Satanism Today - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore and Popular ...

Apparition 9
Entering into the arena of public concern
about Satanism also gave the ACM a new forum
within which to promote its perspective on cults
and mind control. Thus, for example, these ideas
were incorporated into a CAN checklist entitled
“Warning Signs of Occult Influence”:
Those who have declared teenage Satanism
something to be ignored have not made
themselves aware, knowledgeable and
educated about destructive Satanic cults and
their persuasive methods of mind-control
recruitment. How does a teenager outgrow
Satanic indoctrination that culminates in
child pornography, child prostitution,
violence, murder, suicide, drug addiction and
a complete loss of free will that leaves the
victimized teenager bound in a belief system
that they can’t get out [of], even if they want
to get out (Cited in Hicks 1991, 276)
Finally it should be noted that the ACM also
supplied the burgeoning ritual abuse movement
with the notion of “cult apologists”—a rhetorical
strategy for dismissing academics and other
professionals critical of both brainwashing and
the notion of a vast Satanic conspiracy. This
tactic is reflected in the remarks of Cynthia
Kisser, former director of the Cult Awareness
Network:
In contrast to the mounting evidence of
Satanism impacting on society as a social
movement a small yet persistent group of
“apologists” for Satanism have emerged. Their
arguments for dismissing the Satanism
phenomena are on the whole shallow, and not
well researched. (Cited in Victor 1993, 252)
Why professionals should be motivated to
defend Satanism is not explained, although Kisser
seems to imply that they are ivory tower
researchers who have not looked closely at the
phenomenon. For people deeply committed to the
belief in an underground Satanic network,
however, the explanation is obvious: Anyone
dismissing the Satanic threat is ipso facto either a
Satanist or in league with Satanists—a handy bit
of circular reasoning that protects such beliefs
from empirical disconfirmation.
See also Satanic Ritual Abuse; Mind Control
For Further Reading:
Hicks, Robert D. The Pursuit of Satan: The Police
and the Occult. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books,
1991.
Lewis, James R. Cults in America. Santa Barbara,
CA: ABC-CLIO, 1998.
Richardson, James T., Joel Best, and David G.
Bromley, eds. The Satanism Scare. New York:
Aldine De Gruyter, 1991.
Victor, Jeffrey S. Satanic Panic: The Creation of a
Contemporary Legend. Chicago: Open Court,
1993.
Apparition
The term apparition usually refers to immaterial
appearances of people, also called ghosts, animals,
objects, and spirits. Despite much skepticism,
reports of apparitions have always had a particular
importance in folk belief and in the history of religion.
Even though there can be religious apparitions
(e.g., an apparition of the Virgin), they are
traditionally associated with the diabolical, despite
the fact that they often appear to be offering
consolation and guidance.
Apparitions, which are not seen by everyone,
usually involve noises, unusual smells, extreme
cold, and the displacement of objects. Also visual
images, tactile sensations, voices, and the apparent
psychokinetic movement of objects may be
included. Apparitions move through solid matter,
appear and disappear abruptly, can cast shadows
and be reflected in mirrors, seem corporeal or
luminous and transparent, and can be lifelike or
have limited movements.
It has been shown that there are few differences
between the characteristics of apparitions of the
living and of the dead. Apparition experiences can
be of various types. They can be crisis apparitions,
which typically appear to individuals who are
emotionally very close to the agent, or apparitions
of the dead, which usually occur within a short time
after death. Sometimes apparitions are collective,
occurring simultaneously to multiple witnesses, or
can be reciprocal, when both agent and percipient,
who are separated by distance, experience each