Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 21
Cult-Induced Psychopathology,
Part 1: Clinical Picture
Stephen M. Ash, Psy. D.
Abstract
A conceptual framework is proposed to synthesize the literature on the
psychological impairment caused by participation in extremist cults. This
framework includes three stages of cult departure (incorporating previously
presented stages of cult recovery), upon which are hung the various details of
the clinical picture of these cult victims. The essence of the observed
psychopathology is a combination of dissociation and dediffentiation of ego
boundaries (or mind extension or expansion). The resulting dissociative
disorder is distinguished from William James‘ description of mystical
experience, as well as from other psychiatric disorders that incorporate these
two ego defense mechanisms as core features of their ego structures (i.e.,
multiple personality, borderline and narcissistic personality disorders).
Utilizing a metaphor of water, the clinical picture of the cult-induced disorder
is described according to the changes which occur during the stages of cult
departure and recovery.
Just six years ago Lita Schwartz and Florence Kaslow (1979) referred to ―a dearth of
literature ...in the professional journals‖ regarding therapeutic treatment for the problems
used by participation in extremist cults (p. 22). They attributed this state of affairs to a lack
of knowledge about the problem, a concern echoed by several others (Carr, 81 Clark,
1978 Conway &Siegelman, 1978 Maleson, 81 and Singer, 1979). Small wonder then,
that Jean Merritt remonstrated that ―mental health professionals and the clergy are
generally the worst people to talk to about cults (―Experts Say‖, 1981, p. 3).
Despite all the literature that has come out since, the philosophical battles that have
dominated the discussions leave much room for doubt regarding just how advanced our
knowledge really is. Almost certainly, egalitarians will question the very foundation of this
paper, that is, that participation in an extremist cult causes psychological impairment,
which, depending on the cult‘s degree of destructiveness, results in a need for varying levels
of ex-cultist counseling (see the exchange, Ash, 1984a Robbins, 1984 Ash, 1984b)
Egalitarians usually dismiss the presence of psychological problems in current members of
extremist cults by referring to such studies as Galanter &Buckley, 1978 Galanter, Rabkin,
Rabkin, &Deutsch, 1979 Ross,1983 and Ungerleider &Wellisch, 1979b, which report a
relative absence of mental illness and emotional distress in cult members as measured by
psychological inventories and clinical interviews. However, while they are quick to point out
the very same methodological weaknesses, only in the reverse direction, in the studies
reporting a relative absence of impairment. They pay little attention to ―the possibility of
motivated distortion and/or deception by subjects and the lack of representative samples‖
(Langone, 1984, p. 66) (Note i).
Furthermore, Galanter‘s finding an absence of significant emotional distress as measured by
his General Well-Being Schedule and Neurotic Distress Scale is not the same as finding an
absence of psychopathology, nor can it be implied to indicate such. His results do lend
credence to his ―relief effect‖ theory, i.e., that affiliation with such cultic groups brings relief
from emotional/neurotic distress (Galanter, 1978, 1980, 1983a, 1983b). However, this is
Cult-Induced Psychopathology,
Part 1: Clinical Picture
Stephen M. Ash, Psy. D.
Abstract
A conceptual framework is proposed to synthesize the literature on the
psychological impairment caused by participation in extremist cults. This
framework includes three stages of cult departure (incorporating previously
presented stages of cult recovery), upon which are hung the various details of
the clinical picture of these cult victims. The essence of the observed
psychopathology is a combination of dissociation and dediffentiation of ego
boundaries (or mind extension or expansion). The resulting dissociative
disorder is distinguished from William James‘ description of mystical
experience, as well as from other psychiatric disorders that incorporate these
two ego defense mechanisms as core features of their ego structures (i.e.,
multiple personality, borderline and narcissistic personality disorders).
Utilizing a metaphor of water, the clinical picture of the cult-induced disorder
is described according to the changes which occur during the stages of cult
departure and recovery.
Just six years ago Lita Schwartz and Florence Kaslow (1979) referred to ―a dearth of
literature ...in the professional journals‖ regarding therapeutic treatment for the problems
used by participation in extremist cults (p. 22). They attributed this state of affairs to a lack
of knowledge about the problem, a concern echoed by several others (Carr, 81 Clark,
1978 Conway &Siegelman, 1978 Maleson, 81 and Singer, 1979). Small wonder then,
that Jean Merritt remonstrated that ―mental health professionals and the clergy are
generally the worst people to talk to about cults (―Experts Say‖, 1981, p. 3).
Despite all the literature that has come out since, the philosophical battles that have
dominated the discussions leave much room for doubt regarding just how advanced our
knowledge really is. Almost certainly, egalitarians will question the very foundation of this
paper, that is, that participation in an extremist cult causes psychological impairment,
which, depending on the cult‘s degree of destructiveness, results in a need for varying levels
of ex-cultist counseling (see the exchange, Ash, 1984a Robbins, 1984 Ash, 1984b)
Egalitarians usually dismiss the presence of psychological problems in current members of
extremist cults by referring to such studies as Galanter &Buckley, 1978 Galanter, Rabkin,
Rabkin, &Deutsch, 1979 Ross,1983 and Ungerleider &Wellisch, 1979b, which report a
relative absence of mental illness and emotional distress in cult members as measured by
psychological inventories and clinical interviews. However, while they are quick to point out
the very same methodological weaknesses, only in the reverse direction, in the studies
reporting a relative absence of impairment. They pay little attention to ―the possibility of
motivated distortion and/or deception by subjects and the lack of representative samples‖
(Langone, 1984, p. 66) (Note i).
Furthermore, Galanter‘s finding an absence of significant emotional distress as measured by
his General Well-Being Schedule and Neurotic Distress Scale is not the same as finding an
absence of psychopathology, nor can it be implied to indicate such. His results do lend
credence to his ―relief effect‖ theory, i.e., that affiliation with such cultic groups brings relief
from emotional/neurotic distress (Galanter, 1978, 1980, 1983a, 1983b). However, this is
