A MATTER OF FAITH
by Vicki Copeland

For the past five years, the public has been hearing stories about ritualistic child abuse, both from children who claim to have been recently involved and from adults who claim to have been involved as victims while they were children.

Intensive police investigations to date have failed to turn up any evidence of the ritualistic aspects of the abuse, although the physical and/or sexual abuse of the children can be verified in some of the cases.

In spite of this lack of evidence, however, television talk shows are continually interviewing survivors. On many of the shows, skeptics are also on the guest list and have confronted the survivors about the lack of factual evidence to back up their claims.

The surprising, and appalling, thing about this juxtaposition of survivor and skeptic is the audience reaction. Universally, the skeptics have been attacked by audience members, while the survivors have been believed. Whole audiences of supposedly intelligent, non-superstitious Americans seem to WANT to believe that there are boogie men out there abusing thousands children and getting away with it.

Two articles which crossed my desk recently contained very revealing quotes which shed light on this phenomena of belief. The first was from Sheryl Mulhern. Dr. Mulhern is a medical anthropologist teaching at the University of Paris in France. She has been a regular attendee at conferences on multiple personality syndrome and has studied in depth the problem of the ritualistic child abuse survivor. In her paper entitled "Satanism and Psychotherapy: A Rumor in Search of an Inquisition" she relates a comment from Mr. Dan Sexton, Director of the National Child Abuse Hot Line, in which he said " I'm not a law enforcement person,...I'm a psychology person, so I don't need the evidence, ... I don't need to see evidence to believe...I don't care what law enforcement's perspective is, that's not my perspective. I'm a mental health professional.."

While I can agree that it is this man's job as a healer to deal with and heal traumatized patients hose hurts, I am appalled at the fact that he doesn't need evidence and "doesn't care what law enforcement's perspective is." (Continued Next Page)

5 Specialized Aspects (pt. 2)

Signs and Symbols of the Craft

Reviews:

How to Investigate Destructive Cults

And Much More.............

A Matter of Faith (Continued)

Clinicians are a primary source of information drawn upon in training seminars on Ritualistic Child Abuse and other so-called "occult related crimes." The clinicians are telling law enforcement, in effect, that positive proof is not important!

The second quote comes from an as-yet unpublished article by Dr. Jeffrey Victor of Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, NY. In the article entitled "Satanic Cult Survivor Stories," we find the following story. Dr. Victor relates a conversation he had with a psychiatric nurse from a leading hospital whom he asked about her belief in the stories of survivors. She replied that she did believe the stories even though there was no hard proof.. "I then asked her how she could be so certain that the presentation was true...She quite candidly said that the existence of Satanism confirms her belief in God.

"...She said 'Anyone who is a Christian and believes in God, must also believe in the existence of Satan. Satanists believe in Satan and work for him, just like people who believe in God work for God. SO I know that God and goodness really exists."

This is perhaps the most disturbing quote of all, because, if it is what some people truly believe, then it means that no matter what kind of proof or lack thereof is produced, they will continue to believe in satanic cult horror stories BECAUSE IT VALIDATES THEIR OWN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS!!! The heck with the Bill of Rights, the heck with religious freedom, the heck with innocent until proven guilty. When you are dealing with something that touches on the justification of the religious beliefs, all bets are off. As a member of a muchmisunderstood and maligned minority religion. I find that frightening.

A BIT OF HUMOR LIGHTENS THE DAY

From The London Evening Standard, Tuesday 18 July 1989, Alexander Walker Column.

...I've had a little experience of the occult myself. Years ago, when a sore on a finger looked as if it were settling down stubbornly to be a wart for life, I went to my Wimpole Street physician.

He reached for his prescription pad and said facetiously: "If this doesn't work, we'll try a witch."

"Oh, let's try a witch first," I said ("Never refuse an experience," said Oscar Wilde, who should have.) We did.

She charged me £3, cried the equivalent of "out, out damned spot", and it vanished within the week. My doctor would have shamelessly charged me 10 guineas.

There, I think, you have it: witchcraft is popular because it is a service religion. It delivers.

