As a homeschooling Mom I’m fascinated by how much I learn as I strive to educate my son on a daily basis. Often I’m confronted with the truth that historical events have cast their shadow on this present age. Such was the case when I began to unravel the details of the Salem Witch Trials. Very quickly I realized the mass hysteria of those days bear a striking resemblance to the mass formation psychosis which materialized during the Covid pandemic.

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Historians view the Salem Witch Trials as one of the most unusual and controversial events in American history. The bizarre and irrational behaviors that pervaded the quiet, religious town of Salem Village over 300 years ago are difficult for modern society to understand. Yet, many of the same problems cast their spell in today’s world. From fear mongering to blatant lies propagated as truth, the evidence is impossible to deny.

It all began when a group of young girls in Salem Village started exhibiting violent fits and uncontrollable bouts of screaming. They uttered peculiar sounds and contorted their bodies into strange positions, leading the local doctor to diagnose them with “bewitchment.” Soon the afflicted girls accused neighbors and community members of practicing witchcraft. Suddenly, other people in the community started experiencing similar symptoms. Accusations began to pile up as a wave of hysteria plowed through the town. By the end of the trials, over two hundred people had been accused, including a four-year old girl. Of those numbers, fourteen women and five men were hanged, totaling 19. Additionally, one man was pressed to death with heavy rocks and four others died in jail awaiting trial. Two dogs lost their lives as well.

Historians have many theories about what caused the mass hysteria which consumed Salem in 1692, such as economic hardship, deliberate fraud, political motivations, mental illness, and even a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. But I believe fear thrust this simple, Puritan village into madness.

It’s easy to see how it could have happened when we compare it to what the world has witnessed in the last two years. When the Covid pandemic began, most people believed what the media and “experts” said. Whether it was staying locked down, closing businesses, standing six feet apart, or wearing a mask, people quickly complied. Next came the vaccine mandates and again, a large majority of the population obeyed. But over time it became obvious that something wasn’t quite right. In fact, the “science” wasn’t settled and the lies were slowly being exposed.

In Salem Village, the “science” proving bewitchment wasn’t settled either. The evidence used against the accused was merely circumstantial. Accusations were often made by citing “spectral evidence,” which refers to “a witness testimony that the accused person’s spirit or spectral shape appeared to him/her and was witnessed in a dream at the time the accused person’s physical body was at another location.” Accusers made statements such as, “She sent her spirit to my house and it crushed me. Then, I couldn’t breathe…She tried to make me sign the devil’s book.” Even though there was no direct proof of these visions and experiences, they were regarded as valid. Additionally, a person could simply accuse someone and as long as there was the slightest bit of circumstantial evidence to back up their story, it was considered credible.

In the Covid era, “facts” parroted by Anthony Fauci, the media, and government authorities were treated as valid, regardless of the lack of evidence. Even though there was no long-term safety data on the use of experimental Covid-19 vaccines, the media, authorities and government officials continued to make the false claims of “safe and effective.” Vaccine injuries and deaths increased, but the evidence was ignored. Instead, the opinions of billionaires and media giants who possess no medical expertise were propped up.

All this was reminiscent of Salem because regardless of the lack of evidence, the accusations flew like witches on brooms. These accusations were levied against the unvaccinated with great gusto. CDC director Rochelle Walensky warned that the U.S. was experiencing “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.” Even though this statement proved false, it was regarded as truth by vaccine enthusiasts and even led to the shaming of those who had refused the shots. During the Salem Witch Trials, many Puritan ministers quoted Exodus 22:18 which says, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” and reminded their congregations to “oust evil in their midst.” They did not stop to consider that the very people they were ousting were not super-spreaders of witchcraft, but instead innocent victims. The same was true of the Covid era, where the unvaccinated were portrayed as selfish super-spreaders who put their neighbors’ health in danger.

One of the biggest injustices of the Salem Witch Trials was the fact that the accused were not given due process under the law. Additionally, they were considered guilty until proven innocent. In 1692 English Common Law existed, but not the Constitution or Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, the residents of Salem were at the mercy of their accusers and the whims of the governing authorities. During a formal trial, the accused were not provided with a lawyer. This meant there was no one to cross examine any witnesses who testified against them, and no one to object while they were being questioned. The witness was given free rein to slander the accused. While the accused were permitted to ask questions of their accusers, often they lacked the education to defend themselves properly.

