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Defense Structure. Spero (1982) suggested that cult devotees commonly reflect ―a strongly
preoedipal rather than oedipal quality in defense structure, reality orientation, and object-
relational needs‖ (p. 338). For Spero, this meant narcissistic trends, passive-dependent
cognitive qualities, and impairment in the ego function of psychological differentiation (pp.
334-339). While the first two were not completely eliminated by the termination of Spero‘s
long-term individual psychotherapy (p. 339). the ―cult-induced dedifferentiation of self-
boundaries‖ with its resulting. idealization of the therapist was seen by Spero as ―perhaps
one of the most important characteristics of the cult devotee in therapy‖ (P. 341). This is
because dedifferentiation, or extension of the ego interpersonally, is probably the most
overt sign of the maladaptive ego functioning of most stable dissociative disorders. Just as
―these two processes--splitting and symbiotic extension of ego boundaries--define (the)
very pathology ...(of) the narcissistic and borderline personalities‖ (Beahrs, 1982, P. 38
cf. Kernberg, 1975), so do they also denote the essence of the pathology of the atypical
dissociative disorder of cult conversion. In addition to the material on splitting or
dissociation, support may be seen for the utilization of the following defense mechanisms by
cult members: denial (Deutsch, 1980 Deutsch &Miller, 1983 Pruyser, 1977 Spero, 1980,
1982 Ungerleider &Wellisch, 1979b) externalization (Spero, 1982) overcompensation
(Spero, 1980) overconventionality (Clark 1979b Ungerleider &Wellisch, 1979b)
projection (Spero, 1982) rationalization (Deutsch, 1980 Kemperman,1982 Pruyser,
1977) reaction-formation (Pruyser, 1977 Ungerledier &Wellisch, 1979b West &Singer,
1980). Together these defenses form a rigid coalition (Spero, 1980, pp. 149, 151) to aid the
maintenance of dissociation in its frozen emergency mental state.
While most of these defenses will function in the cult recovery stages, the rigid coalition of
these defenses and dissociation will either be broken by the reality induction of marathon
deprogramrning (Gilmartin in Sage, 1976, p. 47) or the return to more healthy, reality
oriented self-other boundaries through the gradual distancing from cultic allegiance and/or
the analysis of the therapeutic transference in psychodynamic reevaluation therapy (Spero,
1982, p. 341). Spero did not specify when the latter would take place, except that it would
be made evident by the surfacing of a powerful fear of being overwhelmed. This suggests
caution in the use of power techniques such as marathon deprogramming since an
experience of being overwhelmed by the unmerging of self-other boundaries can precipitate
a psychosis in individuals who had weak pre-cult personality ego boundaries (est examples:
Kirsch &Glass, 1977, p. 1257 cf. Glass, Kirsch, &Parrish, 1977 Higgitt &Murray, 1983).
As stated earlier, movement from reevaluation to initial post-deprogramming will result in a
metamorphosis in dissociation from a stable, frozen state to transient symptoms of
dissociation such as cognitive slippage and floating, as yet to be described. Assuming a
normal pre-cult personality, a proposed metaphor of the individual‘s ego functioning during
this time will move from the ―ice‖ of reevaluation to. the ―slush‖ of initial post-
deprogramming to the ―steam‖ of reemergence before the normal temperature of ―liquid
water‖ returns. Assuming pre-cult psychopathology, the reemergence stage of cult
recovery will reflect the resurfacing of any pre-cult personality defense mechanisms and
coping styles that had not been utilized by the cult.
Low ego strength. This reflects itself in a split approach toward self and authority, in a way
somewhat suggestive of the borderline personality disorder. One difference between the two
cases appears to be that the borderline will vacillate between idealization and devaluation
toward self and authority (i.e., Idealize self/devalue authority, devalue self/idealize others
cf. Kernberg, 1967, 1968, 1975), while the individual in reevaluation and the first stage of
recovery from cult-induced dissociation will tend to be stuck in the idealization of authority
and the devaluation of self.
