Voodoo Religion Research Paper

Voodoo Religion Research Paper
The topic of religion in America is a very touchy subject. People tend to believe that they are always
right and what they say goes. They do not bother to learn about something before judging is as a
whole. They would rather base their truths from rumors. People often discriminate other religions
because they are different or scary. Religious tolerance can be very difficult when it comes the
religions that practice magic or use the Satanic Bible. If the world were to be properly educated on
these so called "scary" religions like Paganism, Wicca, Satanism, and Voodoo maybe they would be
less judgmental. Not all religion is perfect and sometimes they can be scary but it is better to know
about the religion then to dismiss them. People may still ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This being does not have any sort of personal relationship to any n their followers . Instead of
praying to this supreme being hey worship and ask from the lesser deities. These lesser deities are
known to them as loa. Loa can be the spirits of ancestors, animals, natural forces, and the spirits of
good and evil ("Voodoo Religion").
The Voodoo religion has a priesthood made up of both men and women. To be a priest or priestess
you must go through an initiation by another priest or priestess. Some of the work that comes with
the title are healing, rituals, religious, ceremonies, telling fortunes, reading dreams, casting spells,
invoking protections, and creating potions. None of these are free of charge of course ("Voodoo
Religion").
Voodoo rituals are full of secret languages, spiritual dancing, and special diets. During hooded
dances, ancestral dead are thought to walk among the living. Many believe that to touch the spirit
possessed dancer could kill you. In the religion talismans are bought and some like fetishes. The
talismans represent gods and deities through dried animal heads or other body parts. These can be
salad as medicine and spiritual power. The dark side of Voodoo is used by some to summon evil and
to cast hexing spells ("Voodoo
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Summary Of Dan Chaon's Ill Will '
Violet Landrum
Dan Chaon's Ill Will
"People can find patterns in all kinds of random events. It's called apophenia. It's the tendency we
humans have to find meaning in disconnected information." –Dan Chaon (pg 122). Noted as one of
the darkest books of the year, Ill Will is a story you will never forget; it's dark subplots unveil the
interpersonal difficulties all humans face. Ill Will is a story based on the past and present of different
people, all in the end connecting to one plot. This horrifying tale is able to speak to all audiences,
conflicting with drugs, murders, and psychology. It is written in such a mood that illustrates a dark
and melancholy path, tone seems to be one of the authors strong suits. Despite being a fictitious ...
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This story, however, does not. Changing the tendencies provides a whole new aspect of a society
and how it works... And society looks back on it and relates. These kinds of books change the
community, they have the ability open up the issues in the world that some may not even know
about. Ill Will's complex writing style introduces problems can come off as horrifying, and almost
fictional, asking the question: why do these problems still exist today? This is because they are
internal problems, ones that cannot be solved with an organization or government. Ill Will
recognizes that. Not only that, but decides to attach it onto a complex storyline that anyone could
enjoy. Chaon created a book that was different than others, allowing himself to find the inner
conflicts instead of the

What Is The Connection Between The Crucible And The Salem...
Many people were wrongfully convicted during the Daycare Abuse Hysteria in the 1980s to 1990s.
A moral panic occurred during this era in which young children made claims of satanic ritual and
sexual abuse against their teachers. The witch–hunt from this time period corresponds to that of The
Salem Witch Trials as depicted in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. In the Daycare Abuse Trials and
the Witchcraft Trials people were swayed to believe the children's feasible claims, but ignore any
inconsistence within their stories. In the Daycare Abuse Trials "children as young as 2 and 3 years
old have come forward with harrowing tales of drinking blood, animal sacrifices and sexual abuse as
part of ritual" (Lempinen). Even though the claimed behaviors

Regression Movie Psychology
Rating: 2 Set in Minnesota in the 1990s and supposedly based on true events, Regression threatens
more thrill than it can deliver. The dim lit, oil stained sequences follow Bruce Kenner (Ethan
Hawke) as he investigates the case of Angela Grey (Emma Watson)– a young woman whose father
John (David Dencik) confesses to having sexually abused her, even though he has no specific
memory of the crime. Inferring that John has gone into denial, Bruce enlists the help of Dr Raines
(David Thewlis), an English hypnotherapist who uses regression therapy on both father and
daughter to draw out memories of the crime. As they delve it is uncovered that Angela was an
unwilling participant and victim of satanic ritual abuses. A host of other parties come under
suspicion including Kenner's colleague Nesbitt (Aaron Ashmore), Angela's distressed grandmother
Rose (Dale Dickey) and her runaway ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The central theme is incredibly ignorant, and really makes no sense. Regression fails by trying to
focus too much on the lack–of–proof nature of regression. The compelling ideas of influence,
suggestibility and irrational bias when applied to memory and perception under trauma are quite
interesting – but those aspects are not explored with any insight whatsoever. The style and tone of
the movie shift in a very baffling fashion. On the one hand, this is a drama about mass paranoia,
false memory, superstition and the power of suggestion. On the other, it has sustained instances of a
horror movie. The healthy sprinkling of undesirable creepy faces, Cup–a–Soup, ominous tomcats
and close ups of hooded creatures do not do anything to alleviate the plot. The brash background
score by Roque Baños is a rather corny and unsubtle affair. The few flourishes of psychological
thrill in the movie are purely visual. To his credit, Daniel Aranyó's high contrast cinematography
delivers a convincing '90s postmodern horror

Inside the Tunnels: The McMartin Preschool Trial
One of the worst things a parent can hear is that their child has been molested; learning those
responsible is your child's daycare provider is even harder to come to terms with. In August of 1983
the mother of a 2 year old boy reported her son told her he had been sexually abused by a day care
provider. The accused was Ray Buckey, 31, the daycare's only make employee and son of its owner.
(Debenedictis, 1990) The trial became the longest and most expensive trial in American history. The
trial left in its path 369 children claiming to have been molested in some way, along with Ray
Buckey serving 5 years in jail throughout the 6 year trail which cost the American government more
than 15 million dollars. (Reinhold, 1990) This trial brought light to whether a young child can
actually be considered an expert witness, and ruined the lives of many of the day care's workers.
(Debenedictis, 1990) Before the Trial On an August day in 1993 a mother by the name of Judy
Johnson, placed a phone call into the Manhattan Beach, California police department claiming her 2
year old son had been molested at his preschool by employee Raymond Buckey. (Reinhold, 1990)
Raymond was placed under arrest, but due to the lack of evidence in the case he was released. Judy
Johnson went on to complain in a letter to the state district attorney that her son had been taken to an
Armory a possible sadistic type ritual was performed. (Reinhold, 1990) Still with the lack of
sufficient evidence the Manhattan

