This personal yet scholarly journey into the confusing and clandestine world of ritual abuse survivors sheds light on their catastrophic experiences and their efforts to heal afterward.

• Features recalled histories of ritual abuse and vignettes of patients who have experienced dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder)

• Discusses techniques used to create and manipulate altered states of consciousness

• Explores how media sensationalizes and inaccurately depicts ritual abuse

• Critiques the argument that ritual abuse stories are the result of false memories and advances the idea that reports of ritual abuse are understated

• Expresses the position that clinicians have an ethical duty to achieve competence in recognizing and treating the psychological effects of ritual abuse

• Concludes that clinicians, lawmakers, law enforcement, social services personnel, journalists, and others need to treat allegations of ritual abuse seriously and evaluate each report on its own merits