The fourth season will be released in 2022 Very strange things It became a hit on Netflix. But in its chapters, it also touched on a phenomenon that was part of pop culture in the mid-1980s. In the story, the platform’s flagship series tells the story of how a role-playing group ends up being accused of all sorts of crimes. But especially, being the center of some kind of satanic conspiracy. Which led to mass hysteria. This devastated a significant portion of the population of the fictional Hawkins.

But beyond the interesting plot twist, it was a reflection on one of the most controversial events of the decade, reflected in the play. The so-called Satanic Panic was a veritable wave of complaints, accusations and allegations, based on what was called a moral panic at the time. It sparked a wave of 12,000 unconfirmed cases of so-called Satanic ritual abuse. What began as a debate over a controversial book, It soon became a real crisis in North America and then throughout the rest of the world.

Much of the event was used in books, films, and radio programs to suggest that organized groups of Satanists were operating outside of ordinary life. This led to a growing number of complaints against anyone who looked suspicious in the shadowy cases of Satanism. The Satanic panic, equated with the mass hysteria that caused the Salem crimes, was reflected on the small and big screen. That, in an attempt to translate the collective horror into a holistic reflection on evil, fear of the unknown and, ultimately, prejudice.

The controversial book that opened the door to a dangerous phenomenon

What would become a phenomenon that would preoccupy psychiatrists and anthropologists for decades began with the publication of a book. Michelle recallsThe book by Canadian psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder hit bookstores on November 1, 1980, and was an immediate success. The investigation, presented as a scientific essay, described how his patient, and later wife, Michelle Smith, For many years I have struggled with a number of disabling symptoms. Those that included terrifying nightmares and physical reactions that pointed to a traumatic event he couldn’t remember.

Which is what prompted me to come to you for a consultation. In an attempt to understand his mental state, Pazder had used the controversial and now discredited reconstructed memory therapy. This apparently allowed Smith to recall a series of sexual abuses she had suffered as a child, which she had been unable to recall on her own. All due to trauma of such magnitude that it had completely warped and damaged his ability to clearly remember the full events of his life. And this, long sessions in the company of a psychiatrist, allowed him to remember.

The beginning of the wave of terror

The scariest part is that the book claims that the various situations of abuse, mistreatment and sexual assault he suffered occurred in the midst of a satanic cult. Little by little, the book told how the victim, always with the help of Lawrence Pazder, was able to investigate the horrible situations they found themselves in. Those that involved their parents, relatives and close friends, to strangers he could never identify.

In the book, Lawrence Pazder also explained that Smith had never suspected he had suffered from anything like this until then. And he was only able to remember it through shock therapy, which involved hypnosis, supposed past-life regressions, and guided imagery to help him remember. This despite the fact that none of the methods demonstrated to be reliable, and there were concerns that it might cause false memories.

The perfect scenario for collective fear

The book’s subtext suggested that Michelle Smith’s case was likely just the tip of the iceberg of similar events. Moreover, sects, as described by the alleged victim, were probably widespread in any city in the first world. The popularity of Lawrence Pazder’s work, as well as the intensive presentation tours that included testimony from Michelle Smith herself, raised eyebrows.

But at the same time, it was the beginning of a wave of situations that seemed to confirm the thesis of the text about a group of cults operating secretly. By the time the promotion officially ended in mid-1982, a series of accusations began to be published that were very similar to Smith’s story. Which led to the outbreak of a sociological phenomenon that is still difficult to explain. understand its scale, its gravity and the cultural wounds it left behind.

The accusations begin

While always accepting the book version as credible, a series of reports, articles and investigations began to examine the possibility that Michelle Smith’s testimony led to more dangerous consequences. Namely, equally grave circumstances, hidden, protected and even encouraged by Satanic cults. which coexisted between schools, universities and other large organizations.

The most famous and serious case involved the McMartin Day Care Center. In August 1983, Judy Johnson, a young mother of a two-year-old boy, called the police in Manhattan Beach, California, in horror. According to a medical report, the little boy had apparently been sexually abused. In the middle of the investigation, the victim identified the perpetrator as “Mr. Ray.” This led to speculation that the aggressor was Ray Buckey, from Virginia’s McMartin Preschool, where Johnson’s son attended.

Following the complaint, 200 letters were sent to the students’ parents, urging them to question their children about possible abuse. At the same time, Bucky was arrested on September 7, 1983. In the midst of the tense situation, memory therapy came to the fore. What made most parents seek help therapists to verify the testimony of their children.

A wave of terror has swept across American soil

The rest is part of the history of modern psychiatry. Not only were there hundreds of allegations that children were victims of various abuses. At the same time, the allegations became increasingly serious and intricate, including details such as witchcraft rituals in classrooms. Which even led to a proposal during the idea that there is a network of tunnels connecting various guard posts to facilitate attacks.

Hundreds of similar allegations gradually emerged across North America. Thousands of trials followed, some of which were immediately dismissed, but others of which have gone down in the annals of the country’s legal history. Most notably, the McMartin Daycare Center, which was closed only in 1990, when all the defendants were acquitted and had a dubious assessment imposed on it. It is the longest, most expensive, and most unsuccessful criminal trial in the United States. but, moreover, it is evidence of how the Satanic panic influenced this process.

Horror is reflected in pop culture

As shown Very strange thingsSatanic panic spread throughout pop culture. In fact, the aftermath was still lingering in the 1980s and even into the middle of the next decade. Dungeons and DragonsThe famous role-playing game was considered one of the ways in which the supposed cults communicated with each other. Satanic messages were also attributed to Procter & Gamble products. The brand has been accused of distorting its logos and products to convey hidden and dangerous messages to users.

But he was not the only one in the cultural sphere to be caught up in the mass wave of denunciations and terror. Similar accusations were leveled at B-movies, metal rock, and even such simple practices as board games and TV characters like The Smurfs. In the midst of a wave of complaints, the mere fact of being a fan of any form of entertainment deemed dangerous can be a sign of guilt. As happened in the notorious and infamous case of the Memphis Three, who were charged with murder without any other basis. proves his musical tastes and accusations of Satanism.

Satanic Panic Today

Over time, the Satanic Panic has been discredited as a wave of mass hysteria. But its effects are still evident. The Harry Potter saga – both literary and cinematic – has been repeatedly accused of promoting magic and witchcraft. So much so that its sale and distribution are banned in some states in North America.

Another close call involved the Marvel Cinematic Universe hit. During the premiere Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessThe film has been accused of spreading occult beliefs. So much so that some American churches have taken to criticizing its arguments as well as the way it presents the figure of the witch. In fact, some Catholic publications have accused the film of going deeper andRussian stereotypes about evil, associated with pagan views on this subject.

Over the past year, several films have reignited the debate and superstitious claims about Satanic Panic. Long-legged Oz Perkins has been accused of promoting demonic ideas. And all this is at the center of a terrifying conspiracy in which the killer uses overt magical practices to commit his crimes. Something similar was said about The Last Late Night, in which the script explores the subtext of cults and the horrors associated with evil.

The truth is that Satanic panic seems to have left an indelible mark on the culture and society of our time. Even the crazy conspiracy theories of Canon and Hillary Clinton’s so-called “Pizzagate” seem to have something of an anxious and irrational fear of the unknown. This was clearly demonstrated by the most famous phenomenon of mass hysteria of the last century.