International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation Volume 9 2026 124
members. This harsh moral voice, combined with
cult beliefs, harmed members in several ways. They
developed a hyperactive, monitoring, strict, black-
and-white conscience fueled by judgment of self
and others. Members became anxiously focused on
avoiding trouble and creating bad karma. Striving for
the impossible goal of enlightenment, they shifted
their focus outward, away from self-awareness, critical
thinking, and self-acceptance. Parents felt pressure to
teach their children to conform to cult rules. According
to David, this attitude also caused children to judge
themselves harshly and project this judgmental
thinking onto others.
The Cult’s Harsh Mandates Undermined Followers’
Agency
According to Anika and David, members anxiously
self-monitored to adhere to the strict rules, suppress
emotions, and maintain the prescribed modest
appearance this exacerbated the loss of agency. Cult
members became outer-directed they learned to
disconnect from their inner voice, impulses, desires,
and morals. In addition to the suppression of emotions,
cults particularly do not tolerate the expression of anger
or grief. This results in children having little experience
in self-regulating emotions and affect (Goldberg, 2006).
Anika grew up immersed in her parents’ loss of agency,
and she followed their example. The abandonment
of their goals and desires to the leader led to a zeal to
devote themselves to the leader to justify this sacrifice.
Anika’s mother was taught that the cult leader was
infallible and perfect. She believed her relationship
with the leader was the most important one and that
she must follow all his directives. Anika’s father initially
resented the cult leader. Much of this resentment may
have stemmed from his wife’s primary focus on the
leader and her compliance with so-called spiritual
practices, including renouncing sex to attain spiritual
goals. However, over time, he became increasingly
invested in cult practices and teachings, focusing his
energy and resources on them.
Anika’s mother built her life around the cult’s rules and
invested herself in devotion to the cult and advancing
in its hierarchy. She relinquished her successful career
as an artist and gave many of her family heirlooms to
the leader. Anika’s mother, father, and brother each
chose to start using a “spiritual” name given by the cult
leader and stopped using their birth name this was
another step in negating their previous identity. Anika
eventually followed and gave up her birth name and
identity to take on a name and identity chosen by the
cult leader. Anika observed that her parents could not
make their own decisions. They would seek an answer
to any difficult question by asking the leader, dowsing
with a pendulum, or throwing the I-Ching. Anika
saw her parents’ lack of autonomy and modeled those
behaviors and thought patterns.
Anika’s mother sent Anika to live away from her family
at 15, placing her in the care of the cult and the leader in
the hope that it would provide both herself and Anika
divine blessings and status within the cult. Anika’s
mother thought everything that happened was meant
to be, which led her to abdicate personal responsibility,
reinforcing her dissociation, denial, and alienation
from Anika.
Anika, like her parents, gave up agency and surrendered
to cult control processes.6
1
Throughout her life in the
cult, Anika was told what to eat, drink, wear, do, like,
dislike, whom to relate to, and whom to shun. The cult
prescribed each aspect of her life. As a result, when
she left the cult, Anika struggled to recognize her
predilections and preferences. She struggled to make
her own decisions. She was so accustomed to taking
direction that she had to start learning to act on her
own behalf.
The Cult’s Moral Voice Promoted Harsh Judgment of
Self and Others
Members needed to be “perfect,” “special,” and
“unimpeachable.” Thus, they anxiously attempted
to display this behavior to avoid feelings of badness
or shame. This created an anxious nervous system
that interferes with self-soothing and soothing their
children. Members, including children, needed
to conform, which fostered a harsh internalized
conscience, severely judgmental of themselves
and others, including children. They developed a
hyperactive, monitoring, strict, black-and-white
conscience fueled by judgmental thinking.
6 Witnessing such parental behaviors, children typically struggle
to develop their unique identity and, instead, feel pressure to conform to
inappropriate and harmful external expectations (Goldberg, 2006).
members. This harsh moral voice, combined with
cult beliefs, harmed members in several ways. They
developed a hyperactive, monitoring, strict, black-
and-white conscience fueled by judgment of self
and others. Members became anxiously focused on
avoiding trouble and creating bad karma. Striving for
the impossible goal of enlightenment, they shifted
their focus outward, away from self-awareness, critical
thinking, and self-acceptance. Parents felt pressure to
teach their children to conform to cult rules. According
to David, this attitude also caused children to judge
themselves harshly and project this judgmental
thinking onto others.
The Cult’s Harsh Mandates Undermined Followers’
Agency
According to Anika and David, members anxiously
self-monitored to adhere to the strict rules, suppress
emotions, and maintain the prescribed modest
appearance this exacerbated the loss of agency. Cult
members became outer-directed they learned to
disconnect from their inner voice, impulses, desires,
and morals. In addition to the suppression of emotions,
cults particularly do not tolerate the expression of anger
or grief. This results in children having little experience
in self-regulating emotions and affect (Goldberg, 2006).
Anika grew up immersed in her parents’ loss of agency,
and she followed their example. The abandonment
of their goals and desires to the leader led to a zeal to
devote themselves to the leader to justify this sacrifice.
Anika’s mother was taught that the cult leader was
infallible and perfect. She believed her relationship
with the leader was the most important one and that
she must follow all his directives. Anika’s father initially
resented the cult leader. Much of this resentment may
have stemmed from his wife’s primary focus on the
leader and her compliance with so-called spiritual
practices, including renouncing sex to attain spiritual
goals. However, over time, he became increasingly
invested in cult practices and teachings, focusing his
energy and resources on them.
Anika’s mother built her life around the cult’s rules and
invested herself in devotion to the cult and advancing
in its hierarchy. She relinquished her successful career
as an artist and gave many of her family heirlooms to
the leader. Anika’s mother, father, and brother each
chose to start using a “spiritual” name given by the cult
leader and stopped using their birth name this was
another step in negating their previous identity. Anika
eventually followed and gave up her birth name and
identity to take on a name and identity chosen by the
cult leader. Anika observed that her parents could not
make their own decisions. They would seek an answer
to any difficult question by asking the leader, dowsing
with a pendulum, or throwing the I-Ching. Anika
saw her parents’ lack of autonomy and modeled those
behaviors and thought patterns.
Anika’s mother sent Anika to live away from her family
at 15, placing her in the care of the cult and the leader in
the hope that it would provide both herself and Anika
divine blessings and status within the cult. Anika’s
mother thought everything that happened was meant
to be, which led her to abdicate personal responsibility,
reinforcing her dissociation, denial, and alienation
from Anika.
Anika, like her parents, gave up agency and surrendered
to cult control processes.6
1
Throughout her life in the
cult, Anika was told what to eat, drink, wear, do, like,
dislike, whom to relate to, and whom to shun. The cult
prescribed each aspect of her life. As a result, when
she left the cult, Anika struggled to recognize her
predilections and preferences. She struggled to make
her own decisions. She was so accustomed to taking
direction that she had to start learning to act on her
own behalf.
The Cult’s Moral Voice Promoted Harsh Judgment of
Self and Others
Members needed to be “perfect,” “special,” and
“unimpeachable.” Thus, they anxiously attempted
to display this behavior to avoid feelings of badness
or shame. This created an anxious nervous system
that interferes with self-soothing and soothing their
children. Members, including children, needed
to conform, which fostered a harsh internalized
conscience, severely judgmental of themselves
and others, including children. They developed a
hyperactive, monitoring, strict, black-and-white
conscience fueled by judgmental thinking.
6 Witnessing such parental behaviors, children typically struggle
to develop their unique identity and, instead, feel pressure to conform to
inappropriate and harmful external expectations (Goldberg, 2006).
