in a call to Russia. What more do you want me to do?" I didn't here that on this one. Furthermore, his voice just doesn't sound like it did in the documentary during this day. There are some other things that are just not said they way they were in the documentary (which sounds more original and more like his voice). When he says something about death is just stepping over to another plane, he adds in "As Mac said," which was not included in the documentary. Then it gets amazingly quite and it doesn't sound like anything is going on but the background music. Honestly, the screaming in the tape in the documentary seemed more disturbing and profuse. I could be wrong though. - January 11, 2009I don't know about this audio

Reviewer: dedsetmad - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 6, 2008

Subject: Drugs and Insanity Jim Jones sounds absolutely calm and lucid. I don't believe the "official" version of events. It's all hinky as. Which is par for the CIA. It is for the creation of such an agency that I so loathe American administrations. The Yanks have always portrayed themselves as the world's moral compass and it's such a lie. Lies, lies and more lies are the hallmarks of American government, but they are getting some of their comeuppance now and there is a lot more coming in the very near future. LOL ! ! - December 6, 2008Drugs and Insanity

Reviewer: msspurlock - favorite favorite favorite - November 22, 2008

Subject: Horrible, But Valuable as a Warning This is what socialism does to people.

Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, Jonestown and on and on.



People never learn this lesson.



And now a disciple of Jim Jones is going to be President of the United States.



Nice going, you idiots. - November 22, 2008Horrible, But Valuable as a Warning

Reviewer: ocgiii - favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 20, 2008

Subject: Weird Music in backround This tape was likely made 'over' previously recorded audio, which was recorded at a different, faster speed. The recorder in all probability had a variable speed control, to allow more audio to fit, and what you are hearing is likely 'bleed through' if the erase head was worn or dirty, and was likely not being broadcast over the PA system while this activity was taking place. ocgiii -- November 20, 2008Weird Music in backround

Reviewer: oeilsevere - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 20, 2008

Subject: Stupid mud people "Hey, oeilsevere, you might want to think before you leap to conclusions and open your yap to lecture others:



Christine Miller was black, not white.



It reveals a lot about you and your racial biases that you automatically presumed that the comment, "ignorant or uneducated or poor or depressed or even mentally ill" excludes the white upper middle class."



It reveals a lot about me?! hahahahaha Christine Miller's photo on wikipedia is very visible. I'm Black myself, and have no difficulty recognizing a Black woman on a photo.



About your assumption that I shouldn't have opened my "yap": I'm from a normal country called Canada, born to Carib parents, both physicians. I was a toddler when that gruesome consequence of your twisted society happened. Nearly 30 years later, after having spent many of my summer vacations in the States with relatives whilst growing up, I can certainly REITERATE that if Christine Miller was in any "upper middle-class" in the USA in 1978, it was essentially a WHITE strata of society. The microscopic group of "Huxtables" that existed in 1978 were NOT living in any "upper middle-class" Greenwich, Connecticut type social strata. If there were some, they were living in a WHITE UPPER MIDDLE-CLASS strata with White people (if such a scenario is even imaginable), regardless of their skin color.



It says a lot about you that you're trying to deny how racist and brutal your sick country is and (worse), transpose your shit on me.



This being said, I also reiterate: people of faith = lobotomized cretins afraid to work on their existential immaturity. - November 20, 2008Stupid mud people

Reviewer: Politics of Fear - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 19, 2008

Subject: Thank you for posting the audio First, I want to thank those who posted the audio. It is important for people to actually hear this and understand how this can happen.



Second, as with many things in life, this was a group of people with very good intentions of helping the poor, elderly, and closing the gap between races. It went bad as Jones lost his sanity and expanded his drug use.



Third, this shows the power of FEAR and why we must reject the politics of fear. Jones used sleep deprivation, severe punishment, and broken apart family groups to get poeple to do his will. You can hear in the tape he ued fear of something even worse to get people to do the unthinkable.



Lastly, I understand why the conspericy threories because we can't get our heads around this act. But if you read the history of the temple and hear this tape, it flows very logically. He got backed into a corner and took the cowards way out. - November 19, 2008Thank you for posting the audio

Reviewer: Slipperi - - November 18, 2008

Subject: Wow Wow, I cant believe what I just listened to. It's amazing to me the mind control he had over these people. I'm so glad this tape is available for others to listen to. The babies crying in pain and the silence at the end are the creepiest things I have ever heard. - November 18, 2008Wow

