the totally insane true story behind the 1970s film and book Sybil

and only makes it sadder
agree 100%

that's part of why sybil exposed is so poignant -- each of these women are real people looking for something in their own lives, each a different thing, and to think that they got tangled up in something so extensive is totally fascinating.

I run a large-scale Satanic cult but we are 100% anti-abuse, we do all the other stuff like blood rituals and heavy doper parties but without the abuse part we can't seem to attract any media attention

― steven fucking tyler (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Monday, July 30, 2012 7:14 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

there was an x-files episode that was basically about this (and fake repressed memories!), it didn't work out so well b/c satan got pissed.

I dated someone who claimed to have been a satanist in his 20's. He told me they had crazy orgies and goat blood and shit. And he had an altar to Baphomet in his apartment, but then freaky shit went down and he stopped being a satanist. Can anyone Satanists in the house confirm these rituals? I am curious. FOREVER CURIOUS.

"They had crazy orgies - involving goat blood n shit" (not actual shit)

Sorry, bad grammar today.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T5fAJG5vL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

click to look inside THIS PSYCHO'S BRRANE

see Ed Sanders' The Family Seemed pretty solid, don't know how it might compare to prosecuter Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter

always thought trudi chase was like the punchline to the hardworkin' jamaicans gag on in living color

"you only got eighteen personalities? why so lazy, i got NINETY TWO!"

this is the point in the conversation where I feel obligated to point out that child abuse is very very common and a lot of these people's fantasies about beyond-the-pale organized abuse rings are probably ways of coping with more garden-variety horrors like "an uncle abused me one time & when I mentioned it to my mother she said not to worry about it and that it wouldn't happen again, which it didn't, but it still had a terrible effect on me" -- stories like that in people's pasts that fuck them up real good but lack the Giant Demonic Cabal aspect that at least makes them feel like there was some meaning in there somewhere

Agreed -- I think it would probably be easier to live with the idea of a mysterious satanic cult being responsible for your abuse than your dad or your favorite teacher.

Twin Peaks etc

So did Sybil's mom actually abuse her or was that all up to?

I'm not sure there's an easy y/n answer to that question.

All signs point to no, as far as this book is concerned. Mattie/Hattie was weird, but the really gory stuff detailed in the book did not happen if Sybil Exposed is to be believed, and I think it is. None of the accusations were confirmed by people close to her, including the family housekeeper who kept in touch with Shirley/Sybil long after she left home. There was no grain storage barn for her to be suffocated in. No one ever saw her defecate on their (or anyone else's) lawn, and the family doctor Otoniel Flores was long dead and his papers had been destroyed too.

I would hate to say that I "don't believe" Shirley because that's not true either. She was under the influence of a powerfully persuasive woman who injected her with powerful drugs and kept her otherwise medicated for a really really long time. Dr Wilbur also kept Shirley in debt to her for the years of therapy all while helping her to get jobs in the field of mental health. If anyone abused Shirley Mason to the point where her life was ruined, it's sadly more likely to be Dr Wilbur than her mother. The screenwriter expressed a lot of doubt about the stories, even Flora Schreiber expressed doubts about the stories, but everyone just kept going with the business of Sybil, LLC.

Plus, a lot of original material was destroyed when Dr Wilbur died and left her estate to one of her former patients and confidants, who proceed to shred/dispose of a whole lot of papers and notes and whatnot. It's a big mess, basically.

Yeah, that is what I sort of thought but wasn't clear on. Totally going to read this.

But Joanne Woodward's so kindly.

When I was in college, Ed and Lorraine Warren came to speak.

I had a work-study job for the activities board, and was assigned to pick them up in their hotel. I had them sit in the back seat of my Toyota, and I drove them to the college. They did not talk to me or each other for the entire twenty minute ride. I had forgotten some keys in my dorm room, so I had them come with me when I retrieved them. Ed stood downstairs (I think he smoked a cigarette) and Lorraine came up. I tried to make small talk with her, but she just stood in the doorway while I grabbed the keys.

When I went back downstairs, she said "He's got a veeerry interesting room, Eddie" and winked at her husband. And then I didn't sleep for two weeks.

