A memoir recounting the author's alleged experiences with satanic ritual abuse, later revealed to be fabricated.
Published in 1980, 'Michelle Remembers' is a memoir that recounts Michelle Smith's alleged experiences of satanic ritual abuse during her childhood in the 1950s. The book was written based on extensive therapy sessions with Dr. Lawrence Pazder, who used hypnosis and other suggestive techniques to recover Smith's memories. The narrative includes graphic descriptions of rituals, sacrifices, and other forms of abuse, which were later widely discredited due to the lack of physical evidence and the controversial methods used to recover the memories. The book played a significant role in sparking the global 'Satanic Panic' of the 1980s.
Go Ask Alice is an epistolary novel that chronicles two years of a teenage girl's life as she navigates social acceptance, family relationships, and the dangers of drug addiction. The story begins with the protagonist, known as Alice, who is introduced to drugs unintentionally at a party. This encounter leads her down a path of addiction to various substances, including LSD, marijuana, amphetamines, and heroin. Alice's journey involves her isolation from family and friends, involvement in the drug subculture, and multiple attempts to seek help and achieve sobriety. The book highlights the devastating consequences of drug abuse and the emotional turmoil that accompanies addiction. Despite its controversial authorship, the book serves as a powerful and authentic portrayal of the struggles faced by teenagers and the dangers of drug addiction[2][3][4].
As we approach the end of the series, we learn that the Satanic Panic didn’t end with a bang. It was more of a slow fade-out. The Religious Right had secured major political and cultural victories. Evangelicals no longer needed Satan to galvanize their movement—their influence was cemented. Fear of the Devil simply became less useful.
Today’s episode marks a turning point in the series. Join us as we revisit the concept of memory—this time with two experts who spent their careers trying to properly understand it. Retired FBI agent Kenneth Lanning, one of the earliest skeptics inside law enforcement during the Satanic Panic, reveals how disturbing allegations collapsed under the weight of their own implausibility.
Elizabeth Loftus, renowned cognitive psychologist and professor, has shown how easily false memories can be implanted, reshaped, and believed with unwavering conviction. Together, these two experts help us begin to answer a central question of this season: How did the Satanic Panic end? And what are the consequences of believing, prosecuting, and punishing based on memory alone?
Resources:
-
Kenneth Lanning, retired FBI agent
-
Elizabeth Loftus, PhD, psychologist and educator
Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today
Hosted and written by Mike Cosper
Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams
Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester
Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler
Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven
Music by Dirt Poor Robins
Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening.
Can’t wait for the next episode? Join host Mike Cosper for a livestream every other Monday on the CT YouTube channel or the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Facebook page.
Join our Facebook group for deeper conversations and behind-the-scenes content.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 
