Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of daar 'n behoefte aan spesifieke terapeutiese riglyne vir oudlede van destruktiewe kultes bestaan. Die studie is daarop gemik om aanvullend tot die bestaande inligting rakende terapie te werk te gaan. Die uitgangspunt van hierdie studie is dat die invloed wat psigiese beheer (mind control) op 'n persoon kan he, tydens terapie in aanmerking geneem behoort te word. Gedurende literatuurstudie en persoonlike kontak met oud-kultelede is bevind dat individue selfs jare na die beeindiging van lidmaatskap onder die gevolge van psigiese beheer ly. Dit wil voorkom asof die probleme nie opklaar voordat insig ontwikkel is in die wyse waarop misleiding en beheer plaasgevind het nie. Dit sou vir 'n terapeut dus nodig wees om die verbande wat daar tussen sielkundige probleme wat deur persone ervaar word en psigiese beheer bestaan, in te sien voordat terapie suksesvol aangepak kan word. Ter aanvang is die definisies en kenmerke van kultes bespreek. Die persoonlikheid, wyse van gesagsuitoefening en relasies van die tipiese kulteleier is aan die orde gestel. Faktore wat vatbaarheid vir werwing by kultes kan verhoog, is bespreek en onderskeid is getref tussen die twee belangrikste beinvloedingstrategiee wat daar in kultes kan bestaan, te wete breinspoeling en psigiese beheer. Die verloop van die proses van psigiese beheer is bespreek asook die nadele wat lidmaatskap by kultes vir die individu kan inhou. Die volgende sielkundige prosesse wat by psigiese beheer betrokke kan wees, is aan die orde gestel, naamlik: houdings, oorreding, kognitiewe dissonansie en toestande van gewysigde bewussyn waaronder dissasiasie, psigagene amnesie, depersanalisasie, derealisasie, hipnose en suggestie. Ten einde meer akkurate inligting van die tipiese aud-kultelid te bekam, is anderhaude met ses aud-kultelede gevaer. Terwille van kwalitatiewe verdieping, is diepte-andersaeke op twee van hierdie persane uitgevaer. Op grand van inligting wat uit die literatuurstudie en van die praefpersone verkry is, is riglyne vir die antwerp van 'n terapeutiese program vir oud-kultelede saamgestel. / The aim of this study is to ascertain whether a need exists for specific therapeutic guidelines for ex-members of destructive cults. This study is intended to work complementary to existing therapeutic techniques. The point of departure of this study is that the influence that the process of mind control can have on a person, should be taken into consideration in therapy. During the literature study and personal contact with ex-cult members it was found that even years after they had left the cult, individuals still suffered from the consequences of mind control. Apparently problems are not solved before insight is gained into the way in which deception and control has taken place. For a therapist it would thus be necessary to gain insight into the relationship that exists between psychological problems that people experience and mind control before therapy can be successfully undertaken. Initially the definitions and characteristics of cults are discussed. The personality, methods of exercising control and the relationships of the typical cult leader are discussed. Factors that can make a person more vulnerable to recruitment are discussed and a distinction is made between the two main influencing strategies in cults, namely brainwashing and mind control. The course of the process of mind control is discussed, as well as the personal disadvantages of membership to cults. The following psychological processes which can be present in mind control, are discussed, namely: attitudes, persuasion, cognitive dissonance and conditions of altered consciousness, i.e. dissociation, psychogenic amnesia, depersonalisation, derealisation, hypnosis and suggestion. In order to obtain more accurate information about the typical ex-cult member, interviews were conducted with a sample group of six persons. For the sake of qualitative deepening, in-depth studies were conducted with two of these persons. On the basis of the information that was obtained from the literature study and from the sample group, guidelines for the design of a therapeutic program for ex-cultists are presented. / Psychology of education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of daar 'n behoefte aan spesifieke terapeutiese riglyne vir oudlede van destruktiewe kultes bestaan. Die studie is daarop gemik om aanvullend tot die bestaande inligting rakende terapie te werk te gaan. Die uitgangspunt van hierdie studie is dat die invloed wat psigiese beheer (mind control) op 'n persoon kan he, tydens terapie in aanmerking geneem behoort te word. Gedurende literatuurstudie en persoonlike kontak met oud-kultelede is bevind dat individue selfs jare na die beeindiging van lidmaatskap onder die gevolge van psigiese beheer ly. Dit wil voorkom asof die probleme nie opklaar voordat insig ontwikkel is in die wyse waarop misleiding en beheer plaasgevind het nie. Dit sou vir 'n terapeut dus nodig wees om die verbande wat daar tussen sielkundige probleme wat deur persone ervaar word en psigiese beheer bestaan, in te sien voordat terapie suksesvol aangepak kan word. Ter aanvang is die definisies en kenmerke van kultes bespreek. Die persoonlikheid, wyse van gesagsuitoefening en relasies van die tipiese kulteleier is aan die orde gestel. Faktore wat vatbaarheid vir werwing by kultes kan verhoog, is bespreek en onderskeid is getref tussen die twee belangrikste beinvloedingstrategiee wat daar in kultes kan bestaan, te wete breinspoeling en psigiese beheer. Die verloop van die proses van psigiese beheer is bespreek asook die nadele wat lidmaatskap by kultes vir die individu kan inhou. Die volgende sielkundige prosesse wat by psigiese beheer betrokke kan wees, is aan die orde gestel, naamlik: houdings, oorreding, kognitiewe dissonansie en toestande van gewysigde bewussyn waaronder dissasiasie, psigagene amnesie, depersanalisasie, derealisasie, hipnose en suggestie. Ten einde meer akkurate inligting van die tipiese aud-kultelid te bekam, is anderhaude met ses aud-kultelede gevaer. Terwille van kwalitatiewe verdieping, is diepte-andersaeke op twee van hierdie persane uitgevaer. Op grand van inligting wat uit die literatuurstudie en van die praefpersone verkry is, is riglyne vir die antwerp van 'n terapeutiese program vir oud-kultelede saamgestel. / The aim of this study is to ascertain whether a need exists for specific therapeutic guidelines for ex-members of destructive cults. This study is intended to work complementary to existing therapeutic techniques. The point of departure of this study is that the influence that the process of mind control can have on a person, should be taken into consideration in therapy. During the literature study and personal contact with ex-cult members it was found that even years after they had left the cult, individuals still suffered from the consequences of mind control. Apparently problems are not solved before insight is gained into the way in which deception and control has taken place. For a therapist it would thus be necessary to gain insight into the relationship that exists between psychological problems that people experience and mind control before therapy can be successfully undertaken. Initially the definitions and characteristics of cults are discussed. The personality, methods of exercising control and the relationships of the typical cult leader are discussed. Factors that can make a person more vulnerable to recruitment are discussed and a distinction is made between the two main influencing strategies in cults, namely brainwashing and mind control. The course of the process of mind control is discussed, as well as the personal disadvantages of membership to cults. The following psychological processes which can be present in mind control, are discussed, namely: attitudes, persuasion, cognitive dissonance and conditions of altered consciousness, i.e. dissociation, psychogenic amnesia, depersonalisation, derealisation, hypnosis and suggestion. In order to obtain more accurate information about the typical ex-cult member, interviews were conducted with a sample group of six persons. For the sake of qualitative deepening, in-depth studies were conducted with two of these persons. On the basis of the information that was obtained from the literature study and from the sample group, guidelines for the design of a therapeutic program for ex-cultists are presented. / Psychology of education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)