Disconnection
Formal organisational instruction or pressure to cut contact with named individuals — typically critics, ex-members, or family members deemed antagonistic to the group.
Definition
Disconnection is closely related to shunning but is more often applied to specific named individuals identified by the organisation as 'suppressive' or otherwise harmful, rather than as a blanket exit cost. The term comes from Scientology's doctrine of the same name, where leadership formally identifies certain people as Suppressive Persons and current members are required to disconnect from them.
Disconnection is documented in court records (custody disputes, civil suits) and in extensive ex-member testimony. It is editorially distinguishable from voluntary distance: under disconnection, the member is not exercising independent judgment about a relationship but executing an organisational directive.
How it appears in different group types
- Scientology's published Suppressive Person and Potential Trouble Source doctrines are the canonical case and the source of the term.
- Some high-control churches publish lists of 'wolves in sheep's clothing' or 'false teachers' members are told to avoid.
- Online guru communities sometimes name former insiders as enemies and pressure followers to deplatform or harass them.
- Political-ideological movements can require severance from family or friends who hold different positions, with the severance presented as moral rather than political.
Warning signs
- Leadership publishes or circulates names of individuals current members must avoid.
- Members who maintain contact with named individuals face disciplinary consequences.
- Decisions about whom you can see, message, or work with require leadership clearance.
- A relationship that was previously fine becomes a problem after the named other party criticises the group.
- Children's contact with grandparents, ex-spouse parents, or other relatives is mediated through the organisation.
Examples
- A parent is directed to limit contact with their adult child after the child leaves the group; failing to do so is a disciplinary matter.
- A member is told to leave their job because a colleague has criticised the organisation publicly.
- A couple's marriage is dissolved because one spouse has been declared a Suppressive Person.
Examples are illustrative and non-naming. For specific named-group documentation, see the related profiles below.
What to document
- The organisation's published doctrine or policy on disconnection.
- Specific named individuals you have been told to avoid, when, and by whom.
- Disciplinary consequences applied or threatened for non-compliance.
- Financial or custody implications that flow from the disconnection.
What to avoid
- Publishing the named individual's contact details in any forum; harassment risk is real on both sides.
- Recording private conversations in jurisdictions where doing so is illegal.
- Confronting disconnecting family members about the doctrine itself; the doctrine is what is doing the work, not their personal choice in the moment.
Where to get support
Disconnection often has legal dimensions — custody, employment, housing — that benefit from professional advice. Cult-recovery lawyers exist in several jurisdictions and the Recovery resources directory lists relevant networks. ICSA and the Freedom of Mind Resource Center maintain contact with attorneys who have handled disconnection-related family-court matters.
Documented in these groups
Group profiles where this pattern is documented. Listed by current CLCI score. See the source hierarchy for how the evidence is weighted.
FAQ
- How is disconnection different from shunning?
- Shunning is typically applied to anyone who leaves or falls below a doctrinal standard. Disconnection is applied to specific named individuals identified by the organisation as harmful. The mechanism overlaps; the trigger differs.
- Can the legal system help?
- Sometimes. Where disconnection produces custody interference, harassment, or restraint of trade, civil remedies exist in some jurisdictions. Outcomes vary; specialist legal advice is essential.
- What if I want to maintain contact secretly?
- Many members do exactly this. Risk varies by organisation; in some, surveillance of personal communication is real. A cult-aware therapist can help think through the tradeoffs.
This page is educational and not legal, medical, or clinical advice. See the Legal Disclaimer. Found something wrong? Submit a correction.