Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 6, No. 2, 1989, Page 76
capitalize on the traditional “giving” season. Ken obviously was not the most submissive,
yielding devotee another conflict he had suppressed while in ISKCON was the constant
focus on spiritual shortcomings, not spiritual progress. Ken struggled with his tendency to
“see the glass as half-full” while ISKCON “saw the glass as half-empty.” Ken's insight was
related to Lifton's theory on the demand for purity. The general tone of the conversation
continued to vacillate between serious talk (usually involving self-disclosure) and humorous
mocking of the ISKCON movement and its doctrine.
Dara's style: My impressions II. Dara's style with Ken remained very attentive, even
vigilant, and confrontational. I wondered if she was really that much more confrontational
than the other deprogrammers, or if the discomfort I perceived in Ken was due to the fact
that Dara was an assertive woman. I also wondered if, to some extent, Ken's intermittent
defensiveness was in part an oppositional reaction to Dara's feminine (and assertive)
presence. Ken had demonstrated overt discomfort with women, and his conflicted and
patriarchal view of women was known to the deprogrammers. And to at least some degree
Ken's conflict with women seemed to have existed prior to his involvement with ISKCON.
Dara's presence might have made Ken's conflicts more salient I had been told by Sandy
that this was part of the deprogrammers' intent. Now Dara noticed that Ken looked cold,
and she asked him if he was comfortable, but I was not sure if it was the weather that made
Ken appear uncomfortable. Then Dara noticed Ken glancing at his watch, and she wondered
aloud about that (was Ken growing impatient with her?). Were both Dara and Ken being
overly defensive now, or had Dara intuited a real unspoken need in Ken? Covertly, Ken
responded nervously, as though Dara had indeed been reacting to some sense of
impatience on his part but overtly he simply noted that he was hungry (he had not eaten
yet.). I volunteered to make him a mushroom pizza, and left for the kitchen.
Returning to Lifton. Risa must have awakened a short while before, and she was as usual
busying herself in the kitchen. Curt, Sandy, and Ken then returned to reading and
discussing Lifton's theories they still had not completed the section on the demand for
purity. The discussion moved bark to the issue of floating. Sandy talked about the power of
belief (e.g., voodoo deaths), which sparked brief discussions of superstition and the
relationship between hypnosis and chanting. The conversation appeared to concentrate on
explaining some of the specific aspects of Ken's indoctrination and experiences while in
ISKCON. As they returned to Lifton and a discussion of the manipulation of guilt, the talk
seemed to become dominated by the deprogrammers. Sandy and Dara continued to
challenge Ken's emotional constriction, and his continued employment of Krishna
terminology. Dara disclosed how she was now able to appreciate variety and beauty,
because she was no longer automatically classifying the world on a “closeness to Krishna”
continuum. She was no longer concerned with the “spirits of trees”, for example she just
experienced the tree‟s beauty. Dara and Sandy then asked Ken how he would prove the
existence of spirits in nonmaterial objects and animals, and how he might establish the
existence of reincarnation.
I came back out, mushroom pizza in hand. Ken devoured the pizza in just a few big bites,
remarking how famished he was, and then immediately requested another. I went back to
the kitchen and returned shortly with another pizza.
Ken, Greg, Sandy and Dara continued studying Lifton. Curt and Risa had left to find an open
bank, in order to take care of the final payment of the deprogramming fee. Payment was in
cash and Curt in turn had to reimburse the other members of the deprogramming team.
Curt suggested that he accompany Risa after she expressed concern about carrying that
large an amount of cash by herself. Before he left, I overheard him in the kitchen, talking to
Risa and Brian about completing plans for rehab in Iowa. The deprogramming was clearly
winding down, coming to a conclusion. As the afternoon drew to a close it became colder
and windier outside. There was talk of going back indoors, but everyone seemed hesitant.
capitalize on the traditional “giving” season. Ken obviously was not the most submissive,
yielding devotee another conflict he had suppressed while in ISKCON was the constant
focus on spiritual shortcomings, not spiritual progress. Ken struggled with his tendency to
“see the glass as half-full” while ISKCON “saw the glass as half-empty.” Ken's insight was
related to Lifton's theory on the demand for purity. The general tone of the conversation
continued to vacillate between serious talk (usually involving self-disclosure) and humorous
mocking of the ISKCON movement and its doctrine.
Dara's style: My impressions II. Dara's style with Ken remained very attentive, even
vigilant, and confrontational. I wondered if she was really that much more confrontational
than the other deprogrammers, or if the discomfort I perceived in Ken was due to the fact
that Dara was an assertive woman. I also wondered if, to some extent, Ken's intermittent
defensiveness was in part an oppositional reaction to Dara's feminine (and assertive)
presence. Ken had demonstrated overt discomfort with women, and his conflicted and
patriarchal view of women was known to the deprogrammers. And to at least some degree
Ken's conflict with women seemed to have existed prior to his involvement with ISKCON.
Dara's presence might have made Ken's conflicts more salient I had been told by Sandy
that this was part of the deprogrammers' intent. Now Dara noticed that Ken looked cold,
and she asked him if he was comfortable, but I was not sure if it was the weather that made
Ken appear uncomfortable. Then Dara noticed Ken glancing at his watch, and she wondered
aloud about that (was Ken growing impatient with her?). Were both Dara and Ken being
overly defensive now, or had Dara intuited a real unspoken need in Ken? Covertly, Ken
responded nervously, as though Dara had indeed been reacting to some sense of
impatience on his part but overtly he simply noted that he was hungry (he had not eaten
yet.). I volunteered to make him a mushroom pizza, and left for the kitchen.
Returning to Lifton. Risa must have awakened a short while before, and she was as usual
busying herself in the kitchen. Curt, Sandy, and Ken then returned to reading and
discussing Lifton's theories they still had not completed the section on the demand for
purity. The discussion moved bark to the issue of floating. Sandy talked about the power of
belief (e.g., voodoo deaths), which sparked brief discussions of superstition and the
relationship between hypnosis and chanting. The conversation appeared to concentrate on
explaining some of the specific aspects of Ken's indoctrination and experiences while in
ISKCON. As they returned to Lifton and a discussion of the manipulation of guilt, the talk
seemed to become dominated by the deprogrammers. Sandy and Dara continued to
challenge Ken's emotional constriction, and his continued employment of Krishna
terminology. Dara disclosed how she was now able to appreciate variety and beauty,
because she was no longer automatically classifying the world on a “closeness to Krishna”
continuum. She was no longer concerned with the “spirits of trees”, for example she just
experienced the tree‟s beauty. Dara and Sandy then asked Ken how he would prove the
existence of spirits in nonmaterial objects and animals, and how he might establish the
existence of reincarnation.
I came back out, mushroom pizza in hand. Ken devoured the pizza in just a few big bites,
remarking how famished he was, and then immediately requested another. I went back to
the kitchen and returned shortly with another pizza.
Ken, Greg, Sandy and Dara continued studying Lifton. Curt and Risa had left to find an open
bank, in order to take care of the final payment of the deprogramming fee. Payment was in
cash and Curt in turn had to reimburse the other members of the deprogramming team.
Curt suggested that he accompany Risa after she expressed concern about carrying that
large an amount of cash by herself. Before he left, I overheard him in the kitchen, talking to
Risa and Brian about completing plans for rehab in Iowa. The deprogramming was clearly
winding down, coming to a conclusion. As the afternoon drew to a close it became colder
and windier outside. There was talk of going back indoors, but everyone seemed hesitant.
