The concept of the devil is an enigma to many people. The results
of a large-scale survey conducted in the United States show that 55
percent of the population believe "in the existence of Satan" ( Patterson &
Kim, 1992, p.204). ⁴¹ We are among the remainder of Americans who do
not. However, as researchers, we try to keep our personal beliefs
separate from those of patients and independent from our professional
work. The same principle applies to psychotherapy. A psychologist's
goal is not to convince clients to accept the therapist's personal world
view, but simply to help them achieve improved functioning and a
greater sense of satisfaction with their lives.

There are some mental health professionals who incorporate their
religious and spiritual views in their approach to the problem of ritual
abuse. Some have expressed concern over the recent idealized portrayals
of Satanism and the occult that have surfaced in modern Western
culture through movies, books, and rock music, and the possible adverse
effects of these influences on vulnerable and impressionable young
people. ⁴²

One of the earlier efforts to educate the public about this
phenomenon was The Satan Seller ( 1972), by Mike Warnke. ⁴³ This book
was followed by a second, Schemes of Satan ( 1991). Warnke, an
evangelist, reports that he was formerly a high priest in a Satanic cult. In
The Satan Seller, Warnke describes his recruitment and participation in
the cult while he was in college, and he describes some of the rituals,
beliefs, and practices of this cult, along with his ultimate spiritual
deliverance. In Schemes of Satan, Warnke describes his experience with

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