Reviewer: junglebunny - - November 18, 2008

Subject: dickface poopnose conspiracy! you know its true maaaan... The officer in charge of all U.S. Army Special Forces for Latin America at the time of the Jonestown holocaust was Lt. Col. James "Bo" Gritz. Gritz was the original soldier after which the movie character "Rambo" was patterned. Gritz was the most decorated soldier to come out of the Vietnam war. The Guyana massacre was carried out by Bo Gritz' men (along with British SAS troops). *Flatland* (#10) magazine, in an interview with Gritz, asked him: Question: You trained Special Forces that went into Jonestown? What was the precise nature of the operation? "I don't know precisely because it was a compartmentalized operation. The only thing that I do know for certain is what the Sergeant I quote coming out of Jonestown, he was insistent because he was disgusted, on writing this book. He was, without compromise, going to call it *All the Niggers Are Dead.* I asked him, 'Why would you want to entitle anything such an offensive way?' 'It doesn't make a difference what your color, your creed, your sex,' he said, 'when you are treated the way they were, that's what you are; you're a nigger, you're nothing else.' I think that those soldiers saw things that affected them and made them very angry. I've seen other things like that in combat where there have been abuses. I wrote about one of them in my book where the Captain tortured the young severely and the young Sergeant put on a swastika and said, "If I'm going to act like a Nazi I'm going to look like one.' I think that the same kind of negative impact occurred in Jonestown." Gritz has more about Jonestown in his autobiography, *Called to Serve.* Perhaps you simply cannot believe what I am telling you. Will you believe it if told to you by the Green Beret officer in charge of the men who did the killing? He admits that the information was "compartmentalized" and it was not until later that he learned what his men were actually doing. The following information is from pages 584-587 of his book: "The true story of the Jonestown camp in Guyana has been brought to light through an extensive investigation conducted by John Judge, from Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and other dedicated researchers and investigators. The truth, which was thoroughly suppressed by the American media, is that it was actually a slave-labor camp run by Jones with the assistance of the CIA. Most of the information which follows is from John Judge's summary of the investigation, supplemented with information provided by Special Forces teams I had earlier trained and commanded, who were sent in to 'clean up the remains of Jonestown.' "Most of the black and Hispanic poor people and social activists who became the inmates of the camp were brought there either by force or coercion, or lured under false pretenses, where extensive experiments of drug-induced mind control were performed on them. Even before they were moved to Guyana, reports of beatings, kidnappings, sexual abuse and mysterious deaths had leaked out to the press about the earlier Peoples' Temple in Ukiah, California. "Jim Jones had a very interesting past which was overlooked by the media: During the time his friend Dan Mitrione was teaching torture techniques to the Brazilian and Argentineans, Jones was also sent to Brazil where his house, transportation and groceries were provided to him by the U.S. Embassy, and he frequently traveled to Belo Horizonte, the CIA headquarters in Brazil. "Jones had been contacted in Ukiah by 'Christian missionaries' from World Vision (World Vision is a CIA controlled front operation), an evangelical order which had performed espionage work for the CIA in Southeast Asia. Most of Jones' top lieutenants were from wealthy, educated backgrounds, many with connections to the military or intelligence agencies. These were the people who were involved in setting up the bank accounts, complex legal transactions and financial agreements which put people under the control of the Peoples' Temple. "Some of Jones' Lieutenants were: Dr. Lawrence Layton was chief of Chemical and Biological Warfare Research at Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah for many years and later worked as Director of Missile and Satellite Development at the Navy Propellant Division at Indian Head, Maryland. His wife, Lisa, was the daughter of Hugo Phillips, who had represented the huge Nazi manufacturing cartel, I.G. Farben, as a stockbroker. Their daughter, Debbie, met and married George Philip Blakey, whose parents had extensive stock holdings in Solve Drugs, a division of I.G. Farben. "Blakey was reputed to be training mercenaries in Jonestown who were sent to work with CIA-backed UNITA forces in Angola. Terri Buford's father, Admiral Charles T. Buford, worked with Naval Intelligence. Marie Katsaris' father was minister with the Greek Orthodox Church, thought to be a conduit of CIA funding, and she claimed she had proof he was a CIA agent. The 'official survivors' were represented upon their return to the U.S. by Joseph Blatchford, an attorney who had been named in a prior scandal involving CIA infiltration of the Peace Corps. "The people who were taken from San Francisco to begin their 'new life' in Guyana were bussed to Florida and arrived in Guyana bound and gagged, where they were forced to work 16 hours or more daily, and were fed on minimum rations. As more and more rumors began to filter back to the United States of druggings, beatings, torture, sexual humiliations and coercion at the Guyana site, Congressman Leo Ryan decided to go to Guyana and verify the situation for himself. "Ryan had challenged the CIA's overseas operations before, as a member of the House Committee responsible for oversight on intelligence. He was co-author of the controversial Hughes-Ryan Amendment, which would have required advance CIA disclosure to the congressional committees of all planned covert operations. The amendment would be defeated shortly after his death in Jonestown. "With Ryan on the way to Jonestown, the secrecy surrounding the camp would be broken and desperate measures would need to be taken to keep the truth from escaping, much less the inmates. In a futile attempt to test their conditioning methods, the leaders at Jonestown apparently tried to implement an actual suicide drill, but it was obviously ignored. Official stories first numbered the victims at 408, but later revised the toll upward to 913. It was claimed that some 505 bodies had been covered by those of the first 408 who had fallen directly on top of them, confusing those who had been counting from aerial photographs. - a blatant and ridiculous attempt at cover-up. "However, the first reports were true - 408 had died, and 700 fled to the jungle where British Black Watch troops and American Special Forces were conducting 'training exercises.' Of the 700, 505 who had been deliberately shot in the jungle were added to the count of those who had supposedly committed suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool Aid. "The truth is that nearly 400 inmates were forced to die by injection, according to the Chief Guyanese medical examiner, Dr. Mootoo, who arrived at Jonestown within hours of the massacre. He found needle marks on the left shoulder blades of 80-90% of the victims, and the others had been shot or strangled. "As Chief Medical Examiner, Mootoo's testimony to the Guyanese Grand Jury led to their conclusion that all but three of the people who had died at Jonestown were murdered by 'persons unknown.' Several pictures show the gunshot wounds on the bodies as well. The U.S. Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Schuler, told the press, 'No autopsies are needed. The cause of death is not an issue here,' and the forensic doctors who later performed the autopsies at Dover, Delaware, were never made aware of Dr. Mootoo's findings. "Guyanese troops discovered a large cache of drugs, enough to control the entire population of Georgetown, Guyana (pop. 200,000), for over a year. One footlocker contained 11,000 doses of Thorazine, a dangerous tranquilizer, and others such as sodium pentothal (truth serum), chloral hydrate (a hypnotic), demerol, Thallium (confuses thinking), haliopareael and Largatil (powerful tranquilizers) and many others. It was very evident that Jonestown was a tightly-run concentration camp, complete with medical and psychiatric experimentation. "Direct orders to cover up the cause of death came from the top levels of the American Government. Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter's national security advisor, authorized Robert Pastor to order Lt. Col. Gordon Sumner to strip the bodies of the medical bracelets they had been forced to wear for identification. Pastor later served as Deputy Director of the CIA. "One of the Special Forces sergeants assigned to the Jonestown massacre was so outraged about what he had witnessed that he had decided to describe the events in a book. While the Secrecy Act prevented him from detailing all that went on, SFC Inman carefully hid the entire story within his title: *All The Niggers Are Dead!* When I asked that he explain the crudeness of so naming his report, he replied, 'Sir, that's what they were. Both blacks and whites were niggers; that's what any slave is; that's what they were. That was our final radio message when the job we were assigned was finished.' I could tell by his bitterness that the government had no fear that the book would ever be printed. He just needed someone to vent his anger on. "Guyanese Prime Minister Forbes Burnham rose to power as the result of a CIA-inspired coup against the recalcitrant Guyanese leader Cheddi Jagan. Richard Dwyer, a CIA agent working as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Guyana, was shown to have been at the scene at the time of the massacre and at the airport strip, where he failed to order Guyanese troops, armed with machine guns, to defend Ryan and his staff. "Chief Consular Officer Richard McCoy, who was described as 'close to [Jim] Jones,' worked for military intelligence and was 'on loan' from the Defense Department at the time of the massacre. Dan Webber, who was sent to the Jonestown site the day after, was also named as a CIA agent. "U.S. Ambassador John Burke, who had served in the CIA since 1963 and had worked with Dwyer in Thailand, according to Philip Agee, tried to stop Ryan's investigation. The State Department concealed all reports of violations at Jonestown from Congressman Leo Ryan, while the Embassy regularly provided Jones with copies of all congressional inquiries under the Freedom of Information Act. "According to current reports, Jonestown has been 're-populated' with over 1,000 Laotion Hmong people who grew opium and served under General Vang Pao during our 'secret war' in Laos and Cambodia. According to these reports, World Vision was also attempting to move the population from the island of Dominica to Jonestown. "In addition to the already mentioned torture camp, Colonia Dignidad, another is reported to be located at Pisgua, Chile. Inside Guyana itself is another 'religious community,' named Hilltown, also operated under iron discipline, with 8,000 blacks from Guyana and the U.S. They were allowed to clear the Jonestown site of shoes and weapons, both of which are in short supply in Guyana. It may only be a matter of time before another Jonestown is exposed. It is sad to know that what started out to be an information gathering organization has turned into an instrument of the dragon." - November 18, 2008dickface poopnose

