International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 3, 2012 19
time, she would be disillusioned with me and
begin to see my flaws and limitations. Over
time, I helped Katie understand the following:
(a) She might be viewing me as the new
embodiment of her old, perfectionist conscience
and ego ideal and (b) she might be placing me
in the role the cult leader (and possibly a
parental figure) previously held—that of an
idealized transference figure, albeit one who
does not manipulate her. (However, many
former cult members whom I have seen have
feared that I am ready to manipulate them.) It
was crucial for Katie (as it is with all of those
who continue the tendency to idealize after
having idealized their cult leader) to see me in a
more balanced and human way, and not to
continue relating to me in such an idealizing
manner (Goldberg, 1993). I was unable to give
her easy answers. If allowed, the continued
idealization eventually would undermine Katie’s
emerging critical-thinking processes, emerging
acceptance of herself as a person with
limitations, and emerging sense of responsibility
for her own actions. All of these aspects of her
personality had been undermined in the cult.
At the same time, Katie viewed me as highly
critical of her: I knew so much, and she had
foolishly messed up her life. When Katie
explored her beliefs of how harshly others would
see her cult-related behavior, it became clear
that these attitudes were, in part, a projection of
her own attitudes. I wished to help her consider
that the harshness of her conscience might have
set the stage for her to use the cult as an escape
from self-reproach both about her brother’s
death and her difficulties with her students. I
addressed the rigidity of a conscience that
seemed to be intensified by her years in the cult.
After years in a sadomasochistic relationship
with her cult leader, it was difficult for Katie to
consider that she could enter into any
relationship that offered mutual respect.
Later, we moved on to explore her perceptions
of her relationship with each of her parents. It
was necessary to begin to sort out her precult,
cult-related, and postcult views of them. In
looking at precult views, we examined some of
the following: Did she see her parents as
critical? Did she believe that she became most
lovable if she was their good daughter? Did she
continue to play that assigned role with me?
How did her perceptions conform to her present
view? In looking at cult-related views, we
considered the question, “How did her leader
reframe her attitudes toward her parents?” In
discussion about her present views of her
parents, I often saw my role as helping this
young woman move from the parent-blaming
views of the cult leader to a more realistic and
complex understanding of the possible meanings
of parental behavior. I also encouraged dialogue
with her mother and other family members.
Additionally, we examined how the cult
experience impacted her personality in a
regressive way and allowed her to defend
against her depressive reaction by inducing her
to move into a paranoid state.4 Katie described
her precult sense of certainty about her beliefs,
and how this certainty had become shaken by
the combination of her teaching assignment and
her brother’s suicide attempt. Her cult leader
offered her the security of gaining purity through
the group and transferring blame to those on the
outside at a time in her life that was filled with
uncertainty and disappointment with herself.
In reflecting on how she was able to change
dramatically in her group, Katie slowly began to
reveal anger at her cult leader as she described
how the leader’s “poison” (malevolent
influence) came in small doses and was always
coupled with a “hook”—enthusiastic plans for
small but significant altruistic projects: a school
for indigent children, a soup kitchen, and the
like. She believed that she eventually would be
able to prove to nonbelievers that her way was
good and just. Instead of continuing to view her
cult leader as a teacher, over time she began to
see him as a Christ-like figure—a notion that
was fed by his grandiosity and authoritarian
nature. In therapy, Katie began to see how the
leader’s narcissistic sense of omnipotence not
only appealed to her own insecurity at the
difficult time, but also appealed to her own need
for increased self-esteem. His persona allowed
4 Based on Klein’s theory of early development that focuses on
how the schizoid/paranoid position occurs earlier than the
depressive position, Kernberg theorizes that moving from a
depressive to a paranoid position has a regressive potential
throughout life, and that those who join destructive groups might
regress in this way as part of the group process (Kernberg, 2003).
time, she would be disillusioned with me and
begin to see my flaws and limitations. Over
time, I helped Katie understand the following:
(a) She might be viewing me as the new
embodiment of her old, perfectionist conscience
and ego ideal and (b) she might be placing me
in the role the cult leader (and possibly a
parental figure) previously held—that of an
idealized transference figure, albeit one who
does not manipulate her. (However, many
former cult members whom I have seen have
feared that I am ready to manipulate them.) It
was crucial for Katie (as it is with all of those
who continue the tendency to idealize after
having idealized their cult leader) to see me in a
more balanced and human way, and not to
continue relating to me in such an idealizing
manner (Goldberg, 1993). I was unable to give
her easy answers. If allowed, the continued
idealization eventually would undermine Katie’s
emerging critical-thinking processes, emerging
acceptance of herself as a person with
limitations, and emerging sense of responsibility
for her own actions. All of these aspects of her
personality had been undermined in the cult.
At the same time, Katie viewed me as highly
critical of her: I knew so much, and she had
foolishly messed up her life. When Katie
explored her beliefs of how harshly others would
see her cult-related behavior, it became clear
that these attitudes were, in part, a projection of
her own attitudes. I wished to help her consider
that the harshness of her conscience might have
set the stage for her to use the cult as an escape
from self-reproach both about her brother’s
death and her difficulties with her students. I
addressed the rigidity of a conscience that
seemed to be intensified by her years in the cult.
After years in a sadomasochistic relationship
with her cult leader, it was difficult for Katie to
consider that she could enter into any
relationship that offered mutual respect.
Later, we moved on to explore her perceptions
of her relationship with each of her parents. It
was necessary to begin to sort out her precult,
cult-related, and postcult views of them. In
looking at precult views, we examined some of
the following: Did she see her parents as
critical? Did she believe that she became most
lovable if she was their good daughter? Did she
continue to play that assigned role with me?
How did her perceptions conform to her present
view? In looking at cult-related views, we
considered the question, “How did her leader
reframe her attitudes toward her parents?” In
discussion about her present views of her
parents, I often saw my role as helping this
young woman move from the parent-blaming
views of the cult leader to a more realistic and
complex understanding of the possible meanings
of parental behavior. I also encouraged dialogue
with her mother and other family members.
Additionally, we examined how the cult
experience impacted her personality in a
regressive way and allowed her to defend
against her depressive reaction by inducing her
to move into a paranoid state.4 Katie described
her precult sense of certainty about her beliefs,
and how this certainty had become shaken by
the combination of her teaching assignment and
her brother’s suicide attempt. Her cult leader
offered her the security of gaining purity through
the group and transferring blame to those on the
outside at a time in her life that was filled with
uncertainty and disappointment with herself.
In reflecting on how she was able to change
dramatically in her group, Katie slowly began to
reveal anger at her cult leader as she described
how the leader’s “poison” (malevolent
influence) came in small doses and was always
coupled with a “hook”—enthusiastic plans for
small but significant altruistic projects: a school
for indigent children, a soup kitchen, and the
like. She believed that she eventually would be
able to prove to nonbelievers that her way was
good and just. Instead of continuing to view her
cult leader as a teacher, over time she began to
see him as a Christ-like figure—a notion that
was fed by his grandiosity and authoritarian
nature. In therapy, Katie began to see how the
leader’s narcissistic sense of omnipotence not
only appealed to her own insecurity at the
difficult time, but also appealed to her own need
for increased self-esteem. His persona allowed
4 Based on Klein’s theory of early development that focuses on
how the schizoid/paranoid position occurs earlier than the
depressive position, Kernberg theorizes that moving from a
depressive to a paranoid position has a regressive potential
throughout life, and that those who join destructive groups might
regress in this way as part of the group process (Kernberg, 2003).
