Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 Page 20
meaning of his actions. He used his self-proclaimed expertise as a psychotherapist to justify
bizarre actions and demands, as being necessary for Eve‘s transformation.
Anticipating future demands he would make of her, Satyr began to undermine Eve‘s
confidence in her ability to distinguish right from wrong. He told her that what happened
while she was working with him was outside the domain of ordinary Jewish law as she
understood it. He informed her that he operated on a level of spiritual development and
understanding far in advance of hers. His more evolved understanding of the Cabala allowed
him to correctly judge right from wrong. He flatly informed Eve that she was incapable of
even understanding the issues.
Satyr was careful to link his demands that Eve suspend her critical abilities and judgments
to his authority as her rabbi. He claimed that his right to suspend decision-making rules that
he had previously taught was based on information about which she had no knowledge and
which she was incapable of understanding. Eve was thereby prevented from being able to
identify any basis for concluding that Satyr‘s instructions were improper.
Satyr also linked his special expertise at ―transformation‖ to the study of the Cabala. He
said that he was teaching her the ―experiential Cabala.‖ As had his other students, Eve
would be transformed into a person who was more estimable and possessed of paranormal
psychic abilities. She would supposedly acquire extrasensory perception as well as the
ability both to heal and to inflict pain with mental power alone.
To strengthen Eve‘s belief in his abilities, Satyr periodically arranged demonstrations which
seemed to prove that he and others of his students had psychic powers. During one session,
for example, Rachel entered the room and claimed to have had ‗a picture in her mind‘ of the
activities that had transpired several minutes before. The ‗picture‘ she described, of Eve
undressed and lying next to Satyr, was sufficiently specific that there could be no doubt
Rachel had knowledge of what had recently occurred.
Satyr also used hypnosis to affect Eve‘s decision-making. (See below for a discussion of
Satyr‘s substantial use of hypnosis.) Compared with his other uses of hypnosis, this
application was relatively minor. Satyr structured certain experiences to increase Eve‘s
confidence in his ability to confer on her paranormal abilities. He used post-hypnotic
suggestion to make her believe that he could communicate with her paranormally. Eve
recalled that at certain times she would experience a sudden realization that she was
supposed to perform some novel act. She explained that these realizations would be
preceded by a certain look from Satyr. In describing one event, Eve reported that
he gave me a certain look and was staring at me and I realized that he
wanted me to take off my clothes.
Use of a similar tactic on another occasion confirmed for Eve Satyr‘s claim that he could
read her mind. He appeared to Eve to be able to continent on her unspoken thoughts.
Trance Responsiveness
Prior to his attempt to induct Eve into the cult, Satyr knew that he was able to influence her
moods and emotional reactions. He was aware that Eve was a highly responsive hypnotic
subject. Fully a year before her recruitment began, Satyr had conducted a series of sessions
with Eve because she had been feeling ―blue.‖ He had hypnotized her and told her at the
close of the session that her mood would be changed and that she would feel very much
better. The sessions had been quite successful. Eve reported that she would feel
substantially improved for days following a session with Satyr. During her recruitment into
the cult, Eve experienced similar feelings of well-being and elation after leaving Satyr‘s
study.
I felt sparkly, like an inner peace, and yet feeling bubbly. I felt a glow, an
meaning of his actions. He used his self-proclaimed expertise as a psychotherapist to justify
bizarre actions and demands, as being necessary for Eve‘s transformation.
Anticipating future demands he would make of her, Satyr began to undermine Eve‘s
confidence in her ability to distinguish right from wrong. He told her that what happened
while she was working with him was outside the domain of ordinary Jewish law as she
understood it. He informed her that he operated on a level of spiritual development and
understanding far in advance of hers. His more evolved understanding of the Cabala allowed
him to correctly judge right from wrong. He flatly informed Eve that she was incapable of
even understanding the issues.
Satyr was careful to link his demands that Eve suspend her critical abilities and judgments
to his authority as her rabbi. He claimed that his right to suspend decision-making rules that
he had previously taught was based on information about which she had no knowledge and
which she was incapable of understanding. Eve was thereby prevented from being able to
identify any basis for concluding that Satyr‘s instructions were improper.
Satyr also linked his special expertise at ―transformation‖ to the study of the Cabala. He
said that he was teaching her the ―experiential Cabala.‖ As had his other students, Eve
would be transformed into a person who was more estimable and possessed of paranormal
psychic abilities. She would supposedly acquire extrasensory perception as well as the
ability both to heal and to inflict pain with mental power alone.
To strengthen Eve‘s belief in his abilities, Satyr periodically arranged demonstrations which
seemed to prove that he and others of his students had psychic powers. During one session,
for example, Rachel entered the room and claimed to have had ‗a picture in her mind‘ of the
activities that had transpired several minutes before. The ‗picture‘ she described, of Eve
undressed and lying next to Satyr, was sufficiently specific that there could be no doubt
Rachel had knowledge of what had recently occurred.
Satyr also used hypnosis to affect Eve‘s decision-making. (See below for a discussion of
Satyr‘s substantial use of hypnosis.) Compared with his other uses of hypnosis, this
application was relatively minor. Satyr structured certain experiences to increase Eve‘s
confidence in his ability to confer on her paranormal abilities. He used post-hypnotic
suggestion to make her believe that he could communicate with her paranormally. Eve
recalled that at certain times she would experience a sudden realization that she was
supposed to perform some novel act. She explained that these realizations would be
preceded by a certain look from Satyr. In describing one event, Eve reported that
he gave me a certain look and was staring at me and I realized that he
wanted me to take off my clothes.
Use of a similar tactic on another occasion confirmed for Eve Satyr‘s claim that he could
read her mind. He appeared to Eve to be able to continent on her unspoken thoughts.
Trance Responsiveness
Prior to his attempt to induct Eve into the cult, Satyr knew that he was able to influence her
moods and emotional reactions. He was aware that Eve was a highly responsive hypnotic
subject. Fully a year before her recruitment began, Satyr had conducted a series of sessions
with Eve because she had been feeling ―blue.‖ He had hypnotized her and told her at the
close of the session that her mood would be changed and that she would feel very much
better. The sessions had been quite successful. Eve reported that she would feel
substantially improved for days following a session with Satyr. During her recruitment into
the cult, Eve experienced similar feelings of well-being and elation after leaving Satyr‘s
study.
I felt sparkly, like an inner peace, and yet feeling bubbly. I felt a glow, an
