I believe that this has been proven by history and is also happening in the present world. During World War 2, there were (1)kamikaze pilots. In today's world, there are (2)suicide bombers.
(1) Kamikaze - This was a direct order to Japanese pilots from their authorities to kill themselves and take out as many of the enemy as they could.
(2) Suicide bombing - This too is a direct order from religious authorities.
It can also be argued that culture is an "authority". Culture is passed down from elders who are authority figures. In Japan, there was Seppuku. Samurai who were captured would disembowel themselves, because their culture dictated that this was the honorable thing to do.
I hope I understood your question correctly and was able to answer it.