The Satanic Panic began after a wave of repressed memories were "discovered" by hypnosis that blamed Satanic worshippers for sexual abuse, violence, and ritualistic practices including human sacrifice and murder

Washington State University at Tri-Cities

- In the late 80s and early 90s, therapists using hypnosis began "recovering" memories from adults who were "remembering" witnessing or being victims of terrible crimes in their childhoods
- This was the advent of Repressed Memory Therapy which purported to bring up lost memories of traumatic events and was used to attempt prosecution against the perpetrators of the traumatic events

How are hypnosis and repressed memories linked?

Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B. L. (2009). 50 great myths of popular psychology : Shattering widespread misconceptions about human behavior.

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology

Repressed memory myth and the Satanic Panic

- In 1990, George Franklin was convicted for a murder that happened in 1969
- George Franklin's arrest was based on memories "retrieved" under hypnosis by his daughter, who claimed to remember him murdering the victim
- In 1996 the prosecutors of the case dropped the charges and George Franklin was released from prison

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