Reviewer: AHerald - favorite favorite - November 17, 2008

Subject: response to oeilsevere oeilsevere wrote:

[quote]" I wrote this because I know that many people will judge these people who died in Jonestown and think they must had been ignorant or uneducated or poor or depressed or even mentally ill but I want to say that my friend, Christine Miller, was none of the above. ", wrote someone here.



Because your friend was from the educated White upper-middle class automatically exonerates her from being qualified as a dumbass? Please.[/quote]



Hey, oeilsevere, you might want to think before you leap to conclusions and open your yap to lecture others:



Christine Miller was black, not white.



It reveals a lot about you and your racial biases that you automatically presumed that the comment, "ignorant or uneducated or poor or depressed or even mentally ill" excludes the white upper middle class. - November 17, 2008response to oeilsevere

Reviewer: storehadji - - November 16, 2008

Subject: Tampering Why is there slowed down and perhaps backwards music playing through the entire tape?



The tape sounds as though it was tampered with.



If the tape is from the FBI, then did they add the music? Why? And if so, were any other changes, editing or deletions done?



If this isn't the complete original tape, it would be interesting to hear how it differs from the original one. - November 16, 2008Tampering

Reviewer: geeman - - November 15, 2008

Subject: Most terible thing I've ever heard This tape is macabre in the extreme. However, it is right that it should be heard by the public so that they can realise the dangers of extreme cults. Reading other people's reviews a common question is "How could Jones have made these people do this?" and "Why did they follow him when he was such a poor speaker?" Well people need to bear in mind that by the end Jones was a sick man, almost certainly from drug abuse and he may have had a brain infection which made his speech slurred. Tim Reitermann was struck by the deterioration in Jones' health when he saw him the day before the massacre. People should bear in mind how Hitler was able to convince millions of highly educated Germans that there was a "Judeo-Bolshevik arch-conspiracy" to bring Germany down. Compare archive footage of Hitler at Nuremburg in 1936 with the paranoid, Parkinson's afflicted wreck so brilliantly realised in the movie Downfall to get an idea of how Jones must have similarly slumped. My own view of Jones is that he probably started off with genuine intentions but as the old adage goes, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," there may have been some in his inner circle who fed his paranoia and took it to the extreme level.



