SATANISM — NEUROLOGICAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE
This analysis examines Satanism through neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy as an academic research framework — analogous to studying any other belief system's neurological correlates. It does not constitute a religious or political endorsement or condemnation. Citations are provided for verification. Research specific to Satanism is sparse; mechanisms are often extrapolated from broader stress, trauma, and psychology literature.
THE CASE OF PETER — ROME, c. 64–68 AD
What we know. What was charged. What was real.
The primary source is the Acts of Peter (Actus Vercellenses), a 2nd–3rd century apocryphal text. It is not canonical scripture. Whether the specific events occurred as described is historically unverifiable. What is verified: Peter was executed in Rome under Nero, crucified upside down at his own request. The political and legal context below is historically grounded.
Peter preached that the body belonged to God, not to husbands or owners. In a Roman world where women — especially concubines — had no legal personhood independent of the men who owned them, this was not merely theological. It was economic disruption. A concubine who refused sexual access was a concubine who had ceased to function as property. Agrippa's four concubines did not need to file for divorce — there was no marriage to dissolve. What they did was simply refuse. Under Roman law, Agrippa had no clean legal remedy for a concubine who invoked religious conscience. Xanthippe's situation was different — she was a legal wife — but Albinus faced the same problem: Roman civil law offered divorce, but divorce was public humiliation for a man of his status. Neither man wanted the civil remedy. They wanted the man who caused it.
The Latin concept of stuprum (sexual misconduct) could theoretically be applied in reverse — a Christian teacher inducing women to withhold conjugal relations could be framed as corrupting Roman morality. But this was legally thin. Charging Peter under the broader Neronian anti-Christian persecutions — which did not require specific evidence, only association — was far cleaner. The arson charge was the vehicle. The women were the motive.
Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus — Augustus, "the Revered One" — was careful never to repeat his great-uncle's mistake. Julius Caesar called himself Dictator Perpetuo: dictator in perpetuity. It was the title that got him killed on the Ides of March, 44 BC. The Roman Senate and the aristocratic class could not tolerate the open destruction of the Republic's fiction. Augustus learned the lesson absolutely. He called himself Princeps — first citizen, not first ruler. He maintained every Republican institution while gutting them of actual power. He held authority without the title that declared it. The Republic existed on paper. The empire existed in fact. This was not stupidity. This was the most successful political architecture in Western history.
Julius Caesar, by contrast, accumulated titles, refused to stand when the Senate approached him, and accepted divine honors while alive. He was brilliant militarily and administratively and politically obtuse in the specific way that brilliance without social intelligence produces. He could read a battlefield and could not read a room. The senatorial class murdered him for it. Augustus read both.
By the time of Peter's execution under Nero (c. 64–68 AD), the Augustan framework was fifty years old. Nero had inherited the "first citizen" architecture but used it with the subtlety of Julius Caesar — which is to say, none. His persecution of Christians after the Great Fire was politically functional but historically crude: blame a minority, avoid accountability, consolidate fear. Within four years of Peter's death, Nero was dead by his own hand, the year of four emperors had begun, and the Augustan settlement was fracturing.
Peter was executed inside this architecture. The charge — arson, sedition, corrupting Roman morality — was the Neronian state's chosen instrument. The real charge — that he convinced six women to withhold themselves from the men who owned them — was the charge that could not be spoken in court because it revealed too much about the men bringing it. Agrippa and Albinus needed Peter dead. Nero needed Christians culpable. The interests aligned.
Peter's execution by crucifixion is documented in Clement of Rome (c. 96 AD), Ignatius of Antioch, Origen, and Eusebius of Caesarea — making it one of the better-attested facts of early Christian history. The inversion — crucified with his head downward — Peter requested himself, according to Origen (as quoted by Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History III.1): judging himself unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord. The cross of Peter is therefore not a symbol of defiance or opposition. It is a symbol of radical self-abasement — the same man who had been called Satan by Yeshua, who had denied him three times before the cock crowed, ending his life insisting he was not worthy of an upright death.
The man called "Satan" by Yeshua became the first Bishop of Rome and the theological foundation of the Catholic Church.
The cross Peter chose out of humility became the primary symbol adopted by those who wish to oppose everything Peter believed.
Agrippa and Albinus, who conspired against Peter to recover access to women they could not legally compel, are remembered only because Peter is remembered. History retained the accused and forgot the accusers.
The charge of arson — used to execute Peter — was itself a projection: Nero, not the Christians, was widely believed in antiquity to have set or at least exploited the Great Fire. Tacitus records the rumor explicitly.
