Conspirituality

297: The Epstein Satanic Panic

February 26, 2026

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  • The release of the Epstein files is causing a resurgence of 1980s Satanic Panic themes, which reduces the material problem of the 'Epstein Class' to an unsolvable problem of supernatural evil. 
  • The data deluge from the Epstein files, exacerbated by incompetent or deliberate administrative dumping, creates an epistemological chaos that easily jumbles real criminal conspiracy with reanimated, old conspiracy theories, including those from QAnon and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. 
  • The current wave of Epstein-related conspiracism, while targeting elites, often manifests as 'disaster spirituality' or infotainment, where the moral thrust of seeking justice is lost to opportunistic content creation, monetization, and the recycling of flawed therapeutic narratives like those found in *Courage to Heal*. 
  • Teal Swan's narrative of transformation from survivor to sage is analyzed as a hook that suggests her eloquence proves she has metabolized evil, offering a path for others, which is linked to her early therapy with Barbara Snow, a figure associated with the Satanic Panic. 
  • Yolande Norris-Clark frames institutionalized obstetric birth as a universalized form of satanic ritualized mind control that programs individuals into a 'slave program,' making them incapable of clear thought regarding external scandals like the Epstein files. 
  • The podcast critiques the reactionary position, exemplified by Norris-Clark's recent turn to Orthodox Christianity, that spiritual activity and prayer alone can counter the 'Epstein predator class,' arguing that material actions are necessary to prevent their continued power. 

