THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SATANIC CULT INVOLVEMENT: AN ...

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This chapter began by establishing a theoretical foundation for the formulation of an
archetypal object relations model of demonic possession and satanic cult involvement.
This theoretical hybrid is based on the appropriation and incorporation of object relations
theory by the developmental school of analytic psychology. It was argued that the
diferences between object relations and Jungian theory prevent any seamless unification
into one internally consistent metapsychology, but that there are sufficient latent
commonalties to justify a model that draws together central features ofboth schools. This
model begins with the premise that fantasy is the foundational activity and content of
psychic life, and that fantasised introjective-projective processes lead to the formation of
internal objects, manifest as bipolar archetypal images. Psychic development proceeds
from the dialectical interplay between internal/archetypal and external influences,
particularly child-parent interactions. Archetypal internal objects are experienced as egoalien,
autonomous subpersonalities or splinter psyches. In the course of normal
development, these are partly assimilated into the individuating psyche, but if their
archetypal qualities are not 'humanised' by adequate parental provision they are split off
and exert a powerful influence on psychic life. Destructive subpersonalities derive, not
only from archetypally structured object experience, but also from shadow aspects of the
self, forming a frightening amalgam that may be personified and perceived in the form of
archetypal evil entities such as demons. Persecutory anxiety arising from the activity of
these ego-dystonic, split-off parts of the internal world mobilise defence mechanisms
such as projection, projective identification, and denial.
In the second part of the chapter, this model was employed to explain the interpersonal
and intrapsychic formation of demonic figures, based on the internalisation of 'bad'
parental figures, whose archetypal destructiveness is aggravated by attribution of the
child's own aggressive impulses. The resulting subpersonality causes extreme
persecutory anxiety, and cannot be integrated into the psyche. Instead, it is projected and
experienced as a malevolent supernatural agency. In Western society, dominated by
Christian mythology, the 'evil' subpersonalities appear as Satan and/or his demons.
While dissociation ofthe destructive subpersonalities is the typical defence mechanism in