THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SATANIC CULT INVOLVEMENT: AN ...

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DISCUSSION
Introduction
The Results Chapter raises more Issues than can be considered in any detail. This
discussion, as in the previous chapter, will consequently follow the structure provided by
the five research questions, focusing selectively on the more interesting findings.
Verbatim transcripts from individual interviews will be used to illustrate general
observations. However, before discussing specific aspects of the research fmdings, it will
be necessary to address the controversial issue ofthe research subjects' credibility, and the
cogency ofthe researcher's interpretations ofthe interview narratives. After consideration
of the five research questions, the chapter will conclude with a discussion of the concept
of evil. It will be suggested that, despite the difficulties that depth psychology has with
moral-theological concepts, the phenomenon of evil can be rendered intelligible within a
depth psychology discourse.
15.1 The "truth" of satanic cult involvement
An obvious point to begin a discussion of these research findings is the issue of their
truthfulness. The question of truth is relevant in two respects; firstly, have the subjects
given truthful accounts oftheir experiences and, secondly, have the individual and general
object relations interpretations uncovered the psychological truth ofthe subjects' accounts
of satanic involvement? The first question concerns the validity ofsubjects' claims to have
experienced and witnessed the events reported in their interviews, while the second
concerns the validity of the psychoanalytic interpretations generated to make sense of the
subjects' experiences. The first question is important in the light of wide-spread
scepticism that satanic covens and their alleged activities are anything more than
subversion myths, or the fanciful imaginings of psychologically disturbed individuals. As
we have seen, the constructionist argument presented in Chapter Five aims to explain
away reports of satanic· activity by claiming that these are elaborate social fictions or
subversion narratives, which create an imaginary threat to serve as a scape-goat for a