Deprogrammed

A portrait of Ted “Black Lightning” Patrick, the controversial founder of the deprogramming movement

In the 1970s, Ted Patrick gained a reputation for his practice of “deprogramming,” a promise to undo the brainwashing that people suffer at the hands of manipulative and powerful cults. Ted’s method spawned a movement of ex-cult followers who themselves learned his techniques in order to help others to reverse the dark processes that took control of their lives. This documentary looks into the life of Ted Patrick through the eyes of the director, Mia Donovan, whose stepbrother Matthew underwent this controversial and dangerous deprogramming that when explored reveals a tarnished legacy.