THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SATANIC CULT INVOLVEMENT: AN ...

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existence, is stressful. Drug abuse, rivalrous relationships with other Satanists, uncertainty
about one's fate in the coven, nightmares, and physical exhaustion add to the stress ofcult
membership. Two of the subjects identified the sacrifice of human infants as the primary
factor eroding their satanic commitment. Subject three's participation in the sacrifice of a
human infant resulted in him experiencing strong feelings of guilt, hitherto absent in his
satanic career. Subject one claims that her own foetus was aborted and cannibalised by
cult members, an incident so traumatic that her defences were overwhelmed. Under these
circumstances, commitment to the ideology and practices ofthe cult is difficult to sustain.
Thirdly, the omnipotent belief that the possessing demons are under their hosts' control, is
replaced by the frightening realisation that it is the hosts who are completely controlled by
the possessing entities. The belief that one commands supernatural entities creates a sense
ofomnipotence and inflated self-esteem, defensively reversing the childhood experience of
vulnerability and powerlessness. For this reason, voluntary demonic possession is an egosyntonic
experience. However, once Satanists discover that they have no real control over
the autonomous subpersonality aspects, experienced as possessing demonic spirits, their
fantasies of omnipotent control are replaced by feelings of helplessness and persecutory
anxiety about the destructive possessing entities within. This anxiety intensifies when the
demons induce involuntary displays of aggressive and bizarre behaviour. Subjects,
believing that they are under demonic control, find themselves engaging in ego-dystonic
acts of physical aggression, verbal abuse, self-destructiveness, and perverse sexual
behaviour.
Fourth, the experience ofloss undermines Satanists omnipotence and their devotion to the
cause. This occurs when, as a consequence of their satanic life-style and behaviour,
subjects lose relationships perceived as valuable to them. Subject one claims to have lost
her unborn infant in a murderous ritual. Subject two's two successive marriages
disintegrated when his partners discovered his satanic involvement. Subject five
experienced the loss ofhis "mother", who he believed was murdered by Satanists. Subject
seven realised that his hatred and hostility had driven friends away, and isolated him from
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