Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 Page 21
inner glow that transformed itself outwardly. I felt very beautiful and very,
very special.
Hypnosis as a Tactic of Influence
Clerical authority, cultural norms, and the network of relationships connecting Satyr with
Eve, provided the power base from which he carried out Eve‘s induction. His ability to assert
his dominance over Eve‘s decision-making with respect to sexual behavior spring from these
variables. But Satyr also attempted to influence Eve‘s decisions indirectly, through the use
of hypnosis. He employed hypnosis to reinforce her resolve to accept his dominance and, in
all likelihood, to influence the quality of her post-session moods.
It is clear that Satyr used hypnosis as a tactic in establishing control over Eve‘s behavior. At
each session he worked with her for at least two hours after first inducing a trance. Sessions
began with a naturalistic trance induction.6 This was followed by a prolonged period in which
Satyr gave Eve suggestions about her obligations to him. She recalled that during the first
session she listened at length as the rabbi spoke.
...I found myself looking in his eyes ...I was staring, transfixed on his
eyes. I realized I could not move my eyes off of him. I couldn‘t move to the
right or the left ...he spoke slowly, in a persuasive tone, a low tone ...he
went on to discuss with me that I will have to listen to him in order that he
work with me.
Satyr‘s justification for the procedure he used with Eve was that these stylized
conversations were part of what he needed to do to carry out her personality
transformation. (After Eve was fully inducted into the cult, Satyr identified the techniques he
used as intended to induce trance.)
Shortly after obtaining Eve‘s agreement to be totally obedient, Satyr assigned to her the
title and status of ―slave.‖ She was given a necklace to remind her of her status and
obligations. In the early sessions, her position as a slave was a subject about which Satyr
spoke often following the trance induction period. He reinforced Eve‘s sense of obligation to
him and attempted to diminish her sense of self. She reported that:
In the beginning, he wanted to work on me in terms of getting certain things
he didn‘t like in my personality out ...In doing this, he would stare at me
and tell ...me that ...there is no Eve, that there is only this slave, that I
have no will. [He did this] in a very persuasive tone of voice. At the same
time I remember him touching my temples.
During another of the early sessions Eve recalled Satyr‘s drilling her as follows:
While he talked to me ...he told me that there is no will, that there is only
his slave, and that there is no Eve. He would have me repeat it to him. This
would go on for what seemed to me at least a quarter of the time [of the two
hours of post-trance induction activity].
As discussed above, Satyr was aware that he could manipulate Eve‘s mood through post-
hypnotic suggestion. Although Eve was not able to recall Satyr‘s giving her direct
suggestions to this effect during her involvement in the cult, she found that she was elated
after the sessions. These periods of elation resembled her moods following the previous
year‘s sessions with Satyr, when he had been treating her for depressed feelings.
It remains supposition that Satyr again used post-hypnotic suggestion to affect Eve‘s moods
during her induction into the cult. If he did, as assumed herein, the tactic would likely have
had two effects. One would have been to influence her perception of her own reaction to the
sessions. Finding herself with a sense of well-being bordering on euphoria would have
inner glow that transformed itself outwardly. I felt very beautiful and very,
very special.
Hypnosis as a Tactic of Influence
Clerical authority, cultural norms, and the network of relationships connecting Satyr with
Eve, provided the power base from which he carried out Eve‘s induction. His ability to assert
his dominance over Eve‘s decision-making with respect to sexual behavior spring from these
variables. But Satyr also attempted to influence Eve‘s decisions indirectly, through the use
of hypnosis. He employed hypnosis to reinforce her resolve to accept his dominance and, in
all likelihood, to influence the quality of her post-session moods.
It is clear that Satyr used hypnosis as a tactic in establishing control over Eve‘s behavior. At
each session he worked with her for at least two hours after first inducing a trance. Sessions
began with a naturalistic trance induction.6 This was followed by a prolonged period in which
Satyr gave Eve suggestions about her obligations to him. She recalled that during the first
session she listened at length as the rabbi spoke.
...I found myself looking in his eyes ...I was staring, transfixed on his
eyes. I realized I could not move my eyes off of him. I couldn‘t move to the
right or the left ...he spoke slowly, in a persuasive tone, a low tone ...he
went on to discuss with me that I will have to listen to him in order that he
work with me.
Satyr‘s justification for the procedure he used with Eve was that these stylized
conversations were part of what he needed to do to carry out her personality
transformation. (After Eve was fully inducted into the cult, Satyr identified the techniques he
used as intended to induce trance.)
Shortly after obtaining Eve‘s agreement to be totally obedient, Satyr assigned to her the
title and status of ―slave.‖ She was given a necklace to remind her of her status and
obligations. In the early sessions, her position as a slave was a subject about which Satyr
spoke often following the trance induction period. He reinforced Eve‘s sense of obligation to
him and attempted to diminish her sense of self. She reported that:
In the beginning, he wanted to work on me in terms of getting certain things
he didn‘t like in my personality out ...In doing this, he would stare at me
and tell ...me that ...there is no Eve, that there is only this slave, that I
have no will. [He did this] in a very persuasive tone of voice. At the same
time I remember him touching my temples.
During another of the early sessions Eve recalled Satyr‘s drilling her as follows:
While he talked to me ...he told me that there is no will, that there is only
his slave, and that there is no Eve. He would have me repeat it to him. This
would go on for what seemed to me at least a quarter of the time [of the two
hours of post-trance induction activity].
As discussed above, Satyr was aware that he could manipulate Eve‘s mood through post-
hypnotic suggestion. Although Eve was not able to recall Satyr‘s giving her direct
suggestions to this effect during her involvement in the cult, she found that she was elated
after the sessions. These periods of elation resembled her moods following the previous
year‘s sessions with Satyr, when he had been treating her for depressed feelings.
It remains supposition that Satyr again used post-hypnotic suggestion to affect Eve‘s moods
during her induction into the cult. If he did, as assumed herein, the tactic would likely have
had two effects. One would have been to influence her perception of her own reaction to the
sessions. Finding herself with a sense of well-being bordering on euphoria would have
