Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2006, Page 18
[5] When parents join cults, they often begin dissociating from their authentic selves and become
very involved in cult activities. Particularly if the parents were more nurturing prior to the cult, the
child experiences this new cultic behavior as a tremendous loss. This also can be experienced by those
children who are raised in fairly nurturing families before they are sent off to cult schools or separate
living quarters for children.
[6] This contrasts with many who are born and raised in cults who would fear writing their negative
thoughts in a diary because of fear of the harsh consequences if their thoughts were discovered.
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Acknowledgement
The author is grateful to William Goldberg for his wise critique of this paper and Joel
Bernstein for his contribution to my understanding of the importance of character analysis.
Lorna Goldberg, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., is a psychoanalyst in private practice with children,
adolescents, and adults. She has co-led a support group for ex-cult members with her
husband, William, for over 25 years. She is on the Board of Directors of AFF/ICSA and is
Dean of Faculty, Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies, Teaneck, New Jersey. She has written
extensively for social work and ICSA publications. (Lorna@blgoldberg.com )
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