Order of the Solar Temple

The Order of the Solar Temple was an esoteric religious movement founded in 1984 by Joseph Di Mambro and Luc Jouret. It became known for mass deaths at sites in Switzerland, France, and Canada.

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Joseph Di Mambro: A French occultist who co-founded the Order of the Solar Temple with Luc Jouret. He built the movement’s esoteric doctrine and exercised authority over its inner circle.
1994 Solar Temple deaths: Deaths of Order of the Solar Temple members in Switzerland and Quebec in October 1994. This first major wave made the organization internationally known.
Golden Way Foundation: A foundation established by Joseph Di Mambro in Geneva that preceded the Order of the Solar Temple. It provided an organizational setting from which the Order developed.
Cult: A religious or social group, often characterized by distinctive beliefs and strong commitment to a leader or community. Public discussion frequently classified the Order as a cult, a contested label with varied meanings.
Luc Jouret: A Belgian physician and New Age speaker who co-founded the Order of the Solar Temple. His public lectures recruited followers and presented the movement’s spiritual teachings.
1995 Solar Temple deaths: The deaths of 16 Order of the Solar Temple members in the Vercors region of France in December 1995. The Vercors deaths followed the 1994 events and involved another group of members.
Ordre Rénové du Temple: A French esoteric order founded in 1981 by Julien Origas, with which Di Mambro and Jouret became involved. The founders’ involvement in this order preceded the Solar Temple’s creation.
Mass suicide: A coordinated event in which multiple people die by suicide, sometimes under group pressure or shared beliefs. Authorities and researchers debated how to characterize deaths involving both suicide and homicide.
Esotericism: The pursuit or teaching of knowledge believed to be hidden from outsiders or accessible through initiation. The Order framed its teachings as initiatory knowledge combining several esoteric traditions.
1997 Solar Temple deaths: The deaths of five people associated with the Order of the Solar Temple in Quebec in March 1997. This final widely reported episode included a surviving child and renewed scrutiny of the group.