THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SATANIC CULT INVOLVEMENT: AN ...

S's satanic membership gave him a
novel sense of importance,
belonging, and ofbeing cared for by
others.
I am an important member of a family that IAccepted, cared I Gratification.
cares for and accepts me. for family
member.
Caring family I 46
members.
S, feeling omnipotent and in total I My life is just beginning now that I have I Omnipotent.
control, experienced an exciting power, control, and a sense ofbelonging.
sense of a new beginning, free of
loneliness and powerlessness.
S experienced excitement, selfconfidence,
and a new sense of
control when he learned how to use
the power ofmagic.
The change in S's self-image won IPeople love me for my control, power, and I Attractive.
him friends and made him attractive supernatural influence.
to others for the first time.
S, now indifferent to the opinions of
others, hated his family and was
prepared to attack them with the
supernatural powers at his disposal.
I am powerful and have supernatural control
of my world. [Introjective identification with
idealised paternal part-object creates sense of
manic omnipotence].
I am invulnerable to others, and will
magically attack my hated family if they dare
to challenge me. [Split off bad part-objects
are despised and subject to S's omnipotent
power].
Narcissistic
omnipotence.
Aggressive,
omnipotent.
Manic IIdealised I 48,49
excitement. paternal partobject.
Manic IIdealised 50,53
excitement. paternal partobject.
Gratification. I Others under S's 1'54
"spell".
Hatred.
I Bad
objects.
part-lSi
S hated Christians intensely, I[Christians are projectively identified with bad
perceiving them as arrogant and parental part-objects].
moralistic enemies ofhis.
Subject
parental
judgement
rejection.
of I Hatred.
and
Critical,
moralistic,
rejecting
Christians
parental
objects].
[bad
part-
52
6