FIVE SPECIALIZED ASPECTS THAT ARE TROUBLING TO PARENTS
by Hal Mansfield (Part 2)

Cults

Cults in general have increased in the adolescent world (Cult Awareness Network, 1990; Andres, 1988). Adolescents in search of identity, trying to break away from home, and wanting to feel special are prime targets for cult recruiters. Adolescents experience many emotions when growing during this stage of development. Gender roles, sex, self esteem are just some examples that cause emotions of anger, depression, hopelessness, joy, etc. A good cult recruiter can spot these kids going through depression and target them for recruitment (Singer, 1987). Research has shown that almost all recruits have been brought into a cult through one of two methods of recruiting. Those areas are deception, and depression recruiting (Hassan,1990). These groups can destroy family relationships by separating people from outside contacts, using up finances, and impeding development of normal thought processes by having no independent thought allowed.

Adolescent involvement gives rise to anxious questions about brainwashing, family ties, cultivation of a belligerent, even armed, mystique. The best way to deal with these concerns is with education. Several researchers have demonstrated that a family that is well-informed will experience little or no problem with cults (American Family Foundation). A counselor can help with questions of what is acceptable questioning and involvement. It is normal for an adolescent to want to explore matters of faith, and it is healthy to want to go to other churches to see what they do and say. The counselor can help the parents discern what is striving for independence and what is rebellion.

One way to prevent cult involvement is for the parents to know and teach their children ways to protect themselves from recruitment. These guidelines are not different from good consumerism, such as getting specific information about the group's ideas, affiliations, location, and membership requirements. Good resources to use are agencies such as the Cult Awareness Network , the Religious Movement Resource Center. Such agencies keep lists of destructive cults and should be used to check out some questions about different groups.

Gangs

Another dangerous practice facing adolescents today is gangs. Research on gangs shows some of the same characteristics as the before-mentioned groups. Namely, identification, a sense of belonging, and even peer pressure, are the main comparisons (Calio, 1990). Other factors involve more base elements to them, one being security. If you are a member in one of these groups, you have the support and protection of that group. There area many possible financial rewards, which plays into the self esteem issue adolescents deal with. Riding in a $25,000 car at age sixteen shows others that he is powerful and special. Many of these children get to that point by selling drugs and very few get to that level of leadership. Many are victims of the drugs they sell, becoming addicts. Gangs are prone to violence. The city of Los Angeles in 1988 counted 387 gang-related deaths. The figures are similar for other cities of the same size (Office of Criminal Justice Planning,1989).

Parents need to deal with this issue head on, not with denial. Providing a healthy environment to grow is all important. This can be accomplished by enrolling in a youth activity program available in most communities. A counselor may become involved when there is a history of family violence. Studies conducted by the State of Oregon have shown a relationship between family violence and gang membership (Pia, 1990).

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse has been around for a long time and has been a constant source of concern for parents (Clark, 1989). In the before-mentioned areas, a link has been established between drugs and some groups. This link, however, does not explain all the reasons for substance abuse. Research has found that the typical drug user has problems with their parents (Tudor, Peterson, and Elifson, 1980). Issues involving decisions about friends, not wanting to emulate their parents, not wanting advice, and not feeling close to their parents are the majority of causes of conflict.

Dr. Sidney Cohen suggests ways to improve the situation. First is physical exercise. This can relieve some of the stress and chronic tension. Develop sensory awareness by taking the child to different surroundings, such as the out-doors. Psychological awareness can be increased by group therapy. A common cause for drug use is the need to prove one's bravery. Outward Bound programs are provided as rites of passage that fulfil the need for bravery in a positive manner. Developing aesthetic appreciation, that is appreciation for the arts, music, etc., should be encouraged or creative expression and a sense of identity.

The counselor can help the parent develop these programs for the family unit. The counselor should also have lists of resources available in their community, such as Outward Bound programs.

In conclusion, in almost all the research in these five aspects, there are methods of identification and treatment available. With a few exceptions, early detection and intervention is the key to success. The parent and the counselor must work in concert with each other. With that kind of cooperation, the evidence shows a good prognosis.

References

Andres, R. (1988), Cults and Consequences. Los Angeles: Jewish Federation Council.

Calio, J. (1988), "True Colors",Phillip Morris, pp 37-41.

Clark, C. (1988), "The Dependency Patterns and Addictive Behaviors of Deviant Phenomena", CareNetwork, pp 5-10

Cohen, S. (1983), "Alternatives to Adolescent Drug Abuse", Journal of the American Medical Association, pp 61-63

Council of Mind Abuse Reports of 1989. (1989). Canada, Council of Mind Abuse.