The “Covid Court” shares similarities to Salem’s halls of justice. For instance, many doctors who spoke out against the masks, Covid treatments and/or vaccines were threatened by governing authorities and licensing boards. They were not given the chance to properly present their side and defend themselves and were censored by YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and more. In many cases, they were punished through fines, or had their licenses revoked. Even nurses who spoke out against the narrative were given ultimatums. Open debate was not an option because the repeated mantra was, “The science is settled.”

Unlike the residents of Salem Village, the citizens of the United States live under the protection of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair trial, as well as freedom of speech and religion. Yet, these rights were overlooked as vaccine mandates were forced upon Americans. Compliance to mandates was accomplished through heavy coercion, a tactic used in Salem as well. During the 1692 trials, a confession was the best way for a court to secure a conviction. Ironically, none of the accused witches who actually confessed were sentenced to a public hanging. In fact, the accused soon realized that a confession could protect them from the court’s vengeance. Those who did not confess and professed their innocence received harsher punishments, including death by hanging. In the court of public opinion, their refusal showed they were “clinging obstinately to Satan.” Thus, most of the accused gave into the pressure as they were strongly coerced by community members to confess, regardless of the evidence. While many residents viewed the trials as utter madness, they feared they would be punished for raising objections and be accused as well. The same pattern unfolded in 2021 when businesses rolled out vaccine mandates. Many employees complied for fear of losing their jobs and livelihoods. Moreover, tourists jumped on the bandwagon to secure smooth travel in the future for both business and pleasure. From cruise lines to colleges, and even our military, no one was spared the far-reaching hand of Covid coercion.

Sadly, though the Puritans of Salem were deeply religious people, they did not offer mercy to those who really needed it. The same phenomenon enraptured the world because even religious exemptions to vaccination were denied. In America, where freedom of religion is a chief cornerstone, the strong arming of employees threatened to overpower this constitutional right that had been granted to citizens for over 230 years.

Whether it’s the Covid pandemic or the Salem Witch Trials, the common element that ties it all together is fear. This weapon was more lethal than any witch’s spell. It had the power to turn friends and neighbors into enemies. Though Salem experienced mass hysteria, the years of 2020-2022 showcased what many have now dubbed “mass formation psychosis.” Robert Malone, mRNA pioneer and inventor, has spent a great deal of time researching, speaking and writing about this. He describes the conditions needed to set up such a scenario (which he discovered by studying the theories of psychologist Dr. Mattias Desmet).

“The conditions to set up mass formation psychosis include lack of social connectedness and sensemaking as well as large amounts of latent anxiety and passive aggression. When people are inundated with a narrative that presents a plausible ‘object of anxiety’ and strategy for coping with it, then many individuals group together to battle the object with a collective singlemindedness. This allows people to stop focusing on their own problems, avoiding personal mental anguish. Instead, they focus all their thought and energy on this new object. As mass formation progresses the group becomes increasingly bonded and connected. Their field of attention is narrowed and they become unable to consider alternative points of view…left unabated, a society under the spell of mass formation will support a totalitarian governance structure capable of otherwise unthinkable atrocities in order to maintain compliance.”

As we compare 1692 to 2022, what can we do to combat history that keeps repeating itself? Clearly, the truth is the way we are set free and that truth comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ. As Christians, we must clearly discern fact from fiction to break free from the cauldron of fear and lies. Our eyes and ears must be fine-tuned to hear the Holy Spirit over the world’s ever-changing narratives.

The Salem Witch Trials didn’t end until the governor’s own wife was accused. Thereafter, the accusations began to unravel and the judges, authorities, and people realized grave mistakes had been made. In 1702 the General Court declared the trials had been unlawful and with time, most of the convicted were exonerated. In 1957, the state of Massachusetts formerly apologized for the trials, but it wasn’t until 2001 that the last of the wrongfully convicted were fully vindicated.

As history continues moving forward, we must pray that the vicious cycle of fear, accusations, and hysteria will end as we invite Jesus to bring peace and clarity to all present and future dilemmas affecting our communities and nation.

Lord Jesus, please do not allow the world to cast its spell of fear upon us. Instead, let us cast all our anxieties on you because you care for us (1 Peter 5:7). If we keep our minds fixed on you, we will have perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

How can we prevent history from repeating itself? What role do Christians play in stopping mass hysteria (mass formation psychosis)?

Angela Rodriguez is an author, blogger and homeschooling Mom who studies the historical and biblical connections between Israel and the United States. You can visit her blogs at 67owls.com and 100trumpets.com. Her latest book, Psalm 91: Under the Wings of Jesus, was released in June 2021. Photo Credit: engin akyurt on Unsplash.