Johanna Michaelsen

{{christianity}}
'''Johanna Michaelsen''' {{lived|1949}} is a [[Fundamentalist Christianity|fundie]] [[Author|writer]] and self-proclaimed "authority on the [[occult]]" who promoted the [[Satanic Panic]] in the 1980s-90s.<ref>[https://michaelsenministries.com/sample-page/ About page] at michaelsenministries.com.</ref>

Before jumping on [[fundamentalist Christian]] bandwagon, Michaelsen was fully immersed in [[New Age]] [[wingnut]]tery. She had claimed to have had [[supernatural]] experiences from the age of eleven onward, which she now believes was inherited from her great-great aunt, Dixie Jarratt Haygood, a vaudeville performer whose tricks were easily replicated by those that knew them. Michaelsen asserts these experiences were real and that she inherited real [[psychic]] powers.<ref name=prodigal>[https://swallowingthecamel.me/2011/06/30/the-prodigal-witch-a-thumbnail-sketch-of-johanna-michaelsen/ The prodigal witch: a thumbnail sketch of Johanna Michaelsen]. swallowingthecamel.me, 30 June 2011.</ref> She would make even more outlandish claims about Haygood in her autobiography, including some that were demonstrably wrong, like the claim that Haygood died in the 1920s,<ref>Michaelsen, Johanna. "Beautiful Side of Evil", 1982, page 16.</ref> when in fact she died in 1915.<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7972517 Dixie Annie Jarratt Haygood] at findagrave.com.</ref>. Michaelsen would later claim she learned how to use her [[psychic]] powers from [[Silva method]], and that people were invited to test them to demonstrate the method. Yet [[James Randi]] states that tests to demonstrate the validity of the Silva Method are actually discouraged.<ref>James Randi & Arthur C. Clarke. An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural. St. Martin's Griffin. Retrieved January 22, 2014</ref> Her experiences with Silva Method would lead her deeper into the [[New Age]] path were she would immerse herself in [[psychic surgery]], another popular phenomenon of the 1970s.

During the 1970s, Michaelsen claimed to have worked with a [[Psychic surgery|psychic surgeon]], [[Pachita]], who claimed to do lung transplants, remove impossible tumours and the like,<ref>"The Seduction of Christianity – Program 7", John Ankerberg Show, 1985</ref> despite considerable evidence that the psychic healer named "Pachita" was far less than claimed.<ref>[http://www.chilango.com/ciudad/pachita-el-espiritu-que-habita-la-casa-de-las-brujas 'Pachita', el espíritu que habita la Casa de las Brujas]. chilango.com, 19 September 2016.</ref> After visiting a Christian centre in Switzerland, she would be convinced that her occult experiences were not from Jesus but [[Satan]]. This led to her conversion to Christian fundamentalist. 

Michaelsen's story of her "[[occult]]" experiences shot her into fundie superstardom and she became a beacon for other forms of [[wingnuttery]], like the promoting of [[Lauren Stratford]]'s fraudulent [[Satanic ritual abuse]] screeds. Michaelsen was one of the biggest defenders of Stratford and supposedly took Stratford into her home for months.<ref>[https://swallowingthecamel.me/2011/07/02/the-prodigal-witch-ix-lauren-stratford/ The prodigal witch IX: Lauren Stratford]. swallowingthecamel.me, 2 July 2011.</ref> She was also a champion of [[Mike Warnke]], author of another fraudulent memoir of his life as a Satanist.

Michaelsen was also instrumental in telling Christian parents the evils of cartoons like He-Man and She-Ra, as well as [[Dungeons & Dragons]].<ref>Michaelsen, Johanna. "Your Kids and the Occult", 1989, pg 9.</ref><ref>Alan Scherstuhl, [https://www.villagevoice.com/2009/02/26/studies-in-crap-sticks-up-for-the-care-bears-who-are-totally-not-satanic Studies in Crap Sticks Up For the Care Bears, Who Are Totally Not Satanic]. Village Voice, 26 February 2009.</ref> It even turns out that she was [[Hal Lindsey]]'s sister-in-law, until he left Johanna's sister for a [[Bible]] study student.<ref name=prodigal />

Although completely discredited, Michaelsen has her own ministry and rants about "demonic spirits," the evils of the German rock band {{wpl|Rammstein}} and [[Halloween]].<ref>[https://standupforthetruth.com/2012/10/halloween-what-are-we-celebrating/ Halloween: What are we celebrating?] standupforthetruth.com, 7 October 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/hallo_ev3.htm Halloween: More misinformation from evangelical Christian groups]. religioustolerance.org.</ref>

Despite not making major mentions of Warnke or Stratford in public, it still seems that after all these years Michaelsen believes that Satanic Ritual Abuse is real. On her ministry website she links to Gregory Reid,<ref>[http://michaelsenministries.com/check-out-these-resources/ Check out these resources]. michaelsenministries.com.</ref> someone who explicitly and clearly defends Lauren Stratford despite offering no counter evidence to what evidence has been presented.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160512005308/http://www.gregoryreid.com/a-hero-goes-home-lauren-stratford/ A Hero Goes Home: Lauren Stratford]. Archived from the original at gregoryreid.com, 14 January 2005.{{blockquote|Lauren’s book Satan’s Underground was a major blow to the powers of darkness. Her testimony of child abuse and satanic crime was an astonishing message of the power of God’s love to heal. It was a book she was reluctant to write. It was destined to be read by pastors and survivors worldwide. Soon she became a reluctant spokesperson for victims everywhere. But she used each opportunity, interview and talk show to tell people about her beloved Savior.}}</ref>

==Publications==
*''The Beautiful Side of Evil,'' Harvest House, 1982. ISBN 0890813221
*''Like Lambs to the Slaughter,'' Harvest House, 1989. ISBN 0890816174

==External links==
*[http://michaelsenministries.com/ Michaelsen Ministries]
*[https://www.facebook.com/JohannaMichaelsenMinistries/ Johanna Michaelsen Ministries] on [[Facebook]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michaelsen, Johanna}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Fundamentalists]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Christians]]

Categories: Authors, Living people, Fundamentalists, Conspiracy theorists, Christians