Cults, What Parents Should Know. (1990). Weston, MA: American Family Foundation.

Galanter, m. (1989). Cults and New Religious Movements. New York: Beacon Press.

Hassan, S. (1989). Combatting Mind Control. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press.

Hate Groups. (1989). Los Angeles, Ca: Anti-Defamation League.

Klanwatch Intelligence Reports for 1989. (1989). Atlanta, GA: Klanwatch.

Occult, Cult, and Gang Crime. (1990). Los Angeles, CA: Office of Criminal Justice Planning.

Owens, T. & Pia, J. (eds.). (1990). Oregon Report on Hate Crime. Portland, OR: State of Oregon.

Pseudo-Satanism in School Systems Today. (1988). Ft. Collins, CO: Religious Movement Resource Center.

Russell, B. (1987). The Devil. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Singer, M. (1990). Thought Reform Programs and the Production of Psychiatric Casualties. Psychiatric Annals, pp. 188-193.

Summers, M. (1965). Geography of Witchcraft. New Hyde Park, NY: University Books.

Teen Satanism Evident Across the Country. (1989). Chicago, IL: Cult Awareness Network.

Tuder, C., Peterson, D., & Elifson, K. (1980). An examination of the relationship between parental influences in adolescent drug use. Adolescence, pp. 783-798.

RITUALISTIC, CULT AND OCCULT CRIME
By Kerr Cuhulain

The last few years have seen the creation of "new" categories of criminal activity: "ritualistic crime," "occult(ic) crime," and/or "cult(ic) crime". The argument that is usually used to support the creation of these categories is that "Satanic," "cult," or "occult" activity causes criminality. The "experts" usually making these assertions are frequently from fundamentalist sects of religious such as Christianity, although they often do not publicly announce this. The hysteria that has been created by these "experts," many of whom are hardly qualified to claim the title, has brought many of them fame, fortune, and power. It has, at the same time, resulted in many hours of fruitless investigation and the ruining of innocent peoples lives. Do such categories of crime exist? Is there a need for new categories of crime to be created?

In the first place, criminality is rarely motivated by a person's religious beliefs. It is far more common for the reverse to be true: that a person will u se their beliefs to rationalize or excuse their criminality. Despite the hysterical claims frequently seen nowadays in the popular press, Satanism and/or the "occult" are rarely the beliefs used to rationalize criminal behavior. It is far more common to find mainstream religious beliefs such as Christianity used for this purpose in our society. For every report of a criminal who did his acts in the name of Satan, I can quote you many more who did their acts in the name of God. For example, a large proportion of the physical abuse reported to the authorities in recent years has been perpetrated by a minority of extremist individuals and organizations in the Christian community, commonly using pretexts such as "beating the Devil out of the child." Yet we do not hear the law enforcement community talking about "Christian crime," "Moslem crime," etc. Nor is there a need to. Most Christians are law-abiding. (Ed. Note - As are most non-Christians). But it is not in the best interests of many of these so-called "occult crime experts" to point this out, as many have hidden agendas; it would work against their desire to promote their own beliefs as an alternative or a cure for the problems which they perceive. The bottom line is that criminality is criminality, no matter what the religious beliefs of the perpetrator are. Law enforcement officers are sworn to uphold the law and to respect individual freedoms. They are not bound to enforce anyone's scriptures. There is no need to create new categories: the existing laws are more than adequate for the purposes at hand in this case.

There is a tendency for many so-called "experts" to mistakenly assume that "ritualism" refers to religious acts. This is not true. In fact, the term "ritualistic" has existed for some time in the law enforcement community, as has the term "modus operandi." Ritual is a series of repeated habitual acts. Many people equate the word "ritual" with religion, but this is not necessarily so. Rituals can be social, cultural, sexual, etc. What makes ritualistic crime different does not necessarily have anything to do with religion. Law enforcement officers would define "modus operandi" as something that a criminal does because it produces results. It is their method of operation. In other words, the criminal does his acts in a way which will help him to successfully achieve his objective and avoid apprehension. Ritualism, on the other hand, refers to something that a criminal does because he has a need. In other words, he is driven to do something. For example, most mutilation in homicides is the result of sexual ritualism: the suspect is doing it because it arouses him sexually. Ritualistic acts may not be rational and may even guarantee apprehension. They may even be contrary to the accepted behavior of the perpetrators professed religious beliefs. Ritualistic crime does exist, and is not uncommon. But religious ritualism is only a small part of it.