PRIMARY SOURCE — THE YESHUA DECLARATION
Before clinical analysis, the primary source. The word “Satan” was spoken by Yeshua himself — in Aramaic, the language he lived and taught in — directly to the man whose inverted cross became the emblem of Satanism.
Peter had just confessed Yeshua as the Messiah (v.16), then rebuked him for predicting his own death and resurrection. Yeshua turned and addressed Peter directly — using the name "Satan" not as an epithet of ultimate evil, but in its original Aramaic meaning: adversary, one who opposes the divine will. The same Peter who received "the keys of the kingdom" moments earlier is addressed as the adversarial principle the moment he places human reasoning above divine purpose.
The word ܣܛܢܐ (Satana) in Aramaic derives from the root ܣܛܢ (s-ṭ-n), meaning "to oppose," "to obstruct," or "to be an adversary." It is a function — not a name. Yeshua did not address Peter as a demonic entity; he addressed the adversarial orientation Peter had adopted in that moment: placing self-preservation and human comfort above divine will. The same root passes through Hebrew שָּׂטָן (śāṭān) into Greek Σατανᾶς (Satanas) and then into Latin and English as "Satan." The Aramaic original reveals what later traditions obscured: Satan is first and foremost a posture of opposition to God, accessible to any person — including the one who holds the keys.
This verse establishes that the "Satanic" disposition is not the exclusive domain of demonic beings or occult practitioners. Yeshua identified it in his closest disciple, in a moment of genuine human love and concern. The inversion of Peter's cross — the symbol of his martyrdom, adopted by those who wish to invert and mock what Peter stood for — is thus doubly ironic: Peter himself was called Satan, and his cross became the emblem of opposition to the faith he died defending.
Saint Peter requested to be crucified upside-down, judging himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Yeshua. His inverted cross is therefore a symbol of humility, not defiance. Its adoption as a Satanic symbol represents a second-order inversion: taking a gesture of self-abasement before God and reframing it as proud opposition to God. The neuroscience of symbol inversion is well-documented: appropriating sacred symbols and reversing their meaning is a high-impact transgression strategy — it maximizes amygdala and PFC disruption in observers who carry the original sacred association.
VISUAL RECORD — THE CRUCIFIXION & ITS INVERSION
Documentary footage and imagery tracing the original crucifixion to Peter's deliberate inversion — the act that transformed the Roman execution cross into the primary symbol of Satanic opposition.
The standard Roman crux immissa. The form Peter would later explicitly reject by requesting its inversion.
Peter — whom Yeshua himself called “Satan” — specifically requests crucifixion head-down, refusing to die in the same posture as his master.
The crux inversa, known as the Petrine Cross. This image — the first Christian martyr inverted — became the emblem later appropriated by Satanism as an anti-Christian symbol.
The instrument of Yeshua's execution — a Roman state punishment, not yet a symbol.
Peter, already called "Satan" by Yeshua in Matthew 16:23, refuses to mirror his master's death posture — the inversion is deliberate theology.
The inverted cross becomes the Petrine Cross — originally a mark of humility. Centuries later it is re-appropriated as the primary anti-Christian symbol in Satanic iconography.
NERO, 666, AND THE ROMAN CONSTITUTION
Was the Emperor the final judge? Two men whose names sum to 666 — separated by 1,500 years of institutional power.
Peter was not a Roman citizen. Under Roman law (the Lex Iulia de vi publica et privata, codified under Augustus), a Roman citizen could appeal a capital sentence to the Emperor (provocatio ad Caesarem — the right Paul exercised in Acts 25:11). Peter, as a Galilean Jew and non-citizen, had no such right. Agrippa, as Praefectus Urbi (city prefect), held the delegated imperium to execute non-citizens for capital offenses within the city without requiring the Emperor's personal signature on the warrant. However — the Neronian persecution of Christians was a state policy, not Agrippa's private initiative. Tacitus (Annals XV.44) is explicit: Nero identified Christians as the arsonists and ordered their punishment. Peter's execution under that edict was Nero's policy executed by Agrippa's office. The final authority was the Emperor. The final hand was the prefect.
The senatus consultum (Senate decree) of 64 AD that sanctioned the Christian persecution gave Agrippa the legal cover. Nero's imperium proconsulare — inherited from Augustus's constitutional settlement — was the ultimate source of the authority. In the Augustan constitution, all delegated power flowed from the Princeps. Agrippa could not have executed Peter against Nero's wishes. Whether he needed to request permission specifically or acted under standing orders is not documented.
