SATANIC PANIC: The Archetypal Slanderer and False Memory Syndrome

What drives us to seek meaning in the shadows, and how do we discern the real from the imagined when fear and faith converge?

GO DIRECTLY TO THE DREAM INTERPRETATION: 01:17:41

The rise of the Satanic Panic in the 1980s drew upon ancient archetypal fears of evil embedded in the collective unconscious, merging with societal stressors like the emergence of fundamentalist Christianity in American politics and women’s increased participation in the workforce with the resultant rise of daycare use. The archetype of the Devil as slanderer can capture a community. Even as they are prompted to accuse others of devilish behavior, they themselves are controlled by the slandering spirit.  Accusing is a defense that expiates one’s guilt and places it in another. Potentiated by a blend of projection and literalization, mass hysteria around claims of ritual abuse was spurred on by poorly trained therapists and law enforcement. Anecdotal reports of hypnotized adults and children were taken as factual and later discovered to be suggestions presented by authority figures. Later, researchers found that people in trance states would testify to experiences they had never experienced if it was merely suggested to them. False Memory Syndrome ruined the lives of many innocent workers. The resistance to reflection and self-confrontation makes us vulnerable to externalizing our shadow, and others usually pay the price.

Prepare to discover what shapes our collective fears and how they influence our perception of reality; how suggestive authority, societal narratives, and memory contribute to the formation of belief; which psychological mechanisms can lead individuals to deeply believe in events that have not occurred; whether we can truly trust recovered memories or if they are manufactured by cultural and therapeutic biases; why archetypal themes resurface throughout history in cycles of moral panic… and so much more.

LOOK & GROW

[diashelle]

This is such a rich episode. I am looking at how my own concrete thinking is leading to misunderstanding and possibly delusion, and seeing how many of us at this time are uncritically re-enacting their own unconscious thinking and conduct.

[Scarletmoon]

Lisa, I so admire you looking at the shadow side of being a therapist. Thank you for bringing that into this conversation. A spider man quote, "with great power comes great responsibility." & In my personal experience... unconscious power and influence can be dangerous. To acknowledge the influence therapists have... While also holding space for the shadow qualities that would, I think, naturally surface.. as we are all human beings swinging on the pendulum between light and shadow. My heart really needed to hear you speak to that Lisa thank you!!! 🩶

[ant_ace]

It’s an excellent episode. What really comes up for me listening to it is just how much of this constellation of lit literalism and mistrust specific to or more prevalent in the United States.

Just in the last couple of days we have seen a Halloween procession where a woman dressed as Kamala Harris is being led away for a lynching and heard that Tucker Carlson has been attacked by Demons in his bed something that will sadly divide opinion in America rather than being dismissed for the ridiculous story that it is.

Would it be useful to have an episode examining why the United States is particularly plagued by this obsession with literalism and extreme mistrust of others? Obviously it’s being a relatively young country is part of the reason as it doesn’t have the weight and gravity of History to steady it.
But I think it would be useful, if perhaps somewhat polemical, to explore this.

[AlvenaNelson]

It’s not an assumption that people who have simular desires seem to know others like themselves.
We find the Catholic Church protecting the crimes against children.?
And this is after 500 years of burning women at the stake?

[alexzadecroixarabellalight]

I was looking for Halloween videos... and I was glad to see this pop up in my feed.
This feeds my mind for future wisdom.
🎃👻💀

[SacraTessan]

Thanks such a good reminder and update for me 💚

[carolorber]

From my subjective, and hopefully non-partisan position of observing the political realm since the 70's, I see both parties equally tied in their ability to project their fear based delusions onto the other. This cannot bode well for the collective.

[AmyBrandlin]

I believe that there is evil out there as well- it’s not just all imagined.

[Loekie.Joosen]

I appreciate the effort that goes into these podcasts. I rarely comment, but I felt the urge to shed light on something here:

While some may see God and Satan as mere archetypes, others deeply believe in their existence, performing beautiful—or horrific—acts in their names.

Just because the Satanic Panic era was a catalyst for fear and false accusations doesn’t mean satanic abuse doesn’t exist. I felt that perspective was missing in this podcast.

Just because you deem the book Michelle Remembers not credible, do you dismiss all testimonials altogether?

I know of two cases involving survivors of ritualistic satanic abuse who sought help from therapists and police officers. They were not believed.

