Ritual abuse: the under-recognized problem (Svali Blog Post)

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If you are a survivor of ritual abuse, please be aware that reading

about it may be triggering. Please take care of yourself, and be in a safe place before reading

Ritual abuse. The word conjures up images of people in robes, chanting, or perhaps a grade D horror flick. But what is the reality?

First, let’s look at a definition of ritual abuse:

Ritual abuse is the systematic, repetitive abuse of both children and adults by either an individual or a group. It may involve psychological, sexual, physical and/or spiritual abuse, and the effects are devastating on the individual who undergoes it. Often survivors of this type of extreme abuse cope by dissociating, and as adults may continue the cycle of amnesia and abuse.The key word here is : repetitive. Ritual abuse is done repetitively, in a consistent pattern, over time. This may be done in the name of a religious belief, or simply out of patterned cruelty. Any idealogy can and has been used to justify the pattern of abuse.Most of the victimization begins in early childhood, and is done by adults who were themselves abused. The cycle continues because people often do not realize that they can stop it; often, they feel “trapped” in the pattern of abuse.What is the incidence of ritual abuse today? Statistics vary, depending upon the source. When I lived in a large metropolitan city in the Southwest, population close to 2,000,000 , the group that I was affiliated with, known as the Illuminati, had 24 sister groups. Each group had roughly 50 members, so they had approximately 1,200 members in this area. These numbers are reflected across the United States and European countries. And this was only one group.

In the next few months, I will be sharing different perspectives on the reality of ritual abuse. I hope to address the following questions:

1. What kinds of groups engage in what is known as ritual abuse? What motivates them?

2. How do these groups maintain their “cloak of secrecy?” How do they operate? What kind of security do they use?

3. How do they program their followers? Why? How does a person break free from this kind of programming?

4. What is the opinion of experts in the field?

5. Has there been documented, physical evidence that ritual abuse occurs? What evidence?6. What about spouses and friends: what can they do to help survivors of ritual abuse? What is helpful, and what isn’t?

7. What can the general public do to help?

These are all valid points that need to be addressed in order to understand ritual abuse. As a survivor of ritual abuse myself, as well as a former cult programmer, or trainer, I have a vested interest in sharing both from my own experience, and the wealth of published information about ritual abuse that is available now.

I also hope to be able to share some survivor stories (with names changed to protect the people involved) about the reality of ritual abuse, and the ongoing effects that it causes in the life of the survivor, as well as things that have helped them in their healing journey.

I will be sharing internet links that relate to the topics that I have addressed. They are there, and are well worth reading for the person who desires to learn more, and is willing to approach this subject objectively.

Best wishes,

svali