What is SRA

I think the first question we need to ask is what do I mean by SRA, Satanic Ritual Abuse?

There have been many books written about Satanic Ritual Abuse over the years. One of the earliest books was The Satan Seller by Mike Warnke, published in 1972. I remember hearing about it on the periphery of conversations when I was younger. Other books that address this topic include Out of Time, Hell Minus One, He Came to Set the Captives Free, and Switching Time.

I’ve read all of these books and have opinions about each of them however, I will spare you those thoughts in this first blog post.

Even artificial intelligence struggles to explain SRA well, often describing it with phrases like “widespread moral panic” or “unsubstantiated claims.” Those descriptions fail to capture the lived experiences that many survivors report.

A definition that I have found helpful comes from Healing the Unimaginable by Alison Miller:

Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) refers to a pattern of extreme and repeated abuse that may include physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological harm within ritualistic settings connected to satanic beliefs or ceremonies. Survivors often describe the abuse as organized and ongoing, sometimes beginning very early in life and extending into adulthood.

Perpetrators may attempt to maintain secrecy and control through fear, manipulation, and psychological conditioning designed to override the victim’s sense of autonomy. In many cases, individuals function outwardly in everyday life while carrying hidden trauma from the abuse. Survivors frequently report that memories of the abuse may remain hidden or fragmented for many years, sometimes surfacing later in life as they begin to process their trauma.

And while the subject is difficult, I believe that truth, healing, and hope are all possible.