Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1997, page 37
should teach their children to think --at the risk of them disagreeing with the parent. My
children and I talk about everything. There‟s a power in having no more secrets.”
All of the women I interviewed were glad of the opportunity to revisit this experience,
despite its painful nature, and they felt that there was a benefit to them in doing so.
Conclusion
Being in a cult per se does not have to permanently damage the mother-child bond
although, clearly, the experience has a severe impact on the bond. As Anne remarked,
“There‟s a dual allegiance. It‟s a power relationship. Your child is powerless, and you have
less power than the cult leader. Your child has no one but you to protect them.... A mother
should primarily be taking care of her child. But in a cult, it‟s always a conflict.”
If demonstrated by the women I interviewed, the prognosis for recovery of that bond is
good, so long as the cult experience is dealt with honestly and openly. Though it is a
devastating way to learn, many of these mothers felt that they had gained a deep and
lasting understanding of issues of power abuse and that, in most cases, they were able to
pass this on to their children. They shared a strong desire to encourage critical and
independent thinking in their children.
It is my hope that these mothers‟ stories will not be wasted: that those of us who are
concerned about cults will continue to study the experiences of cult survivors in order to
effectively educate and inform the public to prevent future tragedies.
References
Atack, J. (1990). A piece of blue sky. New York: Lyle Stuart.
Boulette, T.R., &Andersen, S.M. (1986). “Mind control” and the battering of women. Cultic
Studies Journal, 3,1, 25-35.
Connor, R. (1979). Walled in: The true story of a cult. New York: Signet.
Deikman, A.J. (1990). The wrong way home. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Feinsod, E. (1981). Awake in a nightmare. New York: Norton.
Langone, M.D. (Ed.). (1993). Recovery from cults: Help for victims of psychological and
spiritual abuse. New York: Norton.
Singer, M.T., with Lalich, J. (1995). Cults in our midst: The hidden menace in our everyday
lives. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tobias, M.L., &Lalich, J. (1994). Captive hearts, captive minds: Freedom and recovery from
cults and abusive relationships. Alameda, CA: Hunter House.
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge the brave women who shared their stories with me.
********************
Alexandra Stein spent 10 years in a leftist political cult based in Minnesota. She is
currently writing a book about this experience. She volunteers as a cult awareness activist
and educator.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1997, Volume 14,
Number 1, pages 40-57. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the
bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
should teach their children to think --at the risk of them disagreeing with the parent. My
children and I talk about everything. There‟s a power in having no more secrets.”
All of the women I interviewed were glad of the opportunity to revisit this experience,
despite its painful nature, and they felt that there was a benefit to them in doing so.
Conclusion
Being in a cult per se does not have to permanently damage the mother-child bond
although, clearly, the experience has a severe impact on the bond. As Anne remarked,
“There‟s a dual allegiance. It‟s a power relationship. Your child is powerless, and you have
less power than the cult leader. Your child has no one but you to protect them.... A mother
should primarily be taking care of her child. But in a cult, it‟s always a conflict.”
If demonstrated by the women I interviewed, the prognosis for recovery of that bond is
good, so long as the cult experience is dealt with honestly and openly. Though it is a
devastating way to learn, many of these mothers felt that they had gained a deep and
lasting understanding of issues of power abuse and that, in most cases, they were able to
pass this on to their children. They shared a strong desire to encourage critical and
independent thinking in their children.
It is my hope that these mothers‟ stories will not be wasted: that those of us who are
concerned about cults will continue to study the experiences of cult survivors in order to
effectively educate and inform the public to prevent future tragedies.
References
Atack, J. (1990). A piece of blue sky. New York: Lyle Stuart.
Boulette, T.R., &Andersen, S.M. (1986). “Mind control” and the battering of women. Cultic
Studies Journal, 3,1, 25-35.
Connor, R. (1979). Walled in: The true story of a cult. New York: Signet.
Deikman, A.J. (1990). The wrong way home. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Feinsod, E. (1981). Awake in a nightmare. New York: Norton.
Langone, M.D. (Ed.). (1993). Recovery from cults: Help for victims of psychological and
spiritual abuse. New York: Norton.
Singer, M.T., with Lalich, J. (1995). Cults in our midst: The hidden menace in our everyday
lives. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tobias, M.L., &Lalich, J. (1994). Captive hearts, captive minds: Freedom and recovery from
cults and abusive relationships. Alameda, CA: Hunter House.
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge the brave women who shared their stories with me.
********************
Alexandra Stein spent 10 years in a leftist political cult based in Minnesota. She is
currently writing a book about this experience. She volunteers as a cult awareness activist
and educator.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1997, Volume 14,
Number 1, pages 40-57. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the
bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
