 Over the course of the group 's existence , several hundred people joined and left . In the early 1990s , their membership dwindled , numbering as few as 26 ; these <unk> gave Applewhite a sense of urgency . In May 1993 , the group took the name " Total <unk> Anonymous " . They then spent $ 30 @,@ 000 to publish a full @-@ page advertisement in USA Today that warned of catastrophic judgment to <unk> the Earth . Its publication led about 20 former members to rejoin the group . This , along with a series of public lectures in 1994 , caused membership to double from its nadir at the beginning of the decade . By this time , Applewhite did not regiment his disciples ' lives as strictly as he had and spent less time with them . 
