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6. Perception difficulties--Although stage two may bring on these difficulties if the pre-
cult personality was that of schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder, initial
post-deprogramming does see some ex-cultists with AFF suggested this
phenomenon is possibly the result of .‖a continuation of obsessional thinking
developed by conversion‖ (p. 21). Conway &Siegelinan (1978, p. 160+) suggested
it is more likely to occur In those coming out of a group which emphasized practices
tending to induce the delusional form of information disease where reality testing is
more impaired, e.g. the Divine Light Mission or Scientology. And Kirsch &Glass
(1977) saw it as the result of an inability of weak pre-cult ego boundaries to cope
with the unmerging of self-cult boundaries (post-est examples, p. 1257).
Although almost all ex-cultists suffer from dedifferentiation of reality frames, this
ego impairment apparently results in perceptual difficulties of a hallucinatory
nature in only a few.
Physical Appearance
While no one has presented a systematic picture of cultists‘ physical appearance, the
literature does suggest that the cult-induced dissociation and/or cult practices of poor diet,
health neglect, and lack of medical attention do result in certain specific physiological
changes In cult devotees: the celebrated ―glassy-eyed‖ look (AFF Conway &Siegelman,
1978 Edwards, 1979 Levine, 1979 Singer, 1978 Spero, 1977, 1980, 1982 West &
Singer, 1980), hormonal changes such as loss of beard and vocal changes in men and
cessation of menstruation In women (Clark, 1979a, 1979b Conway Stegelman, 1978
Enroth, 1977 MacCollam, 1979 Stoner Parke, 1977), and ―wild alterations of weight,
appetites, energy levels, and sexual functions‖ (Clark, 1979b, cf. lethargy in ex-cultists:
AFF Singer, 1979 Stoner Parke, 1977, p. 415 West &Singer, 1980, pp. 3249-3250).
AFF suggested ex-cultists frequently look depressed and usually present themselves with
rigid, stooped posture, slow speech and slow response to external stimuli, ―fixed, intense
focus in the eyes‖ with rigid facial expression, and many times ―an apparent indifference to
physical appearance--dress and grooming!‘ with pale and often acne-blemished facial
complexions (pp. 18-19).
The Goldbergs would apparently concur, as indicated by their observation that ―physical
demeanor often bespeaks their cult,‖ e.g., many ―keep their heads bowed and speak in a
quiet, meek manner‖ (p. 167). Further in agreement with AFF, the Goldbergs noted first-
stage speech as ―monotonous, colorless, and halting‖ (p. 167), as well as the fact that
―almost all the ex-cultists appear to be much younger than their chronological age and
display an asexual innocence‖ (p. 167). During initial post-deprogramming ex-cultists lose
many of the physical problems brought on by the cult-induced dissociation. Thus, according
to the Goldbergs, menstruation and the growth of beards resume at a normal pace of
hormonal activity, and it may be assumed that the glassy-eyed look of the ex-cultists
apparently disappears along with the demise of floating.
Affect
Spero‘s (1982) psychological testing of 65 cultists reflected two basic personality patterns
which showed two opposite ways of handling affect: a) the inhibition of most emotional
processes with constricted cognitive processes, or b) ―a manic denial of depressive trends‖
with emotional lability (p. 339). Both patterns, however, remained overly disinhibited in
polarized guilt and anxiety.
Spero thought that the manic profile might be ―merely another side of the constricted
profile, (since)...‖even constricted cult personalities undergo a manic phase during recovery
as the subject attempts to deal with increasingly painful object loss following deidealization
of the cult leader, group identity, or the therapist, and also because of the marked evidence

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 39
of perceptual closure or abience in the Bender-Gestalt performance of most subjects‖ (p.
338). While several writers noted the flattened affect (Carr, 1981 Clark 1979b Conway &
Siegelman, 1978 Hopkins, 1978 Stoner &Parke, 1977 and West &Singer, 1980), three
studies suggested Spero‘s theory of a mixed affective picture.
In the only other study to use projective testing, Deutsch and Miller (1983) found the test
protocols of their four Unification Church subjects to show ―a fluid mixture of hysterical
(e.g., emotionally labile) and obsessional (e.g., overideational) features‖ (P. 769). Likewise,
AFF, who noted behavioral observations, found a generally flat affect in ex-cultists with ―a
sense of depletion and distance‖ (p. 20) which, nonetheless, would give way to ―volatility of
mood‘ depicting affective ambivalence (p. 21). The latter feature was reaffirmed in
Langone‘s (one of the AFF team) analysis of questionnaires from 94 parents of ex-cultists
(1984, p. 72).
In addition, AFF presented ex-cultists as suffering from depression, guilt, distrust, fear, and
outrage. Deleting distrust and adding shame the author suggests a revised list of affective
problems which most ex-cultists experience:
Depression. For AFF, this is a mildly chronic depression which does impair functioning,
though without much subjective distress (cf. Galanter, 1983a, p. 988 Langone, 1984, p.
72 Singer (1978, 1979). They considered depression a major ex-cultist problem and
stressed the reappearance of a sense of meaninglessness (cf. West &Singer, 1980 Spero,
1982) and the addition of new losses: lost years, lost career goals, lost innocence and lost
self-esteem. Schwartz and Kaslow (1979, 1981) observed a ―profound and prolonged
depression‖ in ex-cultists and related it to humiliation over being duped (cf. Etemad, 1978,
p. 223 and Shapiro, 1977, p. 82) and over lost time in pursuit of career or other life goals.
The Goldbergs saw depression as a stage one hallmark, particularly as a ―grief reaction
following the loss of a way of life and of a leader who promised total fulfillment ...of a
perfect world‖ (P. 166) cf. Spero‘s (1982) object loss following deidealization of the cult
leader. AFF, Burtner (1980), Levine (1979), and Singer (1978, 1979) all reported a sense of
loss regarding friends still in the cult. The Goldbergs, however, saw adjustment and the
anger regarding lost friends (AFF, p. 70) and the missing years as more of a stage two
concern.
Guilt. AFF referred to guilt ―both for what they Tex--cultists) have done and what they
have failed to do‖ (p. 20 cf. Langone, 1984, p. 72). For Singer (1978, 1979), guilt is a
problem as ex-cultists ―take up their personal consciences again‖ and have to face Pttle
deception and dishonesty they participated in as part of the common cult activities (1979, p.
80). Others, however, have stressed these guilt feelings as coming from the indoctrination
received in the cult, i.e., guilt for leaving the group and/or considering forbidden activities
(Blackwell, 1980 Burtner, 1980 Levine, 1980 Levine 1979 Maleson, 1981). Goldberg and
Goldberg saw this form of guilt playing ―a major role in the initial reentry stage‖ (p. 168),
guilt for having participated in deceptive cult practices, yet guilt feelings for going against
the cult‘s values and doctrines. Clearly this affective problem Is ―many sided‖ (AFF, p. 21)
and ―highly complex and dichotomous‖ (Levine, 1979, p. 599).
Shame. In contrast to the mere contemplation of cult-forbidden acts In the first stage, the
second stage of cult recovery sees ex-cultists behaviorally trying out previously forbidden
pleasures. This, the Goldbergs have suggested, leads to the emergence of feelings of
shame, particularly regarding sexuality. The cults often attract recruits through their
effective suppression of sexual feelings. When the cultic taboos go, the previous desires for,
and conflicts about, sexuality return (cf. Singer, 1979, p. 76).
On the other hand, shame also is multifaceted for the ex-cultists. The AFF guilt for ―what
they have failed to do‖--for having ―shunned ordinary life in the first place in favor of bizarre