They are indistinguishable from real memories. Professional mental health organizations recommend that recovered memories should only be accepted as real if they have been verified by hard evidence.

Occult crime: Any crime which involves occult symbols or which is perpetrated by a person who is active in the occult. Since the term "occult" is defined very broadly by some to include horoscope reading, palm readings, membership in the Masonic order, and other benign pursuits, "occultists" are quite numerous. However, there are few if any links between belief in the occult and criminal activity.

Programming (when related to SRA): an abusive, brain-washing technique which can allegedly create group members who behave like robots; they have no self-will. It is alleged that programmed individuals can be triggered by words, phrases, sounds, smells etc. to perform specific tasks. Those who promote belief in programming state that it can be accomplished by very severe, sophisticated sequences of abuse starting in early childhood and continuing over a period of years. Many mental-health professionals doubt that programming is possible.

Recanting: People who have gone through recovered memory therapy frequently realize that the images created were not of real events. This process often takes many years. They usually attempt to make amends with their family and friends.

Recovered memories: Images (typically uncovered during therapy by women in their late 20's to late 40's). Most are of sexual molestation during childhood. Some believe that these images are memories of actual events during childhood which are actively repressed by the child during shortly after the event. Recovery of these images is often a long-term and difficult process. Others believe that these images are not memories of real events but are based upon memory fragments from past horror movies, books, TV programs etc. The images can evolve into what the client feels are  memories by either self-therapy or counseling with a therapist involving such suggestive techniques as hypnotism, guided imagery, dream analysis, imagining abuse, etc. In about 17% of cases, recovered memories involve SRA. They differ from dormant memories in that their recovery typically takes a long time. Dormant memories are generally triggered by a photograph, newspaper article, conversation, etc. and come rushing into consciousness almost instantaneously.

Recovered memory therapy: A method of treatment involving suggestive techniques such as hypnosis, guided imagery, dream interpretation, "truth drugs", etc. These were once widely believed to be capable of recovering memories of real events that happened during childhood.

Ritual abuse: Some consider this a synonym for Sadistic Ritual Abuse.

RA: Acronym for ritual abuse.

Ritual days: See holidays.

Sadistic Ritual Abuse: Psychological, sexual, and/or physical assault committed by one or more people according to a prescribed ritual, whose primary motive is to either fulfill a need to abuse others, or to program the victim so that they can be precisely controlled in the future. Satanic Ritual Abuse: Psychological, sexual, and/or physical assault forced on an unwilling victim and committed by one or more Satanists according to a prescribed ritual, the primary aim of which is to fulfill the need to worship the Christian devil, Satan. Note: This definition does not include:

Essays by other groups often define SRA more widely, to include any crime where Satanic symbols are found, or even crimes by perpetrators who have Satanic symbols or books in their home. Common estimates of the number of SRA murders in the U.S. and Canada cover the range from 0 to 60,000 per year.

SRA Acronym for Satanic Ritual Abuse or, more recently, Sadistic Ritual Abuse.

Survivor (when related to RA, SRA, sadistic ritual abuse and recovered memories): an adult who believes that they have memories of their own childhood ritual abuse. The recollections may have been continuous since the abuse occurred, or they may be recovered memories.

Triggered memories:  These are forgotten memories that come rushing back suddenly into consciousness as a result of a trigger, such as the name, the voice, a photograph, a newspaper article about the perpetrator, etc. These are different from recovered memories because they flood back into memory quickly.

Triggers: A sound, word, phrase, image, symbol, smell etc. which triggers past programming in order to cause a SRA survivor to perform a specific act. Many SRA survivors believe that these exist. Belief in triggers seems to have originated in a move, the Manchurian Candidate. Few psychiatrists and psychologists believe that triggers that initiate a specific act are possible.

References:

Copyright © 1995 to 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
Latest update: 2005-OCT-30
Author: B.A. Robinson