 In the wake of Nettles ' death , Applewhite became increasingly paranoid , fearing a conspiracy against his group . One member who joined in the mid @-@ 1980s recalled that Applewhite avoided new converts , worrying that they were infiltrators . He feared a government raid on their home and spoke highly of the Jewish defenders of Masada in ancient Israel who showed total resistance to the Roman Empire . Increasingly , he began to discuss the Apocalypse , comparing the Earth to an overgrown garden that was to be recycled or rebooted and humanity to a failed experiment . In accordance with the garden metaphor , he stated that the Earth would be " spaded under " . Woodward notes that Applewhite 's teaching about the Earth 's recycling is similar to the cyclical perspective of time found in Buddhism . Applewhite also utilized New Age concepts , but he differed from that movement by predicting that apocalyptic , rather than utopian , changes would soon occur on Earth . He contended that most humans had been brainwashed by Lucifer , but that his followers could break free of this control . He specifically cited sexual urges as the work of Lucifer . In addition , he stated that there were evil extraterrestrials , whom he referred to as " Luciferians " , who sought to thwart his mission . He argued that many prominent moral teachers and advocates of political correctness were actually Luciferians . This theme emerged in 1988 , possibly in response to the lurid alien abduction stories that were proliferating at the time . 
 In the wake of Nettles <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'</mark></a>death , Applewhite became increasingly paranoid , fearing a conspiracy against his group . One member <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>who</mark></a>joined in the mid @-@ 1980s recalled that Applewhite avoided new converts , worrying that they <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> infiltrators . He feared a government raid on their home and spoke highly of the Jewish defenders of Masada in ancient Israel <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>who</mark></a>showed total resistance to the Roman Empire . Increasingly , he began to discuss the Apocalypse , comparing the Earth to an overgrown garden <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>that</mark></a>was to be recycled or rebooted and humanity to a failed experiment . In accordance with the garden metaphor , he stated that the Earth would be " spaded under " . Woodward <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>notes</mark></a> that Applewhite <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>teaching about the Earth <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>recycling is similar to the cyclical perspective of time found in Buddhism . Applewhite also utilized New Age concepts , but he differed from that movement by predicting that apocalyptic , rather than utopian , changes would soon occur on Earth . He contended that most humans <a href='been_done' title='9'><mark>had</mark></a> been brainwashed by Lucifer , but that his followers could break free of this control . He specifically cited sexual urges as the work of Lucifer . In addition , he stated that <a href='dey_it' title='10'><mark>there</mark></a> <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>were</mark></a> evil extraterrestrials , whom he referred to as " Luciferians " , <a href='null_relcl' title='12'><mark>who</mark></a>sought to thwart his mission . He argued that many prominent moral teachers and advocates of political correctness <a href='uninflect' title='13'><mark>were</mark></a> actually Luciferians . This theme emerged in 1988 , possibly in response to the lurid alien abduction stories <a href='null_relcl' title='14'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='15'><mark>were</mark></a> proliferating at the time . 
In the wake of Nettles  death , Applewhite became increasingly paranoid , fearing a conspiracy against his group . One member joined in da mid @-@ 1980s recalled that Applewhite avoided new converts , thinkin that they was infiltrators . He feared a government raid on their home and spoke highly of tdaJewish defenders of Masada in ancient Israel showed total resistance to thdaoman Empire . Increasingly , he began to discuss thedaocalypse , comparing the dath to an overgrown garden was to b recycled or rebooted and humanity to a failed experiment . In accordance with the garden metaphor , he stated dat the Earth would bb" spaded under " . Woodward note that Applewhite  teaching about the Edah  recycling is similar to the cydacal perspective of time found in Buddhism . Applewhite also utilized New Age concepts , but he differed from tdatmovement by predicting thdatpocalyptic , rather than utopian , changes would soon occur on Earth . He contended thadatst humans done been brainwashed by Lucifer , but thatdat followers could break free of this control . He specifically cited sexual urges as the wordaf Lucifer . In addition , he stated that it was evil extraterrestrials , whom he referred to as " Luciferians " , sought to thwart his mission . He argued that dat prominent moral teachers and advocates of political correctness was actually Luciferians . This theme emerged in 1988 , possibly in response to the lurid alien abduction stories was proliferating at the timeda