“Living Between Two Different Worlds”: Experiences of Leaving a High-Cost Religious Group

Abstract

The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of individuals’ subjective experiences after leaving a high-cost religious group and how these experiences have affected their lives. In-depth interviews were done with 18 participants who had left different religious communities in Finland. The interviews were analysed through a thematic analysis. The results show that religious disaffiliation is a life change that may affect an individual’s life in profound ways. Life after being a member of a high-cost group may involve experiences of fear, guilt, sorrow, pain, loss and even suffering on an existential level. These experiences can have serious implications for one’s well-being and health. However, life after religious disaffiliation also includes many positive aspects, such as experiences of joy, freedom, relief, gratitude and empowerment.

Barriers to the Healthcare System Faced by Ultra-Orthodox Religious Disaffiliates

“…For example, disaffiliates from high-cost religious groups in Finland experienced a social identity crisis that led to physical and mental health problems requiring in-patient and out-patient nursing care as well as psychotherapy. Simultaneously, participants described many positive aspects of life after disaffiliation, experiencing freedom, relief, joy, gratitude, and empowerment (Bjo¨rkmark, Nyna¨s, and Koskinen 2022). In other cases, the condition experienced by disaffiliates was described as distinct from other mental health disorders, constituting a unique ''cultural syndrome'' (Brooks 2020).…”

A Faithful Journey. Following a Married Couple’s Religious Trajectory over the Adult Lifespan

“…Enstedt and colleagues state in their introduction to their edited volume that while conversion (i.e., turning toward a new religion) is rather well-researched, the process of deconversion still needs more attention, especially regarding the aspect of what is carried along from one's former denomination, which is a crucial point since " [b]ehaviours rooted in moral codes and religious teachings (especially if they have been adopted at a young age) tend to colour the life of the individual even though he or she has taken a new path" (Enstedt et al 2019b, p. 3). That being said, there is literature on the deconversion processes from the religious groups that play a role in the lives of the cases presented here-and most of these studies also choose a qualitative approach and can be situated within the field of psychology of religion: For example, Nica (2018) investigated exiters from religious fundamentalism and Björkmark et al (2021) portrayed, in a qualitative research design, people who had left various high-cost religious groups (among them Jehovah's Witnesses), while Ransom and colleagues (Ransom et al 2021) exclusively focused on gains and losses following the exit from JW. However, the aim of this study is to show continuity as part of the multiple deconversions experienced by the couple as well as outline where this "faithful journey" has led them.…”

Does Leaving Faith Mean Leaving Family? Longitudinal Associations Between Religious Identification and Parent‐Child Relationships Across Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

“…With large number of people switching or leaving shared family religions, family social cohesion may be threatened (Zimmerman et al 2015). In fact, qualitative research from Africa (Ojong 2012), Asia (Charoenwong, Chirawatkul, and Manderson 2017), Europe (Björkmark, Nynäs, and Koskinen 2022), and North America (Zimmerman et al 2015) has found that religious identification changes can negatively influence family relationships. However, relatively little quantitative research has examined links between changes in religious identification and parent-child relationship quality.…”

“…2015). In fact, qualitative research from Africa (Ojong 2012), Asia (Charoenwong, Chirawatkul, and Manderson 2017), Europe (Björkmark, Nynäs, and Koskinen 2022), and North America (Zimmerman et al. 2015) has found that religious identification changes can negatively influence family relationships.…”