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Permalink Reply by Lee Darrow on May 7, 2008 at 1:32am

Thanks for the kind words, Richard. I'm rather proud of being the guy who destroyed the whole "portable crematorium" myth. It's one of my finer moments.

As you noted, even licensed professionals fell prey to this hysteria. One individual who propagated this myth was the American Psychiatric Association's former Man of the Year, Dr. Bennett Braun, who was successfully sued by a former patient of his whom he had been treating for Satanic Ritual Abuse and had, evidently illegally, removed from her home state of Illinois to Texas and treated her with drugs, hypnosis and other therapeutic modalities until she became convinced that she HAD been victimized by one of these multi-generational satanic cults.

It was only after the family had hired a private investigator who proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had NOT been where she had claimed to be during the periods of alleged abuse that Dr. braun's insurance company agreed to settle for an undisclosed sum. Dr. Braun's medical license was called into question by the State medical Ethics Board, but was not suspended, as I recall, but a harsh reprimand was supposedly issued for his actions in this, and other, similar, cases.

Braun was not alone, either. One Detective, Jerry Simandl of the Chicago Police Gang Crimes Division, toured various psychiatric units during the period. I met him at a seminar at Parkside Hospital in Chicago around 1989. During his seminar, he showed the group a large, black book (an artist's bound sketch book, sometimes sold as a "blank book") that had been taken from a "cultic survivor" who had been using the gamd Dungeons & Dragons to "initiate" other kids into the cult. The book was supposedly her "Book of Shadows."

On examination, the book was written in Elder Futhark runes, an old Norse alphabet, which, at the time, I was rather fluent in as I used it, myself, for notes in some of the role-playing games that I had run when I worked at Gamers paradise as a Store Manager, several years prior to that time.

The book was nothing more than a scenario for a D&D adventure, but Detective Simandl was NOT aware of this and was putting forth the idea that this was a "real spell book" because a psychologist had told him that it was!

Again, nobody bothered to fact check anything, which is what I thought police detective work was supposed to be about!

Oh, how the fantasies of youth are so easily destroyed by the ugly realities of laziness!

Lee Darrow, C.H.

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Permalink Reply by Woodrow on May 13, 2008 at 8:14am

Lee,

Some cases of SRA are real.

Sincerely,

Woodrow

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Permalink Reply by Richard Nongard - HypnosisGurus.com on May 13, 2008 at 11:10am

Are there abusive people that cloak their abuse in the context of religion? Certainly; happens in Christian churches, Catholic Churches, Polygamist Churches, Doomsday Cults, and even with a Satanic motif. And if this is what one calls SRA I agree it exists.

Is there an organized, underground movement, slautering babies and molesting children being covered up by law enforcement and the highest levels of social order? Is there a conspiracy by the powers that be to protect these "satanists" and allow them to do the devils work? Were there really 29,000 cases of sexual abuse in Wannatchee? NOT A CHANCE IN HELL.

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Permalink Reply by Lee Darrow on May 13, 2008 at 12:25pm

True, Woodrow, not all SRA claims are fictional.

Just the vast majority of them.

When I was doing my research on the portable crematoria, I discovered that literally ALL of the urban legends in this field stem from ONE book - Michelle Remembers, by Dr. Lawrence Pazdur, a Canadian psychiatrist who, in interviewing "Michelle," claimed to have discovered evidence of SRA and the whole multi-generational, multi-level, international Satanic conspiracy.

Dr. Pazdur also wrote that "I have to take what she says as fact even if it isn't." That's hardly the writing of a professional who is working to help a patient remove her delusions, is it? Add to that the fact that Dr. Pazdur actually divorced his wife and married Michelle and one has to further wonder about the guy and his professional ethics as Michelle was still under his professional care when he married her - a felony in the US in most states!

It was from this literary seedling that the whole oak tree of urban legends grew, including the multi-layered conspiracy, led by the Illuminati, the portable crematoria and the whole blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby sacrifice model came into being.

So, while there are some self-styled groups out there and a few actual organized groups as well, the majority of SRA activity has been done by those who dabble and who invent their rituals on the fly, based on popular literature, LaVey's books and H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulu Mythos and its infamous Necronimicon (which Lovecraft INVENTED!).

So yes, I agree, some SRA does occur, the vast majority of what has been reported by the so-called "experts" has been little more than projection - or someone pushing their own agenda of self-aggrandizement.

Respectfully,

Lee Darrow, C.H.

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Permalink Reply by Erik Blazynski on May 13, 2008 at 1:02pm

True, Woodrow, not all SRA claims are fictional.

Can you cite examples of this? I am actually curious about some documented SRA that has ACTUALLY happened.

I remember as a kid being told that D&D was a satanic cult and I should immediately run away if I saw any kids playing it. I think back not at how insane that is, I can't believe that rational adults believe this stuff and tell their kids things like this.

-Erik

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Permalink Reply by Richard Nongard - HypnosisGurus.com on May 13, 2008 at 2:34pm

Like I said Lee, if you define SRA as abuse at the hands of those who cloak abuse in the context of religion it exists.

But the SRA word itself implys the establishement of multi-generational multi-institutional patters, and none of that has ever been documented.

In fact, I was working as a psychotherapist in Houston in the early 1990's a hotbed city for those who lost lawsuits and professional licenses for unethical and abusive behavior themselves in thier "treatment". I have also spoken extensivly on the subject of DID, one of the DSM-IV's most usless diagnostic classifications and the one that is used to often justify odd, eccentric and abusive treatment protocals (inluding the unethical application of hypnotic processes regarding recollection of memory.)