That is not to excuse the actions of Jones and his henchmen, as we approach the 30th anniversary of this terrible tragedy I hope that God has mercy on all the souls of Jonestown both the innocent and the misguided.



R.I.P. - November 15, 2008Most terible thing I've ever heard

Reviewer: hoodrich - - November 14, 2008

Subject: This is crazy I can not believe that this happened, I am only 25 years old, I did not have any knowledge of Jonestown, until a special was done on CNN news. I know i should not have listened, but curiosity got the best of me. He murdered hundreds of people, through manipulation, the one person who tried to stop it, at least stop them from killing the children, was verbally ambushed, just for having he rown opinion. This is incredible bullshit, I just do not understand how people allowed this man to convince to kill their kids, kids are literally dying in the background, some are crying because obviously they are torn, but forced. OMG - November 14, 2008This is crazy

Reviewer: Sookie1928 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 14, 2008

Subject: Christine Miller Christine Miller was a dear friend of mine; we lived together for many years. I never knew what attracted her to Jim Jones' Ministry. He did not impress me the same way he impressed her but I can say that Christine was a born again Christian, she was filled with the Holy Spirit, she loved God with all her heart, and she had a heart for people. Christine was very educated and very intelligent. She was upper-middle class, she was not from the ghetto, she lived a very prosperous life, she never had any children and this may be why she tried so hard to get them not to kill the children; she loved children very much. I am the mother of nine children and she helped me with my children, especially monetary wise. Christine shared not only her home with me, but her car and she bought me clothes (she dressed very elegant-when we would go to church or go out she would look like a movie star). She was a really dear friend. My husband and I had separated just before Christine had flown to Guiana. She invited me to join her and I almost did. I had never been out of the USA and she earnestly believed this was going to be a beautiful experience for me and my children. But my mother-in-the-Lord, Arlene Booker, talked me out of it so had it not been for the grace of God, my children and I would have died in Guiana.



I wrote this because I know that many people will judge these people who died in Jonestown and think they must had been ignorant or uneducated or poor or depressed or even mentally ill but I want to say that my friend, Christine Miller, was none of the above. I loved her very much, I love her even now and I miss her with all my heart.



Pat - November 14, 2008Christine Miller

Reviewer: usuai - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 11, 2008

Subject: What the fuck It is astounding to me to hear this audio, I think the reality of what we all know is going on in the midst of what we're hearing is the most chilling part. To me, Jim Jones was nothing more than a small-time wannabe with unfulfilled aspirations of greatness. He wasn't even religious, yet he went by reverend, because unfortunately people are allowed to preach and teach whatever they desire under the title of religion. He knew that the game was pretty much over once the congressman was killed, and instead of going out alone as a consequence, he used the lives of nearly 1000 people to send a message to his would be captors. We all know that a lot of bullshit gets carried out in the name of religion, even today, but to make children commit suicide for your insane cause, is just disgusting. There is no way all of those people wanted to die, I'm sure a lot of the more ignorantly blind-faithful did, but not all of them. And even if they did, if you wanna be a lunatic and end your life behind ideals which are obviously inept in comprehension, because you're that desperate for faith or an answer to your life, then be my guest. Those children didn't even have a choice, I'm not a religious man but if there is a hell, I hope Jim Jones and everyone of his devout adult followers is burning in it right now for what they took from those innocent children.



Those who cannot see, trust that the ones guiding them are sighted, but can never really know. - November 11, 2008What the fuck

Reviewer: JasperFellow - - November 8, 2008

Subject: I just don't understand How could those people do that to children?



And in God's name?



Those people all deserved to die.



No mercy.



I only have one question - why did Jones reprimand the children for crying? Because he wanted them to keep their "red pride"? Or because he knew what he was doing was evil and just wanted it to be done.



God bless his family who denied and survived him.



~D - November 8, 2008I just don't understand

Reviewer: Prettylegs - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 21, 2008

Subject: Responding To Questions My sister died as a member. She was kdinapped and smuggled to Guyana with the help of her faternal grandmother. She was kidnapped and sent there 1 day after our mother was buried. Most people who were there believed in the good of God and people. He presented himself as a man of God but was really a Wolf in Sheeps skin.He also was an icon political leaderassited many to obtain fair housing, supplies attorney's for those who were being accused of crimes that they hadn't comitted, ect. He would assist the old to get their grandchildren into his church. He knew that he needed the young to built his compound in the middle of nowhere. So he used the old to get the young. They felt that he was a messiah, & represented change for the good. My sister was just 19 years old when she was abducted while grieving our mother's death. The State Department would give us no help in getting her back because as they stated, "She was 18 years old." I have lived in many states in the U.S, as well as traveled to many countries, but once he got the church members over there, they became entrapped and there was no way out, or back to the U.S.. She was there for a year before she was made to drink the cyinade. Yes Cristine was killed with the rest of them. She was 60 years old. I did contact Leo Ryan's office and was one of "The conerned Relative." I gave his office all of the information and he also died attempting to get her back to the States. It has been 31 years ago, but the pain is just as great as though it happened yesterday. I now live in Texas, and I see the same thing happening with these Mega Preachers here. I can easily see how these people got caught up! Believe me, so can you if you find yourself in an devasting situation, and you feel that there is no hope, and someone offers you assistance for your delimma, & they seem trust worthy, and sincere, it can happen. Believe me, you are not exempt! None of us are.. My sister was at her lowest because of the loss of our mother. She had just graduated from high school, and just was beginning to start her life when this happened. She was still living at home with our mother and never lived anyplace else. She was a baby that never experienced a death, or traumatic experience in life. She didn't have the chance to grieve before she was abducted. She didn't have any children and was still a virgin when she was abducted. She was a very quiet but very warm and plesant person to be around. And yet, she died also because of this man who portrayed himself to be a man of God, and doing the will of God. It was only when his members found themselves in Guyana did they find themselves trapped with no way out. They were told that they were going to the promise land, and life would be a eutopia society, compared to what they had here and they believe it because these pepole were distraught and they thought he was hope.So they trusted him. - October 21, 2008Responding To Questions

