ost organizations that practice some form of Occultism or Neo-Paganism; and Fraternal Societies, as well as some segments of other religions, consist of two rings of involvement. If the group emphasizes graduating up through higher levels, and involves any level of required secrecy, it will most likely have the two ring system, generally speaking.

The First Ring

The first ring is the public ring. This is the group that is publicly advertised, and where almost any interested individual is welcome to participate or join. At this level people will study, take part in legal group activities, including rituals of a "benign" nature, if it is that kind of group. They will be mentored and their progress monitored. Sometimes they will graduate through higher and higher degrees.

When they reach the highest degree, or acquire the right level of expertise, they may be selected for various reasons, and taken aside secretly. This is when they are told that there are levels and skills beyond the ones they have already mastered, but they are designed for the very serious student/adept. They tell the person that there are great secrets and mysteries to be learned which are so powerful that they can only be given to a select few, who have demonstrated their ability to handle such things. They tell the person that the leaders have watched their progress and are pleased with their dedication, loyalty, service, and other qualities, and that there is a consensus that the person is a worthy candidate for initiation into this higher level. It is stressed to them, that few know of this, and that it is a closely guarded secret, so they are not to discuss the invitation with anyone. They are told to think on it for a certain period of time, since it is a big, life changing step, and not a decision that should be entered into lightly. During that waiting period, the leaders are watching the candidate very closely to see if he/she disregards the directives and leaks anything to anyone. They will even have members of the second ring initiate a discussion with the prospective candidate; asking questions and raising topics to test the candidate's ability to keep secrets, and follow orders. The candidate will not know, of course, that the whole conversation was deliberately engineered. If the candidate disobeys the directive and confides in anyone about this recent invitation; it will be revoked and the leaders will deny they ever told the person there was another level, "How absurd!" they will say. But if the person obeys the directive and takes the invitation seriously, they are invited to appear at a "bridging" ceremony or ritual.
 

Crossing The Abyss

In this ritual, there will be initiatory rites, and the candidate will be required to take certain vows, and sign covenants. It will be made very clear that these are life and death binding agreements, which if broken, will forfeit the initiate’s life. The reasons for such extreme secrecy, they explain, is because the power and knowledge of the great mysteries to be learned at this level is such that only a select few can handle it responsibly. If the power and knowledge were not contained in these highly secretive settings, it would get into the hands of lesser persons, and be extremely destructive, or bring chaos to the established belief systems, that lesser people count on to define themselves and the world around them.

In actuality, the true reason behind the vows of secrecy have to do with the types of activities and rituals that the initiate will be required to witness and take part in. While the rituals in the first ring group seem relatively harmless, and no one is really abused; the rituals in the second ring group, often involve very illegal activities, and ones that go against all established social mores.

This initiatory ceremony is called "Crossing the Abyss", and it is stressed to the candidate that once this crossing is complete, there is no going back. They are given one more chance to change their minds, and if they still want to go through it, other rituals are done to consecrate the new member to whatever ruling powers/entities the particular group subjugates itself (Lucifer, Aiwass, Apollo, Isis, etc. ). At some point soon after the initiation is complete, the new member is required to participate in some illegal activity within the ritual setting. At this point, the group takes pictures of the person engaging in this activity, at angles that do not show the location or identities of other group members. These pictures are shown to the person afterward and they are told that they will be kept safely hidden for "insurance" purposes. This is one way to ensure that the person is trapped in the group permanently, and also make sure that everything that happens at the group's gatherings stays completely secret. The initiate then really knows that truly, there is no going back, since if they back out of their agreements, the pictures will be taken to the authorities, with a different story, and the person will be prosecuted for the crime. Group members also have no problem setting up a traitor, planting "evidence" of his involvement in some crime in his home or vehicle, and then tipping off the police, anonymously. This is only one kind of threat or blackmail that will be held over initiate's heads to keep them silent, and loyal.
 

The Second Ring

It is within the context of second ring cult activities, that the horrible memories of ritual abuse survivors come from. The intense secrecy of the very existence of this group, is used to discredit the survivor. If the survivor claims that they suffered ritual abuse in a Masonic lodge, at the hands of Masons, for example, the majority of the members of that lodge will vehemently deny that anything like that could have taken place, since they do not partake in those sorts of activities. In actuality, these people are most likely telling the truth, because they are first ring members and are not even aware that there is a second, inner, highly secret ring in existence. Therefore, the survivor is discredited.

This is how recruitment and initiation works with non-DID voluntary initiates into these groups. The second ring groups are comprised in part by these initiates, but are usually led and attended in large part by members who have been raised in this environment, and who are DID with programmed cult identities, who are present at these gatherings. The host personality knows nothing about participating in these activities in their everyday lives.