I have met the victims of false accusations, the Pastor Robersons of the world. The delusion of SRA being propagated by underground cults working in a massive consipracy with our world leaders is a belief that leads to lawsuits against professionals and bad care to those most vulnerable.


Woodrow, we are not being hard on you (nor covering for the "satanists") but I notice from your profile you are both young and new to hypnosis.
Understanding the historical misapplications and abuses of hypnosis is important, becasue it is in this shadow that the profession currently finds itself viewed negatively and even as harmful.

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Permalink Reply by Lee Darrow on May 13, 2008 at 11:26pm

Actually, Richard, Satanic Ritualistic Abuse goes to any abuse done in a ritualistic manner under the guise of Satanic practice, even when done by dabblers, not necessarily by multi-generational practitioners according to my sources in the field - which includes some folks at the federal level - but some folks do have differing ideas of what constitutes what - and that makes the world more interesting!

Under this model, someone who is a Do-It-Yourself Satanist could ritualistically abuse their victim, so long as they were to accomplish the abuse in a ritualistic manner, using the props and symbolism of Satanism and the abuse would be, logically, classed as SRA, even though it does not meet the original terms of the (urban legend-based) definition.

That is the generally accepted description of SRA today in both law enforcement and in much of the psychiatric and psychological communities as I am given to understand it - and I still consult in these matters on occasion, so my finger is still on that pulse pretty tightly. The definition has developed and evolved over the past several years due to the DIY types and some of the more loosely organized groups that have tried to use Satanism as a cloak for their abuses... and as a means to an insanity plea...!

;)
Lee Darrow, C.H.

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Permalink Reply by Hypnogoddess Dreamsender on May 13, 2008 at 11:45pm

Things like this are one reason I had abandoned Christianity in favor
of Neo-Paganism by the time I was 19 years old, Matt.

When I was in college, I had an Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship Occult
Intervention Team try to coerce me into giving up hypnosis, saying I was
opening my soul to demonic possession.

I was only 17 at the time.

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Permalink Reply by James Hazlerig on May 14, 2008 at 10:18am

Last night, I stopped by my local Half-Price Books and searched the psychology section for books on hypnosis and NLP. That area had subsections for meditation and various alternative healing methods. Not finding anything on hypnosis or NLP, I asked an employee, who replied, "Oh, that's over in the metaphysical section with that new-agey-wiccan stuff."

*sigh* Ignorance abounds. You have to pick your battles.

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Houghton, CH on May 14, 2008 at 12:01pm

Well I decided to type up a nice little e-mail to the guy who wrote the article. Nothing mean or nothing just a my view type of letter to him. I enjoy doing this and if just one piece of the truth can get through I feel better. I basically explained to him the truth of hypnosis and explained its a natural state which god has blessed us with. I explained that he has been in hypnosis most of his life and backed everything up with references from books as he did. I enjoyed the letter because it helps me to claify my thoughts.

I have done this before and most of the time they never reply. One pastor told me he would like to talk to me some more and hear what I have to say, but we never were able to touch base. This guy had a interesting reponse. He basically said the following to me in the e-mail. "Hello and thank you for taking interest in the article you wrote me about. You made some very interesting points and I will check out the books you recommended to me to do some more research.

Yet, you forget the devil and his minions can turn lies into truths and I feel you need to do some more research on the subject. I refuse to believe that actions such as driving a car on the highway or watching a movie or forms of hypnosis. I recommend you read some of the books I cite at the bottom of my article and you will hopefully see the truth. Thank you and God Bless"

This was his reponse to me and I basically wrote him back saying thank you for the pleasent exchange of ideas. I don't believe in getting upset over this stuff and if he does happen to read a few of the books I recommended then maybe in time he will come to understand hypnosis isn't hypnosis. Hypnosis is just a term some guy gave a natural occuring state of mind. I doubt he will change his views, but as a christian myself I wish him the best.

I thought some of you would find that response interesting. In other news, I ended up talking to my neighbor the other day and learned she was jahovah wittness. We talked for a while and I brought up the fact that I'm hypnotist to see a response. To my surprise she was quite interested in knowing more about hypnosis and we talked for 2 hours on the subject. She admitted that some J.W. believed it to be off the occult, but she had always felt it wasn't of that nature. I even demostrated her some waking hypnosis which went well. I showed her that at any time she wanted to unstick her hand she could and when she wanted to she did. Sometimes people just need to see it with their eyes away from a crowd.

I like to tell people that without hypnosis or suggestions we couldn't learn. When were in school learning a teachers tells us something and we must choose to accept her suggestion as truth or throw it away and deny it. If we accept the suggestion they a suggestion has just been planted in our organic computer. Hypnosis is the natural process I believe god gave all humans to learn because without suggestions and focus we couldn't learn.

Well got to run I have a client coming in for smoking and these are just my suggestions ;)

Josh Houghton
Southern Hypnosis & Consulting
whatsonmybrain.com

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Permalink Reply by Richard Nongard - HypnosisGurus.com on May 14, 2008 at 12:47pm

I have a friend who is a J.W. and a Licensed Massage Therapist. I asked her if she ever had any hypnosis training, because her sessions are hypnotic. And during her sessions she is always making positive affirmation suggestions. She freaked! "Hypnosis is evil!" "A violation of my religion!" Yet, I would say, she is using one of the most effective methods of inducting trance all day each day - and with her affirmations, she is already doing hypnosis as all LMT's are!.... go figure...

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