TAXONOMY OF SATANISM
A precise classification is prerequisite to any neurological analysis. Lumping all Satanic traditions together produces analytical noise — each variant has a distinct psychological profile and therefore distinct neurological correlates.
Founded on The Satanic Bible (1969), LaVeyan Satanism is atheistic and materialist. "Satan" is a symbol of carnality, rational self-interest, and rejection of herd mentality. Humans are "their own gods." Rituals are psychodrama — deliberate emotional catharsis with no supernatural intent. Social Darwinism, Nietzschean individualism, and Epicurean hedonism are core tenets.
Adherents score high on Openness to Experience (Big Five), Machiavellianism, and self-reported autonomy needs. Research by Laythe et al. (2011) found LaVeyan Satanists show elevated narcissistic personality features alongside above-average intelligence and critical-thinking disposition. Anti-authoritarian and counter-cultural identity is central.
Strictly materialist. No afterlife, no guilt, no universal moral code. Strength, success, and carnal pleasure are virtues. Weakness, pity for the weak, and self-denial are vices. "Do unto others as they do unto you" — reciprocal retaliation replaces the Golden Rule.
NEUROSCIENCE OF RITUAL
Ritual — regardless of content — produces measurable neurological effects. The critical distinction is between rituals that activate threat/fear systems vs. those that activate safety/bonding systems. Dark ritual specifically targets the former.
Repeated dark ritual exposure produces Hebbian consolidation of fear-threat networks — "neurons that fire together, wire together." After sustained exposure, threat appraisal becomes hyperactivated even in neutral contexts.
Identity-dissolution rituals in Theistic Satanism may facilitate dissociative neurological states resembling those documented in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), where competing self-representations lose coherent integration.
The fight-or-flight noradrenergic system (locus coeruleus → norepinephrine) is specifically activated by death imagery, blood symbolism, and threatening iconography — the same system engaged by predator exposure in animal models.
Chronic HPA activation downregulates glucocorticoid receptors (NR3C1), impairing the negative feedback loop and sustaining elevated cortisol. This mechanism is also observed in early childhood trauma (Meaney, 2001).
NEURORECEPTOR & NEUROCHEMISTRY MAP
Each Satanic practice variant engages distinct neurochemical systems. The following maps specific receptor systems to documented or theorized mechanisms of Satanic practice engagement.
Reward prediction, motivation, executive function, pleasure anticipation
Power-rituals, ego-gratification ceremonies, and forbidden transgression activate mesolimbic dopamine release. LaVeyan emphasis on personal achievement and dominance sustains a chronic dopaminergic reward loop around ego-projection.
D2 receptor downregulation from chronic stimulation; reduced baseline reward sensitivity; motivational dysregulation; anhedonia between ritual "highs"; risk of dopaminergic addiction-like cycling.
Arousal, alertness, fight-or-flight, attention, emotional encoding
Dark symbolism, threatening imagery, and fear-inducing ritual contexts trigger locus coeruleus activation → norepinephrine surge. This produces heightened arousal that participants may misinterpret as spiritual/supernatural experience. High-arousal states enhance memory consolidation of ritual content.
Chronic α1 activation: hypertension, sleep disruption, hypervigilance. Chronic β activation: sustained anxiety, cardiovascular stress. Sympathetic nervous system overdrive mimics generalized anxiety disorder.
Mood regulation, impulse control, social behavior, sleep, appetite
5-HT2A receptors mediate altered-state experiences; psychedelic-adjacent states during intense ritual may engage this pathway. Chronic social isolation (common in Theistic Satanism) reduces 5-HT synthesis. LaVeyan anti-empathy philosophy structurally undermines prosocial serotonergic reward.
Serotonin depletion from chronic stress and isolation: depressive symptomatology, impulsivity, increased aggression. 5-HT1A downregulation: reduced stress resilience. Elevated suicidal ideation risk in isolated adherents.
Stress regulation, immune function, metabolism, circadian rhythm
Fear-based ritual chronically activates CRF → ACTH → cortisol cascade. The NR3C1 gene promoter is methylated by sustained cortisol exposure, reducing GR expression and impairing feedback inhibition. Effectively, the stress response becomes constitutively active.
Hippocampal atrophy, immune suppression, metabolic syndrome risk, cognitive impairment, and sleep architecture disruption. Indistinguishable neurologically from complex PTSD.
