/leftypol/ - Leftist Politically Incorrect

Once the evidence of extreme abuse began surfacing in surprising numbers, the 'False Memory Syndrome Foundation' (FMSF) was set up to promote the theory that victims are suffering from a syndrome that creates false memories, often at the suggestion of psychotic parents or over-zealous psychiatrists.

The members of the FMSF have been called as expert witnesses in hundreds of trials around the United States and have been routinely quoted as experts in the media. Their mission has been exceptionally successful, as the 'false memory syndrome' has become accepted as a fact in most of the public consciousness. Unfortunately, people rarely stop to ask the question, who exactly are the members of the FMSF, and how solid is their science?

Peter J. Freyd initiated the founding of the FMSF after being accused of sexual abuse by his daughter, Jennifer. His behavior has been particularly suspect, such as accusing his daughter of being brain damaged, despite the fact that she holds a PhD in Psychology, graduated magna cum laude from Penn and is currently a tenured professor of psychology at the University of Oregon. Speaking to The Oregonian, Jennifer Freyd stated that “I’m sometimes flabbergasted that my memory is considered ‘false’ and my alcoholic father’s memory is considered rational and sane.”

Peter Freyd once stated that “With the help of Harold Lief and Martin Orne, the FMSF quickly gathered a respectable appearing advisory board, giving the new syndrome an aura of scientific acceptance.” Interestingly, Dr. Martin T. Orne has been heavily involved with MK-ULTRA experiments since the early '60s, where he undertook hypnosis studies at Harvard Medical School with a $30,000 grant from the CIA.

CIA documents have confirmed that Orne had a 'top secret' clearance in MK-ULTRA. He has published many papers relevant to the creation of a 'Manchurian candidate', including one called “Can a hypnotized subject be compelled to carry out otherwise unacceptable behavior?”, another called “The significance of unwitting cues for experimental outcomes: Toward a pragmatic approach”, and lastly “Restricted use of success cues in retrieval during post-hypnotic amnesia”.This is an interesting subject matter history given the FMSF's insistence that hypnotism is illegitimate.

Dr. Harold Lief was involved with brain electrode experiments at Tulane University, a notorious MK-ULTRA institution. Another prominent member, David Dinges, was a co-worker with Martin T. Orne and has been involved in research for Naval Intelligence, who oversaw the precursor mind control experiments to MK-ULTRA.

Founding member Ralph Underwager once proudly proclaimed to the pro-pedophilia publication Paidika:

“What I have been struck by as I have come to know more about and understand people who choose paedophilia is that they let themselves be too much defined by other people. That is usually an essentially negative definition. Paedophiles spend a lot of time and energy defending their choice. I don't think that a paedophile needs to do that. Paedophiles can boldly and courageously affirm what they choose. They can say that what they want is to find the best way to love. I am also a theologian and as a theologian, I believe it is God's will that there be closeness and intimacy, unity of the flesh, between people.

A paedophile can say: "This closeness is possible for me within the choices that I've made." Paedophiles are too defensive. They go around saying, "You people out there are saying that what I choose is bad, that it's no good. You're putting me in prison, you're doing all these terrible things to me. I have to define my love as being in some way or other illicit." What I think is that paedophiles can make the assertion that the pursuit of intimacy and love is what they choose. With boldness, they can say, "I believe this is in fact part of God's will."

Regarding the False Memory Syndrome Foundation, Columbia Journalism Review stated:

"Rarely has such a strange and little-understood organization had such a profound effect on media coverage of such a controversial matter. The [False Memory Syndrome] foundation is an aggressive, well-financed PR machine adept at manipulating the press, harassing its critics, and mobilizing a diverse army of psychiatrists, outspoken academics, expert defense witnesses, litigious lawyers, Freud bashers, critics of psychotherapy, and devastated parents.”

The FMSF has repeatedly cited a study presented at a Harvard conference where researchers were repeatedly able to implant the false memory of mundane tasks like grocery shopping, into their subjects using techniques such as hypnosis. It has been championed as proof that memories are easily manipulated. However, research has shown that memories of abuse function very differently than average memories.

“However, leading memory researchers such as Dr. Bessel van der Kolk of Harvard Medical School maintain that traumatic memories, which typically are engraved in the sensorimotor processes, are not subject to the same kinds of contamination that can affect normal memory. Traumatic amnesia, described in the DSM-III-R as psychogenic amnesia, is a phenomenon which has been known to mental health professionals for more than 100 years. The clinically observed characteristics of traumatic memory formation and retrieval match precisely the patterns of memory recovery exhibited by SRA [Satanic Ritual Abuse] survivors, and strongly confirm the reality of their cult abuse.”

There is also the case of Paul and Shirley Eberle, who are famous for propagating the idea of a 'satanic panic', that the widespread reporting of ritual abuse is merely a social contagion. They have published two books titled “The Politics of Child Abuse” and “The Abuse of Innocence” which promote this theory, and have been cited as experts in courts and the press. Ms. Magazine wrote a review of the interesting past of the Eberles, stating:

“What is startling about the Eberles' reputation as ground-breaking experts in the field is that their dubious credentials have not been widely challenged. Paul and Shirley Eberle edit a soft-core magazine in California called the L.A. Star that contains a mixture of nude photos, celebrity gossip, telephone sex ads, and promos for The Politics of Child Abuse.

In the 1970's, however, the Eberles were also publishing hard-core pornography. Their publication, Finger, depicted scenes of bondage, S & M, and sexual activities involving urination and defecation. A young girl portrayed with a wide smile on her face sits on top of a man whose penis is inside of her; a woman has oral sex with a young boy in a drawing entitled "Memories of My Boyhood."

The Eberles were featured nude on one cover holding two life-size blow up dolls names "Love Girl" and "Play Guy." No dates appear on the issues and the Eberles rarely attach their names, referring to themselves as "The L.A. Star Family."

The Eberles were the distributors of Finger and several other underground magazines, says Donald Smith, a sergeant with the obscenity section of the Los Angeles Police Department's vice division who followed the couple for years. LAPD was never able to prosecute for child pornography: "There were a lot of photos of people who looked like they were under age but we could never prove it." The pictures of young children in Finger are illustrations, and child pornography laws were less rigid a decade ago than they are today.

"Sexpot at Five," "My First Rape, She Was Only Thirteen," and "What Happens When uyghurs Adopt White Children" are some of the articles that appeared in Finger. One letter states: "I think it's really great that your mags have the courage to print articles & pixs [sic] on child sex… Too bad I didn't hear from more women who are into child sex… Since I'm single I'm not getting it on with my children, but I know of a few families that are. If I were married & my wife & kids approved–I'd be having sex with my daughters."

Another entry reads: "I'm a pedophile & I think its [sic] great a man is having sex with his daughter!…Since I didn't get Finger #3, I didn't get to see the stories & pics of family sex. Would like to see pics of nude girls making it with their daddy, but realize its too risky to print."

It is truly fascinating how 'compromised' the leading debunkers of ritual abuse are