Seattle, WA – Capping a lengthy scrutiny of fundamentalist Mormon sects inspired by his role in the examination of Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper, forensic psychiatrist Michael Welner, M.D. unveils findings with important psychiatric and justice ramifications today at the annual conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Dr. Welner, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, embarked on the research out of the need to understand the psychology of Brian David Mitchell. Dr. Welner had examined Mitchell at the request of federal prosecutors in a sensitive mental competency proceeding with broad implications, and became convinced of the need to immerse himself in understanding the parallel universe of polygamous sects unknown even to most Mormons. “Once I stumbled into the culture of those who call themselves ‘one mighty and strong,’” relates Dr. Welner, “I came to appreciate how vital it is for psychiatry to develop a cultural literacy for this group. Numerous forensic psychiatric issues attach themselves to those in this polygamist-rejectionist universe, and my experience is that we mental health professionals struggle with these foreigners among us.”
Studying over fifty case histories from books and internet research, Dr. Welner focused on the groups, their origins, leaders and their unique trajectory and qualities, psychiatric symptoms, the progression of the group, the role of sexual deviance, and gender roles and their relationship to the progression of the sect or its criminality. Dr. Welner, who is the architect of the Depravity Scale, an evidence-based measure to distinguish the worst of crimes, reached a number of fascinating and often surprising conclusions, among finding he will be presenting before an audience of jusrisprudence and forensic science peers.
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The polygamy sect culture is a way of life peculiar to most Americans, but one in which we cannot make broad assumptions about every community.
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Sects evolving from fundamentalist Mormon teaching emphasize direct communication of God to the leader, customarily bestow titles and powers that psychiatry would otherwise consider outlandish and even delusional, and enable revelation to control follower.
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The grandiosity of the leaders of each sect is such that it is impossible to distinguish psychosis on the virtue of grandiose claims alone. Similarly, leaders develop distinct traditions that may be so peculiar as to inspire others to question the leaders’ sanity. When they are the byproduct of organized and rational thinking, however, these rituals serve to control followers and reinforce the authority and deification of the leader, in a cycle that feeds unto itself.
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The enforced separation of such sects from mainstream American life fosters a culture in which many find happiness and strong interdependence. While there are abusive homes, in communities with benevolent elders, those reared in polygamy sects are often comfortable and develop excellent community dynamics.
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Obedience is part of the indoctrination that renders followers vulnerable to the piety of the leader. In the best of leaders, this submissiveness enables great industry, resilience, and retention within the community. Malignant narcissists and highly psychopathic individuals exploit such absolute authority for great financial gain or sexual gratification.
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Resolving the core of the sect and the psychological makeup of its leader requires close study into the genesis of the sect. Religious disputes or the exclusion by the more aggressive may yield sects in which a leader attracts followers for virtuous reasons. On the other hand, those who splinter by force and pursuit of authority relate to sect followers as instruments for their personal gain.
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Those who start sects warrant close study for a fall from grace; a conviction, accusation of molestation, or other marginalization may inspire a particularly narcissistic individual to see the one mighty and strong in himself. The more criminal and selfish the past, the more one can view the sect and its leader as an economic vehicle rather than a spiritual journey.
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Sects are vulnerable to claims of domestic and sexual abuse just as in families of controlling and physically disciplining men. Such complaints need to be investigated as domestic complaints first, rather than a necessary indictment of the sect. Since women and children are so disciplined to silence, concerns should be pursued with the mindset that future abuse will never come to light because of the power of the involved male and how silence is enforced.
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Smaller sects, particularly those with few males, are more closely associated with sexual exploitation and deviance of the leaders. The younger the age of those females deemed suitable for marriage, the more the ability to consent to marriage is realistically questioned. A difficult boundary in such communities is that between arranged marriage and forced betrothal.
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Rejection by the outside world impels sects to reproduce heavily in order to be self-sufficient. Sects in which faith and community-mindedness dominate show considerable growth. Sociopathic sect leaders exploit the isolation they foster with financial crimes against residents and against the state. As their personality flaws thwart community building, these communities are more pressured to draw in the vulnerable and ensnare them in order to survive, as opposed to natural growth.
