The Role of Shame in Cults, from Recruitment to Recovery

Understanding the traumatizing narcissist’s relational system of subjugation is an important aspect of cult recovery work, for both the therapist and the cult survivor. The author describes the role of shame in the psychology of the traumatizing narcissist, and explains how shame is implicated in cult recruitment, in maintaining cult loyalty, and in the challenges of cult recovery. Cult survivors often resist self-referring for psychotherapy for fear they will not be understood. This paper seeks to raise awareness within the psychoanalytic community of the relational dynamics between cult leaders and followers, and of some of the central struggles for those recovering from cult-related trauma.