| This study investigated the lived reality of individual experiences of loss of an authority figure. The research question was: Please describe an experience when you realized that an authority figure who held your trust ceased to be that authority. Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological psychological method was used to explore essential concerns that helped to provide a meaningful structure for this phenomenon. Each research participant chose an experience from his or her life when a significant loss of an authority figure occurred.;Three research participants who shared similar experiences were chosen to respond to the research question. Each participant produced a description that involved an authority figure who was a teacher of a spiritual, religious, or cult-like group. Each participant invested a significant amount of personal resources over the time of the authority relationship. Each description focused on intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts that eventually developed into an experience of loss of an authority figure. In addition, each participant desired to learn a healing craft outside of mainstream medicine that was in part motivated by a personal desire to heal some aspect of the participant's personal life.;This study attempted to forgo using theories, assumptions, and explanations of phenomena that may influence the design and outcome of this research. Information was obtained directly from self-descriptions of each research participant's experience. The result is a general psychological structure that centers around seven essential constituents: Motivation to choose, trust, loss of an illusion of trust, developing an alternative perspective, receiving independent help, pivotal events and awareness, and feelings of loss concurrent with gratitude for gaining a broader perspective. For each research participant, the significant loss resulted in disillusionment and was described in detail. The research results are discussed in relation to literature on studies of cultural authority, personal authority, and experiences of personal loss. |