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1252845799l/1507013.jpg

hahaha oh man

I had to look her up that that is the lady is often on the trashy ghost shows I like

Wait - what do they have to do with Sybil or MPD?

oh maybe just demons? nm

Anyway, that lady rules. I would have made her investigate my room. nb I don't actually believe in ghosts. At all.

They don't have anything to do with sybil/MPD but they were ghost hunters real early in the game. They were basically the equiv of the little old lady in Poltergeist.

Yeah, I was just kind of riffing on the theme of possession. Lorraine Warren is a sweet old loon. She played some truly terrifying recordings of exorcisms, and showed us video of a rocking chair moving on its own, and 8mm footage of a posessed Raggedy Ann doll named Annabelle. She told us you'll only see ghosts if you want to, and never to mess with Oujia boards.

I still don't believe it. We used to play with Ouija boards at every sleep over I ever had between about 11 and 14. Someone was always moving it.

posessed Raggedy Ann doll named Annabelle

That sounds pretty scary though.

Totally watch all those shows though. Chip Coffey is my favorite paranormal investigator. We're Facebook friends.

posessed Raggedy Ann doll named Annabelle

That sounds pretty scary though.

― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Monday, July 30, 2012 3:25 PM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Fuck I listened to a podcast abt this case last year, it was awesome... can't remember which one...

http://efeyas.hubpages.com/hub/Annabelle-The-Possessed-Doll-A-Terrifying-Case

they used to give spooky talks at my high school during halloween. and this was after the demon murder case that they were involved in. you'd think they'd want to steer clear of my town. they are good at being spooky though! and they set the bar with amityville.

The haunted doll is amazing

Seamingly, from no where, a liquidy red substance had appeared on the doll.

Nice uninentional punwork in the awful grammar there.

they set the bar with amityville

We used to drive by the horror house all the time when I was in HS until Amy Fisher shot Mary-Jo Buttafuco and then we'd drive by her and Joey's house instead.

Long Island is very exciting you see.

The creepiest haunted doll has to be Robert.

Also the guy who wrote the book about Amityville ate in my parents restaurant shortly after it was published and showed my mom a necklace he'd had made which was a silver model of the book. I think he died weirdly a couple years thereafter.

WHO IS ROBERT?

Never read Sibyl or most of the other books mentioned in this thread, but I did read The Minds of Billy Milligan when I was in maybe junior high. Pretty fucked up stuff, and obviously I was in no position at that age to judge whether it was all true, all bullshit, or some mixture of the two.

ENBB, Robert the Doll

Ahhhhhh!

Going to Key West for my birthday later this year. Totally gonna go see Robert.

I think I saw this movie. BUt I keep thinking of another one: where a girl "inherits" (sorry migraine) the spirit of a girl who just died. A silly horror movie

Don't take Robert's picture without getting permission!

Oh, don't worry, I just read that part. I'll be sure to ask first. Also, I very nearly booked a room at what is now a guesthouse but used to be his old owner the artist's house!

Guys

http://i.cdn.turner.com/trutv/trutv.com/graphics/photos/criminal_mind/psychology/multiples/3-3-Sybil-Shirley-K-Mason.jpg

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/26347737/Tears+for+Fears+tff73246.png

creeeeeeepy

Also the guy who wrote the book about Amityville ate my parents

^ misread as this, thought thread was about to take a horrifying turn

okay, am I missing something or is there a link on that site to the story behind the doll?

I have read almost all of these books (although I conflated a lot of Sybil and When Rabbit Howls (which one has the, um, button hook involvement?)) but somehow forgot about Debbie Nathan's book despite being super psyched to read it before it came out.

Rectifying that ASAP.

Robert? There was no story - I was confused too. I just googled him and found a wiki page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Doll

x-post

Although I never read the book, I totally remember Truddi Chase, seeing her on Oprah and the Shelly Long movie. I was too afraid to watch it!

Thanks ENBB! That's what I was looking for.

okay wtf! tears for fears facial resemblance/album title reference is wigging my shit OUT.

I know, right??!?!?