Repressed Memories Essay
Repressed Memories
Abstract In recent years there has been a hot debate between "repressed" vs. "false" memories.
Neurobiological studies show that both suppression and recall and the creation of false memories are
possible. This paper evaluates the evidence but forth by both sides of the controversy and concludes
that both are feasible and separate phenomenon, which occur at significant rates in our society.
Further biological research on the effect of psychological trauma on the neurochemistry of memory
may help clinicians distinguish between true repressed memories and false memories in clients who
report abuse. However, to date there is no method to determine the accuracy of these memories.
Therefore clinicians and the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Neurobiological studies show that both suppression and recall and the creation of false memories are
possible. (Kandel, 1994) In this paper both sides of the debate will be analyzed and evaluated.
The issue of 'false' vs. 'repressed' memories is of increasing relevance to counseling psychologists
and indeed to any professional involved in therapy. The reputation of therapy is at stake, as clients
begin to sue therapists for the implantation of false memories. In turn, it is essential that all
clinicians conduct their therapy according to the latest guidelines of practice as to avoid suggestion
and the possible implantation of false memories.
The need for understanding the phenomenon of repressed memories is also very important from a
legal standpoint. In recent years there has been numerous cases of people suing their parents or other
authority figures for abuse that has been recalled many years after the abuse was said to have
occurred. The rulings in these cases have often been controversial considering there is often not
enough concrete or collaborative evidence to prove the accused to be guilty or innocent. The judge
and jury are often forced to make a ruling that relies heavily on the testimonial of the accuser. This
is very contentious considering there is not an accurate and reliable test to determine the validity of
the accuser.
The importance of understanding the underlying psychological mechanisms by which both
memories are repressed and

Dissociative Identity Disorder ( Dissociative Disorder )
Dissociative Identity Disorder is a disorder distinguished by the existence of two or more distinct
personality states. It is also known as DID or Multiple Personality Disorder. It is very rare, with only
20,000 to 200,000 known US cases per year. Currently, there is no known cure, but treatment can
sometimes help. Many believe that DID can be caused by a significant trauma and is used as a
coping mechanism to help avoid bad memories. The disorders most often form in kids victim to
long–term physical, sexual or emotional abuse or, sometimes just a home environment that 's
frightening or highly unpredictable. The stress of war or natural disasters close by also can bring on
dissociative disorders.
Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personalities.
Each may have a unique name, personal history, and characteristics. The behavioral aspects are:
impulsivity, self–destructive behavior, or self–harm Mood: anxiety, feeling detached from self, or
mood swings. The psychological aspects consist of: altered consciousness, depression, or
flashbacks. Also common: amnesia or blackout. The only treatment is talk therapy. The therapies
are: cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, psychotherapy. Dissociative Identity Disorder is
often confused with Schizophrenia, but they are very different. Schizophrenia is a violent mental
illness involving chronic psychosis, made distinctive mainly by hearing or seeing hallucinations and
thinking

Trauma In Popular Culture
The fascination that exists with the human psyche and the effects of trauma can be observed in
popular culture today. Show's like NCIS and other crime shows satisfy our desire for that kind of
information. Personally, I am not very a big fan of those shows because they tend to contain
erroneous information. Sometimes it teaches people to look for some sort of cue which triggers a
certain reaction, like they had seen in the show. Similarly, Sheri Storm's psychiatrist Kenneth Olson,
acting like the crime shows, planted false memories in her mind and misdiagnosed her with multiple
personality disorder. I am appalled by many different things in this article. The widespread use of
recovered–memory therapy that negatively impacted the lives of many women in particular is still
used in practice today! Granted that it seems as if some psychotherapists took the liberty to use their
powers to literally hurt their patients and maybe not all of them were like that. Kenneth Olson in
particular did evils that no one should ever have to go through. Planting false memories of
infanticide, abuse, and satanic rituals among other things in a person in a state of high suggestibility
is not and could never be a way to improve someone's condition. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Diagnoses for the disorder was relatively rare before the movie became popular, most likely because
it was rejected by the popular culture as a myth and by professionals as an unlikely disorder that was
not really understood or well outlined. The true story based on a woman with multiple personality
disorder was so compelling and it introduced a factor of "realness" for the disease in the population.
I have seen the movie myself, so I can really sympathize with what people of that time who had not
heard of this disorder felt

Essay On Exoneration
This literature review will examine areas that deal with effects of falsely accusing childcare workers.
One area that will be discussed is damaging repetition of the childcare worker. The second area is
exoneration of the childcare worker. The finally area will describe the efforts that legislation is
doing to prevent childcare workers to be falsely accused in the future.
Damaging reputation
Along with the normal outcomes of unjust allegations and guilty verdict, those believed to be sex
offenders, particularly child abusers, are subject to the negative outcomes of the humiliation. The
locations and names of the reported child abuser/sex offenders are recognized by news reports and
registers, endangering them to maltreatment and track by groups that are against pedophiles (Cross,
2005). It is understandable that for those who are unlawfully accused of rape the consequences are
typically demoralizing, even though the allegations do not end in criminal actions. Truly, an
undetermined amount of abuse accusations do not ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
So Rosemary Lehmberg the District Attorney in Travis County agreed with the results of appeals
filed for the Kellers. She felt that the Kellers were deprived of their right to a fair trial. She felt that
their conviction should be reversed, permitting them to be freed as their appeals progress through
the court system. Through the appeal, the Kellers may be able to be exonerated of all charges against
them (McRobbie, 2014).
Like numerous of the allegations of child sex abuse at child care facilitates that took the nation by
surprise in the 1980's and was soon established to be false, the number of victims increased more as
other children were questioned by social workers whose interviewing practices were improperly
administered. In October 1984, Ballard was accused of molesting approximately 19 different
children. In May of 1985, Jeff and Betty Stimpson along with

Satanic Ritual Abuse
while some seem to be plausible which is the root of confusion for them (Colin, 1995: 150). Another
crucial factor about memory retrieval is that not everyone experiences the outcomes of abuse
differently. The subjective experience of Satanic ritual abuse leads to different outcomes and
therefore there are endless possibilities of mental disorders and abnormal behaviours to develop. Not
everyone will psychologically and behaviourally react the same to these types of events, so
consequently not everyone has the same experience which is why clinicians must treat patients in
accordance with their symptoms. There is a wide range of symptoms related to numbers of mental
disorders linked to Satanic ritual abuse. As explored below, Satanic ritual

Impression Theory : False-Memory Theory
False–Memory Theory In contrast with repression theory, which asserts a special nature to traumatic
memories, false–memory theory argues that trauma encoding and recall is no different from other
emotional memories. Given that traumatic events such as CSA are highly memorable, people who
claim to be unaware of it for so long must be mistaken. In particular, false–memory theorists are
skeptical of memories that emerged through hypnosis, guided imagery, or suggestive interview
questioning – all of which are methods used by repression theorists in order to recover the
"repressed memories." Instead of attributing the lack of recall to repression due to trauma, it is
possible that these memory problems are due to typical forgetfulness, failure to encode an
experience, or deliberate avoidance and reluctance to recall the event, all of which could be easily
confused with an inability to remember the trauma. (McNally et al) It is also worth noting that
recovered memories are not always authentic. In false–memory suggestion studies led by Dr.
Jonathan Schooler and Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, participants were led to genuinely believe, among other
things, that they had been subjects of satanic ritual abuse or space alien abduction, or even that they
were able to visit and experience their past lives. In a study comparing individuals who had never
forgotten their CSA (continuous memory) and those who recovered memories in therapy or
spontaneously recovered their memories (both are discontinuous memory) for authenticity of their
claim, Dr. Elke Geraerts discovered that abuse claims recovered memories in therapy had a
significantly lower rate of corroboration than either those in the spontaneous recovery or continuous
memory group (Geraerts et al). While it is unwise to presume that CSA or other traumas did not
happen to a victim if they recovered memories in therapy, it is worth noting that a substantial
number of individuals who previously reported recovered memories of abuse later retracted their
reports, prompting a more narrow investigation by false–memory theorists into the nature of CSA
memories and whether they can be distorted along with other common memories. The two effects
most commonly used to study this

