Bound to the Past: Michelle Remembers

During the late 70s and the early 80s there was a book making the rounds called Michelle Remembers. It sold a ton of copies and the basis of its narrative was regression therapy, where a psychiatrist talks a patient through their memories using hypnotism in a format where they’re basically reliving the events as they happened in an unconscious state.

This resulted in the titular Michelle remembering Satanic abductions, abuses, and murders including with babies. Now as time has gone by it’s become quite clear that there was no evidence of any widespread satanic abuses, murders, or cult monstrosities of this ilk.  The sudden outcry that came in the wake of the book sales is now known as the “Satanic Panic” and it had widespread coverage on the nightly news and Geraldo Rivera specials. Geraldo was even talking to Ozzy, pointing fingers on the air. Now I’m no Osbourne fan, (he owes Randy Rhoads the world)  but I think Jerry would have been better off getting the members of Venom and Mercyful Fate on the phone, quite honestly. 

There was indeed ugly cult activity of course.  I remember early 80’s horror stories of animal killings in a ritualistic fashion in rural surroundings even near where I lived. But these tales of widespread human bloodshed were obviously a product of mass groupthink brought about by the absorption of this book and the growth and spread of regression therapy.  This psychological technique has long since been debunked. 

The circumstances around the book that started it all are actually quite seedy.  The titular Michelle and the therapist were married to others when the regression began, and to each other by the time the book came out.  The cover of the original hardcover was subtly lurid, while the paperback was straight out of VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic series.  It was more like an emanating horror story than an example of true crime. 

It’s all in the past now, but a perfect time capsule example of mass hysteria at its worst.  The film Regression with Ethan Hawke and Emma Watson explains a fictional example, even mentioning this book with a substitute title.  The movie works, explaining how the hive mind can run with things.  Over a cliff if necessary. 

There's also a documentary on the streaming service Tubi, Satan Wants You, that tells the events pretty well and has key testimony from the key figures involved.  It pretty much corroborates everything that's been said here.

I have a copy of the hardcover of Remembers that I got at a library book sale, and I don’t know how I feel about reading it.  I guess I'll take Frani's advice and approach it as fiction.