Ted Patrick (born 1942) is an American former deprogrammer and anti‑cult activist known for his involvement in the practice of “deprogramming” individuals who had joined new religious movements, commonly referred to as cults. Beginning in the early 1970s, Patrick organized and led interventions in which subjects were removed from their religious environments, often without their consent, and subjected to intensive counseling designed to reverse their involvement.
Patrick founded the organization “The Deprogramming Association” and later the “Free Mind Resource Center,” both of which provided training, resources, and support for individuals and families confronting cult participation. He authored several works on the subject, including Releasing the Captives: A Manual for the Spiritual Liberation of the Cult Victim (1975) and The Cult Experience: A Study in Psychological Manipulation (1978). His methods, which sometimes involved forcible confinement and psychological pressure, generated considerable controversy and legal challenges; he faced multiple criminal charges related to kidnapping and unlawful detention, though many were eventually dismissed or resulted in plea agreements.
In the 1990s, Patrick’s activities shifted toward advocacy and public education about coercive persuasion, and he became a frequent speaker at conferences, media programs, and academic forums addressing new religious movements and cult-related issues. He has been cited in scholarly literature on deprogramming and cultic studies as a prominent, though polarizing, figure in the anti‑cult movement of the late twentieth century.
Patrick’s legacy remains contentious: supporters view him as a defender of individual autonomy against manipulative groups, while critics argue that his tactics infringed upon civil liberties and due process. His career reflects broader debates within sociology, law, and religious freedom regarding the ethical boundaries of intervening in the personal beliefs of adults.