Recovered Memory Therapy (RMT): The Loss Of Human Memory
At one time, memory researchers believed that human memory worked like a video recorder. All
one had to do was to find the right tape, play it back, and relive the memories precisely as they were
originally experienced. However, subsequent research showed that this model was very inaccurate.
Rather, most memories are simply forgotten and cannot be recalled. Few people have real memories
of events that occurred before their 3rd birthday. For those memories that are actually remembered,
the mind stores only elements of the actual events and reconstruct full memories later when the
memories are recalled. The act of recalling memories can change them so that at the time of the next
recall, they are somewhat modified.
Recovered Memory Therapy (RMT) was quite popular during the 1980s and 1990s but is now rarely
used. It is a therapeutic technique based on the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Such memories were often personally devastating. No hard evidence of SRA has ever been found.
By the year 2000 and following, the consensus among investigators was that it never existed in the
past at a detectible level, and doesn't exist now.
However, there are many self–help and mutual support groups of individuals who have gone
through RMT, have recovered what they believe to be memories of real abusive events, and firmly
believe that they were the victims of childhood sexual assault, and/or SRA. The Internet has been
very useful to these groups in helping them contact and communicate with others who sincerely
believe that they are survivors of childhood abuse.
RMT led to tens of thousands of adults accusing their parents of sexual abuse during childhood.
Hundreds of parents went to jail. Tens of thousands of families of origin were shattered; many never
recovered. Many hundreds of thousands of individuals have been adversely affected –– directly or
indirectly –– by this

Essay On False Memory
Memory is fallible and malleable that can be changed and created in order to incorporate new
experience or information. This fabricated or distorted remembering of an event is called a false
memory, however, never occurred in reality. Inaccurate information and erroneously attribution of
an original source of the information causes to recollect entirely false events. The false memory can
have profound implications that people are highly self–confident of their memories even though the
events are never existed in their past. The purpose of this research is to explore the effect of the false
memory and the possibilities of its formation. The false memory can be constructed by combining
existing knowledge with misinformation or misattribution ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
A lot of the time existing memories and knowledge influence memories to make the recollection
entirely false altogether. Especially, inaccurate sources greatly influence on childhood false memory.
The memory psychologist, Elizabeth Loftus, researches about the possibility of inducing the
childhood false memory through the suggestion source. Her "lost–in–the–shopping–mall" study
(Loftus, 1997) proves how moldable memory is when people recollect un–factual information. She
reveals that suggestion source can lead people to believe that the entire events actually happen to
them. Elizabeth and her colleagues implant the childhood false memory to individuals that they had
been lost in a shopping mall. But, this memory is completely distorted to create new events that
actually does not occur. This implantation of the false memory successfully induces them to
recollect the false events and they describe their experience using more words and even add
description in details. Their memory becomes stronger and more vivid because enough time has
passed that original memory has faded. When they draw the event in their mind, the memory of real
event, visiting a mall, becomes confounded with the suggestion that you were once lost in a mall.
The brain may activate images of mall and those of being lost. The created memory can even be
embellished with snippets from actual events, such as people once seen in a mall. The grains of
experienced events or imaged events are integrated with inferences and other elaborations that go
beyond direct

Rosemary's Baby Analysis
The Horror of Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Horror films share similar characteristics. Horror is meant to enact fear into its audience. Most
horror films scare their audiences by using vampires, zombies, ghosts, blood, or gore. However, the
film, Rosemary's Baby (1968), scares its audiences, not by blood and gore. Rosemary's Baby is one
of the scariest films made, but does not conform to the normal horror genre. Roman Polanski's film
tells a story of a young mother who manipulated to give birth to Satan's baby. Guy Woodhouse
(John Cassavetes), an actor, is enticed by wealth. He is promised by the old couple next door (Ruth
Gordon and Sidney Blackmer), who are part of a Satanic cult, riches in exchange for his wife's,
Rosemary (Mia Farrow), womb. Rosemary's Baby is a horror film due to the cultural response of the
audience based on real–life events of the 1960's.
In the sixties, Charles Manson and Project MK Ultra were on the ... Show more content on
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The child is Satan's baby, and she is its mother. Rosemary is in complete shock, but slowly becomes
accepting of the situation. By the end of the film, the viewer is left with the idea that Rosemary has
fully accepted that baby as her own, and will care for it. This portrays America as a whole. In the
1960's, cynicism has caused American society to accept or ignore the true nature of its leaders.
Rosemary finds out the true evil of her baby, just like America's citizens, but she accepts full
responsibility for the child in the end. America has lived with the sad and solemn face that it is being
lied too everyday by its government officials.
Rosemary's Baby encompasses the true meaning of horror. The film touches the audience's mind by
installing ideas and events that are happening in the time period of the film. Polanski uses realism
and symbolism to link the film with current problems faced by the audiences. Rosemary's Baby is a
true horror film by playing on the audience's

Satanism Vs. Religion
When someone hears Satanism they usually start to think of sacrificial ceremonies, demonic
worship, and the summoning of demons. Some even go as far as to think that Satanism is associated
with kidnapping, child sacrifice, and other inhumane rituals. Satanism was created to go against
other religions and was made to stand out, but is not violent and is misrepresented. The truth is that
the Church of Satan has, falsely, taken the blame for these unspeakable acts. As the official website
for the Satanic Church put it, "Satanism is a life–loving, rational philosophy that millions of people
adhere to." (Church of Satan Archives) Satanism is more atheistic than religious. In fact it has
actually been called the 'theatrical nonreligion.' (Peter H. Gilmore) On April 30, 1966, Magus Anton
Szandor LaVey created the Church of Satan. The Late High Priest, LaVey, created the Church of
Satan to have something openly ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The official website for the Church of Satan said, "In recent years, we've wasted far too much time
explaining that Satanism has nothing to do with kidnapping, drug abuse, child molestation, animal
or child sacrifice, or any number of other acts that idiots, hysterics or opportunists would like to
credit us with." (Church of Satan Archives) Satanism has been used by people as a reason to do
criminal activities. Just like how terrorists have used Islam to justify their acts. Also, similar to how
the terrorists have been the loudest and only ones heard for Islam, criminals have been the loudest
for Satanism. This has lead to the misrepresentation of Satanism and explains why people are often
given the wrong impression of Satanists. In conclusion, Satanism is nearly an atheistic religion,
Satanism has no god(s) and doesn't require worshipping Satan, and has been misrepresented in
society. Satanism is really a logical religion focused on enjoying

