Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 36
ego strength (Goldberg &Goldberg, 1982, p. 168), and one of the following
catalysts or triggers:
a. Key (cult-used) symbolic words, ideas, music, or chanting (Goldberg &
Goldberg, 1982, p. 168 Singer, 1979, p. 78)
b. Emotional conflict, stress, anxiety, depression, difficulty in making a decision,
or powerful emotional stimulation (Burtner, 1950, t. 3, s. 2 Singer, 1979, p.
78 Spero, 1982, p. 341) or
c. Simply having no focus (Singer, 1979, p. 79).
What occurs from such a mental reaction is best portrayed by Levine (1979):
An experience somewhat akin to ‗flashbacks‘ among psychedelic chemical
users occurs occasionally to ex-cultists. There is a sudden feeling of having
been carried back against their will to an intense emotional state or even an
altered state of consciousness. The individual tells you that he experiences
‗being there‘ in the cult, he‘ can ‗hear‘ the liturgy or chants, songs or
sermons. This is followed immediately by intense fear and confusion. (p. 599)
Perhaps, Spero (1982) might see this as a flashback to symbiotic linkage with the cult via a
combination of simultaneous dedifferentiated reality frames of self-cult and memory-dream
(cf. p. 338). In addition to Levine, seven others (Burtner, 1980, t. 3, s. 2 Conway &
Siegelman, 1978, p. 68 Goldberg &Goldberg 1982, p. 168 Langone, 1984, p. 72 Singer,
1979, p. 79) have seen floating as a return of the cult mind set. However, the AFF work has
differed from the usual view of floating by preferring to employ the term to mean
―dissociative states in which they often ‗float‘ between their cult and reawakening pre-cult
personality‖ (p. 62 cf. Appel, 1983, p. 146). This is a disturbance in the flow of
consciousness where ―the ex-cultist seems to vacillate from cult to non-cult ways of thinking
and responding to the world‖ (AFF, p. 22). Perhaps, it may be related to the ―transitional
zone‖ Beahrs (1982) referred to, between the ―waking‖ state and the trance of hypnosis (p.
20). Although Conway and Siegelman (1978) have associated floating with a return of the
cult mind set (p. 68), they have also referred to it as ―the limbo of conflicting emotions that
often follows an intense snapping experience‖ (p.210). Thus, frustrating emotional stimuli
will trigger snapping in the ex-cultist, which in turn triggers the floating. However, the fact
that this floating contains conflicting feelings suggests that it is quite different from the
frozen mind set of the cultist. While the danger is very real for the refreezing to occur
should the ex-cultist listen to this impulse to return to the cult (often a major component of
floating--cf. Appel, 1983, pp. 142, 148 Schwartz &Kaslow, 1979, p. 23 Stoner &Parke,
1977, p. 404), floating is best described as remaining quite fluid, i.e., ―slush,‖ a mixture of
cold water and ice.
In summary, the term floating has been used to describe the experience of slipping back
into a dissociative state of mind which may represent a return of the cult mind set, an
altered state of consciousness somewhere in between the cult mind set and the reemerging
pre-cult personality, or both. Figure 3 portrays this dissociative state visually.

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 37
Remerging Returning
Figure 3. Floating visually represented.
3. Indecisiveness--Because of not having utilized individual judgment and intellectual
ability for an extended period of time, ex-cultists almost universally have trouble
regaining the ability to make satisfactory decisions for themselves without
ruminating over the ―rightness‖ of it (cf. AFF, p. 22 Appel, 1983, p. 146 Clark,
1979a Langone 1984, p. 72 Levine, 1979 Singer, 1978, 1979, p. 75 West &
Singer, 1980). This is most troublesome in (reevaluation and) stage one, according
to the Goldbergs (1982, p. 67), as it severely impairs the individual‘s ability to
manage the routine tasks of daily living (cf. AFF, p. 66 Clark, 1977, 1979 Enroth,
1979, p. 16 Levine, 1980, p. 36 MacCollam, 1979, p. 27 Singer, 1978, 1979).
However, Spero (1982) has noted indecision in stage two as being indicative of a
serious risk of the ex-cultist returning to his former group. Spero suggests that this
is seen in those ex-devotees for whom indecision and insecurity of an anomic
vacuum accompanies the returning pre-cult personality, in contrast to the anger
and active protests against cults which the Goldbergs (1982) associate with stage
two (p. 342). (Note 5)
4. Impaired memory--Although cultic dissociation works well to split off and repress
(Note 6) pre-cult memories, ex-cultists continue to exhibit ―varying degrees‖ of
memory impairment, including ―the inability to associate cur-rent with pre-cult
experiences, and the haphazard recollection of pre-cult experiences ―referring at
best to tangential but essentially unrelated subjects‖ (AFF, p. 21). Blind spots of
memory affect intellectual functioning, and haphazard recollection and association
of thoughts relate to floating.
5. Thought content--AFF noted that recovery from maintained dissociation commonly
leads to depersonalization and derealization (cf. Clark, 1977), as well as the
reverting back to recitation of cultic doctrine and formulas. Spero, on the other
hand, saw depersonalization produced by the splitting off of guilt feelings and
aggressive tendencies toward parents, self, etc. (1980, p. 167). After cult departure
he sees, depersonalization elicited by floating, which is ―similar to but not identical
with derealization and depersonalization (1982, p. 335). Another thought content
problem noted by AFF is obsessional thinking (cf. Deutsch &Miller, 1983, p. 769),
which may include both suicidal and homicidal Ideation, as well as transient
delusional thinking, including ideas of influence and reference (AFF, p. 22 cf.
Duetsch &Miller, 1983, p. 768). These problems no doubt leave when floating does.