Do you struggle with religious triggers?

If so, you’re not alone.

Many people coming out of high control religions still struggle with triggers associated with the trauma that occurred during religious indoctrination.

One of my followers on Instagram recently asked me a really great question on this very topic.

{And I think it’s a question that a lot of us who have left high demand, high control religions can relate to}.

He shared he recently experienced one of these religious triggers when he read something a friend from his former church posted on social media.

But the way he explained it made it sound like he was triggered in a “God way”… If you know, you know.

He said, “it made me feel ‘the Spirit,’ and then I started hearing words like I would before when I would tell myself it was God speaking to me.”

And his question for me was: “Why am I having those feelings even when it seems like I’m fighting against them.”

There are two possible (and likely overlapping) reasons why, which we’ll be exploring in the remainder of this article.

The Link Between Religious Triggers & Indoctrination

People who were indoctrinated into a high control religion often deal with religious triggers long after leaving.

“What are religious triggers?” you may be wondering.

It’s when you experience something thorough one of your senses that transports you back right back to your time within the religious group where you experienced harm.

For example, I’ll often be transported right back to a Sunday morning worship service at the baptist church of my childhood when I hear certain hymns.

I grew up going to very traditional, Evangelical Christian churches, so hymns sung along to either piano or organ music were part of our ritual every Sunday.

I really did enjoy some of those songs.

And they’re not something most people run into on a day to day basis if you’re not a part of conservative Christian culture, so there hasn’t been much opportunity to become desensitized through ongoing exposure {not that exposure therapy is a recommended treatment protocol anymore anyway…}.

But do these inner longings or hearing god “speaking to us” in response to religious triggers mean we’ve made a mistake about leaving the faith?

Is this god beckoning us back to the fold?

Unlikely.

But I DO think my IG follower’s experience is super-common, and it’s much more easily understood through if we unpack it using the theoretical framework of attachment science.

Using Attachment Science to Understand Religious Triggers

One possible explanation for his experience is based on human physiology and the science of attachment.

You see, humans are wired for connection.

It’s a basic human need, which is why we form attachments with other humans (yes, even the most hermit-like introverts need some human connection from time to time).

According to neuroscience, when we feel safe, connected and loved, our brain releases chemicals that make us feel really good!

And because it feels so good, we seek more of it.

The Human Drive Towards Attachment

Think of a romantic relationship, for example.

In the beginning, you probably couldn’t get enough of each other.

You felt happier just being in proximity to this other person.

And if you’ve ever been through the heartbreak of a relationship ending, you know how devastating that can feel, maybe even plunging you into a depression.

Here’s the thing, though, even if a romantic relationship ended because you knew it was unhealthy or toxic or simply bad for you in some way, you probably had moments where you still missed that person.

And you probably had certain triggers (a song, a location, a certain smell, etc.) that made you long for the happier times you had with them.

Religion as an Attachment Relationship

It’s really no different with religion.

Your relationship with god was just that — a relationship.

Your brain and nervous system “attached” to god or Jesus in the same kind of way you would form an attachment to a human.

God and Jesus are personified and made “real” in most Christian traditions, so when you leave religion, essentially, you’re “breaking up with god.”

The fact that you sometimes miss god or the relationship you had doesn’t necessarily mean re-entering that relationship (at least the way your previous religion defined it) would be a healthy choice for you.

Here’s the thing — religious triggers can often make you feel like you want to “get back together” with god in the same way that catching a whiff of your ex-lover’s favorite cologne might make you long for him.

This is just your brain “remembering” the good parts of that attachment.

How Mind Control Contributes to Religious Triggers

There’s one other piece to my IG follower’s experience that I also want to address in addition to the relationship/attachment aspect of his experience.

We also need to consider the mind control tactics of many of these high demand, high control religions.

Part of what makes these religions so successful is their ability to condition your brain to respond in a certain way to religious triggers.

Steven Hassan, who wrote Combatting Cult Mind Control, developed the BITE model to help us understand how this works.

If a group is trying to control your Behavior, your access to Information, your Thoughts, and/or your Emotions, they’re using cult mind control tactics.

As the group gains control of your mind, they will create situations which cause your brain to develop neural pathways that automatically respond in a specific, programmed way to certain triggers.

Music and the cadence of music can create powerful associations (neural pathways) in people’s minds. 

Often, alter calls and being “filled with the spirit” occur in spaces with very predictable lighting, music and repetitive messaging from the pastor or worship leader.

This is a mind control/programming technique.

Certain phrases can also turn into religious triggers. 

So if you hear someone saying something you were programmed to respond to in a specific way, you could find yourself automatically responding the way you would have if you were still in that group.

I think that’s probably why my Instagram follower said, “why am I having those feeling even when I’m fighting against them?”

And the short answer is, “that’s how the cult you were in programmed you to respond.”

You’re fighting against it because you now have an awareness of how deeply unhealthy that group is, but your brain is still wired to respond in a specific way to these religious triggers.

Your brain and body still need some time and new experiences to develop new neural pathways which will combat the original programming.

How to Keep Moving Forward

What I love about the question I received is his awareness of the struggle.

Awareness is truly the first step in recovering from harmful religious indoctrination (and associated religious triggers) because when you’re under mind control, you’re completely unaware of the extent that your thinking and behaviors are being controlled by this group.

Sometimes when people first leave religion, it can feel overwhelming because you’re on the outside now trying to figure out what it is you think and believe.

And you may even need to evaluate your behaviors and relationships.

But you don’t need to figure all that out all at once.

It will come in time…

For now, all you need to do it start noticing when you’re feeling that tugging, that longing to return.

Be curious about what’s drawing you back to “the fold.”

In most cases you’ll recognize that the trigger was tied to something positive for you — a sense of fulfillment or passion or connection or love.

It makes sense you would have a longing for those things! That’s how our bodies and brains work. 

You don’t need to fight against it.

You can simply allow yourself to grieve that loss.

And also begin to think about what areas of your life now are supporting those things for you.

It may mean finding a new passion or developing some new friendships.

And that part takes time — the rebuilding.

But it all starts with first being aware and then getting curious.

What To Do Next:

We covered quite a bit of information in this article.

If you’re wondering what to do next, consider the following…

Join the Group

One thing I would definitely encourage you to do is to check out my private Facebook group for folks recovering from religious harm:

• The Religious Harm Recovery Group

Check Out These Articles

• How to Deal With Religious Trauma Triggers
• Two Insidious Ways Religious Cults Use Your Emotions Against You
• What You Need to Know About Phobia Indoctrination & Religious Cults

Stay Connected

Most importantly you’ll want to make sure you’re on my email list.

Every Thursday I send out a topical email related to religious indoctrination and religious harm recovery.

Use the form below to sign up!