Although many popular commentators , including psychologist Margaret Singer , speculate that Applewhite brainwashed his followers , many academics have rejected the " brainwashing " label as an oversimplification that do not express the nuances of the process by which the followers was influenced . Lalich speculate that they was willing to follow Applewhite in suicide because they had become totally dependent upon him , and hence was poorly suited for life in his absence . Davis attribute Applewhite 's success in convincing his followers to commit suicide to two factors : he isolated them socially and cultivated an attitude of complete religious obedience in them . Applewhite 's students had made a long @-@ term commitment to him , and Balch and Taylor infer that this is why his interpretations of events appeared coherent to them . Most of the dead had been members for about 20 years , although there was a few recent converts .