Social bonding, trust, empathy, maternal behavior, in-group cohesion
Tight in-group bonding within Satanic communities may produce oxytocin-mediated cohesion, but the LaVeyan explicit de-valuation of empathy and compassion structurally blocks oxytocin-driven prosocial behavior. The result is a paradox: strong in-group oxytocin with pathologically suppressed out-group empathy.
Asymmetric oxytocin expression reinforces tribal dehumanization of out-groups. This neurochemical pattern is also observed in gang membership and high-control group dynamics.
Inhibitory/excitatory balance, consciousness regulation, memory, anxiety modulation
Ritual fasting, sleep deprivation, sensory overload, or psychedelic use (in some Theistic contexts) shift the GABA/glutamate balance toward excitation, producing altered-consciousness states that are attributed supernatural significance. NMDA receptor hypofunction can generate dissociative states.
Disrupted inhibitory control, increased seizure susceptibility, dissociative episodes, reality-testing impairment. Glutamate excitotoxicity under chronic stress contributes to hippocampal damage.
Pain modulation, euphoria, social reward, stress response
Self-flagellation, scarification, and pain rituals documented in some Theistic Satanic practices trigger β-endorphin and dynorphin release via μ and κ receptors respectively. This produces acute euphoria and dissociation — a neurochemical reward that reinforces repeated pain-ritual behavior.
Opioid receptor desensitization requiring escalating pain intensity; self-harm dysregulation; cross-sensitization with substance use; behavioral addiction pattern to pain-induced reward.
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS — LINKED CORRELATES
The following disorders have documented or theorized associations with Satanic involvement. Evidence levels are explicitly rated — the field contains a mix of robust findings and contested claims shaped by the moral panic era.
IMPORTANT METHODOLOGICAL NOTE: Research specifically on Satanism and neuroscience is sparse. Section 4 draws partly from the "Satanic Panic" era (1980s–1990s), during which many SRA claims were later found to be products of suggestive therapeutic techniques and moral panic rather than verified events (Lanning, 1992). The neurological and epigenetic mechanisms described are well-established in the general trauma and stress literature; their application to Satanic-specific contexts is extrapolated from those foundations. Where studies directly sample Satanists (e.g., Laythe et al., 2011; Šram, 2017), sample sizes are small. Readers should treat this as a theoretical framework and clinical hypothesis generator, not definitive epidemiology.
THE SOUL / METAPHYSICAL DIMENSION
Cross-cultural philosophical and psychological analysis of how Satanism engages with the self, soul, conscience, and wellbeing — drawing on Fromm, Jung, and comparative philosophy of psychology.
In The Heart of Man (1964) and The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness (1973), Fromm delineated the biophilic character — oriented toward life, growth, and creativity — from the necrophilic character, drawn to death, decay, power over life, and destruction. Fromm argued necrophilia arises not from innate evil but from structural conditions: chronic powerlessness, emotional desert, and the failure of love in early development.
LaVeyan Satanism's exaltation of power, contempt for vulnerability, and disdain for compassion fits Fromm's necrophilic profile. Theistic Satanism, with its ritual engagement with death symbolism, blood, and decay, maps even more directly. The Satanic Temple's more humanistic orientation would be categorized closer to biophilic. Fromm would diagnose Satanic attraction in many cases as a compensatory necrophilic turn — not chosen freely, but determined by unlived life.
Traditional spiritual frameworks universally orient toward biophilic values — life, growth, care, and transcendence. The empirical wellbeing literature consistently validates biophilic orientation as protective against depression, suicidality, and anti-social behavior.
GENE EXPRESSION & EPIGENETICS
Chronic psychological states produce lasting epigenetic signatures. The following genes are implicated in the molecular pathway connecting dark ritual exposure, chronic fear, and lasting neurobiological change.
FKBP5 encodes a co-chaperone that regulates glucocorticoid receptor (GR) sensitivity. Stress-induced cortisol increases FKBP5 expression, which inhibits GR signaling — creating a feedback loop that sustains the stress response.
Chronic fear-state induction from dark ritual or SRA-type trauma upregulates FKBP5. Klengel et al. (2013) demonstrated that childhood trauma produces demethylation of FKBP5 CpG sites, creating stable epigenetic programming of heightened stress reactivity.
Permanent upward calibration of stress reactivity. Individuals with FKBP5 polymorphisms (rs1360780) and childhood trauma exposure show dramatically elevated PTSD risk. This epigenetic change is heritable across generations (transgenerational epigenetic inheritance).
