Frisk et al./Children in Minority Religions, 7. ”I have lived all my life in a reality that doesn’t exist”

This chapter discusses the experiences of ex-members from different perspectives. Some research indicates that a substantial minority of former members experience significant adjustment and psychological difficulties in connection with leaving an intensive religious group. This paper investigates the possible harm that an upbringing in a minority religion may cause, in terms of existing research and the narratives from ex-member interviews. The chapter also discusses different explanations for the very different narratives of childhoods in these groups.