Remembering the "Satanic Panic"

The recent ​death of psychiatrist Bennett Braun at age 83 has resurfaced the damaging legacy of the "Satanic Panic" era, reports the New York Times.

The Actions: Braun, based in Chicago, was known for diagnosing patients with suppressed memories of horrific, cult-driven torture—memories that were largely fabricated through unethical therapy techniques.

The Aftermath: Braun lost his medical license after it was determined he engaged in unethical treatment that destroyed lives, serving as a cautionary tale on the dangers of manufactured cult hysteria.

The Satanic Panic was a widespread moral panic in North America and parts of Europe from the early 1980s to mid-1990s, characterized by unsubstantiated allegations of widespread Satanic ritual abuse (SRA). Fueled by fear and questionable "recovered-memory" therapy, it led to false accusations against daycare workers, teachers, and individuals, resulting in ruined lives, wrongful convictions, and hysteria over pop culture like heavy metal and Dungeons & Dragons. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Key Aspects of the Satanic Panic

• Origins: Initiated in 1980 by the book Michelle Remembers, which detailed claims of childhood abuse by a Satanic cult through recovered-memory therapy, a technique now largely discredited.
• Daycare Scandals: Accusations focused on daycare centers, most notably the 1983–1990 McMartin Preschool case in California, the longest and most expensive criminal trial in US history, which ended with no convictions.
• Moral Panic Traits: Sociologists identify it as a moral panic where false accusations stemmed from cultural fears rather than evidence. Over 12,000 unsubstantiated cases of ritual abuse were reported during this time.
• Cultural Impact: The panic spurred unfounded fears that pop culture, including Dungeons & Dragons, heavy metal music, and cartoons, were corrupting youth and promoting devil worship.
• Legacy: The panic faded in the mid-1990s but left a legacy of wrongful convictions and ruined reputations. Elements of the panic have resurfaced in modern conspiracy theories like QAnon, which similarly allege child exploitation by a shadowy elite.
• Modern Echoes: A 2025 analysis suggests a new "Satanic Panic" has emerged, utilizing similar rhetoric to attack LGBTQ+ visibility, gender-affirming care, and education, labelling proponents as "groomers". [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

By the mid-1990s, investigations, including a 1995 report presented to the National Institute of Justice, found that evidence for organized Satanic cult abuse was "scant to non-existent". [1]