NR3C1 encodes the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which binds cortisol and mediates the feedback inhibition of the HPA axis. Methylation of the NR3C1 promoter (exon 1F) reduces GR expression, impairing the shutdown signal.
Meaney (2001) demonstrated that early adversity produces NR3C1 methylation in hippocampal tissue. SRA survivors and those exposed to chronic ritual fear would be expected to show this epigenetic signature, analogous to other severe childhood trauma populations.
Sustained HPA hyperactivity; reduced capacity to terminate stress responses; elevated allostatic load; hippocampal neurogenesis suppression; vulnerability to stress-related psychopathology.
BDNF supports neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and hippocampal neurogenesis. Chronic stress suppresses BDNF via glucocorticoid-mediated transcriptional repression and epigenetic silencing (promoter methylation).
Chronic cortisol elevation from sustained fear-based practice reduces BDNF. The Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) moderates this effect — Met carriers show amplified BDNF suppression under stress and elevated depression/anxiety risk.
Reduced hippocampal neurogenesis; impaired memory consolidation and extinction of fear memories; antidepressant resistance; accelerated hippocampal atrophy. BDNF suppression is a common molecular pathway between chronic stress and major depressive disorder.
SLC6A4 encodes the serotonin reuptake transporter. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism (short allele) produces reduced transcriptional efficiency, lower serotonin transporter expression, and elevated synaptic serotonin with downstream receptor desensitization.
Individuals with short-allele 5-HTTLPR exposed to chronic stress show dramatically elevated depression risk (Caspi et al., 2003). Chronic social isolation and adversarial worldview in Satanic practice compounds this genetic vulnerability.
Gene × environment interaction driving depression, anxiety, and increased sensitivity to social rejection. LaVeyan philosophy's anti-empathy stance may paradoxically worsen serotonergic resilience by eliminating prosocial reward pathways.
Inflammatory cytokines are upregulated by chronic psychological stress via NF-κB transcription factor activation. IL-6 and TNF-α cross the blood-brain barrier and act as depressogens — directly inducing depressive behavioral phenotypes.
Chronic fear, social conflict, and adversarial vigilance — all features of sustained Satanic worldview enactment — are independent predictors of elevated IL-6 and TNF-α. Inflammatory gene expression has been measured as elevated in individuals with high trait hostility and low social support.
Neuroinflammation; sickness behavior (fatigue, anhedonia, social withdrawal); accelerated cellular aging (telomere shortening); elevated cardiovascular risk; treatment-resistant depression linked to elevated IL-6 baseline.
RECOVERY & NEUROLOGICAL HEALING
Neuroplasticity operates in both directions. The same mechanisms that allow dark ritual to condition the brain can be engaged therapeutically to re-route fear pathways, restore neurotransmitter balance, and partially reverse epigenetic damage.
HPA axis, amygdala hyperreactivity, sleep architecture
Trauma-informed therapy, safety planning, sleep hygiene, social reconnection
Reduction in baseline cortisol; normalization of diurnal cortisol rhythm; restoration of slow-wave and REM sleep (BDNF production occurs primarily during REM); initial amygdala desensitization through graded safe exposure.
Fear memory consolidation, hippocampal function, narrative identity
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), somatic therapies
EMDR has demonstrated fMRI evidence of reduced amygdala activation and increased hippocampal-prefrontal coherence post-treatment (Pagani et al., 2012). Fear memory reconsolidation is disrupted and narrative integration is restored via hippocampal-cortical binding.
DMN coherence, prefrontal executive function, moral identity
ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy), meaning-making therapy, community reintegration, Jungian integration work
Default Mode Network coherence normalizes as a stable identity narrative re-emerges. PFC gray matter density increases with sustained therapeutic engagement. DMN-task-positive network reciprocity is restored, reducing ruminative self-focus.
Dopamine, serotonin, BDNF, oxytocin, HPA axis
Aerobic exercise (BDNF, dopamine), prosocial behavior (oxytocin, serotonin), purposeful activity (dopamine), nature exposure (cortisol reduction), nutrition (tryptophan-rich for serotonin)
Exercise is the most evidence-based BDNF elevator — 30 min aerobic activity acutely elevates BDNF by 200–300%. Prosocial behavior restores oxytocin-serotonin coupling. Purposeful goal pursuit re-establishes healthy mesolimbic dopaminergic tone without transgressive reward escalation.
