44 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 10, 2019
Sarah. Sarah was an only child until the age of
13, when her younger brother was born.
Sarah’s earliest memories centered on her
mother’s involvement in cult activities in the
small town where she grew up. She described
her mother maintaining a variety of cover-up
activities to conceal her cult involvement. These
activities ranged from taking Sarah to visit
family in Mexico for periods of time, to stints of
homeschooling, intense involvement in
agricultural clubs, and organized beauty
pageants that required travel. Sarah stated that
her father was unaware of her mother’s
connection with local cults because he worked
anywhere from 60 hours to 80 hours a week.
Sarah believed her father did not notice her odd
behavior following episodes of abuse because he
was “autistic and couldn’t read me.”
Sarah described the cults in which her mother
was involved as consistently organized and
centered on gaining spiritual power or money
through the sadistic abuse of children and
animals. She identified the cults through pieces
of information and details she recalled during
the processing of traumatic memories. Sarah
described the cults as follows:
• an ideologically based cult founded in an
extreme subsect of the Christian faith,
wherein ceremonies mimicked Catholic
ceremonies but included ritualized sexual
abuse of children and infanticide
• a coven cult whose primary goal was
connection with the power of demonic
forces through the use of hedonistic
practices with children and animals, and of
animal sacrifices (specifically the use of
dogs and goats)
• cult activities disguised as meetings for a
children’s agricultural club
• sex trafficking of young children under the
guise of organized beauty pageants that
served pedophiles seeking sex with children
and
• organized crime that involved the
transportation of illicit substances and
undocumented persons by Sarah’s mother,
coordinated by what Sarah described as “the
Mexican cartel. “Sarah described the
aforementioned cults as the most prominent
and identifiable in her memory, but stated
that the nature of her memories prevented
her from recalling specific names or
locations.
Sarah stated that she remembered fragments of
childhood trauma that occurred between the ages
of 3 and 16. She described extended periods of
her childhood during which she was unable to
recall any memories. Sarah described her mother
being involved in a number of cults because her
mother seemed to consistently “mess things up”
and be “forced out,” to which her mother would
respond by seeking out a “new group of
fanatics.”
Sarah recalled instances during childhood and
early adolescence during which she would “just
start screaming ...because I would remember
some part of the abuse.” She said that her
mother explained these instances to witnesses
and to Sarah’s father by saying that she was
“retarded.” It was after one of these episodes
that Sarah’s mother took her to the doctor, who
diagnosed Sarah with autism.
At age 16, Sarah was sexually assaulted by her
mother. She described this experience as one
that she now recalled vividly, but that she had
“blocked the memory” immediately following
the assault. Sarah stated that it was shortly after
being assaulted by her mother that she met her
boyfriend, now husband. Upon graduating from
high school, Sarah said that she and her
boyfriend married and moved in together. Sarah
described feeling uncomfortable, and at times
terrified when around her mother, but that she
was unable to recall the ritual abuse or incest
until the birth of her first child, a daughter, when
she was 23.
Immediately after giving birth, Sarah began
experiencing floods of overwhelming emotion
accompanied by snippets of memory. She
described experiencing auditory hallucinations
at night that began during this timeframe and
consisted of the auditory portions of fragmented
memories.
Sarah reported continuing to have a relationship
with her mother, albeit distant, until her daughter
Sarah. Sarah was an only child until the age of
13, when her younger brother was born.
Sarah’s earliest memories centered on her
mother’s involvement in cult activities in the
small town where she grew up. She described
her mother maintaining a variety of cover-up
activities to conceal her cult involvement. These
activities ranged from taking Sarah to visit
family in Mexico for periods of time, to stints of
homeschooling, intense involvement in
agricultural clubs, and organized beauty
pageants that required travel. Sarah stated that
her father was unaware of her mother’s
connection with local cults because he worked
anywhere from 60 hours to 80 hours a week.
Sarah believed her father did not notice her odd
behavior following episodes of abuse because he
was “autistic and couldn’t read me.”
Sarah described the cults in which her mother
was involved as consistently organized and
centered on gaining spiritual power or money
through the sadistic abuse of children and
animals. She identified the cults through pieces
of information and details she recalled during
the processing of traumatic memories. Sarah
described the cults as follows:
• an ideologically based cult founded in an
extreme subsect of the Christian faith,
wherein ceremonies mimicked Catholic
ceremonies but included ritualized sexual
abuse of children and infanticide
• a coven cult whose primary goal was
connection with the power of demonic
forces through the use of hedonistic
practices with children and animals, and of
animal sacrifices (specifically the use of
dogs and goats)
• cult activities disguised as meetings for a
children’s agricultural club
• sex trafficking of young children under the
guise of organized beauty pageants that
served pedophiles seeking sex with children
and
• organized crime that involved the
transportation of illicit substances and
undocumented persons by Sarah’s mother,
coordinated by what Sarah described as “the
Mexican cartel. “Sarah described the
aforementioned cults as the most prominent
and identifiable in her memory, but stated
that the nature of her memories prevented
her from recalling specific names or
locations.
Sarah stated that she remembered fragments of
childhood trauma that occurred between the ages
of 3 and 16. She described extended periods of
her childhood during which she was unable to
recall any memories. Sarah described her mother
being involved in a number of cults because her
mother seemed to consistently “mess things up”
and be “forced out,” to which her mother would
respond by seeking out a “new group of
fanatics.”
Sarah recalled instances during childhood and
early adolescence during which she would “just
start screaming ...because I would remember
some part of the abuse.” She said that her
mother explained these instances to witnesses
and to Sarah’s father by saying that she was
“retarded.” It was after one of these episodes
that Sarah’s mother took her to the doctor, who
diagnosed Sarah with autism.
At age 16, Sarah was sexually assaulted by her
mother. She described this experience as one
that she now recalled vividly, but that she had
“blocked the memory” immediately following
the assault. Sarah stated that it was shortly after
being assaulted by her mother that she met her
boyfriend, now husband. Upon graduating from
high school, Sarah said that she and her
boyfriend married and moved in together. Sarah
described feeling uncomfortable, and at times
terrified when around her mother, but that she
was unable to recall the ritual abuse or incest
until the birth of her first child, a daughter, when
she was 23.
Immediately after giving birth, Sarah began
experiencing floods of overwhelming emotion
accompanied by snippets of memory. She
described experiencing auditory hallucinations
at night that began during this timeframe and
consisted of the auditory portions of fragmented
memories.
Sarah reported continuing to have a relationship
with her mother, albeit distant, until her daughter
