Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1997, page 29
Laurel: Laurel spent 16 years in the same cult as Anne. As a self-described “free-spirit,” and
having some fear of the childbirth process, Laurel had not planned on having children.
However, when a committee in the cult directed her and her cult-arranged partner to do so,
she agreed. The child had a traumatic delivery and was born with developmental problems.
When the child was 2, the cult leader informed Laurel and her partner that they would have
to either leave the cult or abandon the child. Laurel‟s partner left with the child, while Laurel
made the decision to stay. Later, Laurel entered into another arranged relationship within
the group and adopted a child. Laurel left the cult along with some other members, but
immediately joined an intensive personal-growth training group.
Janie: Janie spent 4 years in a Christian group that grew out of the “hippie Jesus
movement.” She was married in the cult, (atypically) without the cult‟s approval, and had
her first child. She had always wanted to have children and looked forward to being a good
mother. For much of the time she was a peripheral member, known in the group as a
“backslider.” She left the cult when her first child was a year old, and with her own self-
esteem as a mother badly damaged. She had three more children after leaving. Years later,
Janie‟s husband became involved with Amway, and Janie recognized many of the same
patterns of behavior as they had encountered in the earlier cult experience. Janie then
sought out an ex-cult-member support group, and she and her husband are only now, 7
years later, beginning to understand the impact of their cult experiences.
Jill: During high school Jill became involved with a religious cult that blended Reorganized
Latter Day Saints doctrine with Native American rituals. The cult finally went “back to the
land to escape the Russians,” living in tents and rudimentary houses without modern
conveniences such as electricity or running water. Jill met her husband in the group and had
two children. At one point the cult leader persuaded Jill to give up her baby daughter for 6
months. He also separated Jill and her husband twice. During one of those separations Jill‟s
husband left the group. A few months later Jill followed him with the children. They have
been out for 6 years.
Helen: While in high school Helen got involved in a bible-based group led by a man from
India. When Helen was 19 the leader arranged her marriage to a man in the group. At age
20, Helen had her first child. The group did not believe in birth control, and by the time
Helen left the group 10 years later, she had seven children. Prior to joining the group Helen
had had plans to go to college and had not yet started thinking about having children. Even
though she left the group and her husband stayed, they continued to live together until his
death in an auto accident a few months later. Helen believes that her husband‟s death was
related to his cult involvement --either as a suicide or as a result of sleep-deprivation and
overwork. She is now raising her seven children on her own. She has been out for 9 years.
Mary: Mary spent 5 years in a semi-militaristic, left-wing political cult on the West Coast.
Her children were 11 and 13 years old when she joined the cult, and both were living with
their father. Her relationship with her children was very difficult at that point due, among
other things, to her coming out as a lesbian. She did not see her children for the 5 years
she was in the group. She finally left after becoming disillusioned with the organization and
because she wanted to reconnect with her children. She has been out for 13 years over
time and with some difficulty, Mary has rebuilt a positive relationship with her children.
Methods of Control
The bond between mothers and children is controlled in multiple ways in a cult. This can be
done through the following means: control of conception and pregnancy discouraging the
mother-child bond control of time spent with the child actual or threatened removal of the
child from the mother monitoring and judging the relationship between the mother and the
child and generally directing the mother‟s child-rearing practices. The control often starts
well before pregnancy, for example, by manipulating the parents‟ relationship through an
Laurel: Laurel spent 16 years in the same cult as Anne. As a self-described “free-spirit,” and
having some fear of the childbirth process, Laurel had not planned on having children.
However, when a committee in the cult directed her and her cult-arranged partner to do so,
she agreed. The child had a traumatic delivery and was born with developmental problems.
When the child was 2, the cult leader informed Laurel and her partner that they would have
to either leave the cult or abandon the child. Laurel‟s partner left with the child, while Laurel
made the decision to stay. Later, Laurel entered into another arranged relationship within
the group and adopted a child. Laurel left the cult along with some other members, but
immediately joined an intensive personal-growth training group.
Janie: Janie spent 4 years in a Christian group that grew out of the “hippie Jesus
movement.” She was married in the cult, (atypically) without the cult‟s approval, and had
her first child. She had always wanted to have children and looked forward to being a good
mother. For much of the time she was a peripheral member, known in the group as a
“backslider.” She left the cult when her first child was a year old, and with her own self-
esteem as a mother badly damaged. She had three more children after leaving. Years later,
Janie‟s husband became involved with Amway, and Janie recognized many of the same
patterns of behavior as they had encountered in the earlier cult experience. Janie then
sought out an ex-cult-member support group, and she and her husband are only now, 7
years later, beginning to understand the impact of their cult experiences.
Jill: During high school Jill became involved with a religious cult that blended Reorganized
Latter Day Saints doctrine with Native American rituals. The cult finally went “back to the
land to escape the Russians,” living in tents and rudimentary houses without modern
conveniences such as electricity or running water. Jill met her husband in the group and had
two children. At one point the cult leader persuaded Jill to give up her baby daughter for 6
months. He also separated Jill and her husband twice. During one of those separations Jill‟s
husband left the group. A few months later Jill followed him with the children. They have
been out for 6 years.
Helen: While in high school Helen got involved in a bible-based group led by a man from
India. When Helen was 19 the leader arranged her marriage to a man in the group. At age
20, Helen had her first child. The group did not believe in birth control, and by the time
Helen left the group 10 years later, she had seven children. Prior to joining the group Helen
had had plans to go to college and had not yet started thinking about having children. Even
though she left the group and her husband stayed, they continued to live together until his
death in an auto accident a few months later. Helen believes that her husband‟s death was
related to his cult involvement --either as a suicide or as a result of sleep-deprivation and
overwork. She is now raising her seven children on her own. She has been out for 9 years.
Mary: Mary spent 5 years in a semi-militaristic, left-wing political cult on the West Coast.
Her children were 11 and 13 years old when she joined the cult, and both were living with
their father. Her relationship with her children was very difficult at that point due, among
other things, to her coming out as a lesbian. She did not see her children for the 5 years
she was in the group. She finally left after becoming disillusioned with the organization and
because she wanted to reconnect with her children. She has been out for 13 years over
time and with some difficulty, Mary has rebuilt a positive relationship with her children.
Methods of Control
The bond between mothers and children is controlled in multiple ways in a cult. This can be
done through the following means: control of conception and pregnancy discouraging the
mother-child bond control of time spent with the child actual or threatened removal of the
child from the mother monitoring and judging the relationship between the mother and the
child and generally directing the mother‟s child-rearing practices. The control often starts
well before pregnancy, for example, by manipulating the parents‟ relationship through an
