Memory Loss, Dissociation and Euphoric Recall in Cults

Sometimes I struggle to recall things from my childhood in the cult. There are long blanks in my memory, or when I do excavate memories, I have to sit with them for a long time and ask “did I hallucinate that experience?”

These days, I’ve been talking to a lot of survivors, many of whom are actively sharing their stories online. But the theme of doubting our experiences is something that seems to come up again and again. I began to wonder why that is.

Could it be that many of us blocked out memories simply to survive?

Resources cited in this episode:

The Falling Out Podcast. 

A 2018 interview Daily Mail interview with Dr. Alexandra Stein. 

The American Psychiatric Association definition of dissociation. 

Sharon K. Farber Ph.D.'s Psychology Today article. 

My post on love-bombing. 

The University of Washington’s Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center's description of dissociation.

An old post of mine from the blog Summer of Cheesecake, describing a labor trafficking program in the Unification Church called "Special Task  Force." 

Sharie Stines, PsyD's  a post on Goodtherapy.com describing "abuse amnesia." 

Dr. Janja Lalich's interview on Change The Narrative with JD Fuller. 

Dr. Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D's video on "euphoric recall." 

The psychological term "rosy retrospection." 

IGotOut.org