A research about the psychological processes of religious identity constitution of female Brazilian followers of Japanese new religions is here described. Social identity and structural theories are focused, according to the symbolic and imaginary. Data, obtained through semi-structured interviews, are presented under the form of four typical reports, which show that group belonging by categorization and/or prototypicality and symbolic structuration are the convergent psychosocial anersonal processes responsible for the constitution of religious identity. Positive and negative aspects of syncretism that -follows the religious adhesion transformation are discussed.
identity; religious identity; symbolic/imaginary; syncretism