KallMeKris

So the two sparked curiosity amongst listeners at the comparison at their seemingly outlandish message to their surprisingly ordinary appearance.

And one witness mentioned that they were, quote unquote, very unassuming.

And indeed, they looked like normal conservative middle-aged people, certainly not like the typical person you'd expect conveying this sort of message.

Yet their common appearance somehow gave a bit of credibility to their words.

And when Marshall and Bonnie left Waldport,

A short while later, as many as 20 people that had attended the meeting ended up leaving with them, and they gave up their families, their jobs, and their belongings to join.

And the town was shocked at what had happened.

Quote, people just disappeared, unquote, said one of the people that remained from that ceremony.

And friends and family didn't know what to think.

because they didn't know if their loved ones had been harmed or brainwashed or what at this point.

And one man even unsuccessfully chased after the group in hopes of getting his wife to return and authorities looked into the incident and discovered no troubling evidence because all those who left did leave willingly and there was no missing persons reports filed and no evidence of foul play or kidnapping and investigators determined no laws had been broken.

So America had now been introduced to a group that was called the UFO cult, also sometimes referred to as human individual metamorphosis.

But you know, UFO cult is a little shorter, you know, a little more catchy.

So the new converts joined Marshall and Bonnie's now growing group of followers that camped out in various rural areas while they continued to preach.

And many of the early people that joined were young adults drawn from alternative lifestyles, interested in meditation, Eastern religions, UFOs, communal living, and whatnot.

And there were also a couple of people that infiltrated the group as a way to study from within, like sociologist Robert Balk.

But not all who joined were cut out for this way of life, obviously.

And one such person was Robert Rubin, who was so convinced by the message that he had given his house away to join, which is crazy.

And he stayed with the group for about a year before returning to run a health food store.

And another was Annie Miller,