 After Nettles ' death , Applewhite also altered his view of ascension : previously , he had taught that the group would physically ascend from the Earth and that death caused reincarnation , but her death - which left behind an unchanged , corporeal body - forced him to say that the ascension could be spiritual . He then concluded that her spirit had traveled to a spaceship and received a new body and that he and his followers would do the same . In his view , the Biblical heaven was actually a planet on which highly evolved beings dwelt , and physical bodies were required to ascend there . Applewhite believed that once they reached the Next Level , they would facilitate evolution on other planets . He emphasized that Jesus , whom he believed was an extraterrestrial , came to Earth , was killed , and bodily rose from the dead before being transported onto a spaceship . According to Applewhite 's doctrine , Jesus was a gateway to heaven but had found humanity unready to ascend when he first came to the Earth . Applewhite then decided that there was an opportunity for humans to reach the Next Level " every two millennia " , and the early 1990s would therefore provide the first opportunity to reach the Kingdom of Heaven since the time of Jesus . Zeller notes that his beliefs were based on the Christian Bible but were interpreted through the lens of belief in alien contact with humanity . 
 After Nettles <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'</mark></a>death , Applewhite also altered his view of ascension : previously , he <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> taught that the group would physically ascend from the Earth and that death caused reincarnation , but her death - which left behind an unchanged , corporeal body - forced him to say that the ascension could be spiritual . He then concluded that her spirit <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> traveled to a spaceship and received a new body and that he and his followers would do the same . In his view , the Biblical heaven was actually a planet on which highly evolved beings dwelt , and physical bodies <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> required to ascend there . Applewhite believed that once they reached the Next Level , they would facilitate evolution on other planets . He emphasized that Jesus , whom he believed was an extraterrestrial , came to Earth , was killed , and bodily rose from the dead before being transported onto a spaceship . According to Applewhite <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>doctrine , Jesus was a gateway to heaven but <a href='been_done' title='6'><mark>had</mark></a> found humanity unready to ascend when he first came to the Earth . Applewhite then decided that <a href='dey_it' title='7'><mark>there</mark></a> was an opportunity for humans to reach the Next Level " every two millennia " , and the early 1990s would therefore provide the first opportunity to reach the Kingdom of Heaven since the time of Jesus . Zeller <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>notes</mark></a> that his beliefs <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>were</mark></a> based on the Christian Bible but <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>were</mark></a> interpreted through the lens of belief in alien contact with humanity . 
After Nettles  death , Applewhite also altered his view of ascension : previously , he done taught that the group would physically ascend from the Earth and that death caused reincarnation , but her death - which left behind an unchanged , corporeal body - forced him to say that the ascension could be spiritual . He then concluded that her spirit done traveled to a spaceship and received a new body and dat he and his followers would do the same . In his view , the Biblical heaven was actually a planet on which highly evolved beings dwelt , and physical bodies was required to ascend there . Applewhite believed tdatonce they reached the nxt Level , they would facilitate evolution on other planets . He emphasized that Jesus , whom he believed was an extraterrestrial , came to Earth , was killed , and bodily rose from the dead before bein transported onto a spaceship . According to Applewhite  doctrine , Jesus was a gateway to heaven but done found humanity unready to ascend when he first came to da Earth . Applewhite then decided that it was an opportunity for humans to reach the NnxtLevel " every 2 millennia " , and the early 1990s would therefore provide the first opportunity to reach tdaKingdom of Heaven since thdaime of Jesus . Zeller note thdatis beliefs was based on thedaristian Bible but was interpreted through the lens of belief in alien contact wid humanity .