Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 30
clinical picture. In an attempt to provide such a skeleton of conceptualization, Stoner and
Parke‘s (1977) analysis of withdrawal from a cult has been adapted to suggest three specific
stages of the mental aspects of this process:
1. Reevaluation of life in the cult--which terminates with a breaking of the cult-induced
dissociative disorder and the individual‘s decision to leave the cult (i.e., ―for good‖)
2. Readjustment to life outside the cult--the longest phase (up to one or two years)
which is usually characterized by a persistent ambivalence regarding leaving the cult
3. Reacceptance of life outside the cult--which is marked by a cessation of ambivalence
and a more complete commitment to remain within life outside of the cult.
In essence, the major goal of deprogramming or counseling during the reevaluation stage of
cult departure is to unfreeze the cultists‘ dissociation by helping them to think for
themselves again (Etemad, 1978, p. 22 Galper in Aversa, 1976, p. 1 Heller, 1982, p.
131). If this reality-inducing therapy is successful, the individual then begins rehabilitation
counseling, which strives to aid his readjustment to life outside the cult. However, this move
is made more difficult by the retention of many remnants of the former dissociation,
remnants which must be dealt with if there is to be a successful transition into the third
stage of cult departure--reacceptance of life outside the cult.
Referring specifically to the clinical picture of ex-cultists during the readjustment phase of
cult departure, Goldberg and Goldberg (1982) coined the phrase ―post-mind-control
syndrome‖(P.167), while Spero (1982) proposed ―postcommitment syndrome‖ (p. 342).
Though neither helped to delineate the difference between the clinical pictures of the
reevaluation and readjustment phases, each still made a significant contribution in this
area. Spero‘s work further established that the existence of these differences reflected a
process of mental change as opposed to their representing mutually exclusive syndromes.
The Goldbergs‘ stages of ―post-mind-control‖ recovery greatly advanced the delineation of
clinical picture and therapeutic focus during the readjustment phase of cult departure itself.
Goldbergs’ Stages of Cult Recovery
From their five years of group work with approximately two hundred ex-cultists (from
fourteen different cults) Lorna and William Goldberg (1982) have outlined three distinct, but
not mutually exclusive, stages which all ex-cultists pass through following deprogramming.
Those individuals who were not deprogrammed have more difficulty, and take longer, in
going through these stages of psychological recovery from cult participation than those who
were deprogrammed. However, the Goldbergs maintain that all individuals leaving cults
must go through them. These stages are:
1. Initial Post-deprogramminig--which begins with the completion of deprogramming,
usually lasts from six to eight weeks, and includes the vast majority of the symptoms
typically assigned to the ex-cultist‘s clinical picture. It is during this phase of recovery when
the ―residues of the imposed personality remain stamped on them‖ (P. 167), i.e., when
dissociative symptoms are the most noticeable. Childlike passive dependency with uncritical
receptivity to authority, and cognitive ego deficits (including indecisiveness, subservient
physical demeanor, glassy eyes, and a tendency to ―float‖ back into the cult altered state of
consciousness) are all hallmarks of this stage. For the Goldbergs the stage one hallmarks
were ―blandness, self-doubt, confusion, and depression‖ (p. 170),
2. Reemergence-of the pre-cult personality. This stage usually begins one to two
months after deprogramming and lasts for approximately six months to two years. Its major
characteristics include the reacquisition of self-confidence, the emergence of anger at the
cult and at parents, the onset of anti-cult crusade tendencies, and the testing out of
previous ―pleasures‖ that had been denied in the cult. Singer‘s ―fishbowl effect‖ (yet to be
discussed) is ,most bothersome at this time.

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 31
3. Integration--of the individual‘s cult experience into his life. This stage begins six
months to two years after cult departure. While the emphasis here is on future-oriented
goals, the Goldbergs indicated that the treatment of choice for this phase, is individual
psychotherapy focusing on exploration of the factors which contributed to the individual‘s
vulnerability to the cult‘s manipulations. Therefore, while some of the therapeutic work in
this integration stage might overlap into this paper‘s cult departure stage of reacceptance of
life outside the cult, the majority of the therapy here is focused on the promotion of
readjustment to life outside the cult.
Reevaluation Versus Readjustment: A Problem in Clinical Differentiation
The only major weakness of the Goldbergs‘ stages appears to be their reliance on the
occurrence of deprogramming as the onset point for stage one. The Goldbergs do mention
that ―individuals who do not participate in the deprogramming process after leaving their
cults generally have more difficulty placing their experience into perspective than those who
undergo deprogramming. In the former, behavior characteristics of the first stage can last
for several years‖ (p.i6q). Thus, they have recognized that all nondeprogrammed ex-
cultists do enter this stage just as do deprogrammed ex-cultists. But they have failed to
delineate when this occurs or if it results in any difference in the clinical picture between the
two groups at this time.
Perhaps the exact determination of the point in time between cult mind set and the post-
mind-control syndrome, between reevaluation of life in the cult and readjustment to life
outside it, is not always possible. Recovery from the cult-induced dissociation is not always
a sudden point of ―snapping,‖ but may involve a much more gradual process. This may be
seen in Steve Kemperman‘s autobiography (1981) and also in Spero‘s individual
psychodynamic psychotherapy with 65 cult devotees (1982).
Kemperman experienced two deprogrammings, which essentially failed, and then six weeks
at a halfway house for rehabilitation before he made the actual decision to leave his group.
And Spero‘s psychotherapy with nondeprogrammed cultists took an average of 15 months
for the 51 successful cases. He did not delineate between the clinical pictures of those still
mentally cultists and those experiencing ―floating‖ or any of the other classical ex-cultist
symptoms seen in the Goldbergs‘ post-deprogramming stage one. In fact, one could get the
impression that for Spero the ―postcommitment syndrome‖ contains none of the
dissociation-related problems, but only affective and interpersonal problems (i.e.,
depression, irritability, brief isolation and anomie, and caution in resuming interpersonal
problems, p. 342). His post-commitment syndrome, therefore, appears to encompass only
those clinical problems seen in Goldbergs‘ second and third stages of cult recovery--
reemergence and integration.
Figure 2 presents a visual comparison of the Goldbergs‘ view with Spero‘s regarding clinical
picture and therapy, along with the author‘s view of the essence of psychopathology within
each phase of cult departure and recovery. Spero began working during reevaluation with
the dissociative problems of those still mentally cultists, for whom he favored intensive,
long-term individual psychotherapy. The Goldbergs provided short-term group counseling
for ex-cultists, thereby, dealing with only the transitory dissociative symptoms of those who
had already been deprogrammed (i.e, had been ―snapped‖ out of their rigid cultist
dissociative state of mind). Nonetheless, in many respects the bulk of Spero‘s view of the
clinical picture of these cultists resembled what the Goldbergs emphasized in their first
stage of cult recovery--dissociative phenomena.