◆ SpookStack

* victim. Quite the oppoe was true, the overcontro} telllersonat ities which the SLA attracted to ‘its ranks project loving and caring to those they perceive as innocents as much as they. hunger for acceptance and loving themse}ves. Patricia was exposed without innoculation to a group of individuals wha loved her with a desperation born of their own needs. Undoubtedly expecting the harshest of treatments she was exposed instead to. the molding influences of an intensive group encounter experience of — protracted duration. Data on the effectiveness of changing the life- | - styles of encounter group participants, changes which are dramatic and far reaching even after marathons of only 12 to 24 hours, indicate that one of the critical ingredients to such effectiveness is the perception of the group members that they cannot defend by leaving the field. Such restriction is usually accomplished through social pressure toward commit- ment to the group. In this instance, Patricia was. well aware of her | inability to depart or even to refuse to participate. As other victims have reported, there is an intense need to communicate with the abductors in order to attempt to reduce the anxiety occastoned: by the uncertainness of their fate. _ But. as became evident, Patricia’s decision to renounce the outside world which in her perception was forced upon her by its renunciation of her, was not sufficient for her captors. In their need to compensate for their recognition of their inability to act, to translate romantic ideals into decisive behavior, they required a surrogate ego who would help them act out what they cculd not do alone. What better demonstration of their * . > power, of their denial of what they feared most in themselves then to + require Patricia to prove her words with a guerilla action.