In 1972, Applewhite met Bonnie Nettles, a nurse with an interest in theosophy and Biblical prophecy. The two quickly became close friends; he later recalled that he felt like he had known her for a long time and concluded that they had met in a past life. Nettles told Applewhite their meeting had been foretold to her by extraterrestrials, persuading him that he had a divine assignment. By that time, he had begun to investigate alternatives to traditional Christian doctrine, including astrology. He also had several visions, including one in which he was told that he was chosen for a role like that of Jesus. In her 2005 profile of Applewhite, Susan Raine speculates that he had a schizophrenic episode around this time.