Reviewer: Elvisryman777 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 19, 2008

Subject: GDF The GDF stands for Guyana Defense Force. - October 19, 2008GDF

Reviewer: Chuck U Farley - favorite favorite favorite - October 10, 2008

Subject: Jones and followers were sadly pathetic. Frankly, I can't see how anyone was sucked in by this guy. He didn't come across as particularly charismatic. He wasn't a good speaker at all. He seems very obviously full of it on this tape. You'd have to have your eyes very tightly shut to fall for his line of horsehockey.



Obviously Jones knew he would be going down for the murder of a congressman and didn't want to face the music. He didn't want to die alone, so he took all these sheep with him. His motivation is no big mystery. The question is really about why everyone else would commit suicide along with him.



I think people who were involved with Jones were just people who wanted to belong to this social struggle so fervently that they would take it to any end no matter how absurd. I don't think they were brainwashed. I think they were all just bullshitting each to the nature of what they had affiliated themselves with, but when faced with the music they couldn't lose face by backing out.



Finally, when Christine comes to the realization that her death is at hand for someone she is not sure is worth dying for, her appeals to logic fall on purposefully deaf ears.



Or at least that's my assessment of the situation. I think I'll just go read Eric Hoffer's The True Believer again and be glad I'm wolf instead of a sheep. - October 10, 2008Jones and followers were sadly pathetic.

Reviewer: wingsprint - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 25, 2008

Subject: evidence of revision.. hello.....have any of the 98,000 people that have downloaded this done anymore homework on this subject.....



watch evidence of revision and really be scared.......



then find the video of ted kaczynski's brother telling the story about the mind control experiments he went thru at harvard and this will start to fall together for you - August 25, 2008evidence of revision..

Reviewer: bblstudent - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 11, 2008

Subject: questions Amazing. The sound quality is excellent.



I am conducting some research and stumbled onto this audio. I have so many new questions. Who exactly was Christine Miller, did she die? Who are the male voices besides Jim? I distinctly hear at least two.

When he instructs someone to "get Dwyer out of here before something happens to him"; I am confused because isn't this Congressman Dwyer who was injured at the airport when Congressman Leo Ryan was murdered earlier that day????

Two more questions what is the Red Brigade he refers to and what does GDF stand for???



Thanks to anyone who can help answer my questions. - August 11, 2008questions

Reviewer: fearlessfaith - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 28, 2008

Subject: Under the influence of Evil I am giving this a top rating not for the quality of the audio but for the opportunity to hear what happens when evil reigns.



Like the sign over Jim Jones "throne" says those who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it.



What I understand by studying mind control and group think dynamics and most importantly being a follower of Christ is that anyone can be deceived. The question is after realizing that deception is taking place are we strong enough to resist it.



When I've been involved with being deceived by a group of people. Whether it be a high pressure sales person or a group of influential people who you hold in esteem- is that it becomes easy to trick your mind to believe their message when they have something that you lack in life. So instead of affirming yourself your discredit your "warning" system and take on their reality. And there it begins, the slippery road to hell. Thanks for the opportunity to learn and spread the word. - July 28, 2008Under the influence of Evil

Reviewer: bluecat55 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 15, 2008

Subject: Unreal and Fascinating. I believe Jones was undiagnosed but either bipolar or obsessive compulsive. Followers would say that in Jonestown he'd ramble on and on thru the loudspeaker many hours a day. He survived off little rest, took many prescribed pills and was extremely promiscuous w/both men and women. If books are to be believed, some of the tales told about things Jones did would make anyone shudder. Right now on ebay, you can find Jonestown audio. I would encourage anyone to look into it. It will give you a better insight into who this man was. He burned himself out on both ends with his erratic and wild behavior. Though intelligent, he was incapable of making logical decisions. He spoke of death many times. He didn't fear it and wanted to die. I believe this was an ulterior motive to get ppl into Jonestown because he didn't want to die alone. Why ppl, especially Blacks, followed him? I really don't know except to say they enjoyed his preaching and the family like setting and fellowship that they would otherwise not have. He used the "N" word more than once, and Blacks didn't seem to get offended. He was very attractive and sexually appealing and that was one trapping he used to lure young, naive females into his fold.

Aside from all of that, he was a man of contradictions. He berated any white man who didn't have a black wife, yet he was married to a white woman. He talked bad about gay sex but he was involved. He spoke against suicide, yet we see what happened. He stopped believing in God and yet you can hear him in the tape saying, "Oh God!!" Just a very few of many contradictions. Again, check out those audio. You'll understand better how the mind of this man worked. - June 15, 2008Unreal and Fascinating.