The Pros And Cons Of Satanic Groups
While hundred of thousands of Satanic ritual abuse cases were reported in the United States the past
thirty years, there are still some problematic concerns about the validity of the subject (Richardson
et al, 1996: 28). Does Satanic ritual abuse really exist? This question has been asked multiple times
by the public as well as health professionals. The main reason behind this tormenting question is
that there is little to no evidence of Satanic groups not just in the United States, but everywhere
around the world. In fact, the groups are strictly secretive and they opt for a "what happens in Vegas
stays in Vegas" kind of belief system. Any member who dares reveal an event from their Satanic
group risk their lives greatly (Stone, Stone, 1992:

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of events in Salem, Massachusetts from January 1692 lasting
until May 1693, where 150 people were accused of, and 19 were hung for supposedly practicing
witchcraft. The accusations sparked from a young group of girls who were believed to have
experiences of intense twitching of their limbs and uncontrollable sickness as a result of being
fcursed by a witch in the village. After the first accusation is made against Sarah Good, the village
of Salem established a court system specialized in managing witchcraft trials. (History.com) Tests
were performed on the accused men, women and children ranging from pricking the "witch" with a
needle to see if they bleed, throwing the "witch" in the lake to see if he/she ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The girls were believed to have started the accusations as a way of rejecting strict direction from
men (as more men were accused and convicted for witchcraft than women). The hysteria swept
Salem and lasted for almost 18 months with help from the clashes between the older religious
generation and the modern generation. Many young adults were accused of witchcraft, sometimes
for just not being as religious as their older counterparts. By not attending religious events or not
engaging in the village's older traditions, people began to blame their "lack of faith" on witchcraft.
As the trials went on, people held the belief that the symptoms that the girls had experienced, could
inevitably happen to them if they did not pursue and get rid of any witches responsible. (Aronson
30) The symptoms that citizens were so afraid of having, were verified by a doctor in the village,
making the girls' narrative of possession at the hands of witchcraft even more believable. In any case
of mass hysteria, when a respected figure plays into the fears that people hold on to, people are more
likely to gather and panic without any plausible evidence or sensible

Creating False Memory, By Elizabeth Loftus
False memory refers to a phenomenon that makes an individual believe that they remember events
in their lives but in real sense, these events have never occurred. In most cases, these events are
traumatic, and relate to sexual abuse. False memory syndrome was postulated in 1992 in an attempt
to explain the theory of adult childhood memory. Adults who remember sexual abuse events when
they were young may be creating an occurrence that never happened or information that is not
correct.
Synopsis
Nadean Cool attended therapeutic sessions with the hope of modifying her reaction to the shocking
events of her daughter. The therapist misguided her. The therapist convinced her that her current
response was a result of past involvement with a satanic ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Loftus argues that people can be shaped to remember their past in different ways. She used a study
about getting lost in a Mall to show that individuals can be prompted to recollect the whole events
that occurred to them (Loftus 74). Imagination can also create a false memory of an occurrence that
never happened. Loftus and her colleagues requested the participant to record on a scale the
possibility of the forty events named occurred in their childhood. After two weeks, they were
allowed to imagine some of the occurrences they had said never happened in their childhood. They
were asked to rate the events again. Individuals, who participated in the imagining test, became
convinced that the incident happened (Loftus 75).
In summary, the discussion about the false memory syndrome is far from being complete. False
memory syndrome makes it difficult to judge the viability of an event and is very hard to banish
from ones memory. A small false creation embeds in the mind for a very long time. Once an
individual creates a false memory, it becomes part and parcel of his or her life. Therapeutic sessions
should be taken with care so as to reduce false memory implanted to reduce

Analyzing the Problem of a Witness' Recall of Memory Based...
False Memories Petition 1) The problem of a witness recall of memory based on psychiatric
intervention– the evidence of which is unreliable It is humbly submitted that oral evidence all over
the world forms the primary form of evidence. What a person sees, hears and probably experiences
are part of the testimony which can be rebutted by a cross examination. In the adversarial form of
criminal law, evidence of this type must be subject to a cross examination by the defence. In the case
of a person submitting evidence based on the recall of past events that spans years previously,
mostly a result of intervention by a third agent a doctor or other operator who using a drug, powerful
suggestions or hypnotic trance induce the witness to give evidence based on what they submit is
from the 'subconscious'. The problem with this evidence is that it cannot be put to the test of cross
examination, nor does the witness himself or herself fully understand what he or she has stated.
There is a legal mist of uncertainty in acting upon this type of evidence, and by that alone. At best it
could be tertiary supporting evidence provided other evidence either direct or secondary point to the
events as stated by these types of witness. Such witnesses who have imagined the event, or
confessed to things they never did, have actually hampered the proper administration of justice and
have either caused harm to themselves and to other innocent persons. It is pertinent to submit here
that most of

Child Abuse In Judy Johnson's A Fatal Grace
"There are generally three parties to child abuse: the abused, the abuser and the bystander,"
according to Louise Penny, author of A Fatal Grace. In this case, however, there was no bystander.
That is the reason that this case's verdict was so hard to reach. Seven years and $15 million later,
that verdict was reached. It was the influenced words of the children versus the words of the
accused. (The McMartin Preschool Abuse Trials: A Commentary) In 1983, Judy Johnson, a parent of
a two and a half–year–old attendee of McMartin Preschool, placed a call to the Manhattan Beach
Police Department. She claimed that her son had been molested by 25–year–old, preschool aide,
Ray Buckey. After the police heard this information, they sent a letter to the ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
On the other side, the defense was trying to prove that the children were lying and everything that
they were saying was being put into their heads by MacFarlane and the rest of her team. MacFarlane
spent five weeks on the stand. Every day that she was up there, she was not only pleading the
children's cases, but she was also pleading her own. She was trying to defend her techniques and
show that the children's testimonies were real and not at all influenced by her and her associates. But
near the end of the trial, even Judge Pounders (the judge on the case) was doubting MacFarlane's
interviewing techniques. The part of the trial that everyone was waiting to hear were the defendants'
testimonies. First was Peggy's statement. She said that she had never molested any of the children.
She also stated that she had never seen her son acting inappropriate or sexual to the children. Ray's
testimony stated that he was not even working on some of the dates that the crimes had supposedly
been

