Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 41
In addition to anger at the cult, both the Goldbergs (p. 169) and AFF noted the directing of
anger at parents for their allowing the conversion to take place, as well as for their part in
the rescuing and deprogramming. The Goldbergs, likewise, have suggested that conflicts
with parents will begin to emerge during this time, particularly over their overprotective
behavior. Schwartz and Kaslow (1981) have associated this conflict with the parental
―caretaker response,‖ but have also suggested that some parents‘ overprotectiveness might
have contributed to their child‘s vulnerability to cult conversion in the first place. Again,
whatever conflicts were there prior to conversion are sure to reemerge with the
resurrection of the pre-cult personality. And whatever anger emerges can always be
distorted into negative transference placed onto the therapist.
Interpersonal Problems
In addition to the effect of depression, guilt, shame, fear and anger upon relationships, the
ex-cultists experience some problems unique to their readjusting to the social realm of the
extra-cult world. In general, they tend to show poor social judgment or discrimination and a
rather labile reaction to post-cult experience: for example, leaping quickly into a romantic
relationship, only to withdraw just as swiftly, should the other not reciprocate (AFF, p. 19).
Perhaps, passive dependency best describes the cultist‘s relationships overall, with
ambivalence best describing the ex-cultists. For instance, both will want to be dependent on
others (especially authority), but the ex-cultists will also oscillate between this blind trust
and a suspiciousness and distrust of others (e.g., for having been duped before, cf. AFF, p.
20 Langone, 1984, p. 72). Specific interpersonal problems, then, come from dealing with
extra-cult peers, authority figures and family members.
Peer problems. Many ex-cultists experience an impaired capacity for effective horizontal
relationship interaction due to their cults having discouraged horizontal relationships in
favor of vertical deference to leaders (cf. Enroth, 1977a, p. 174 Goldberg &Goldberg,
1982, p. 169 Martin, 1979, p. 147 Singer, 1979, P. 76 Spero, 1982, p. 342). But one
must realize that poor heterosexual relationships often predated the cult experience, with
the structured social life of the cult being one of its former points of attraction (e.g.,
Deutsch &Miller, 1983). Difficulties stemming from social skills lost during cult involvement
are then compounded by fear and shame related to cult taboos, pre-cult anxieties regarding
sexuality, dating, and marriage, and an upsurge of testing binges of dating, drinking, and
sexuality (especially during stage two Goldberg &Goldberg, 1982, p. 169 cf. Singer, 1979,
p. 76).
According to an anonymous psychologist quoted by Stoner and Parke (1977), ―There is a
great fear of commitment when a person leaves a cult. Ex-cultists have tremendous needs
to confide and be accepted, but at the same time they are so afraid to get involved‖ (p.
413). Ambivalence distrust, yet great loneliness due to the loss of friends and intimacy
provided by the group is frequently seen. And, in many cases, pre-cult friends are gone as
well (Burtner, 1980 t. 3, s. 2 Goldberg &Goldberg, 1982, p. 168 Schwartz &Kaslow,
1979, p. 24 1981, p. 26 Singer, 1979, p. 76 West &Singer, 1980, p. 3251).
Authoritv Problems. As previously discussed in the ―Ego Functioning‖ section above, the
individual withdrawing from an extremist cult will tend to persist in his emotionally
dependent, passive receptivity to authority figures because of the continuation of impaired
reality frames, which make differentiation difficult. His former mental linkage, or extension
of his ego boundaries, to his cult leaders provides him with a boost of ―ego strength‖ at the
cost of relinquishing his voluntary control over his ego functioning.
Idealization of authority, therefore, brings with it the dissociative obverse of devaluation of
the self, specifically the pre-cult self or personality. Transference seen during reevaluation
and the first stage of cult recovery will, therefore, resemble that of the narcissistic and
borderline personalities (cf. Beahrs, 1982, p. 159 Kernberg, 1967, 1968, 1975). The three

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 42
syndromes will differ in that the borderline will vacillate between idealization of
authority/devaluation of self and devaluation of authority/idealization of self, the cultist will
tend to get stuck on the idealization of authority/devaluation of self, and the narcissist will
demonstrate the converse (cf. Grotstein, 1981, pp. 182-183 Masterson, 1981, p. 30). More
will be said about the handling of this transferential idealization of the therapist as an
authority figure in a subsequent article.
The literature Is silent on what occurs to the ex-cultists‘ view of authority when the
reemergence of the pre-cult personality during stage two brings an increase in self-
confidence (i.e., ego strength). A reduction in the idealization of, and passive receptivity to,
such figures may obviously be assumed. But an immediate resumption of a realistic view of
authority should not be so easily taken for granted. Complicating this path toward reality
testing and perception are the factors of stage two anger and the reemergence of pre-cult
personality tendencies.
Anger felt toward the cult leaders, the parents, and even toward deprogrammers may be
transferred onto the therapist during stage two. The author has found in his own ex-cultist
rehabilitation counseling experience that this transference is particularly intense if the client
came out of a dysfunctional family system (cf. Zerin, 1982) or encountered an unethical)
manipulative deprogrammer.
Negative transference coming from pre-cult dysfunctions family systems may be related to
the reemergence of pre-cult individual psychopathology and/or the reemergence of anger
regarding family conflicts or problems. Anger which the cult helped to channel and control
(cf. Salzman, 1966 pp. 17-19 Pruyer, 1977, pp. 345-347 or see the role of guilt in cult
conversion as ―anger turned inward,‖ Ash, 1983, pp 68-69) is no longer being displaced so
effectively, and the therapist is a much safer replacement for channeling than the family.
Furthermore, Clark (1977) reported that 58% of cultists suffered from previous emotional or
personality disorders, Galanter et al. (1979) reported that 39% had previous serious
psychopathology, and most recently Sullivar (1984) reported 44% having prior emotional
troubles or crises (pp. 96, 97). Furthermore, Doress and Porter (1978), Levine (1980), and
West and Singer (1980) have all suggested that leaving the cult does precipitate the return
of any such pre-cult conflicts and problems.
Family problems. The ex-cultist has to deal with previous familial conflicts he avoided
through cult conversion and a new set of problems related more specifically to his cult
conversion. Schwartz and Kaslow (1979), for example, have suggested that parents receive
their returning children with a mixture of joy and anger, or confusion regarding the sense of
rejection precipitated by their offspring‘s preference for the cult family. These parents also
tend to revert toward overprotectiveness the ―caretaker urge‖ (AFF, p. 77) to reassure
themselves that their offspring will not return to the cult. Singer (1984, p. 80) labeled the
resulting feeling of constantly being watched by family and friends the ―fishbowl effect.‖
Concluding Diagnostic Comments
Atypical Dissociative Disorder
Those suffering from cult-induced dissociation, i.e., those still mental members (or captives)
of extremist cults, should, with few exceptions, receive a DSM-III diagnosis of atypical
dissociative disorder (300.15). This would include those individuals who have physically left
those totalitarian group but still retain the same mind set that they had while in the group,
e.g., rigid defense of its doctrines, beliefs, and practices and/or continuation of its practices
(such as extensive chanting).
Multiple personality. In a myriad of ways the cultist dissociative disorder resembles the
multiple, or split, personality (DSM-III #300.14). While such a comparison and differential