Reviewer: jswood - favorite - May 23, 2008

Subject: Respons se to Jonestown 2008 Mrs. Krazykaty at age 15



You are wise beyond your years. So many thoughts and reasons for your conclusions and no answers WHY.



Unfortunatly, I have never met a 15 yr old of your insight. So tell me why are you concerned? Let me ask you this question were the people of Jonestown of a strong-mind or a weak-mind? I have a hard time believing members of a soft mind are able to kill themselves. Unfortunatley it is a two way street. You have to be dedicated to one cause......life or death you must be dedicatd to one cause. I guess that was my attempt at humor.



I don't believe a 15 year old wrote that blog. Prove it. Tell me what a 15 year old thinks about PROM.



Not to discourage you from your passion but write about the reality of prom as you do about Jonestown.

I will evaluate from there. Impress you never know who is watching :) - May 23, 2008Respons se to Jonestown 2008

Reviewer: krazykaty - - April 10, 2008

Subject: Equality



the actions of the people were crazy,rash, and miss



but i just have something that bothers me. the way jones tends to change his main thoughts. like he was preaching about how everyone was equal. he still pointed out, that most of the people who left jonestown were white. and later in the clip he said we are a strong "black" people. if everyone were of mixed cultures, and he accepted everyone then why did it matter what color they were. it kinda goes against what he had been preaching.



people had of course been worried, and scarred of what was to come next. jones acted annoyed that people were upset at the sight of the babys dying. he was like just calm down your scarring people. i think uncertainty will always bring fear, and no one knows what death will bring.



what the people did on november 18 1978 was crazy. but honestly i could tell by how jones talked to the crowed each and everyone of them was brainwashed into thinking he was the most amazing thing heaven sent, to save them. when a woman expressed her fear, her want to move to russia. he kept trying to just put down everything she said. she said if there is life there is always hope, then jones said there is no hope, no hope in anything. most were just trying something to believe in. they found Jones. the sadest part is Jones only truely believed in death with no life. no hope, no future. just take a drink is what he kept repeating. over and over "all death is, is a long sleep". he didnt care for the people of Jonestown. he only cared to carry out his insane plan. and nothing was going to stop him.



the scarry thing about the tape is, everytime pepole would say things like no im not ready to die i dont want this there is another way. the tape would stop. then it would start again. i just wonder what had happend in those momments where the tape wasnt rolling, and why when it was turned back on did no one say anything negative?



i think this was a very strange occurance of a group of very desprate people. who just wanted change. and my thought is, if there is a god out there, he put us on this earth for a reason. that reason is unknown to us. but for some reason he wasted us to live. not for us to kill ourselves. and if jones didnt want gods greatest gift of life, then did he really want god? he thought there was no hope in the world. well with religion there was to be hope with god.



but no one will ever really know what truely happened in Jonestown in 1978. its a tragic time the history of man. but we keep moving forward. and keep trying to make sense of life. even when most cant okay, so the recent events by the mormans in their compound, have brought up talk of Jonestown. I didnt know what it was but in my history class my teacher started to tell me the story. i instantly became fasinated by it. i dont know what it is but the story of just people so into a belief of group of people as a whole, living together for perfect peace is just a concept everyone all over the world would love to have. but as history has shown this can and never will be, in a world where all there is is fighting.the actions of the people were crazy,rash, and miss guided.i am only 15, but even at this age as a freshman in high school i feel like i know there will never be a perfect place, where everyone is loved no matter what race,religion, etc.human nature is to love. and with love you must have hate, to know how great love truely is.but i just have something that bothers me. the way jones tends to change his main thoughts. like he was preaching about how everyone was equal. he still pointed out, that most of the people who left jonestown were white. and later in the clip he said we are a strong "black" people. if everyone were of mixed cultures, and he accepted everyone then why did it matter what color they were. it kinda goes against what he had been preaching.people had of course been worried, and scarred of what was to come next. jones acted annoyed that people were upset at the sight of the babys dying. he was like just calm down your scarring people. i think uncertainty will always bring fear, and no one knows what death will bring.what the people did on november 18 1978 was crazy. but honestly i could tell by how jones talked to the crowed each and everyone of them was brainwashed into thinking he was the most amazing thing heaven sent, to save them. when a woman expressed her fear, her want to move to russia. he kept trying to just put down everything she said. she said if there is life there is always hope, then jones said there is no hope, no hope in anything. most were just trying something to believe in. they found Jones. the sadest part is Jones only truely believed in death with no life. no hope, no future. just take a drink is what he kept repeating. over and over "all death is, is a long sleep". he didnt care for the people of Jonestown. he only cared to carry out his insane plan. and nothing was going to stop him.the scarry thing about the tape is, everytime pepole would say things like no im not ready to die i dont want this there is another way. the tape would stop. then it would start again. i just wonder what had happend in those momments where the tape wasnt rolling, and why when it was turned back on did no one say anything negative?i think this was a very strange occurance of a group of very desprate people. who just wanted change. and my thought is, if there is a god out there, he put us on this earth for a reason. that reason is unknown to us. but for some reason he wasted us to live. not for us to kill ourselves. and if jones didnt want gods greatest gift of life, then did he really want god? he thought there was no hope in the world. well with religion there was to be hope with god.but no one will ever really know what truely happened in Jonestown in 1978. its a tragic time the history of man. but we keep moving forward. and keep trying to make sense of life. even when most cant - April 10, 2008Equality

Reviewer: John_Henry - favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 2, 2008

Subject: Crazy I'll admit that I've only listened to a part of this death tape. But I watched the PBS documentary on Jonestown a couple of days ago, which included long snippets of this very tape. Putting Jones and his followers into the greater context of the twenty years of the People's Temple, the PBS documentary makes a pretty compelling case that Jones et al. weren't particularly Christian, in the objective sense.