Moral Panics Essay
SOC389 Essay 1
1.)Both the Eugenics and Satanism moral panics were both originated in the form of some sort of
rumor that over a sustained period of time was amplified to an extreme extent. Both of the moral
panics were spread through the form of media and posed a great threat to society. The Eugenics case
was a combination of both a moral panic as well as a conspiracy theory being that it was believed
that complex human behaviors such as criminality and lack of success could potentially be bred out
of existence by breeding only for strength and resistance to disease (Kossy, 2001). The basis for this
moral panic began with the uprising familiarity of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, which people did
not understand fully and applied ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The "powerful" who first began Eugenics were those from the Human Betterment Foundation and
the British Eugenics Society whose main target were the genetically "unfit" and the "feeble–
minded" (Kossy, 2001). They categorized specific groups of individuals as being "unfit." For
example, they believed all African Americans to show criminal behaviors, Native Americans to lack
civilization, Jews to spread disease, Italians to disobey the law, and the Chinese to overuse opiates
(Kossy, 2001). The Satanic moral panic was originated by a power elite, congressman Paul Simon,
and then was reemphasized by another power elite, Geraldo Rivera (Victor, 1993). As the Satanic
rituals became widely publicized, the powerful continued to reinforce society's beliefs about the
issue, and it began benefitting politicians, movie makers, musicians, and people in the medical
industry. Both the Eugenics and Satanism cases involved the power elite manipulating society to
conform to their beliefs and to ostracize certain other groups of people.
3.)The Eugenics and Satanism moral panic case studies demonstrate that people have a tremendous
fear of social or moral change that they will believe just about anything authorities and opinion
leaders tell them to. The Eugenics panic caused people to fear non–whites because they were told
they had higher rates of disease and

Memory Accuracy Fades
Many people would swear that they are able to remember an event that happened to them with
complete accuracy. However, this may not always be the case. Over time, it is not uncommon for
people's memories to fade and deteriorate, but what many don't realize is that it's possible for
memories to actually transform themselves or be created entirely. With the possibility of memories
being changed or fabricated by the human mind, can memory really be trusted?
Most of us hold the view that "memory is much like a tape recorder or video recorder, holding a
perfectly accurate record of what has been experienced. Nothing could be further from the truth"
(Thompson and Madigan 6). Memory is amazing; however, the human "memory system is far from
perfect," but it is most certainly adequate (Mlodinow 63). For the most part, it can be described as
being accurate and efficient. "We may not intentionally change the details of our memories, but the
process of remembering changes our memories. "Just as editing on a computer usually overwrites
the original file, revisiting an event can revise your memory" (Kowalski 34). Details of events can
be subtracted from memories. Many factors can contribute to this including time and trauma (Laney
and Loftus 138). In fact, memories have the potential to be eliminated completely if the neuron
carrying them dies (Minirth 73). The mood a person possesses during an event can also affect the
way it will be remembered. For instance, if a person is in an

False Memory, Pseudo-Memory Distortion
False memory syndrome is also called Recovered memory, Pseudo–Memory, and Memory
Distortion. False memory syndrome or pseudo–memory is memories of an experience, in which one
seemingly remembers that never actually or really occurred. In other words, false memory is a
fabricated remembrance of past events that did not really happen. People often falsely thought of
memories as recorder that are records accurately of all the experience in our brain but, memories are
not always true and accurate and may contain delusions. People might be confident with their
memory, but there is no guaranteed that some memories are actually accurate. Confident may
sometimes result a person to think something completely false into being completely true.
These ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Self–hypnosis can sometimes result in the creation of false memories because the belief that
something happened could be so strong in an individual's conscious mind that it force a memory to
adapt to the belief, even if the event had never happened. A statistic that a psychologist at Ohio State
University in Lima and fellow researchers found about hypnosis was that even when people were
warned about the likelihood of acquiring pseudo–memories or false memories under hypnosis, more
than a quarter of the people still want to be treated using the technique. There are raging
controversies over the use of hypnosis to help people recall lost memories of early trauma due to the
false accusation of cultural expectation that hypnosis will lead more accurate memories.
A case study conducted by Dr. Joseph Green, whose a Professor of Psychology at Ohio State
University, consist of48 students who had been shown to be highly inclined to hypnosis was divided
into two groups to test the controversies. Before they were hypnotized, 32 of the students were
warned about hypnosis could lead to false memories and other memories that they would not
normally remember and the remaining 16 students were not given any warning. According to Dr.
Joseph Green, the result of the experiment was that the warning that was given to the 32 students
help prevents false memories to an extent, but not

Negative Effects Of Spotting Witch Hunts
Jacqueline Cacho
Mr. Rice
English 3 Period 4
10 November 2017
Spotting Witch Hunts Over the years in America, there has been several witch hunts. One might
have believed if something wrongful happened, the population would prevent its reoccurence from
happening again, but that is inaccurate. Witch hunts have repeated multiple times and people are not
attempting to make a change or at least recognize the process of which a witch hunt occurs. In not
acknowledging the hints of a witch hunt, or doing anything to prevent the situation, it causes history
to repeat itself. Multiple lives have been negatively impacted wrongfully in search for wrongdoers.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller and the article, "The McMartin Preschool Abuse Trial: A ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
People who were accused of such crimes were definitely trying to make sure they wouldn't be
suspected of witchcraft. If they were in a situation where they were getting blamed for a crime, they
would drop names and say they saw Goody Sibber with devil per se make the public focus on
someone else. To elaborate on the witch hunt, there were paranoid hunts for wrongdoers. People
wanted names, and officials were sent to houses with warrants. An example from the story, "You
have sent your spirit out upon this child, have you not? Are you gathering souls for the devil."
Residents in the communities were asking questions and were pointing fingers at people they
thought were suspects or capable of such thing. In the play there was also the part of the population
that was using the witch hunt trials to their advantage. They had other reasons as to why they
decided to benefit from the situation along with motives. As more of the population was increasing
with the belief that others were conjuring spirits, they were susceptible to the idea that some people
were sending out spirits to others. As people started to accept the idea that the devil and spirits exist,
people would try manipulate others and or lie to get themselves out of trouble allowing the problem
to continue furtherly. In addition, there was also widespread publicity of the occurrence of
witchcraft

What Is A False Memory?
Cherry, K. (2016, March 19). What Is a False Memory? Retrieved April 30, 2016, from https://
www.verywell.com/what–is–a–false–memory–2795193 This webpage presents false memory at a
glance. The webpage covers topics relating specifically to false memory, such as the definitions,
causes, impacts, and who is affected. The author distinguishes false memory from other forms of
memory fallibility. Also, the author indicates the various factors that influence false memory like
misinformation, misattribution, existing knowledge, and suggestions from therapists or
investigators. Finally, the author concludes that false memory is problematic especially in criminal
trials and eyewitness testimony, where false memories are one of the leading causes of false
convictions due to false identification of a suspect, or false recollections during interrogations.
Verywell is the website from which this webpage was derived from. It is a reliable source for a lot of
reasons. First, the content on the website is written by experts like doctors, trainers, and other
healthcare professionals. All of the medical facts are well–documented. They are reviewed and
approved by board–certified physicians. Second, Kendra Cherry is qualified to write this piece.
Cherry is an author and an educator of psychology. She is the author of a book titled "Everything
Psychology" (2nd edition) and has published many articles on diverse psychological topics. In
addition, she holds a Master of Science in education

