Psychopathology of Jim Jones

Lee, Byung Wook

Abstract

It is confirmed that the tragic catastrophe in Jonestown in 1978 was the result of the seriously distorted group delusions. Jim Jones shared his personal extreme religious and political ideologies with his followers. He was the very charismatic leader of Peoples Temple, but he was also a paranoid person with delusions of grandeur and persecution, as well as a substance and sexual abuser. I studied his developmental history in terms of moral psychosis. He was a very unhappy and lonely child, neglected by his parents. His early childhood religious concerns and marriage at the young age of 18 to an older woman revealed his earnest longing for maternal love and a new, large family. Jim Jones needed to new mother, a new father, a new family, and new children. Really he set up a new church as a big family, and adopted many children. He wanted to compensate for his own unhappy childhood. He was called Father by his followers, and in time, became the powerful ruler of his group. Nevertheless he lacked basic trust in everyone , and he could not stand to be by himself, therefore he needed the group's support. His sense of security was destroyed by deserters from Jonestown in 1978. He seemed to be in despair and very frustrated due to this unexpected separation and abandonment. Therefore, he attempted a mass suicide, hopelessly and revengefully trying to destroy all of his whole inner self, including remnants of his parents. Nobody expected that Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple would meet catastrophe through mass suicide; however, it wasn't that surprising given that many similar phenomena based on Apocalyptic revelations have occurred in the late 20th century. We must to remember the tragedy of the Jonestown story in order to prevent further tragic events. Ultimately, a sane family begets a corresponding sane society.