For sure, Jones' style was honed in his early days when he attended a Pentecostal church. But Jones regarded the Bible as the book that had kept the black man down for centuries. He regarded everyone in the world (save himself) as homosexuals, hardly a Christian belief. He didn't believe in heaven, but rather wanted to build heaven on earth. Even the followers that are interviewed in the documentary state that they didn't believe in heaven.



The movement seems to have been rooted, less in Christianity, and more in the stale warmed over communism of the day. They sought to live in community, in peace, in harmony with nature, all as equals. All great ideals. But they were unable to carry them out.



Which is why all the comments that leap to the conclusion that this mass suicide was somehow a result of belief in "biblegod" or whatever is curious. Surely Christianity has spawned its fair share of kooks over the centuries, but so have secular ideologies. And Jonestown is most certainly one of them. - April 2, 2008Crazy

Reviewer: Septopus - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 19, 2008

Subject: Human Drama at its finest For those of you who dont think this is what 'god' wanted, turn back to your bibles and read them. Pick up a copy of Ken Smiths's Guide To The Bible to help you. It's clear that the 'morality' of 'god' and 'the bible' is pretty wacky and doesnt meet our much higher ethical standards of today.



The tape disturbing. Man religious man with a flock of sheep that he is about to execute because the walls are coming down. Devote followers saying this isnt a time for sadness, but for joy. Comfort the children... How did the parents and loved ones of these people fail in such a way to allow this conman a way in? Listening to this unfold should make you feel uneasy, sad, and angry.



We seriously need more ppl like jimmy jones out there to collect up the weak of mind and spirit and dispose of them of their on free will. How nice it would be to read that all the followers from the movie "Jesus Camp" did themselves in with koolaid?



The strong shall inherit the meeks reward. - February 19, 2008Human Drama at its finest

Reviewer: Matthew_Kennedy - favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 28, 2008

Subject: Very Interesting Im glad so glad i am English and was not brought up with religion as a part of my life its just evil controlling people with lies calming you know more than the next man about something all of us know nothing of.

I also can't understand how people don't question what he says, he says really stupid things and the crowd just shout YEAHHHHH without thinking what is he talking about?? why does he keep shouting out irrelevant quotes when ever someone asks him a question he doesn't like??



haha "death is common to people" at that point i would be seriously thinking how the hell did i follow this idiot to Jonestown! - January 28, 2008Very Interesting

Reviewer: SonicStrife - - January 8, 2008

Subject: Desperation The thing that alot of these reviewers don't realize is that when people are on the edge of desperation they'll believe just about anything if it's thrown out there at them.



Many of them seem tired of all the hell that they've been put through and death is just a solution that Jim Jones was able to give to them. They can't find another one so they go with his.



The female on the tape doesn't seem to have alot to say and although alot of what Jim Jones is saying is bullshit, he's coming across as the one who knows what he's talking about because of the sheer amount of things he has to say. - January 8, 2008Desperation

Reviewer: Rustychuck - favorite favorite favorite - November 13, 2007

Subject: Sheer herd madness What to say about what I've just heard?



Jim Jones does not come across as particularly compelling in these final moments. His thoughts and statements, if listened to properly, are such basic contradictions. Hold his mumblings up to the light and they don't mean anything. They are so feeble. The simplest enquiring mind could blast holes through every single word he utters.



Indeed, when Christine Miller seems to see some sense in the face of real death, Jim Jones can't even come back at her with a convincing argument. He pauses for thought, can't get his words out as an inspired 'prophet' should. He simply repeats again and again that soldiers are going to parachute down on Jonestown and torture their children. He does not speak intelligently. Indeed, he seems like he can barely be bothered to speak at all.



It made me angry to hear him berating parents for mourning their dying children. And also to hear these children coughing, crying and literally expiring in the background. As for the suicidal victims coming up on stage to give a twisted version of an Oscar acceptance speech: "I'd like to thank my father...my mother...and most of all, everyone here"? It makes my mind reel.



I know that this tape has been doctored. And I know that many people willingly did this to themselves and their families (others not so willingly, perhaps).



What I just can't fathom is how so many people came under the influence of Jim Jones. From the evidence on this tape, he was a half-baked dunce with staggeringly childish notions of faith, truth and mortality. - November 13, 2007Sheer herd madness

Reviewer: Jesus_Freak - - November 12, 2007

Subject: final_deposition What this man preaches is not Christianity. It's Satanic. It's not what God wanted, and its not what the Bible tells us.



God does not corrupt. Satan corrupts. He takes the word of God and twists it into something evil, while making it sound great at the same time.



There is an afterlife. Heaven and Hell. What you believe depends on where you go.



Life was a gift. We all have free will to decide what to do with it. So did all these people. They CHOSE to believe this man. They CHOSE to die. This world is corrupt. Don't blame God, the only one who can and wants fix it, for doing that. We did it all on our own.



Common sense will get you no where when you look at it as you do. Both Christ and Satan are smarter than we can even dream. Don't kid yourself.



