THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SATANIC CULT INVOLVEMENT: AN ...

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heroic rebellion which matches, on a mythical plane, their own personal drama of
psychosocial alienation. One can understand how those who experience themselves as
outcasts would perceive the Devil as:
a titanic romantic figure ... the arch-rebel against authority, fearless,
determined, defiant in the face of superior force, unhumbled in defeat ... With
all the magnificence of the Devil's pride and power, it is not surprising that
some have attempted to enter his service (Cavendish, 1967, p. 289).
Ironically, because Satanism is a mirror inversion of Christianity, there is necessarily a
high level of emotional energy invested in Christian spirituality. Satanism, like other
psychological symptoms, is a maladaptive attempt to master and redress the
psychological pain arising from distressing childhood interactions with "god-like"
parental figures. Satanists' hatred of God - and His mortal progenitors, i.e., flesh and
blood fathers - betrays their frustrated attachment to the despised divinity. Both Freud
(1923) and Klein (1955) were thus correct in their belief that pacts with the Devil
originate in the search for an absent father.
It is noteworthy that most of the research subjects do not describe their families as being
particularly religious. Only subject five recalls a family environment characterised by
fervid Christian religiosity. It would appear then, that a strict religious upbringing is not
necessary for a child's revolt against paternal authority to find spiritual or quasi-spiritual
expression in satanic cult involvement.
15.3.2 Process of satanic involvement and initiation
All of the subjects in this study claimed to be members of underground satanic cult
organisations (see Chapter Three), which managed to pursue their clandestine ritual
activities without detection by law enforcement agencies by strictly enforcing a code of
secrecy among their members. At the time these interviews were being conducted, a
special national Occult Police Unit was energetically investigating alleged occult crime in
South Africa, thus reinforcing the cult's need for secrecy. Secrecy was further ensured
through a careful selection process, whereby likely candidates for recruitment are first