Here is an account of what happened on December 21, 1954, when another cult group awaited the "End of Days"
It begins with a housewife from Chicago by the name of "Marian Keech", who had mysteriously been given messages in her house in the form of "automatic writing" from alien beings on the planet Clarion.
These messages apparently revealed that the world would end in a great flood before dawn on December 21, 1954.
The group of believers, headed by Keech, took strong behavioral steps to indicate their degree of commitment - an action that some of Harold Camping's faithful followers have taken as well: They left jobs, college, spouses, and gave away money and possessions to prepare for their departure on the flying saucer, which was to rescue the group of true believers.
Come eve of December 21, 1954.
Described below is the sequence of events on that fateful day, as reported by Festinger and his colleagues who had infiltrated Mrs. Keech's group:
December 20. The group expects a visitor from outer space to call upon them at midnight and to escort them to a waiting spacecraft. As instructed, the group goes to great lengths to remove all metallic items from their persons. As midnight approaches, zippers, bra straps, and other objects are discarded. The group waits.
12:05 A.M., December 21. No visitor. Someone in the group notices that another clock in the room shows 11:55. The group agrees that it is not yet midnight.
12:10 A.M. The second clock strikes midnight. Still no visitor. The group sits in stunned silence. The cataclysm itself is no more than seven hours away.
4:00 A.M. The group has been sitting in stunned silence. A few attempts at finding explanations have failed. Keech begins to cry.
4:45 A.M. Another message by automatic writing is sent to Keech. It states, in effect, that the God of Earth has decided to spare the planet from destruction. The cataclysm has been called off: "The little group, sitting all night long, had spread so much light that God had saved the world from destruction."
Afternoon, December 21. Newspapers are called; interviews are sought. In a reversal of its previous distaste for publicity, the group begins an urgent campaign to spread its message to as broad an audience as possible.
Modifié par naughty99, 22 mai 2011 - 03:06 .