Don't bash something you know nothing about. The fact that you smash Jesus and Muhammad and every other religion altogether like its all the same thing, is proof of your ignorance. - November 12, 2007final_deposition

Reviewer: SpecimenB - favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 7, 2007

Subject: background music The music you hear in the background is a under recording on the tape. Many old tape machines don't fully erase a recording when a tape is reused as it was here. The music here was recorded at a different speed than the speed of Jim's recording. Also, a couple of times in the tape you can hear radio chatter. This is also a product of technologically old equipment. Electronics from that era often picked up radio signals. It's likely the chatter is from radio broadcasts occurring in the compound during the massacre. - November 7, 2007background music

Reviewer: thomas___ - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 5, 2007

Subject: This guy is, a straight up freak. - November 5, 2007This guy is,

Reviewer: paul__ - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 21, 2007

Subject: Listen the tape bacwards I listened it and I noticed a weird sound, like a heavily pitched down voice and music (it is in more places, but most noticeable is in the end).

Unfortuantely is too low to be easily understadeble. The only word I could understand is "radio". Well, this need to be further analyzed if it's really something there and not a pareidolia effect. - June 21, 2007Listen the tape bacwards

Reviewer: jaidemm - favorite - June 8, 2007

Subject: How do I download this I can't download this....why???? - June 8, 2007How do I download this

Reviewer: SpoiL - - April 22, 2007

Subject: final_deposition You refer to hell as if you believe in it but yet speak against a spiritual world. What a joke - April 22, 2007final_deposition

Reviewer: final_deposition - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 18, 2007

Subject: common sense Perhaps the shining example of how Jesus, Muhammad et al corrupts. Bankrupt principles of living and dying on orders of witch doctors interpreting fairie tales written thousands of years ago. Fanciful dreams of afterlife based on doctored books written by uneducated sheep herders. This is a cautionary tale to avoid self-proclaimed "holy" men or books written by men supposedly "inspired" by god.



The only people who survived were those who rejected it and trusted their own common sense and ran for their lives--lives that will only exist once. There is no afterlife, and if anyone asks you to give it up, do like the survivors and run like hell. - April 18, 2007common sense

Reviewer: alexsteed - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 1, 2007

Subject: Is it funny to anyone else... ...that Skoddan blamed the bad quality of recording--of all things--on Jones? - April 1, 2007Is it funny to anyone else...

Reviewer: Cami Edwards - favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 29, 2007

Subject: so heartbreaking



it is just so heartbreaking listening to the woman, christine, who is questioning father. in light of the whole story, that took a lot of courage for her to question, even at that late stage of the game. i wonder if her family heard that, if she had any that were not part of jonestown or the people's temple. what i think people don't understand, what you can't even get from listening to this tape, is that people were forced to do it. not everyone drank the poison voluntarily. there were guards around the temple, and there was such pressure from their peers. so sad. i just recently read deborah layton's book, after seeing the newest documentary ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0762111/) about the people's temple. both are excellent, i highly recommend them if you're interested in the subject. the documentary had some footage of this in it, but it is chilling to hear it all. it is like you are there. i think what really struck me about the people's temple was the message it preached. equality, anti-capitalism, anti-war. i could understand the appeal of the message. those issues are even more current and appealing today. at the beginning of the documentary, i found myself relating to the people drawn to the temple, understanding why they would want to be involved.it is just so heartbreaking listening to the woman, christine, who is questioning father. in light of the whole story, that took a lot of courage for her to question, even at that late stage of the game. i wonder if her family heard that, if she had any that were not part of jonestown or the people's temple. what i think people don't understand, what you can't even get from listening to this tape, is that people were forced to do it. not everyone drank the poison voluntarily. there were guards around the temple, and there was such pressure from their peers. so sad. - March 29, 2007so heartbreaking

Reviewer: concerned_soul36 - favorite favorite favorite - March 13, 2007

Subject: this town was in deep trouble with God it was sad and disappointing,to hear how some of these people follow him. and it only led to their death,and if you noticed Jim Jones was very paranoid

about his life. He lived for not Jesus but the devil,there are so many secrets that are hidden that the government knows of and some they probably don't. He deceived them to take their life,and that their life was not theirs to be taken in the first place.

I am for those who were able to get away from that.

I can't believe how they drank this poison,thinking they were going to another life.

Only life they were going to was hell,cause it is not our life to take.

and to convince them to destroy their life,it was awful to hear that.

the way they cursed,that was no church at all.

demonic things happened,the day that some of those people fled.

before the tragic day of this death,their was a dark storm that had happen.

and it was so dark and gloomy,that it was evil and demonic. according to the one guy who did flee from that place,before they were about to destroy their lives. - March 13, 2007this town was in deep trouble with God

Reviewer: nadwill - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 9, 2007

Subject: Just Some Thoughts... While this tape is emotionally upsetting, it is also deeply thought-provoking. It is unbelievable to me that so many people could (and did) follow this man [Jim Jones] into death on his word. It makes me very sad and all I can think is to pray for those poor souls who perished, and for their families.



What is also really disturbing to me in listening to this tape of Jim Jones speaking is that his irrational "logic" and his paranoia remind me of my late mother, who was bipolar (manic depressive). She did her best to persuade (if not force) those around her to accept her deluded beliefs. The frightening thing is that she could often be somewhat or even quite convincing, even when you knew she wasn't making any sense. The best I can call what she did is very stealthy emotional sabotage and brainwashing. It was difficult to differentiate the v