Epigenetic remodeling, NR3C1 methylation reversal, FKBP5 normalization
Sustained mindfulness practice, stable prosocial community, transcendence-oriented meaning framework
Epigenetic changes from trauma are partially reversible. Mindfulness meditation produces measurable FKBP5 demethylation changes (Kaliman et al., 2014). Telomere length stabilization observed with sustained meditation practice. Long-term meaningful social integration is the strongest predictor of full recovery across molecular and psychological markers.
HATE RITUALS, SENSE RITUALS & DARK CEREMONIES
Detailed analysis of specific Satanic ritual types: their historical origins, step-by-step performance, complete sensory profiles mapped to neurological mechanisms, psychological functions, and documented harms.
Danger levels reflect the assessed psychological and physical harm potential based on clinical literature, forensic documentation, and neurological mechanisms. "Extreme" indicates documented irreversible psychological or physical harm. "High" indicates significant risk of trauma, psychosis, or self-harm. "Moderate" indicates manageable risk in consenting adults with psychological stability. "Low" indicates minimal direct harm risk. All ratings are clinical assessments, not supernatural evaluations.
RITUAL SYMBOLISM & SACRED INVERSION
The actual origins, meanings, and psychological functions of core Satanic symbols — separated from media mythology. Each entry contrasts common misconception with historical record and neurological analysis.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary sources cited throughout this analysis. Peer-reviewed where available. Evidence quality varies — see Section 04 methodological caveat.
Bremner, J.D. (2003). Long-term effects of childhood abuse on brain and neurobiology. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 12(2), 271–292.
Relevance: Hippocampal volume reduction in trauma/PTSDCaspi, A., et al. (2003). Influence of life stress on depression: Moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science, 301(5631), 386–389.
Relevance: 5-HTTLPR × stress → depressionFromm, E. (1964). The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil. Harper & Row.
Relevance: Necrophilic vs. biophilic orientationFromm, E. (1973). The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Relevance: Structural roots of destructive characterJung, C.G. (1951). Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self. CW 9ii. Princeton University Press.
Relevance: Shadow archetype, Self, individuationKaliman, P., et al. (2014). Rapid changes in histone deacetylases and inflammatory gene expression in expert meditators. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 40, 96–107.
Relevance: Epigenetic effects of meditationKlengel, T., et al. (2013). Allele-specific FKBP5 DNA demethylation mediates gene–childhood trauma interactions. Nature Neuroscience, 16(1), 33–41.
Relevance: FKBP5 epigenetics and childhood traumaKoenig, H.G. (2012). Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications. ISRN Psychiatry.
Relevance: Spirituality as protective against depression/anxietyLanning, K.V. (1992). Investigator's Guide to Allegations of "Ritual" Child Abuse. FBI Behavioral Science Unit.
Relevance: FBI forensic analysis of SRA allegationsLaythe, B., et al. (2011). The mental health of self-identified Satanists. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 14(6), 601–617.
Relevance: Dark Triad, psychological profiles of SatanistsLazar, S.W., et al. (2005). Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. NeuroReport, 16(17), 1893–1897.
Relevance: Positive ritual effects on PFC neuroplasticityLaVey, A.S. (1969). The Satanic Bible. Avon Books.
Relevance: Primary LaVeyan doctrinal sourceMcEwen, B.S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: Central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904.
Relevance: HPA axis dysregulation and hippocampal damageMeaney, M.J. (2001). Maternal care, gene expression, and the transmission of individual differences in stress reactivity across generations. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 24, 1161–1192.
Relevance: NR3C1 methylation and epigenetic transmission of stressPagani, M., et al. (2012). Neurobiological correlates of EMDR monitoring — an EEG study. PLOS ONE, 7(9), e45753.
Relevance: EMDR neuroimaging evidencePutnam, F.W. (1989). Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Personality Disorder. Guilford Press.
Relevance: DID clinical frameworkRoss, C.A. (1995). Satanic Ritual Abuse: Principles of Treatment. University of Toronto Press.
Relevance: SRA clinical treatment approachRussell, B.L., & Gray, K. (2011). Moral typecasting: Divergent perceptions of moral agents and moral patients. PSPB.
Relevance: Belief in Pure Evil and behavioral consequencesŠram, I. (2017). Psychopathy, the Satanic Syndrome, and the belief in pure evil. Current Issues in Personality Psychology, 5(2), 77–87.
Relevance: Satanic Syndrome construct, psychopathy pathwayVan der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
Relevance: Neurobiological basis of trauma and ritual PTSDWebster, R.J., et al. (2014). The relationship between belief in pure evil and support for torture. Personality and Individual Differences, 65, 101–105.
Relevance: BPE effect on dehumanization and aggression