Just a few years after the end of WWII, the American author Lafayette Ronald Hubbard developed the new religious movement Scientology, which has evolved over the years into one of the largest new religious movements in the world. Two decades later, an American pastor’s son named David Berg, received a revelation from God, which led to the founding of the new religious movement The Family International, formerly known as God’s Children. Over the years there have been a number of defectors that wanted to change and turn their life around. But only a few managed to gather confidence to tell the rest of the world of the circumstances and living conditions in the new religious movement that have characterized major parts of their lives.

The main purpose of this study was to elucidate how former members and defectors portrayed and experienced the explicit and implicit exercise of power in two, American founded, new religious movements. In addition, the study applied the Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud’s theories in dynamic psychology and religion, in order to interpret the former members depictions, in relation to the attitudes expressed. 

The didactic relevance of this study refers to the growth and the more frequent sight of new religious movements in our society. The society, primarily in the media, but also in scientific contexts, has associates these movements with the negative loaded word sect, which has led to appearance of difficulties in the education of religion. Therefore, contributes this study, based on a neutral and a non-evaluative perspective of new religious movements, to eliminate prejudices and create tolerance among all students.

What emerged along the course of the study was that the explicit control and exercise of power was established in the charismatic attribute and, above all, the power holder’s ability to convince and persuade the members was one of the major parts in the power structure. The study also illustrates how the implicit exercise of power of the Scientology constantly revolved around money and The Family International around sex relations.

In conclusion, the leaders explicit and implicit exercise of power integrates with each other and has its foundation in the charismatic leadership and the ability to convince and persuade its members. The conclusion also illustrates how the members adaption and submission to its leader was an unconscious act according to Freud’s theory, concerning defense mechanism.  As a result, the leaders achieved to manage the movements without resistance and questioning, and also got expression for their own manners.