While those semi intellectuals who were to help them — sitting from their ivory towers — labeled them “irrational, ” regular, empathetic people believed them and helped them heal. 

Now, years later, authorities do believe them.

All that to say, not every accusation of satanic abuse is false, crazy or irrational.

[ericbray]

How appropriate after the "enemy within" speech. Thank you. Megan Phelps-Roper six questions: Am I capable of entertaining real doubt about my beliefs, or am I operating from a place of certainty?
Can I articulate the evidence I would need to see in order to change my position, or is my perspective unfalsifiable?
Can I articulate my opponent’s position in a way they’d recognize, or am I straw-manning?
Am I attacking ideas or attacking the people who hold them?
Am I willing to cut off close relationships with people who disagree with me, particularly over relatively small points of contention?
Am I willing to use extraordinary means against people who disagree with me (e.g., forcing people out of their jobs or homes, violence/threats of violence, celebrating misfortune and tragedy)?

[patikrysiuk]

If it was mine dream I would interpret it this way:

In my dreams I noticed that when I dream about a house, it is almost always a symbol of the mind. The rooms represent different aspects of the psyche. Each room something different. This woman dreamed about the kitchen and library.

In the kitchen, specific dishes are prepared and she said that Jung instructed her on how to prepare meat.

A library is a collection of all instructions, ideas, information, memories. In other words, she was given a suggestion that to solve a problem that was troubling her, she had to find solution within. It is there in her mind, in the library of the mind.

Raw meat can mean the original troubling problem, its early stages, even the very cause.

And who led her to Jung's house? A shadow. A companion is usually a repressed representation of the ego. Once it is the embodiment of what we do not like in someone, but we repress in ourselves. And other times it embodies what we admire in someone, but we cannot find in ourselves. So our mind splits. We are there as ego and there is repressed part as companion.

Two houses are symbols of two minds/perspectives.

Moving from one house to another means adopting a very different perspective.

Cutting instead of shredding is a symbol of analysis. You should analyze in larger pieces rather than going into small details, through which you will no longer be able to see the whole picture anymore.

The beehive is a symbol of the collective unconscious or mind that is ready to work with its rooms, one of them is big library and another kitchen, right?

Gold, jewelry are symbols of the solution that someone is looking for, wishes for, dreams about. An answer.

Lack of money is a symbol of the feeling of being unable to find a solution. Fear of being not good enough. The feeling that you don't deserve something and you have to do something to change it. A bit of helplessness.

Moving between houses means changing perspective from one to another. For example, instead of analyzing something in the way the owner of the first house would do, try to analyze it in the way Jung did. If the first owner was for example a lawyer then she analizes everything like lawyers do in a cold way. Through evidence and law. Jung analized differently, didn't he? If the first house belongs to a woman and the second house belongs to a man then situation is more clear. You need to change perspective from female way of thinking/feeling to male way of thinking/feeling. ;)

You know, dreams and their symbolism don't have to be linear in the dream pot. Our mind puts them in order automatically but motives are like those bees, flying arround here and there. We need to put them together like they were back in the beehive.

I hope you don't mind my analisys as I put it as it was my dream and not dream of that women who I know nothing about. I analyze my dreams quite often so maybe I have some personal patterns that I reconize in hers dream. She may have different patterns and I am aware of that.

[TycoVai]

As a Satanist / Dream Analyst, this is a Treat.

[TheInfiniteCorner]

One dream can have multiple significant meanings intermingled within itself.

[TillermanRecords]

The further away from creation and creator the mind can be taken, the greater the infiltration of the lesser worth and vacation of Christ consciousness awareness and understanding. True intellect comes from the inward not observation of the outward projections

[ant_ace]

In the dream patriarchy and relationships with men seems to be central, the fact that she is serving him and his guests is interesting.

[Mercy_bahr]

Man we must be truly connected in spirit

[M-i-k-a-e-l]

Check out the testimony of Anneke Lucas at Epoche or The way forward

[jima]

The archetypes show-up in our symptoms - a little like raptor-like talons sunk deep into the flesh to awaken us to imaginal ways of healing. 🎃

[ambientjohnny]

So many parallels with the "trans" phenomenon...

[pamelaj]

Why can’t you say Trump? Sound the alarm!