False Memories are Affecting Us All Essay
Intro: What Are False Memories? Have you every specifically remembered an event such as going
to a basketball game then you were reminded by someone that you didn't go because you were sick
or something. If so, you have created a false memory. The study of false memories began in the
early 1990's when people started to report "recovered" memories of abuse (Laney & Loftus 1). To
understand how false memories work, you first need a basic understanding of how the memory
works. In general your brain stores memories in different ways depending on what type of memory
they are. For example short term memories are most often stored in acoustic form but long term
memories are stored by their meanings (Foster 3). Because of this, long term memories ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Section One: The Debate over False Memories False memories have been studied science the early
1990's because they have become controversial topic. In the beginning they was no thought that
your memory would be unfaithful and that if you had a memory that you "recovered" it had to be
true because your memory couldn't fail you. Could it? Well one woman's disbelief caused her, Susan
Clancy, who was a Harvard University graduate student at the time decided that while everyone else
was arguing over the accuracy of recovered memories, she would create a study on them (Grierson
1). Clancy first started out by interviewing her subjects that said to have recovered memories of
abuse after they had gone through therapy. The stories were horrifying but she was brought up to
believe that what they were telling her was true. But, soon after she found herself wondering if they
had even really went through these events that they "recovered". When she spoke out against the
recovered memory patients saying that they couldn't of forgotten such a traumatic memory and that
they had created a false memory by going to the therapy the hate mail started coming in (Grierson
3). Throughout this time many other scientists started to do more and more research on false
memories and most of the studies have concluded with the same information. "The false memory
researchers point to other research showing that traumatic events are normally remembered all too
well. They argue that

Satanic Cults In The Late 1900s
During the late 1960s stories of satanic cults and abuse became common. These tales included
mutilation of animals and humans under the full moon at places dedicated to Satan. The stories
featured robes, candles, knives, alters and other Satanic accoutrements. Prominent news and
entertainment figures reported the stories as fact. The Satanic stories became so numerous the FBI
formed a task force to investigate satanic cults and abuse. Satanic Activity Satanic activity is thought
to have occurred through the ages. It's common for groups outside the norm to be accused of
practicing satanic rituals. Any group could direct these allegations toward anyone they wanted to
demonize. Fictional Literature In the late '60s a series of books with Satanic overtones became
popular and made into popular films. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin in 1967 was the first of these
big bestsellers. The Exorcist by William Blatty followed in 1971, and The Amityville Horror by Jay
Anson in 1977. All were all huge bestsellers and hit movies. The first two were fiction, but The
Amityville Horror claimed to be true, even though there were portions of the book that are
inconsistent or nonexistent with police records. Other books with satanistic themes that followed
and these books set the tone for satanic abuse allegations. Michelle Smith In 1980 Michelle Smith
co–wrote the book that triggered the modern Satanic abuse era. Canadian Lawrence Pazder was
Smith's psychiatrist and co–author. Michelle

False Memory Syndrome Essay
False Memory Syndrome
How accurate and reliable is memory? "Studies on memory have shown that we often construct our
memories after the fact, that we are susceptible to suggestions from others that will help us fill in the
gaps in our memories" (Carroll 6). Prior to reading and discussing the issue of False Memory
Syndrome, I hadn't thought much about the topic. Maybe a person who had experienced this would
be more educated. I did however find it very interesting to research and my beliefs or feelings about
it now exist and will be shared at a later time. The purpose of this paper is to describe what False
Memory Syndrome is and summarize some of the facts that have been gathered through previous
research and my own research. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
(Freberg 1) Some of the different causes for FMS might be related to emotional and psychological
distress which often drive an individual to seek psychotherapy. Things such as job loss, divorce,
eating disorders, relationship problems, or a birth or death in the family (Freyd 3). People who are
caught up in the FMS, might believe that current adult problems are a result of childhood trauma.
However, most FMS individuals do not come to this realization on their own. It is possible to create
false memories, hence the name, False Memory Syndrome. People who are dealing with any type of
stressful situation will often look to some type of therapist for help. In most cases, this is where the
individual has memories distorted or created with the "help" of a therapist. Psychiatrists are advised
to avoid engaging in any type of recovery memory techniques which most often are based on some
type of abuse of which the patient doesn't remember. If the abuse never took place, the therapist is
using suggestive information to worsen or create something that may have never happened.
Techniques may include drug mediated interviews, hypnosis, regression therapies, guided imagery,
literal dream interpretation

Elizabeth Loftus and Repressed Memories
Elizabeth F. Loftus: The Reality of Repressed Memories Alyssa Ellis Killebrew 11/9/2010 Elizabeth
Loftus Brief Biography Childhood & Personal Recollections Elizabeth (fondly known as Beth)
Fishman Loftus ' parents met and married while stationed at Fort Ord, during World War II. Sidney
Fishman, Elizabeth's father, was an Army doctor and her mother, Rebecca was an army base
librarian. Beth was the oldest of three children. In 1944, Elizabeth Fishman was born and then her
two brothers followed. After the war, Dr. Fishman opened a general practice in Santa Monica, Calif.
(Boss, 1994). Elizabeth described two personal and traumatic events during her youth that impacted
her greatly, in an interview with Neimark (1996). ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Beth learned first–hand about repressed, false memory 30–years ago, when her uncle informed her
that she was the first person to find her mother in the swimming pool. The memories and pictures
began to drift back quickly and vividly. Yet, soon afterward, her uncle called and said that he had
made a mistake and it was her aunt who had found her mother first in the pool (Hoult, 2005). Loftus
has done an inordinate amount of research with over 20,000 subjects, showing that eyewitness
testimonies and repressed memories are often unreliable (Niemark, 1996). Loftus has served as the
expert witness/consultant in hundreds of cases, including the Abscam case, the trial of Oliver North,
the Rodney King beating, the Menendez brothers trial, the Bosnian War trials in the Hague, the
Oklahoma Bombing case, and litigation involving Michael Jackson, Martha Stewart, Scooter Libby,
and the Duke University Lacrosse players (Neimark, 1996). Loftus testifies in court for "as much as
$2,500 for a 10–hour day and for as little as nothing" (Hunt, 1991, para. 27). Elizabeth's research
and the publicity surrounding these notorious court cases has triggered threatening letters and public
and professional criticism. At some universities, armed guards were provided for her when she
spoke on her memory research (Loftus, 2002). However, Loftus has served as the 1984 and 2004
President of the Western Psychological Association and in 1998 she became president of the
Association for