"Cult" is another term which is often misused. Too often it is used by "experts" to mean "everything other than what I believe in." I have seen books written by so-called "experts" that listed all of the world's major religions as "cults" (with the exception of the author's faith). It is more commonly used within the law enforcement community to refer to groups which are dangerous or destructive to the individual in some way. I recommend the "Cult Danger Evaluation Frame" by P. E. I. Bonewitz as a good evaluation tool for cults of this nature. I have also seen the terms "cult" and "occult" used as if they were synonymous. This is not the case. "Occult" simply means "hidden" and is most commonly used to describe secret societies into which a person must be initiated in order to learn about them. By this definition, many Christian religious orders could be classified as "occult."

No religious organization can guarantee that all of its followers will uphold the law. Investigators should investigate all incidents objectively and fairly, and accept each group that they encounter on its own merits. As both a police officer and an initiated Wiccan, I have had the opportunity to both investigate crimes with religious overtones and to see the misery caused by investigations by others that were inept, misinformed, or even wilfully prejudiced. It is incumbent upon the investigator to either research these subjects before investigating them or to seek out truly qualified experts for use in investigations of this sort. The investigator is not obligated to "believe" everything that he is told, as some "experts" insist. Rather, he has a duty to listen objectively.

SIGNS AND SYMBOLS OF THE CRAFT

With this issue, we begin a column explaining the signs and symbols commonly associated with the various types of Paganism and give historical background and contemporary usage. We hope this will help our readers to understand various types of graffiti they may encounter. Readers are urged to send us queries concerning specific signs and symbols. We will do our best to research and report on them in future issues of CWR.

symbol for fff / 666

FFF - This symbol is frequently seen on handouts of "occult symbols" given at seminars. According to the handouts, the triple F is a Satanic symbol because F is the sixth letter of the alphabet and thus, FFF is another way of inscribing 666, the Devil's number. The use of FFF goes back many years to the British Isles. According to Doreen Valiente in her book "ABC of Witchcraft, Past and Present",the use of the triple F originally meant "Flags, Flax, and Fodder." In 20th century usage, this would be a home (flags or flagstones, symbolic of the home), clothing (flax is used to make linen cloth, which was commonly used as clothing material in medieval England), and food (fodder). Sometimes a fourth F is used with this formula. This fourth letter stands for Frig, the Saxon goddess of fertility and love whose name has come to be used as a modern-day expletive associated with sexuality.

Triple 6's Radiating From a Common Point

Also seen in association with this sign is a variation which has three sixes radiating from a central point. Handouts on occult symbols commonly identify this motif as yet another encryption of the 666 Number of the Beast.This symbol could be easily confused with an often-used Celtic motif known as the triskele. A triskele is a series of curving shapes radiating from a common center. The most common number of shapes is three, thus the term TRIskele, symbolizing three.

Triskele From a Border in the Gospels of the Book of Kells - Ireland, 9th Cent.

The triskele was used in Celtic art of the La Tene style to symbolize the trinity. It applies to the Christian trinity as well as the pre-Christian religion. The Celts frequently had triads of deities in their belief structures and the triple symbol was used to depict this concept. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the triple spiral seen on the Newgrange Passage Grave which predates Christianity in the British Isles be many centuries. Later examples of the Triskele style of art work can be seen on the illuminations of the famous Book of Kells, one of the most beautiful copies of the Christian Gospels in the world. while the most often-seen version of this employs abstract shapes, the Celts were also fond of triskeles exhibiting human and/or animal shapes (called zoomorphs) and used them in their artwork. Many motifs of Paganism, folklore, science fiction/ fantasy art, and the Society for Creative Anachronism may make use of this HISTORICAL art style.

References:

Valiente, Doreen

Mognahan, Patricia, "The Book of Goddesses and Heroines"

Bain, George, "Celtic Artwork, Methods of Construction"

THE ZOSO MYTH
By Kerr Cuhulain
Taken from the WIN Intelligence Summary, June 1990.

ZOSO Logo as Seen on Album

Recently one of our area coordinators was called upon to be an expert witness for the defense in a trial. The prosecutor, in trying to undermine this witness's credibility, asked her if she knew what the name ZOSO meant. When she said that she did not, he seized upon this and claimed that it was, in fact, a Satanic symbol.

This is not true!

This symbol has been popping up in various anti-Pagan manuals on "occult-related crime". It is usually defined as "ZOSO: the three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hell." NOT ONE Of these manuals, many of which were written by law enforcement officers. lists the source of this information.

In fact, it is a sigil which is related to the planet Saturn. You will find it on the album covers and record labels of the British rock group Led Zeppelin. A good example is on the dust cover of the album "Led Zeppelin IV."

Jimmy Page was the lead guitarist of Led Zeppelin. He is a serious student of occult subjects and bought Aleister Crowley's old house in London, which he turned into a metaphysical book store. Page chose this sigil because Saturn is related to the metal lead, relating in turn to the name of his group. He chose several other symbols for the Led Zeppelin IV album, an example being the inside cover, which is a reproduction of "the Hermit" card of the Major Arcana of a Tarot deck.

It is not known at this time precisely who started this myth that ZOSO is a three-headed dog guarding Hell. Of course, the three-headed dog in ancient Greek mythology that guarded Hades was Cerberus. And even a cursory study of Greek mythology will show that Hades is not equivalent to the Christian Hell. We speculate that some promoter of the listening-to-rock-music-causes-satanism theory saw this symbol on the Led Zeppelin albums and let their imagination run wild.

REVIEWS:

How to Investigate Destructive Cults and Underground Groups: An Investigators Manual by Larry Zilliox, Jr and Larry Kahaner

The authors of this 137 page spiral bound book are experienced cult investigators with ties to the law enforcement community. In their book they cover in ten chapters the definition of a cult, the structure of a cult, and the various legal methods which may be used to gather information on the target groups.

The chapters are clear and concise, containing useable information for all who wish to investigate or feel they may be the focus of an investigation. Useful addresses and phone numbers are included, some of which are not common knowledge.

Heavy emphasis is placed on the use of public records as a source and the authors even include sample forms for use in requesting data. The pros and cons of the investigative techniques are discussed with a realistic approach to the consequences of undertaking such an investigation.

Various religious groups are discussed in general terms, and the authors go to great effort to clarify the legitimate nature and right to worship of those groups. Historical background is provided on several groups, but is done so in a nonjudgmental and accurate manner.

As a practicing pagan with a law enforcement background, I found this work to be far and away the best of its kind on the subject. I highly recommend it to the community and commend the authors for producing an unbiased tool for use by those involved in investigations of this nature.

John Kuma

(Ed. Note: I concur with John's opinion of this book. Although not a law enforcement officer, I found the book highly useful for the investigations that we do at CWR. It was also an eye opener as to what kinds of things to look for in case one is the object of an investigation. It has certainly made me more aware of my surroundings and the people I encounter every day. Pagans should find it enlightening from that perspective, and non-Pagan investigators should find the sections dealing with those issues particular to cult groups useful. This volume can be ordered from Kane Associates International, Inc. Box 2732, Alexandria, VA 22301. Cost is $17.)

PAINTED BLACK: Carl Raschke
Harper & Row, San Francisco, CA. $12.95

This rather strange work is the brainchild of Carl A. Raschke, a Denver, Colorado based academic with an obviously fundamentalist Christian agenda to promote. While one would expect a well-discussed and documented discussion of the Satanist movement in the United States and elsewhere, what the reader actually gets is nothing of the kind. The book is VERY hard to read in sequence, as most books are read; one of the primary reasons for the long delays in the appearance of this review is, in fact, the grave difficulty faced by most readers in reading this book straight through. (I have been trying to get this review written since mid-November 1990.)

Raschke makes NUMEROUS assumptions in this work that are NEVER either significantly questioned or discussed. The assumption that Aleister Crowley was a Satanist is never questioned, despite numerous evidences deposited by both himself and Israel Regardie to the contrary. Moreover, any time Raschke needs to establish a link between the groups he discusses, he simply dismisses the need for the establishment of any such link. To quote the book itself:

"All today's satanists do not need to be pen pals or have secret meetings or collect national dues in order to have a common set of passions and an impact. They just have to listen to the same music and read the same books. It requires only a certain modicum of literacy to become an aesthetic terrorist -- and a satanist." --- Chap. 5, "The Aesthetics of Terror", p.116

In short, there does NOT need to be any link between these groups in order for them to be the ever-notorious "worldwide Satanic conspiracy". Moreover, all these groups need in order to be Satanistic is to have significant aesthetic differences with Carl A. Raschke!!

In fairness to Raschke, there ARE some points in the book's favor, albeit few and far between. His chapter on the Temple of Set and it's leadership is entitled "The Strange World of Dr. Aquino". Admittedly, many people would consider ANYTHING having to do with Lieutenant Michael Aquino and his wife Lilith rather strange; and the chapter itself actually DOES describe Doctor/ Colonel Aquino and his world as well as such CAN be described.

However, anyone who can draw a link between the existence of Robert Mapplethorpe's homo--erotic artworks and a world-wide Satanic movement (pp. 104-5) without such connections REALLY and MATERIALLY existing, while advertising himself as a possessor of major earned college degrees, is what this writer's rural relatives would call a "pseudoeducate". He is, in this writer's opinion, using his educational credentials to impress the public, while hoping that they will NOT actually READ his book!!

And at least the latter part of his plan is as yet working flawlessly; Harper and Row will see little if any chance of profit on this publication. At least, that is this writer's opinion.

Sean M. R. McCullough

OCCULT CRIMES INVESTIGATIONS
by Dr. Clifford Alford
Occult Crimes Consultant
6927 N. W. 13th St., Apt. B\
Oklahoma City, OK 73127

In the introduction to his manual, Dr. Alford claims that his credentials include "3.5 years with the Central Intelligence Agency's Tactical Anti-Terrorist Force (TATF). From the contents of his manual and the quality of the "intelligence" therein, I doubt it.

Of all the manuals we have read and/or reviewed, this is the most poorly researched, ill considered, and badly presented example we have encountered.

It begins with a general overview of some major occult religions including Wicca, Voodoo, Satanism, and "the New Age Movement." His knowledge of even the basics of Wicca is limited to material which is taught in a correspondence course of Gavin and Yvonne Frosts "Church and School of Wicca."

Alford makes such sweeping statements as "Most of Wicca's covens in the Western hemi-sphere fall under the authority of the Church and School of Wicca, which is headquartered in New Bern, North Carolina. The world recognized leaders of this religion are GAvin Frost, Ph. D, D. D. and his wife, Yvonne Stone Frost, D.D." Such a statement is patently ridiculous and I'm sure the vast numbers of Gardnerians, Alexandrians, Georgians, Feminist Dianic and other traditions of Wicca would be very interested in hearing this. The above-mentioned traditions, as well as many others which have not been mentioned, are autonomous, fiercely independent, and owe no allegiance whatsoever to the Frosts and their teachings.

Alford also mentions something he calls the Witches Coven Council of America. We assume he is referring to the "Witches International Coven Council of America" which was reportedly responsible for the fraudulent "WICCA letters", derivative of the"Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion," a document used to justify persecution of the Jews in the past.

Alford refers to "spiritual warfare" and tells the readers "there is no such thing as a dabbler...To forget this could easily cost you your life."

He advocates a strong mixture of fundamentalist Christianity (not surprising since Dr. Alford was at one time an employee of Vinelife Ministries in Oklahoma City) and paranoia in the worst possible mixture,

Under the heading PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS, we find "I would not be able to survive this type of activity without faith in Jesus Christ. Anyone who takes a stand against the occult eventually begins receiving threats."

Students of this manual are warned that occultists reverse the meaning of what they say, so that their statements should be interpreted in reverse and "what is normally a non-threatening attitude may just as easily be a prelude to a violent confrontation." Under a section entitled CONFRONTING OCCULT RELATED CRIME SUSPECTS, he tells the reader, "When you approach an occult crime suspect always have your holster strap or flap undone and your hand around the grip with your thumb over the hammer ready to draw and fire." Dr. Alford's advice is likely to get someone seriously injured if not killed!

The remainder of the manual is taken up with a list of resources; a reprint of an article entitled "Ritualistic Crime in America, Emerging Nightmare" which appeared in the PFIA Protector in August of 1988, for which he gives no source, leading the reader to believe it is his own work; several lists of items to look for in a search warrant; a list of "known occult groups in Oklahoma", which I presume is his work, and diagrams of "occultic symbols" many of which look like drawings from Heavy Metal album covers.

I find nothing to recommend this manual to our readers. It is poorly researched, badly produced, and full of paranoid suggestions that have no place in the professional manner of a law enforcement officer whose salary is paid for by the tax dollars of ALL citizens. Were I a pagan in Oklahoma who found out that this man had trained MY police department on "occult related crime, I would have some serious questions about the uses to which my tax dollars were put!

Vicki Copeland

SATANISM AND PSYCHOTHERAPY: A RUMOR IN SEARCH OF AN INQUISITION by Sherill Mulhern

Ms. Mulhern is a medical anthropologist at the University of Paris in France, and has spent many years observing the phenomena of the ritualistic abuse survivor.

Her paper begins by giving the reader some background on psychological theory and practice, beginning with the Freudian theorem of intrapsychic conflict. She examines Freud's work with female victims of incest and sexual abuse, and compares that to the work current-day clinicians are doing with survivors of ritualistic child abuse.

During the course of this historical overview, she also explores the theory and use of hypnosis in treating patients of trauma, noting its use by the military in treating traumas induced by wartime experiences.

She also points up that in the course of the use of hypnotism, psychotherapists found what they term the "Grade 5" personality, so named by Herbert Spiegel. Grade 5s are highly suggestible, heavily influenced by what they think their therapist wants to hear, hypnotize easily, and have a great desire to be the center of the attention of their therapist.

Research into the incidents related by Grade 5s during hypnotic sessions revealed some verifiable falsehoods, but this seemed to make little or no difference to the patients. A study by Dr. George Ganaway including 82 patients with multiple personality disorder revealed that "virtually all of the patients in the MPD group also met Spiegel's criteria for the Grade Five Syndrome"

Ms. Mulhern than goes on to relate that the entire evidence of the survivors of ritualistic child abuse, many of whom are diagnosed with MPD, is based primarily upon the memories recovered in hypnotherapy sessions. Given the evidence uncovered in numerous studies cited in this report that the "memories" uncovered in hypno-therapy are as likely to be untrue as to be true, this causes the survivors' stories to be viewed in an entirely new light for most people.

She gives a chronological progression of the papers on the satanic cult survivors presented at the annual conference on multiple personality/dissociative stats in Chicago. Beginning in 1984 and progressing to the conference in 1989, she shows that the number of papers dealing with this issue has increased each year, with the viewpoint becoming less and less skeptical as the years progressed, culminating in a 1989 post-conference workshop which one of the presenters said "was so successful that it paid for the whole conference."

She also points out that few clinicians treating MPD patients are aware of the special problems presented with Grade 5 patients. Dr. George Ganaway, who trains MPD clinicians stated that "he continues to be surprised at the number of experienced therapists who have yet to grasp that they are treating patients who in effect are continually moving in and out of hypnotic trance states, no matter what the therapists' intent may be regarding the use of hypnotic techniques."

She points out common pitfalls of therapists treating these patients, including over eagerness to accept whatever the patient reports as true, and misinterpretation of disclosures.

Ms. Mulhern ends her report with the following quote," I fully recognize the sufferings of children who have been battered and raped by the very persons they rely on for survival. Moreover, I have seen the bloody mess that is left behind when charismatic leaders demand the ultimate sacrifice or the final solution. When people come to believe that anyone could be one of Them, someone will usually be found. I dread the moment when the self righteous vested interest groups, which today stand side by side with the champions of the mental health perspective, place one hand on the Bible and point Them out."

As a lay person, I found the information concerning the mental health profession and its methods and training highly informative and easy to understand. The references are copious and from highly reputable sources. As a Wiccan,and a skeptic of this whole ritualistic child abuse issue, I found that Ms. Mulhern's questions were the same ones that I and other researchers in this area have been asking. I would highly recommend this report to our readers. CWR does not have a current address for Ms. Mulhern, but as she is still teaching at the University of Paris in France, we presume that a letter addressed to her in care of the University would reach its destination. It is certainly worth the time and expense that it might cost to obtain a copy of this excellent paper.

Vicki Copeland

AROUND THE OFFICE:

Things have rather quiet after the holidays at the CWR office. The only news we have to report this month is that we have received our first inquiries from a Communist country (Czechoslovakia) and an Asian country (Malaysia).

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CultWatch Response, Inc.
P.O. Box 1842
Colorado Springs, CO
80901-1842