--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But then, not long after, in another…" description: "\"“But then, not long after, in another article, Loftus writes, \"We live in a strange and precarious time that resembles at its heart the hysteria and su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/lauren-slater-11238_child-abuse_but-then-not-long-after-in-another-artic_1163527.jpg" --- # But then, not long after, in another article, Loftus… ![“But then, not long after, in another article, Loftus writes, "We live in a strange and precarious time that resembles at its heart the hysteria and superstitious fervor of the witch trials." She took rifle lessons and to this day keeps the firing instruction sheets and targets posted above her…” quote by Lauren Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/lauren-slater-11238_child-abuse_but-then-not-long-after-in-another-artic_1163527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/lauren-slater-11238_child-abuse_but-then-not-long-after-in-another-artic_1163527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/lauren-slater-11238_child-abuse_but-then-not-long-after-in-another-artic_1163527.jpg) > ““But then, not long after, in another article, Loftus writes, "We live in a strange and precarious time that resembles at its heart the hysteria and superstitious fervor of the witch trials." She took rifle lessons and to this day keeps the firing instruction sheets and targets posted above her desk. In 1996, when Psychology Today interviewed her, she burst into tears twice within the first twenty minutes, labile, lubricated, theatrical, still whip smart, talking about the blurry boundaries between fact and fiction while she herself lived in another blurry boundary, between conviction and compulsion, passion and hyperbole. "The witch hunts," she said, but the analogy is wrong, and provides us with perhaps a more accurate window into Loftus's stretched psyche than into our own times, for the witch hunts were predicated on utter nonsense, and the abuse scandals were predicated on something all too real, which Loftus seemed to forget: Women are abused. Memories do matter. Talking to her, feeling her high-flying energy the zeal that burns up the center of her life, you have to wonder, why. You are forced to ask the very kind of question Loftus most abhors: did something bad happen to her? For she herself seems driven by dissociated demons, and so I ask. What happened to you? Turns out, a lot. (refers to Dr. Elizabeth F. Loftus)”” [Lauren Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-slater/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote juxtaposes modern hysteria with historic witch trials, highlighting how false narratives can obscure real suffering, especially of women, and underscores the importance of memory and truth. **In simple terms:** False narratives hide real suffering; memory matters. Key Takeaway Recognize and validate true experiences. Themes memory truth gender psychology media history Mood reflective concerned Type analytical critical When to use this quote - Therapy sessions - legal testimony - media analysis - activism - educational workshops Key Concepts Hysteria witch trials memory distortion abuse scandals Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance caution against false claims with acknowledging genuine harm? - What role should memory play in justice? A Different Perspective The analogy may oversimplify complex modern issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-abuse/) [Demons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demons/) [Dissociation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissociation/) [Expert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expert/) [Fact and fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact-and-fiction/) [False-accusations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-accusations-2/) [False-memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-memories/) [False-memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-memory/) [Fmsf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fmsf/) [Hysteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hysteria/) [Incest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incest/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Rape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rape/) [Repressed-memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repressed-memory/) [Sexual abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-abuse/) [Survivors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survivors/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Victims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victims/) [Witch hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch-hunt/) [Witch Trial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch-trial/) [Witches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witches/) ## Related quotes > [“The witch-hunt narrative is a really popular story that goes like this: Lots of people were falsely convicted of child sexual abuse in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-a-really-popular-story-that-goes-like/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) ## More by Lauren Slater > [“When you die, there’s that much less breath to the world, and across continents someone supposedly separate gasps for air. 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In 1996, when Psychology Today interviewed her, she burst into tears twice within the first twenty minutes, labile, lubricated, theatrical, still whip smart, talking about the blurry boundaries between fact and fiction while she herself lived in another blurry boundary, between conviction and compulsion, passion and hyperbole. \"The witch hunts,\" she said, but the analogy is wrong, and provides us with perhaps a more accurate window into Loftus's stretched psyche than into our own times, for the witch hunts were predicated on utter nonsense, and the abuse scandals were predicated on something all too real, which Loftus seemed to forget: Women are abused. Memories do matter. Talking to her, feeling her high-flying energy the zeal that burns up the center of her life, you have to wonder, why. You are forced to ask the very kind of question Loftus most abhors: did something bad happen to her? For she herself seems driven by dissociated demons, and so I ask. What happened to you? 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