Satanism: The Devil In Popular Religion
Satanic, Diabolical, Underworld, Demonic and Infernal are all familiar terms used by the fear
mongering ideological opponents such as the Christian faith often unacknowledged its beliefs and
practices. Satanism is probably the most unappreciated religious ideology and philosophy looked
down and frowned upon around the world ever since any founded religion in history was founded.
Almost all religious communities have formed their personal idea of an evil existence in their
religion created to destroy or persuade them to do evil deeds. Although they all have their different
versions of evil and their image of Satan, nevertheless they all condemn the same base of Satanism
and its servants. Throughout the years of the world in human evolution ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Satan has been used to symbolize human weaknesses and temptations or your worst doom or horror
that viewers can possibly imagine. Some examples of the Devil's presence in movies are:
Rosemary's Baby 1968, Rosemary Woodhouse was raped by the Devil, her husband, closest friends,
and family members accused her of being mentally ill, but in the end they were all members of a
Satanic cult and she was forced to give birth to the Antichrist. Another movie such as The Ninth
Gate 1999, the main character was hired by a very rich man to help him acquire six 17th century
books presumably illustrated by Lucifer himself. In the movie, the main character did not know that
he was blindly helping a satanic leader. When the books are all brought together, a secret inscription
will be revealed that will summon the Devil. Even demon like characters have been featured as an
occasional character in several children animated series. Censorship on the screen occurred to avoid
offending religious viewers. Because of that, the Devil or demon sometimes went nameless or
received a different name referring to mythologies. An example of this practice for instance is Hades
from the Walt Disney movie Hercules 1997. Although the fiend

Child Abuse Inaccuracies
Many people are familiar with the married coupe, Frances and Daniel Keller. Frances and Daniel
Keller were childcare workers from Austin, Texas. They were convicted in 1992 of sexually
molesting a 3 year old child in their home. The child initially stated that she was spanked but later
stated that she was raped. Many people assumed that this was an act of Satanic rituals. Satanic
Frances and Daniels were charges with Satanic rituals such as taking children to Mexico, having
ceremonies in the graveyard, cutting off animals' body parts, and sacrificing babies. After a long
trial, France and Daniel Keller were both found guilty and sentenced to 48 years in prison. In 2013,
the Kellers were released from prison because the only physical evidence on them was retracted by
doctor. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Many of these accusations in the 1980's and 1990's ended in convictions but was later acquitted or
exonerated. With these convictions, many of the childcare workers are labelled as child abusers,
sexual predators, and a nuisance to society. Finally, this paper identifies procedures that childcare
workers and legislation can take in order to make sure that childcare workers are protected from
false accusations. Statement of Problem The love of children is a part of many people life. Some
people long for the day they can work with children in any capacity. Some wants to be teachers,
coaches, doctors, and some just love to work with preschoolers. One has to love children in order to
work with children of any age. Many people volunteer with different organization for children such
as schools, church, club and other organization just to work with children. The problem is not
working with small children. The problem is getting falsely accused of doing something wrong to
small children. This changes people life, repetition, and the ability to live a normal

Elizabeth Loftus On Repressed Memory
The article started with a phone call from an attorney in San Francisco to Elizabeth Loftus about one
George Franklin that had been charged with murdering a child, based on the recollection of his
daughter, Eileen. The prosecution claimed she had repressed the memory for 20 years and the
purported memory was less than a year old. Loftus found no basis for the repressed memory in her
search in the psychological literature. She believed that people blend false details from television
reports with the recollection of actual events because she conducted an experiment in which she had
shown people a video of a robbery and shooting, then after the same viewers watched an erroneous
video of a robbery and shooting, they were mistaken in their description of the incident. Her work
seemed irrelevant at the time because the prosecutor forced her to admit that she had never studied
memories like Eileen Franklin's and George Franklin was eventually convicted in November 1990.
Repressed memories also surfaced in 1991 ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Based on my reading, repressed memories are more likely to surface when people feel the need to
play the victim and fancy accusing other people to achieve that aim. The fact that many women
retracted their allegations showed me that they may have intentionally fabricated the stories.
Perhaps, the growth in the number of people making these types of allegations could have grown
because they were getting attention and they thought that was cool. One possible positive effect is
that some cultures reward the idea that someone could be a victim. I have heard countless stories
where victims have been compensated by their aggressors. In politics for example, some countries
immediately take sides with a victim city or country in an interstate conflict to prove they support

Essay on The Crucible and the West Memphis Three
Revenge, the abuse of authority and the desire for power are all present in both Arthur Miller's play
The Crucible and the case regarding the West Memphis Three. To understand the connection you
need to know something about the case. Three young boys were murdered on May 5, 1993 (Leveritt
5). They were stripped of their clothing, their hands were bound and they were forced underwater in
the nearby creek where they stayed until they were found the next day. Little evidence was collected
the day of their discovery, what was recovered was mislabeled and handled incorrectly. The boys
were laying in the open elements for 3 hours before they saw any kind of medical examiner
(Leveritt 23). Later, three teenagers (Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
(117 book) Numerous celebrities sought the freedom of the "West Memphis Three" as they came to
be called after their imprisonment (Robertson 1). These celebrities were putting their face out there
by attaching it to a cause. This is advertisement for them. This exploitation of events to gain power
was also present in Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible. Taking place in 1692, a time when religion
was everything and the town preacher was authority, people were forced into the mundane,
agricultural centered lives that had been handed to them by the previous generation (Miller 3).
Children were "young adults" and seen as "thankful for being permitted to walk straight" (Miller 4).
It was a small town they lived in and very few people were literate. Any information they came
across was given to them by gossiping townsfolk or the preacher, Reverend Parris. Revered Parris
uses the power that was handed to him to give himself a better name in politics. The witch craze
provided the perfect moment to do so. He helped head the committee that determined the innocence
of those convicted. By doing so he hopes to create a reputation for himself in politics. He also
supports anything the judge Danforth says, calling him "sir" and "Your Excellency" (Miller 88).
This brown nosing and condemnation of others, "Beware this man... this man is mischief" (to
Proctor), is to keep the searchlight off himself and sustain his

Ritualistic Ritual Abuse
Ritualistic child abuse is an extreme form of abuse that includes physical, mental, verbal, and
spiritual abuse which often includes forced sex, repeated practices, child prostitution and child
pornography (Bottoms, Shaver, & Goodman, 1996). There are different forms of ritual abuse, some
containing aspects of mind control "programming", hypnosis, and/or forced use of a victim as a
vessel for a malevolent demon or spirit. Ritual abuse (RA) consists of conditioning and torture
carried out in a ceremonial or calculated manner for the purpose of effecting control over a victim's
mind and behavior (Lacter, 2011). Although survivors have reported various forms of abuse, Lacter
(2011) offers a partial list of forms of ritualistic torture, including sexual abuse and torture; electric
shock; forced ingestion of offensive body fluids and matter, such as blood, urine, feces, flesh,
semen, etc.; sensory deprivation; drugs to create illusion, confusion, and amnesia; forced to witness
abuse, torture, and sacrifice of people and animals, usually with knives; forced participation in child
pornography and prostitution; spiritual abuse to cause victim to feel possessed, harassed, and
controlled internally by spirits or demons; harm or threats of harm to family, friends, loved ones,
pets, and other victims, to force compliance; and many others.
Because Satanic ritual abuse (or SRA) was the first to surface, early definitions of ritual abuse
focused on Satanic aspects (Miller, 2011).

