72 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 10, 2019
Leaving Psychologically—Breaking the Confluential Trance
Gillie Jenkinson
Psychotherapist at Hope Valley Counselling, Derbyshire, UK
Abstract1
In this paper, I offer an additional explanation
for the state of trance many cult members
experience—the confluential trance. These
concepts arose from doctoral research into what
helped 29 former cult members recover from an
abusive cult experience (Jenkinson, 2016). I
address a new concept, and whilst it applied to
some participants and potentially applies to
coercive cults more broadly, further research is
required to establish the veracity of this concept
and whether it is generalizable across former-
member populations. I discuss how the
confluential trance may make it psychologically
difficult to leave an abusive cult, and I explore
how some of my doctoral-research participants
experienced this altered state and broke free
through formal and informal interventions.
Whilst the term trance is applied ubiquitously
and across a spectrum of states, and more often
in relation to hypnotic trance, I adopt the term
to imply an “altered state of consciousness” in
which an individual becomes suggestible, lacks
critical thinking, and is therefore more
“vulnerable to social influence”
(Galanter,1989, p. 65).
Within a Gestalt-psychotherapy theoretical
framework, the confluential trance is shown to
be a result of a merged state—confluence—
which results in the cult member becoming open
to introjecting the cult ideology without
“chewing it over.” I hypothesize that the
resulting confluential trance is further
explanation of why the cult leader/ship and
thought reform have such a deep impact on
many.
1 This article is all my own work and has not been submitted or
published elsewhere. Much of it arises out of my PhD thesis,
which is published on the University of Nottingham theses
website.
Keywords: confluential trance, former member,
abusive cult, thought reform, exit counseling,
Gestalt
There has been considerable discussion in the
cultic-studies field about trance states, altered
states of consciousness, and whether hypnotic
states are induced in members. When I
conducted doctoral research, I identified another
potential area of induced trance state—the
confluential trance. I explore this aspect of
trance in this paper.
I have identified four phases of recovery and
growth that a former member needs to move
through to build an authentic, autonomous
identity and recover. The former member needs
to do the following in the respective phases:
• Phase 1: Leave physically and
psychologically.
• Phase 2: Cognitively understand the cult
dynamics and cult mindset.
• Phase 3: Emotionally heal the harm caused
to both first-generation adults and those
adults born or raised in cults, including
trauma and loss address precult
vulnerabilities where relevant.
• Phase 4: Recognize that oneself is
recovered—"I am myself again”—and
realize posttraumatic growth.
In this paper, I address Phase 1 only. I explain
some Gestalt concepts, suggest how the
confluential trance may evolve, and then show
how it can be broken. I demonstrate how there is
a need for the individual to break through the
merged state (confluence) and the confluential
trance in order to leave psychologically. I show
how the former member needs to create
differentiation between self, others, and the
environment field (i.e., all or any aspects of that
which is in his life) and restore the contact
boundary. I explain these concepts in more This
Leaving Psychologically—Breaking the Confluential Trance
Gillie Jenkinson
Psychotherapist at Hope Valley Counselling, Derbyshire, UK
Abstract1
In this paper, I offer an additional explanation
for the state of trance many cult members
experience—the confluential trance. These
concepts arose from doctoral research into what
helped 29 former cult members recover from an
abusive cult experience (Jenkinson, 2016). I
address a new concept, and whilst it applied to
some participants and potentially applies to
coercive cults more broadly, further research is
required to establish the veracity of this concept
and whether it is generalizable across former-
member populations. I discuss how the
confluential trance may make it psychologically
difficult to leave an abusive cult, and I explore
how some of my doctoral-research participants
experienced this altered state and broke free
through formal and informal interventions.
Whilst the term trance is applied ubiquitously
and across a spectrum of states, and more often
in relation to hypnotic trance, I adopt the term
to imply an “altered state of consciousness” in
which an individual becomes suggestible, lacks
critical thinking, and is therefore more
“vulnerable to social influence”
(Galanter,1989, p. 65).
Within a Gestalt-psychotherapy theoretical
framework, the confluential trance is shown to
be a result of a merged state—confluence—
which results in the cult member becoming open
to introjecting the cult ideology without
“chewing it over.” I hypothesize that the
resulting confluential trance is further
explanation of why the cult leader/ship and
thought reform have such a deep impact on
many.
1 This article is all my own work and has not been submitted or
published elsewhere. Much of it arises out of my PhD thesis,
which is published on the University of Nottingham theses
website.
Keywords: confluential trance, former member,
abusive cult, thought reform, exit counseling,
Gestalt
There has been considerable discussion in the
cultic-studies field about trance states, altered
states of consciousness, and whether hypnotic
states are induced in members. When I
conducted doctoral research, I identified another
potential area of induced trance state—the
confluential trance. I explore this aspect of
trance in this paper.
I have identified four phases of recovery and
growth that a former member needs to move
through to build an authentic, autonomous
identity and recover. The former member needs
to do the following in the respective phases:
• Phase 1: Leave physically and
psychologically.
• Phase 2: Cognitively understand the cult
dynamics and cult mindset.
• Phase 3: Emotionally heal the harm caused
to both first-generation adults and those
adults born or raised in cults, including
trauma and loss address precult
vulnerabilities where relevant.
• Phase 4: Recognize that oneself is
recovered—"I am myself again”—and
realize posttraumatic growth.
In this paper, I address Phase 1 only. I explain
some Gestalt concepts, suggest how the
confluential trance may evolve, and then show
how it can be broken. I demonstrate how there is
a need for the individual to break through the
merged state (confluence) and the confluential
trance in order to leave psychologically. I show
how the former member needs to create
differentiation between self, others, and the
environment field (i.e., all or any aspects of that
which is in his life) and restore the contact
boundary. I explain these concepts in more This