The idealization of the cult brought the individual an increase in ego strength via symbiotic
linkage/extention. Unfortunately, once a cultist leaves his source of strength, he will be seen

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 35
to suffer from pervasive lack of self-esteem, self-confidence, and ego strength, with a
significant increase in self -doubt and distrust of self-functioning (AFF Clark,
1979b Galanter, 1983a Goldberg &Goldberg 1982 Langone, 1984, p. 72 Levine,
1979 Schwartz &Kaslow, 1981 Singer, 1979 Spero, 1982 Stoner &Parke, 1977, P.
413).
While this could be seen as a return of a pre-cult lack of self-confidence (e.g., Spero, 1982,
p. 333), more usually it is seen as an artifact of the cult-induced dissociation and
dedifferentiation itself. More specifically, dedifferentiation produced the converse uncritical
passive receptivity to, and/or regressive dependency on, cult authority figures, and
subsequently post-cult authority figures as well (AFF Burtner, 1980 Clark, 1977, 1979b
Goldberg &Goldberg, 1982 Singer, 1979 Spero, 1980, 1982 West &Singer, 1980). Even
more conclusively however, when the pre-cult personality does reemerge during the second
stage of cult recovery, it almost always brings with it an increase in self-confidence and ego
strength (Goldberg &Goldberg, 1982). Exceptions, of course, would have to be made for
cases of serious pre-cult psychopathology.
Ego deficits. While the emergence of schizophrenia or borderline personality tendencies in
some ex-cultists during stage two obviously present ego deficit problems needing
therapeutic attention, during reevaluation and stage one of cult recovery almost all (ex-)
cultists suffer from some ego deficits due to the cult-induced dissociative state of mind:
1. Impaired intellectual functioning --Among the cognitive ego deficits seen in
cultists during reevaluation counseling and the first stage of rehabilitation,
perhaps the most widely noted in the literature is mental confusion. Extensive
reliance on the cult renders the critical thinking of cultists ―polarize&‘ or
―dormant‖ (AFF, pp, 14, 15, 72). Spero (1982) noted the polarization as
―significant constriction in cognitive process with a clearly defined preference for
stereotypy‖ (p. 338). This was one of two general personality patterns seen by
Spero in his testing of cult devotees, the second relating more to affect.
However, both Profiles suffered from ―a weakening of critical judgment and
reasoning faculties,‖ which was not helped by ―mildly to severely dedifferentiated
reality frames.,, Nor does deprogramming alleviate this problem. Singer (1979)
saw ex-cultists suffering from ―a blurring of mental acuity ...with subtle cognitive
inefficiencies and changes‖ (P. 79), while AFF pointed to difficulty thinking
―clearly and in a logical, sequential manner about anything,‖ and to intruding
thoughts from cult experiences and blind spots in memory (P. 21). Others who
have pointed to the universality of this mental confusion In ex-cultists have
been: Blackwell (1980) Clark (1977) Conway and Siegelman (1978) Galper in
Aversa (1976) Goldberg and Goldberg (1982) Langone, 1984 P. 72) MacCollam
(1979) Rothbaum (1980) Schwartz and Kaslow (1981) Schwartz and Zemel
(1980) Singer (1978) West and Singer (1980).
2. Floating -First occurring during initial programming, floating is generally well-
accepted as the ex-cultist‘s experience of slipping back into an altered state of
consciousness, a return to the dissociated state where there are ―associational
disturbances in the flow of consciousness‖ (AFF, p. 22 cf. p. 62 Goldberg &
Goldberg, 1982, p. 168 Schwartz &Kaslow, 1979, p. 23 Singer, 1979, pp.
78-79 West &Singer, 1980, p. 3249). As Spero (1982) has defined it, ―Floating
refers to a disorder in the ego function of the sense of reality, where the subject
experiences something similar to dissociation from self, a foggy feeling, or an
experience of being far away while physically stationary‖ (p. 335). The formula
necessary for floating to occur appears to be the combination of a recent
dissociative state of mind (i.e., having come out of an extremist cult), a low
tolerance for frustration (common in most ex-cultists cf. AFF, p. 19) and/or low