The Hutcheson Case Study
Based on the way the boys were found, hog–tied and cut, as well as rumors that started floating
around, police started to suspect that the crime might have been part of a cult ritual. Damien Echols
had been known to listen to satanic music and possibly was part of a satanic cult although he denied
any affiliation with a cult or with the crime. Jason Baldwin was a friend of Echols however he was
different in that he excelled in school and out of the three teenagers probably had the best shot of
going to college and making a life for himself. Jesse Misskelly Jr. didn't really know Echols or
Baldwin but Vicki Hutcheson, a woman who helped police with the search thought he might have
some information on the case. Hutcheson played a crucial roll in the investigation as she gave
testimony of her knowledge that the teens had committed the murder. Misskelly, who had an
extremely low IQ and was a minor, was questioned for about twelve hours. At the end of the
questioning he confessed to the crimes and told the police he had acted with Echols and Baldwin as
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One situation that was brought to light was that a knife had been found belonging to John Mark
Byers, who was Christopher Byers stepfather. There was blood on the knife that was consistent with
both Christopher's and John's blood, however, the police never looked any further into it (Choate,
2015). The crime scene itself was absolutely a mess, as the police did not wait for a medical
examiner to check the bodies before dragging them out of the creek, which left them susceptible to
the sun and insects. A few years after the teens had been convicted, it was noticed in the crime scene
photos that one of the boys, Steve Branch, appeared to have bite marks on his forehead. The dental
records from Echols, Baldwin and Misskelly did not match that of the photographs and John Mark
Byers had his teeth removed before his dental records could be

Compare And Contrast The Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch trials are a very known event in history. Groups of people were accused as being
witches by the church and its followers. The murders of the West Memphis is another very similar
situation of the West Memphis police blaming three teenage boys because they stood out from other
citizens. There are many similarities between these two events of mass hysteria and false
accusations.
In the Salem Witch Trials the townspeople of Salem pinpointed individuals they thought were
practicing witchcraft after they claimed to be possessed by the devil. In the West Memphis three trial
the citizens of West Memphis strated to blame Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley after the police said
that the killing of the three boys was most likely a sacrifice to Satan. The people of West Memphis
blamed these three boys in a satanic panic because they wore black listened to metal music and
"stood out from everyone else" in the town. They had little to no evidence to link these three boys to
this case. According to The Truth Behind Echols v. State: How an Alford Guilty Plea saved the West
Memphis Three once they retested the DNA the only DNA they found was from Terry Hobbs, one of
the victims Stepdad, and his friend.
With these ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The people of West Memphis were convinced this was an act of satanic evil. From the jump police
said that they believed that these brutal killings were a sacrifice to satan from the way that the
bodies were tied up. According to The Truth Behind Echols v. State: How an Alford Guilty Plea
saved the West Memphis Three; Detectives found all three bodies naked and hog–tied, mutilated
with wounds that had been allegedly caused by a serrated knife, and bruised from what investigators
deemed to be the result of sexual abuse. The police conclution of this being part of a satanic ritual
lead them to believe that Echols was responsible because he is a self proclaimed

Satanic Rituals
multiple times during rituals (Hudson, 1990: 58). Some survivors might experience deregulated
sleep patterns or alcoholism as well (Rivera, 1996: 163). Because of the neglecting conditions
survivors were born into, they tend to stick to dissociative, abnormal, and unhealthy ways to manage
their internal and external conflicts. These defense mechanisms serve to protect their ego from
getting hurt (Stroh, 1996: 75). Moreover, those symptoms have to be taken seriously and must be
intensely treated by health professionals. Finally, once symptoms have been observed, intensive and
painful treatment sessions must begin. Therapy is a very structured process. There are no clinicians
specialized in the treatment of Satanic ritual abuse yet, however

Comparing the Salem Witch Trials and Modern Satanic...
The Salem Witch Trials and Modern Satanic Trials
Cotton Mather, in his The Wonders of the Invisible World, preserved for posterity a very dark period
in Puritanical American society through his account of the Salem witch trials in 1692. His
description is immediately recognizable as being of the same viewpoint as those who were swept up
in the hysteria of the moment. Mather viewed Salem as a battleground between the devil and the
Puritans. "The New Englanders are a people of God settled in those which were once the devil's
territories. . . . The devil thus irritated, immediately tried all sorts of methods to overturn this poor
plantation" (Mather 421). Here Mather is alluding to the Native Americans as being a people ...
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The precepts in society that drove the village of Salem to the execution of twenty people, who were
judged to be witches and accordingly subjects to the ever present devil, still exists and even
flourishes over 300 hundred years later at the dawn of the 21st century. Today our witches are
labeled Satanists and are still innately linked with the most often misunderstood members of society,
the children. But now overt sexuality has become the main factor and pinching and tormenting by
invisible hands has been replaced by sexual molestation and rape; instead of being linked with the
blasting of crops and the death of livestock as their colonial predecessors were, today's Satanists are
accused of ritual sacrifice of babies, cannibalism, necromancy, and the butchering of small animals.
One can clearly see how the mythology has evolved since 1692 to more closely embody the fears of
society. This manifestation of the human psyche now takes the form out of the shadowy fears
parents have when they leave their small children's care to the hands of strangers; the other which
exists outside the microcosm of home and family. While this may seem to be a wholly modern
phenomenon, the bones of such fears instilled in modern parents can be found in the mythology of
the Salem witch trials The most prodigious myth concerning the Salem witch trials centers around
one woman, Tituba, the slave from Barbados belonging to Reverend Paris, and later a confessed

West Memphis Three Case
In 1993, three boys were murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas. Because of the condition the
victims were in, the authorities believed that they were involved in a satanic ritual. Three teenagers
were accused and convicted because they were outcasts and no other leads were pursued. Even
though the West Memphis Three got justice after almost two decades of serving time, the original
trial was prejudiced.
The three teenagers were Jessie Misskelley, Jason Baldwin, and Damien Echols. They had records
of criminal activity and violent behaviour. Furthermore, Misskelley and Echols had dropped out of
school. Echols and Baldwin were close friends, but only acquainted with Misskelley. Echols is
declared to have a "...serious mental illness characterized ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Before the jury made a decision about the guilt of the defendants, the jury foreman talked to both an
attorney and the judge involved. A former attorney for the defendant Misskelley later noted that he
heard the judge and foreman speaking during a lunch break, and the foreman stated that the jury was
almost to a conclusion while Judge Burnett responded, "You'll need food for when you come back
for sentencing," (arkansasonline.com 1). The judge was implying that the defendants were guilty
before the jury reached a verdict. It was known that the foreman was advocating that the defendants
were liable for the scandal. Although there was a retrial, it was still unjust because of the
circumstances of the deal. After many requests for retrial, the West Memphis Three received an
Alford plea deal. The deal is where the accused plead guilty while still professing their actual
innocence, in cases where they accept that prosecutors have sufficient information to acquire a
conviction. The Alford plea contrived that the defendants served 18 years and 78 days, which was
the time that they served, and could not seek domestic help for improper imprisonment. Even
though the original convictions were repealed, the West Memphis Three still didn't receive justice
for their

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