Segments

Epistemological Chaos of Epstein Files
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(00:01:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The normalized accumulation of wealth selects for apex predators, and the metaphysical reflex offers relief by framing figures like Epstein as uniquely supernatural rather than systemic.
  • Summary: The release of the Epstein files is fueling a recycling of 1980s Satanic Panic themes, which reduces the systemic problem of the ‘Epstein Class’ to an unsolvable problem of pure evil. The sheer volume and lack of context in the file dump deputizes everyone to create diverse, often flawed interpretations, flattening the work of professional investigative journalists. This environment allows old conspiracy narratives to be deployed in the midst of a crisis, demonstrating the fragility of cultural memory.
Incompetence vs. Distraction in File Release
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(00:04:33)
  • Key Takeaway: The indiscriminate release of 3 million highly charged files, despite looking like transparency, functions as a clever method of hiding data through sheer volume, potentially serving as a distraction.
  • Summary: The method of releasing the Epstein files suggests incompetence from career professionals, as a proper report would have been expected. However, flooding the zone with uncontextualized data might intentionally serve as a distraction from the real criminal conspiracy. This approach undermines rigorous journalism, where years of FOIA requests yield quality work, by encouraging everyone to ‘bake with half a cooking set’ and generate noise.
Sasha Riley Testimony Analysis
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(00:09:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Narratives like Sasha Riley’s, which feature sensational claims such as thrusting a tent peg into Trump’s anus, exemplify how the current chaos mixes genuine trauma with outlandish speculation, making corroboration difficult.
  • Summary: A creator presenting Sasha Riley’s claims uses the title ‘Corroborating Sasha Riley’ by simply repeating their Facebook posts, confusing repetition with actual corroboration. Such sensational claims, while potentially stemming from immense trauma or confusing therapy, require extraordinary evidence due to their extraordinary nature. The danger lies in the conspiracy logic that jumps from a hunch to certainty, especially when amplified by social media.
Epstein Files as Gamified Content
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(00:25:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The Epstein files are being rapidly converted into infotainment, exemplified by influencers treating the dump as a gamified treasure hunt to promote digital tools like AI analysis engines.
  • Summary: One influencer used an AI tool to search the files for stolen art to claim rewards, demonstrating how the pursuit of justice is lost to infotainment and opportunistic gold rushes. This mirrors ‘disaster capitalism,’ where charismatics seize exhausted public attention to push their own agendas or sell products. The focus shifts from survivor justice to gaining prominence for new digital tools or personal brand building.
SRA Narrative Tropes and Max Loewen
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(00:30:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Accounts like Max Loewen’s, detailing satanic ritual abuse involving animal sacrifice, drugging, and impregnation, share common tropes with historical Satanic Panic narratives, such as the ‘global citizen’ status and the presence of a mysterious ‘doctor’ figure.
  • Summary: Common characteristics in these accounts include the survivor being a polyglot global citizen, mirroring the alleged movements of the elite cabal they describe. The narrative often includes themes like conscious paralysis (being drugged but aware) and animal sacrifice, echoing elements found in Michelle Remembers. The figure of the unnamed ‘doctor’ who keeps victims alive for torture is a recurring archetype, potentially secularized in modern wellness discourse.
Baal Worship and False Identity Claims
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(00:36:47)
  • Key Takeaway: A narrative claiming the Epstein family worshipped Baal and that the speaker was Shia LaBeouf’s twin sister highlights how unsubstantiated, sensational details serve as a telltale sign of compromised fact/fiction differentiation.
  • Summary: One interviewee claimed her family, masquerading as Jewish, admitted to being Satanists worshipping Baal, a Phoenician fertility cult supposedly eradicated centuries ago. This narrative also included the unverified claim of being Shia LaBeouf’s twin sister, which, alongside other fantastic details, suggests a compromised ability to distinguish memory from fantasy. Such claims are often platformed by podcasters who prioritize extreme content over journalistic rigor.
Michelle Remembers and Catholic Anxiety
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(00:47:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Michelle Remembers (1980) served as ground zero for the Satanic Panic, driven by reactionary Catholic anxieties following Vatican II reforms and a religious revolt against psychiatry.
  • Summary: The book, detailing satanic ritual abuse visions elicited from Michelle Smith by Dr. Lawrence Pazder, was heavily influenced by Pazder’s Catholicism and missionary experiences. The narrative’s focus on blood, baby consumption, and the Virgin Mary’s intervention coded a defense against secularism and communism following Vatican II. Crucially, Pazder’s influence led to the destruction of families and influenced high-profile legal disasters like the McMartin Preschool trial, despite zero forensic evidence supporting the claims.
Courage to Heal and Recovered Memory Craze
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(00:57:17)
  • Key Takeaway: The 1988 book Courage to Heal popularized automatic writing and somatic epistemology, leading to the flawed recovered memory therapy craze and causing irreparable damage through false accusations.
  • Summary: Creative writing instructors Ellen Bass and Laura Davis promoted automatic writing as a reliable method for uncovering repressed memories, relying on the belief that the body accurately stores truths like an internal CCTV. This methodology, which included the dangerous assertion ‘if you think you were abused, then you were,’ lacked experimental evidence and destroyed reputations and families. This flawed approach warmed up a demographic for later concepts like The Body Keeps the Score.
Survivor to Sage Transformation Trope
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(01:09:09)
  • Key Takeaway: A common trope in this discourse is the transformation of a survivor of abject trauma into a ‘radiant sage’ whose suffering grants them messianic knowledge and authority over others’ realities.
  • Summary: Julian Walker’s experience in a yoga community led by Anna Forrest illustrates this trope, where the leader claimed to have survived horrific abuse and used this narrative to mentor others into believing their own suffering stemmed from repressed abuse. This transformation signals that the survivor has ‘metabolized’ the world’s evil, making them an eloquent authority whose advice should be followed. This dynamic is also evident in Teal Swan’s framing of herself as an early truth-teller whose experience is now validated by the Epstein files.
Teal Swan’s Epstein File Commentary
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(01:09:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Teal Swan framed the Epstein file release as validation for her own previously discredited backstory, positioning herself as an original truth-teller whose warnings about systemic abuse were ignored to preserve public safety.
  • Summary: Swan expressed relief that the truth she shared about being trapped in a sophisticated system of abuse is finally being accepted, though she noted the personal damage done to her is unlikely to be undone. Her analysis identifies the root problem as mankind’s disconnection, advising vague solutions like choosing empathy and manifesting kindness. This aligns with the trope of the survivor-turned-sage, suggesting her past suffering grants her unique insight into systemic change.
Teal Swan’s Inner World
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(01:13:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Teal Swan frames her personal narrative as aligning with the revelations of the Epstein files, positioning herself as an early truth-teller.
  • Summary: The discussion analyzes Teal Swan’s presentation, noting that her eloquence and poise suggest a ‘radiant sage’ persona built upon her survivor narrative. This persona acts as a hook, implying she has metabolized extreme evil and can therefore teach others how to do the same. Her early therapy involved Barbara Snow, identified as a prolific Satanic Panic therapist.
Barbara Snow Connection
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(01:14:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Teal Swan received therapy from Barbara Snow, a discredited therapist central to the Satanic Panic phenomenon, by the time she was around 20.
  • Summary: Barbara Snow is identified as ground zero in Teal Swan’s backstory, being one of the most prolific Satanic Panic therapists in the Western US, based in Utah. Snow was later censured and discredited due to her involvement in the Satanic Panic era. Swan adopted this history as a rolling part of her identity after her time with the therapist.
Yolande Norris-Clark’s Thesis
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(01:15:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Yolande Norris-Clark asserts that medicalized obstetric birth is the most successful, universalized form of safety ritual and mind control programming.
  • Summary: Norris-Clark claims that institutionalized birth is an ‘occult humiliation ritual’ that initiates the majority of humans into a ‘slave program.’ According to her, experiencing obstetric violence distorts one’s perception, making individuals incapable of thinking clearly about larger horrors like the Epstein files. She warns that viewing the Epstein files feeds demonic energy unless one is actively apprehending perpetrators.
Spiritual vs. Material Action
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(01:18:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Norris-Clark advocates for addressing internal spiritual condition and caring for children over engaging with external scandals, a position the podcast critiques as reactionary.
  • Summary: Norris-Clark, influenced by her recent conversion to Orthodox Christianity, argues that individuals must address internal evil before focusing on external scandals like medicalized birth or pornography. The podcast counters that relying solely on spiritual activity or prayer will not dismantle the ‘Epstein predator class,’ necessitating material actions to prevent their continued power.
Show Archive Promotion
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(01:20:25)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts direct listeners to extensive archives on Patreon covering Michelle Remembers, Courage to Heal, and the lineage of these ideas into the QAnon age via figures like Teal Swan.
  • Summary: The show notes direct listeners to an archive detailing the histories of Michelle Remembers and Courage to Heal, alongside material on Catholic horror films. There is specific mention of material tracing how ideas from the Satanic Panic trickle down through figures like Teal Swan into the QAnon era. Keeping this history alive is deemed critically important.