76 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 10, 2019
Confluential Trance: Proposal of a New
Concept
For the purposes of this paper, I offer the
hypothesis that interpersonal confluence is a
state of trance (Perls et al., 1951, p. 122), and
that this state can result in the individual
becoming highly suggestible, which in turn
results in him introjecting and giving up control.
Galanter noted that “people are more vulnerable
to social influence when they are made to think,
sense, and feel differently than usual, when
someone or something disrupts their emotional
balance” (Galanter, 1989, p. 65), and so the
individual can lose sight of “the customary
internal signposts” that may be “undermined”
(Galanter, p. 65).
In addition to the trance dynamics set up in
confluence, Cialdini (2007), in his empirical
study of influence, evidences that the six
principles of influence (reciprocation
consistency social proof liking authority and
scarcity), can result in “enormous force” in the
hands of a “compliance professional,” be that in
marketing, advertising, and the like. He applies
these theories to cults and cult leaders (Cialdini,
2007, p. 25) and notes that these principles of
influence can “…produce a distinct kind of
automatic, mindless compliance from people—
that is, a willingness to say yes without thinking
first” (Cialdini, 2007, p. x).
These are powerful forces and, I suggest, as the
individual becomes confluent, introjects, and
loses his contact boundary, he is no longer in
touch with his authentic self he is in a trance he
cannot think for himself and is in an altered
state. I therefore suggest that the trance state is
brought on by the introjective coercive
confluence, and that this state can be referred to
as a confluential trance. In addition, for some,
the spiritual practice—such as repetitive singing,
praying, meditation, chanting, which have been
reported to be further intensified by drugs such
as LSD or MDMA (reported to be used in so-
called therapy group interactions (Wroe,
2009))—results in sometimes-extreme and long-
lasting altered states of consciousness (ASCs),
which may be intensified by the confluential
trance state. The ASCs exacerbate the loss of
contact boundary, as do the introjected beliefs in
the cult leader/guru’s claims of supernatural
power. A number of participants in my research
experienced ASCs, and some suggested they
experienced what they called hypnotic induction
from the cult leader. For example, one
participant believed he saw his leader walk
through a wall, and another saw a “ball of light”
move though the congregation and enter the
leader’s body just before she started
prophesying.
Introjection can be viewed as preventing
individuals from developing their own authentic
identity and evolving their own values—they
become like a stomach full of undigested food or
a house full of someone else’s possessions
(Clarkson &Mackewn, 1993, p. 73). Confluence
undermines their ability to make genuine
contact. They are split internally between their
own authentic desire and the introject (Clarkson
&Mackewn, 1993, p. 73), although in a
thought-reform (for first-generation adults) or
thought-forming (for adult children of cults)
environment, they may suppress their thoughts
and doubts (milieu control Jenkinson, 2016, p.
209) and not even be aware of their authentic
desires, thus exacerbating their trance state. This
condition indicates a traumatizing environment-
field, which may result in dissociation.
Situations that are conducive to high
suggestibility are those in which there are high
levels of dissociation (split) and low levels of
critical thinking (Aguado, 2015, p. 51).
Cult Pseudo Identity
In the confluential-trance state, the personality—
of which there are normally many aspects and
facets, many subpersonalities (Rowan, 1990)—
is therefore restricted and reduced to one aspect,
the cult pseudo identity. As the member cuts off
contact with all she has known, such as family,
friends, career, or educational pursuits, and
dedicates herself to the cult, her life becomes
restricted. This restriction allows for the cult
personality to become predominant, and as the
following comments by research participants
indicate, in these circumstances,
All those different aspects of oneself are
shut down and then the cult
personality/identity, which keeps giving
oneself the negative messages and that

International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 10, 2019 77
feeds that [...]neural network, is the
one that becomes predominant, that’s
the one that’s being fed day in and day
out. [Lavinia]
I’ve also thought about the cult identity
as a brain tumour requiring very special
surgery to remove without hurting my
brain [...]You need a proper surgeon
or medicine to remove without hurting
the host. [Lindsey]
Fluidity of relating, change, and life transitions
is not easily accomplished within the restrictive,
coercive, and controlling environment of an
abusive cult (Langone, 1993). There is little
opportunity for the individual to dislodge or
digest the introjects without leaving, being
punished, or becoming psychologically
destabilized (Jenkinson, 2008). The challenge is
to dislodge and digest these introjects—that is,
to free the restricted identity and recover—
which will result in freeing the authentic
autonomous identity.
To remove introjects, the individual does not
integrate them, but instead chews them over and
eliminates them and it is necessary for her to
...become aware of what is not truly
yours, to acquire a selective and critical
attitude toward what is offered you, and
above all, to develop the ability to “bite
off” and “chew” experience so as to
extract its healthy nourishment. (Perls et
al., 1951, p. 190)
Planned and Informal Intervention
For some of my doctoral participants,
identifying what was not truly theirs, which
reinstates the contact boundary, was achieved
with the assistance of others, by means of an
intervention, whether via planned exit
counselling or unplanned and spontaneous
support from a counsellor or family
member/friend.
The purpose of a planned exit counselling
(Hassan, 2013 Giambalvo, 1995) is that the
individual leaves physically (is removed from
the cult environment), rapidly followed by
leaving psychologically (receives information
that challenges her cult mindset and facilitates
her contacting her authentic identity Phase 1).
The process is condensed into a short space of
time and recovery is speeded up. The
psychological aspect of the intervention entails
creating differentiation to break through the
introjective coercive confluence. The process
also helps the individual challenge the negative
introjects about herself and her projection (also
an interruption to contact) onto and idealization
of the cult leader (the person needs to “unmask
the cult leader” [Jenkinson, 2016,
p. 262]). The exit counseling helps the person to
understand what happened to her and identify
the nature of the group that is, she identifies it
as an abusive cult (she can “call a cult a cult”
(Jenkinson, 2016, p. 259). This in turn results in
his incipient understanding of thought reform
and the abusive power dynamics.
Exit counseling is challenging and can be
traumatizing (Ikemoto &Nakamura, 2004), and
the individual initially may be unwilling to listen
or hear what is being said. For example, Daphne
was “shut down [...]I wasn’t willing to hear
anything” she would not listen to her family,
was disconnected from them, and was viewing
them as the enemy (dispensing of existence
Lifton, 1989, p. 433). Such resistance is in part
because the individual is likely to be angry at the
forced intervention, but also because the
intervention is challenging the confluential cult
mindset and the effects of the thought reform.
The process is a shock because conflicting
emotions arise as the individual is suddenly
confronted with the reality of her situation, with
shame and guilt, and with an incipient contact
with her. authentic identity. The individual may
initially resist undoing the confluence and
challenging the introjects— she resists throwing
up the metaphorical undigested food sitting in
her stomach (Perls et al., 1951) by resisting the
information. Being shown videos and TV
programs of other unrelated cult situations raises
the person’s awareness and helps her to
recognize the same dynamics that were at play
in her cult and for some, this approach aids in a
breakthrough. Research participant Daphne
“couldn’t deny it anymore,” and her experience
evidences the power of one beginning to
recognize the coercive and controlling
dynamics: