Helping multiples and their loved ones to remember the music
| Satanic Ritual Abuse Glossary |
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The following is a list of terms used on this site, as well as terms you may have heard elsewhere which pertain to satanic ritual abuse, and abuse therapy. Dissociation/PTSD will only be covered here in broad terms. For more information please see the DID/MPD information sections of the website. Abreaction - the verbal expression of unconscious thoughts or feelings, usually in the presence of a therapist. Acute Stress Disorder -A disorder first named in DSM-IV. It is similar to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in that it is evoked by the same types of stressors that precipitate PTSD. However, in this disorder, the symptoms occur during or immediately following the trauma. The primary criteria are the same as those for PTSD, except that the disturbance lasts for a minimum of two days and a maximum of four weeks and occurs within four weeks of the traumatic event. Adapted from DSM-IV, p. 432. adult survivor -An adult presumed to have survived and escaped from the control and abuse of a satanic cult, especially one who has recovered repressed memories of such abuse. Affiliation - the ability and willingness to feel a part of or connected to other people or groups of people. Alexithymia -The inability to recognize or describe what one feels. This is common in post-traumatic stress disorder, somatization, and conversion disorders. Anniversary Reaction -The experience of reacting with feelings or behavior on the "anniversary" of a previous event. For example, an individual whose house burned down on September 22nd may for years after the event have intense feelings or reactions on or around September 22nd. In some cases the person may not even consciously recall why he or she is feeling differently on that date. A common anniversary reaction is temporary depression. Anxiety - the persistent feeling that danger or harm is imminent. Assessment - the beginning stage of therapy in which information is gathered that helps the professional understand the possible origins of the symptoms and decide the best methods in which to address and modify those symptoms. Attributions - beliefs or perceptions about the self, others, and the world that are derived from training, learning, or experience. Birthing Ritual -A ritual described by victims of ritual abuse in which the victim is placed within the carcass of a dead animal, or in some cases a dead human body, and is, in the context of a ritual, "born" into membership in the group. This ritual is intended to make the victim feel profoundly connected to the group. Child Sexual Offenders -Some children who have been sexually molested have in turn molested other children. Children who do act out sexually in this way are almost always children who themselves have been sexually molested. Child victims of molestation often feel overwhelmed by intense feelings of anger, fear, and their own lack of control. Such feelings lead some molested children to perpetrate against others in an effort to gain control over the painful feelings of being a victim. The damaging impact on children who are molested by other children should not be underestimated or thought of as only "innocent" childhood exploration. Sexual assaults which are perpetrated against children in the context of ritual abuse are generally more sadistic, degrading, and physically painful than other forms of sexual assault, and leave the child feeling extremely victimized. Because the emotional damage is likely to be greater for the ritually abused child, and because the ritual abuse involves compelling the child to sexually perpetrate against others, the ritual abuse victim is more likely than other victims of sexual assault to molest, especially if there has been no recognition of, and treatment for, that child's victimization. Christian Ritual Abuse (CRA) -Psychological, sexual, and/or physical assault forced on an unwilling victim, which is committed by one or more individuals according to a prescribed Christian ritual The aim of CRA is normally to drive demon(s) out of a possessed individual. Although the mental health community has abandoned the concept of demonic posession, many conservative Christians still believe in it. Cognitive Functioning - awareness of objects, thoughts, or perceptions. Cognitive Theory - as a development of behavioral theory, cognitive or cognitivebehavioral approaches aim to change behavior by changing an individual's cognition. Conjoint Therapy - therapeutic approach whereby the therapist works with a pair of clients, generally parent/caregiver-victim, sibling-victim, perpetrator-victim (when appropriate), to facilitate communication and appropriate interaction and improve the relationship of the two individuals. Consent -Among adults, someone is regarded as having been sexually victimized when sexual behavior goes beyond that to which they have consented. Any sexual activity involving children is by definition activity without their consent. Children and adolescents are not fully aware of the implications or consequences of sexual activities. They are under the legal and physical control of adults. When a person perceived by the child victim as powerful or authoritative presses for sexual activity, whether forcefully or seductively, meaningful consent by the victim is not possible. The imposition of adult sexuality upon the child often results in the loss of the child's sense of safety and trust in adults and in the distortion of that child's development for years after the abuse has occurred. Content and Process - two forms of information that are useful in gauging a client's participation in therapy. Content includes the specific topics or information that are discussed in the session whereas process includes information about the client's behavior and interaction. Countertransference - the conscious and unconscious emotional reactions of the professional to the client. Cult (Destructive) -"A destructive cult may be defined as a closed system/group whose followers have been recruited deceptively and retained through the use of manipulative techniques of thought reform and mind control (undue influence). The system is imposed without the informed consent of the individual and is designed to alter one's personality and behavior. The leadership is all-powerful, the ideology is totalistic, and the will of the individual is subordinate to the will of the group. The destructive cult sets itself above society by creating its own values with little or no regard for society's ethics or morals. "... (they) have engaged in some illegal and unethical practices -child abuse, neglect and death; illegal and fraudulent immigration; drug dealing; smuggling money, cars, guns, gems; fraud and deceit in recruiting, business, financial records, and fund raising; theft; harassment of families and former members with threats, lawsuits and foul play; stockpiling and smuggling weapons and ammunition; beatings; sexual abuse and prostitution; kidnapping; murder; attempted murder; and psychological and emotional damage." (quoted from Cult Awareness Network) Demons And Evil Spirits -Spiritual beings who are evil and ruled by Satan. According to Christian tradition, they are angels who shared in Satan's rebellion and were expelled with him. Ritually abused children and adults are victimized at rituals which invoke such beings. Victims report believing that perpetrators of ritual abuse possess control over these spiritual entities. Some victims are made to believe that these spirits have power to control the victim's life. For some, the fear of harm from such evil spirits or demons, or the fear of being controlled by them, is more oppressive and debilitating than fear of the perpetrators themselves. Disclosure -The Accommodation Syndrome described by Roland Summit outlines certain predictable patterns of tentative disclosure in any child's effort to disclose sexual abuse. Briefly, the syndrome helps to explain the family dynamics and societal pressures which lead a child either to be unable to disclose sexual abuse or, having disclosed, to subsequently retract the disclosure. The child is often put in the position of "mobilizing altruism and self-control to insure the survival of the other" (Summit, 1983), being forced to choose between ongoing abuse and the chaos that is sure to follow disclosure. In ritual abuse, additional forces can prevent or fragment a child's disclosure. Threats have been made of constant surveillance by the perpetrators and of harm to the child and those s/he loves if s/he discloses the abuse. Painful physical and sexual abuse make the child afraid to disclose what was done to him for fear of further harm from the perpetrators. Memories of systematic humiliation and degradation may cause the child to feel too ashamed of the activities in which he was involved to be able to disclose them. Most children are deceived and manipulated into believing that the actions they took in abusing others were a result of their own free choice. These children feel guilty and ashamed and fear rejection and retribution from family and society. All of this, combined with dissociative defense processes, often leads the child to psychologically isolate the painful experiences and carry on in other parts of his life without disclosure. Ironically, the closer a child feels to his parents, the more difficult it may be for him to disclose. The child feels that his silence is the key to the safety of his family. Finally, the disbelief on the part of parents, therapists, society and/or the courts, which is even more extreme in cases of ritual abuse than of sexual abuse, contribute to the child keeping this information buried within himself. Children may not reveal their ritual abuse until adulthood. When they do attempt to disclose, they experience the same extreme disbelief as disclosing children, and are sometimes labeled as psychotic and hallucinatory. Many also suffer from an extreme form of dissociative processing, multiple personality disorder. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) -One of the dissociative disorders in DSM- IV. There are four diagnostic criteria: The presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person's behavior Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition. DID is the current name for multiple personality disorder (MPD), first used in DSM-IV. In addition to the name change, the criteria was increased by two items, items C and D. The term DID is felt to reflect more accurately the condition of an individual with two or more personality states. This change recognizes that MPD represents the failure to form one core personality rather than to simply create many personalities. Adapted from DSM-IV, p. 487. Ego Defenses - unconscious attempts such as denial, projection, rationalization, regression, intellectualization, and sublimation which are used to manage overwhelming emotions or experiences. Extrafamilial Sexual Abuse Of Children -Any sexual contact or explicit sexual behavior imposed on a child by someone outside the child's family. The perpetrator is likely to be known to the child and his/her family. Frequently the victim's parent or guardian, knowingly or unknowingly, will have permitted the perpetrator to have access to the child. Research and clinical experience suggest that children who have been neglected, abused at home, or who are economically needy, may be particularly susceptible to the seductive pedophile willing to pay for sexual favors with gifts and attention. Ritual abuse of children does not depend on the particular vulnerabilities of the child. All children who are trapped in a ritually abusive setting are vulnerable and in most cases all are abused. Family Therapy - the therapist and cotherapist, when possible, work with family members, including parents, siblings, and extended family members (e.g., grandparents) in a group setting to address the changes necessary to ensure the safety and protection of the children in the family, especially the identified victim. Any problems or confusion generated by the abuse or neglect are also dealt with. Group Therapy - treatment approach in which the therapist and cotherapist work with a group of clients similar in age and experiences (e.g., sexual abuse, physical abuse, parents of victims) to help them share their thoughts and feelings related to their situation. This approach is particularly useful with clients who feel alienated or different from their peers or who have isolated their feelings as well as clients who would benefit from learning more positive and productive ways for interacting with others. Human sacrifice -The offering of the life of a human being to a god. The occurrence of human sacrifice usually can be related to the belief that blood is the sacred life force in man. The killing of a human, or of an animal in its place, represents an attempt to affect communion with a god and participate in its life force. Sacrifices have been made in connection with fertility rites, although specific other uses for obtaining powers and favors are also common. Cannibalism is practiced as part of human sacrifice because of a belief that by ingesting human blood and flesh the individual is empowered and transformed by the life force contained therein. Adults and children who have been ritually abused report being forced to participate in the killing of babies, children, and adults in ritual settings with the understanding that the purpose is to obtain certain magical powers. Ritual abuse survivors explain that the drinking of blood and the practice of cannibalism are ways to invest the worshipper/perpetrator with the spiritual powers of the victim. The practice of human sacrifice as it has been reported by victims of ritual abuse always raises extreme problems of credibility. Where have the victims come from? Where are the remains of these victims? Survivors have explained that victims come from within the cult membership (including babies "bred" for sacrifice), from the ranks of homeless people, and even represent some unknown portion of the large numbers of missing adults and children. Explanations for the absence of found remains include cannibalism, cult access to mortuaries and crematoria, frozen storage of body parts, and the retention by cult members of bones and body parts for further magical practices. Ideation - the formation of images and objects in the mind. Individual Therapy - treatment approach in which the therapist and client work together in a one-to-one relationship to address thoughts, feelings, and behavior generated by Lntrafamilial Sexual Abuse Of Children (Incest) -Intrafamilial sexual abuse encompasses any form of sexual activity between a child and another family member. The other family member could be a parent or stepparent, sibling, or other member of the extended family. Incestuous assault refers to any manual, oral, or genital sexual contact or other explicit sexual behavior that a family member imposes on a child or adolescent. Learned Helplessness -A term developed by Martin Seligman, pioneering researcher in animal psychology, to describe what occurs when animals or human beings learn that their behavior has no effect on the environment. The impact of this experience leaves an individual apathetic, depressed, and unwilling to try previous or new behavior. This concept is relevant to people with dissociative disorders who may show some degree of learned helplessness due to repeated exposure to traumatic events which they could not change or avoid by their behavior. Magic Surgery -Child victims of ritual abuse describe being drugged or hypnotized and, on awakening, being told they have had "magic surgery." The blood that has been smeared on their bodies constitutes compelling evidence that such surgery has taken place. In some cases children are told that a bomb has been placed inside them, a bomb that will explode if the child ever discloses the abuse, killing not only the child but the trusted person to whom he discloses. Most typically, child victims of magic surgery are told that they have had a monster, a demon, or "the devil's heart" placed inside them, and that it will attack them if they disclose. They are also told that the monster, demon, or devil is now in charge of their thoughts and behavior and will cause the child to "be bad." Child victims are made to believe that this entity will cause them pain if they fail to comply with its wishes. Ritually abused children often report somatic complaints such as abdominal pain in connection with this phenomenon. Marriage Ritual -A ritual described by victims of ritual abuse in which a "mock marriage" takes place between a child and a member of the abusive group, between two children, or between the child and Satan. Victims of this ritual are made to feel profoundly connected to the group itself or to the powers of evil. Metaphor - a phrase or story that represents themes and offers the client insight into his/her feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Modalities - approaches to psychotherapy that include individual, group, or family therapy. Occultism -Belief in the existence of mysterious, secret, or supernatural sources of power that can be known and/or communicated with by human beings. "Occult" is a general designation for various systems of belief, practices, and rituals based on knowledge of the world of spirits and/or unknown forces of the universe. Occult Crime -Any crime or alleged crime with some connection to the occult; ranging from rebellious teenagers who spray-paint occult graffiti to serial killers who use occult symbology or claim a commitment to occult belief. Pedophile -An adult who has sexual relations with a child and receives primary sexual gratification through sexual contact with children. (Most research has focused on males, although recognition of the participation of women in the sexual abuse of children is growing.) Generally, men who molest children have been thought to fit into one of two categories-"fixated" abusers whose sexual desires have always been primarily for children, and "regressed" abusers who have had sexual relationships with adults, but who begin to sexually abuse children, usually as a result of traumatic or stressful circumstances. Fathers who have incestuous relations with their children have often been thought of as being in this second category. There is also evidence of a third category, that of "crossover" abusers, that is men who may be fathers, and have sexual relationships with adults, but whose primary sexual attraction is to children. Many in this group are in fact pedophiles who have abused children inside and outside their own homes. Pedophiles were themselves often victims of sexual abuse as children. They have very poor self-esteem and fear the risk of rejection from an adult partner. They often do not think of themselves as harming children. They view their sexual activities as acts of love. It is important to them to believe that the child enjoys the sexual contact as much as they do. They view the process of having sexual activity with a child as one of seduction and education rather than of force and power. Pentagram -A five pointed star. In satanism, used pointing downward, and sometimes enclosed within a circle. Perpetrator -The person who has been determined to have caused or knowingly allowed the maltreatment of the child. Perpetrator Of Ritual Abuse -Perpetrators of ritual abuse usually function in a group setting. Most victims report being abused by several perpetrators, often in conjunction with other victims. Women are reported to be perpetrators of ritual abuse as often as are men. Little is know with certainty about the perpetrators of ritual abuse, but it is important to note that they do not fit commonly held concepts of the motivation and psychological profile of the pedophile (cf. PEDOPHILE). Ritual abusers are generally far more sadistic and cruel in their sexual abuse than are pedophiles. Victims report painful and frightening sexual acts, and humiliating practices involving, for example, the use of urine and feces. The perpetrators seem motivated by a desire to see the victims lose a sense of their own free will, identify with evil, and submit to the will of the group. Because of the apparent determination on the part of many ritual abusers to victimize and indoctrinate as many young children as possible, they frequently function together in groups in the operation of preschools, day-care services, and baby-sitting services, providing themselves access to children outside of their own families. There is evidence that many of these perpetrators have been raised in groups with strong systems of belief or worship (usually satanic in content) and highly systematic practices of abuse that are passed on within families from one generation to the next. Thus, many of the perpetrators of this abuse are in fact both victims and perpetrators within a family system of abuse. Those who have been victimized by ritual abuse in a family setting experience varying degrees of dissociation, including, in some cases, multiple personality disorder. This may explain how it is possible for some perpetrators to function undetected in child care settings, to seem quite believable when they deny children's complaints of abuse to experienced law enforcement investigators, and even to do quite well on polygraph examinations. Personality Disorders - the implication of inflexible and maladaptive patterns of behavior, of sufficient severity to cause either significant impairment in adaptive functioning or subjective distress. PHYSICAL ABUSE -Type of maltreatment that refers to physical acts that caused or could have caused physical injury to the child. Pornography -Ritually abused children report being photographed nude in sexually provocative poses as well as during sexual and physical assault. Some of these photographs are circulated or sold for profit. The child victims also talk about the photographs being shown to them as part of an effort to make them feel humiliated, ashamed, and fearful of discovery by their parents. Children are often told that they will be arrested because of what the photographs show. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) -An anxiety disorder based on how an individual responds to a traumatic event. According to DSM-IV, the following criteria must be met: The person has experienced a traumatic event that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others, and the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror The traumatic event is re-experienced in specific ways such as recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections or dreams of the event Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma or numbing of general responsiveness Persistent symptoms of increased arousal, such as hypervigilance or irritability Duration of the disturbance (symptoms in Criteria B, C, and D) is more than one month The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning. PTSD may be acute, chronic, or with delayed onset. Many individuals with DID (MPD) also have PTSD. The literature sometimes describes DID(MPD) as complex and/or chronic PTSD. Adapted from DSM-IV, p. 427-429. Prognosis - anticipated outcome for the client participating in therapy. Outcome is often affected by factors such as the client's developmental and cognitive capacity and ability, parent/primary caretakers' availability and response to therapy, and client's willingness to participate in and utilize the therapeutic relationship. Programming -an abusive, brain-washing technique. Programmed individuals can be triggered by words, phrases, sounds, smells etc. to perform specific tasks. Programming can be accomplished by very severe, sophisticated sequences of abuse starting in early childhood and continuing over a period of years. PSYCHOLOGICAL OR EMOTIONAL MALTREATMENT -Type of maltreatment that refers to acts or omissions, other than physical abuse or sexual abuse, that caused, or could have caused, conduct, cognitive, affective, or other mental disorders. Includes emotional neglect, psychological abuse, mental injury, etc. Frequently occurs as verbal abuse or excessive demands on a child's performance and may cause the child to have a negative self-image and disturbed behavior. Psychotherapy - a method of treatment designed to produce a response by mental rather than physical stimuli; it includes the use of suggestion, persuasion, reeducation, reassurance, and support as well as hypnosis and psychoanalysis. Regression - behavioral state in which the client reverts to an earlier or younger developmental stage and demonstrates behavior such as increased dependency, soiling or wetting problems, or temper tantrums. Re-Traumatizing -Re-enacting or reinforcing a traumatic experience or belief. Revictimization -Describes the experience of a survivor being victimized or traumatized after the original trauma. Examples of revictimization include psychological abuse that may occur in a survivor's interactions with authorities such as the courts, law enforcement personnel, or therapists. This process is important to address in therapy. In some cases it seems that a survivor may unconsciously allow or encourage this subsequent trauma to occur. Role Play - therapeutic approach which presents the opportunity to "try out" various roles or positions that are unfamiliar or confusing to the client. Role play is also an opportunity for the client to practice skills (e.g., a teenager practicing "no" to a sexual activity for which he/she is not ready). Sacrifice -A religious rite in which an object is offered to a god in order to establish, restore, or maintain a right relationship of man to the sacred order. Blood sacrifices (killing with bloodshed) are based on the concept that the sacred life force of both man and animal resides in blood. Blood is particularly important in rituals involving fertility, purification and atonement. Sacrifices in different cults are often required according to certain calendars of special days as well as for unique purposes on a given occasion. Burning is believed to be another way that a sacrifice can be made directly available to a god. A third way in which a sacrifice is conveyed to a god is burial in the earth. In some belief systems sacrifice is also a means of obtaining supernatural powers or favors from the god. Sadistic Ritual Abuse -Psychological, sexual, and/or physical assault committed by one or more people according to a prescribed ritual, whose primary motive is to either fulfill a need to abuse others, or to program the victim so that they can be precisely controlled in the future. Satan -A spiritual being, opposed to God, supremely evil. According to Christian tradition an angelic being, once called Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12), created by Gad for good purposes, but who led a rebellion against God and was cast out of heaven. Satan is believed to be the Serpent in the Garden of Eden who tempted Eve to disobey God by saying, "You shall be like God" (Genesis 3:5). Satan is also called the Father of lies, and Lord of the Flies (Ba'alzebub). He is the ruler over demons and evil spirits who works to interfere with the relationship of God and man by provoking man to evil. Satanism -Worship of Satan. Satanists seek to obtain power to manipulate the world around them for their own gain by calling upon the powers of Satan in certain prescribed rituals. They oppose the traditional values of Judeo-Christian tradition and adhere instead to a system of personal power and control over the world around them. ["Anyone who claims to be interested in magic or the occult for reasons other than gaining personal power is the worst kind of hypocrite." -Anton LaVey in the Satanic Bible.] Many young children who are victims of ritual abuse describe rituals that appear to use the accouterments of satanic ritual, e.g., black and red robes, hoods, altars, pentagrams, daggers, candles, sacrifice, etc. Many adult survivors describe being ritually abused on an ongoing basis from early childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood. They state that their abuse was part of a system of satanic worship and describe satanic invocations and rituals. [There appears to be a wide spectrum of practices, from the more organized satanic churches to the self-styled practitioners of satanism. It should be noted that spokespersons for two of the more publicly well-known satanic organizations, the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set, have issued statements that their organizations are not in any way associated with the abuse, sexual or otherwise, of children or adults, or the sacrifices of animals or human beings.] Satanic Alphabet -Letters of the alphabet written backwards, upside down, or sideways. A magical practice stemming from a system which values reversing anything which is the norm. Some children who attended ritually abusive pre-schools report having been taught to copy the satanic alphabet. Other occult alphabets may consist of magical symbols and runes. Satanic Calendar -There exist many versions of so-called satanic calendars, each of which includes a variety of holidays on which certain rituals must be performed. There are apparently many individual differences among groups that would call themselves satanists regarding which holidays are celebrated. Some groups simply do rituals whenever they please. See Satanic Ritual Abuse Calendar The birthday of the individual, Halloween (October 31), and, in some cases, Beltane (April 30) appear to be the holidays celebrated by most satanic groups. Many individuals who have been ritually abused and have participated in rituals on satanic holidays experience particular difficulty at these times of the year. (Common Halloween celebrations, for example, regarded by most people as innocent make believe and child's play, are extremely traumatic for ritual victims who think of them as satanic holidays, and as the occasion of ritual celebrations often including human sacrifice.) On these holidays and on anniversary dates victims may become emotionally overwhelmed, terrified that cult members will come to kidnap or kill them. Some are overcome by horrifying flashbacks of the abuse. Some feel compelled to commit suicide or self-injury. Others feel a deep compulsion to return to the cult. Satanic Ritual Abuse -Psychological, sexual, and/or physical assault forced on an unwilling victim and committed by one or more Satanists according to a prescribed ritual, the primary aim of which is to fulfill the need to worship the Christian devil, Satan. Some sources define SRA more widely, to include any crime where Satanic symbols are found or references to Stan or Satanism are incorporated in abuse. Common estimates of the number of SRA murders in the U.S. and Canada cover the range from 5 to 60,000 per year. Screen Memory -A partially true memory that an individual subconsciously creates because the actual memory is intolerable. For example, a client may report abuse by a distant uncle when actually the abuser was the father. This disguised presentation allows the client time to adjust to aspects of the abuse before accepting the total reality of the situation. Script Memory -A type of memory that is created during ritual or cult abuse when a person is given a scripted identity and memories. For example, a victim may given a historical identity and the information and memories related to that identity. Mungadze, "Scripts and screen memories in victims of ritual abuse: etiological and treatment implications," November 1992 Conference, ISSMP&D. SEXUAL ABUSE -A type of maltreatment that refers to the involvement of the child in sexual activity to provide sexual gratification or financial benefit to the perpetrator, including contacts for sexual purposes, molestation, statutory rape, prostitution, pornography, exposure, incest, or other sexually exploitative activities. Social Desirability - the tendency for an individual to alter his/her response to a question in a manner that is consistent with his/her perception of the interviewer. SRA - Acronym for Satanic Ritual Abuse or, more recently, Sadistic Ritual Abuse. Stigma - negative meaning associated with experience or behaviors. Support Systems - individuals or groups of people who are helpful and responsive to the client. These individuals or groups may include family, friends, and professionals such as therapist, social worker/caseworker, or group member. Symptoms - emotional or behavioral reactions to the experience of abuse and/or neglect. Therapeutic Alliance/Therapeutic Relationship - the understanding that the client gains that the purpose of the interaction between therapist and client is intended to benefit the client and is organized to help the client explore and learn from painful and/or overwhelming experiences. The client's willingness to accept and acknowledge the value of the therapeutic relationship is based on the therapist's ability to be trustworthy, responsible, and useful to the client. Trance State -A dissociative state one enters when hypnotized in which memory and perception are altered. The dissociative effects of the trance state can also be induced by other conditions such as physical or mental exhaustion, terror, repetitive chanting, rituals, or drugs. Not all individuals are equally susceptible to trance or to dissociation. Research has shown that those people who show