Reconceptualizing Cult Coercion and WithdrawaJ • A Comparative Analysis of Divorce and Apostasy*

Continuing debates center on the causes of cult conversion and the men tal and emotional effects of involvement. In recent years, expanded credibility has been given to the "brainwashing " or "coercive-persuasion " model by psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric social workers widely influencing the courts, media, and public opinion. Members of nontraditional religions are likened to prisoners of war (POWs) and are depicted as victims of manipulative behavioral conditioning practices that produce special cult-induced symptoms. However, clinical evidence has been contradictory and empirical support has not been forthcoming. Consequently, a study was conducted to explore the attitudes and experiences of former members of three new religious cults (Unification Church, Hare Krishna, and Children of God/Family of Love) to assess the effects of participation and withdrawal. Focusing on disengagement, this study provides a comparative analysis of divorce and apostasy to demonstrate a more salient model for explaining commitment, disaffection, and withdrawal. At the threshold of the 1990s, controversies surrounding involvement in unconventional religious movements continue to raise important legal, ethical, and scientific questions about the causes of conversion and the mental and emotional effects of participation. During the last decade, the anticult movement has enjoyed increased professionalization, "a process in which research and the roles of psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers have become more salient " (Robbins 1988:6; see also Bromley & Shupe 1987). Expanded credibility has been given to the "brainwashing " or "coercive-persuasion " model by psychiatrists and mental health professionals who argue that involvement in nontraditional religions stems from manipulative psychological practices inducing ego destruction and overstimulation of the nervous system, resulting * An earlier version of this article was presented at the annual meetings of the Society for th