RECONSTRUCTING THE "CULT " EXPERIENCE: Post-Involvement Attitudes as a Function of Mode of Exit and Post-Involve-

Theprincipal evidence for the cult stereotype has been derived from the testi-mony of deprogrammed former members. Although scholars of new religious movements have frequently observed that deprogrammees are not neutral wit-nesses, systematic empirical work in this area has been scant. Thepresent paper is a report ofa survey of154 former members ofcontroversial religious move-ments. The results ofthis research replicate the conclusions ofTrudy Solomon's study, i. e., that the tendency ofex-members to hold negative, cult-stereotypical attitudes toward their former groups is highly correlated with the extent oftheir exposure to the socializing influences of the anti-cult movement. In the controversy over "cults, " the general public has overwhelmingly ac-cepted the brainwashing/mind control ideology which has been propagated by "anti-cult " groups opposed to alternative religious movements. The reasons for this largely uncritical acceptance include our society's secular world view and our tendency to utilize such values as economic success as criteria for determining what is reasonable and logical. From this perspective, a more than nominal religiosit