a high degree of susceptibility to hypnosis are likely to possess some apparently biological predisposition to it. They are also more likely to have been victims of abuse as children. Some states of trance seem to be self-induced and function as a defense against experiencing the overwhelmingly painful stimuli of an abusive environment. For some individuals, the use of self induced trance and dissociative states in the face of severe abuse can be associated with the development of multiple personality disorder. Trances also can be induced by another person who functions as a hypnotist. The hypnotist can give post-hypnotic suggestions to the individual in trance to carry out certain carefully defined actions or to experience certain emotions or physical sensations after the trance state is over. These actions or emotions are usually triggered by certain discrete cues that have been suggested to the subject while s/he was in trance. The mind control from which many ritual abuse victims suffer is in part a result of having been put into trance states repeatedly and given a complicated series of post-hypnotic suggestions (see RITUAL ABUSE AND THE USE OF MIND CONTROL). However, hypnosis and trance states also have an important role to play in treating ritual abuse victims. In trance employed in a therapeutic environment, victims are often able to retrieve memories which have been dissociated from their conscious awareness. This process constitutes a very significant aspect of the ritual abuse victim's recovery. Transference - the unconscious transfer of feelings of hostility or affection from the client to the professional. Trauma -A medical term for any sudden injury or damage to an organism. Psychological trauma is an event that is outside the range of usual human experience and which is so seriously distressing as to overwhelm the mind's defenses and cause lasting emotional harm. Psychological traumata include natural disasters, accidents, or human actions, such as child abuse, rape, torture, etc., which cause the victim to be terrified, helpless, and under extreme physical stress. Most individuals with DID (MPD) have been victims of repeated trauma and generally also exhibit symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Traumagenic Dynamics - a model developed by Finkelhor that describes the short-and long-term sequelae of child sexual abuse (i.e., betrayal, traumatic sexualization, stigmatization, and powerlessness). Treatment Plan - prepared by the clinician to outline the goals and objectives of therapy. Goals are broad treatment issues, whereas objectives are more specific activities or tasks that will help the client achieve his/her goals. Validation - acknowledgment that the client's thoughts and feelings are worthy of attention. Victims Of Ritual Abuse (Young Children) -Young children who are victims of ritual abuse usually fall into one of two categories: those whose families are perpetrators, and those who are abused without the parents' knowledge. Ritual abuse within families (intrafamilial) can be particularly destructive because of the continual physical presence of the perpetrators and the lack of any safe environment for the child. Intrafamilial abuse usually includes the extended family and is multigenerational. In cases of intrafamilial ritual abuse, the abuse and indoctrination are incessant. Children are generally raised to perform a given role within the group and are continuously being trained to fulfill that role. The child feels him or herself to be identified as a member of the abusive group because of the biological relationship with the offending paints and because of the group's indoctrination about the inevitability of the child's continued participation. Dissociation is the result of such abuse and in some cases will manifest in the emergence of multiple personality disorder. Therapy for victims' intrafamilial ritual abuse usually is not sought until adulthood, if ever. Children who are abused outside their home (extrafamilial) generally have a better prognosis because of the presence in their lives of loving adults who protect them from known sources of harm. Unfortunately, the parents of many young victims are unable to believe that their children have been ritually abused, and refuse to acknowledge that they have a problem or to seek help. Their children often have been made to believe that their parents were willing co-conspirators with the abusers, leaving the children very confused, with feelings of dread and distrust toward their own parents. The extreme severity of the abuse, and the systematic attempts to indoctrinate the child into the cult's belief system, make the recovery process quite difficult and protracted even with the help of skilled therapists. Children who are not treated are likely to face very poor outcomes. Witchcraft -Witchcraft is an ancient and widespread practice, the tribal religion of Pre-Christian Europe. In contemporary practice, much of witchcraft focuses on self-knowledge and healing, revering the laws of nature and working with nature. Many modern witches, predominantly women, conceptualize witchcraft within the context of feminist theory and consciousness, re-empowering the symbols of the feminine. Because of its general antithesis to Christianity, and because many members of destructive cults identify themselves as witches, witchcraft and satanism are often believed to be analogous. While abuse has been described as having occurred in connection with witchcraft, witchcraft per se does not connote abuse. |
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