Michelle Smith (author)
Michelle Smith (born
September 27 1949; maiden name
Proby) is a
Canadian author.
Michelle was born and raised in
Victoria, British Columbia. As a child, Michelle attended St. Margarets private school in Victoria from 1955 to 1964. Michelle then moved on to St. Ann's Academy (another private school) where she graduated from in 1967. Michelle then attended University where she studied psychology.
In the early to mid 1970s Michelle was married to her first husband Doug Smith with whom she had one child (Tertia).
Michelle's steps to notority began when she met psychiatrist Dr.
Lawrence Pazder after being referred to him for psychiatric treatment in 1973. In 1976 when Dr. Pazder was treating Michelle for depression (related to her having had a miscarriage), Michelle confided she felt that she had something important to tell him, but could not remember what it was. With the help of Dr. Pazder, Michelle eventually recovered memories of alleged
Satanic ritual abuse that had occurred against her in the 1950s at the hands of her parents (Virginia and Jack Proby) and others in Victoria. Michelle would eventually spend many hours with Dr. Pazder recalling her alleged memories of Satanic ritual abuse. Dr. Pazder eventually diagnosed Michelle with
Multiple Personality Disorder. As part of Dr. Pazder's treatment, Michelle converted to
Catholicism and took part in an
exorcism. Michelle (along with Dr. Pazder) also took the claims to
the Vatican for official sanction. The chronicles of her recovered memories and therapy with Dr. Pazder were detailed in the book
Michelle Remembers that she co-authored with Dr. Pazder. This book was published in 1980 and was the first alleged survivor account of Satanic ritual abuse.
During the writing of
Michelle Remembers (the late 1970s), Michelle divorced her first husband to marry Dr. Pazder (who had also divorced his spouse).
After the publication of
Michelle Remembers, Michelle appeared on talk shows with Dr. Pazder to discuss her alleged experiences. When Dr. Pazder was called in asa consultant on high profile Satan ritual abuse cases, Michelle was also brought in to assist as well (e.g.: Michelle acted as a counsellor for children allegedly abusedin the
McMartin Preschool case).
Ultimately, the claims made in
Michelle Remembers were rejected by the Catholic Church. Subsqeuent investigations into the claims also found no evidence to support them. When investigations started to question the validity of the claims made in
Michelle Remembers, Michelle stopped giving interviews. In a 1990 investigation by
The Mail on Sunday, Dr. Pazder would not allow Michelle to be questioned. When asked by The Mail on Sunday "Does it matter if it was true, or is the fact that Michelle believed it happened to her the most important thing?", Dr. Pazder replied: "Yes, that's right. ... For her it was very real. ... We are all eager to prove or disprove what happened, but in the end it doesn't matter."
Michelle still lives in Victoria. She has two sisters (Tertia and Charyl), a half brother Richard Lyons and a daughter Tertia Ackinclose who all live in BC.
*
"Michelle Remembers: The Debunking of a Myth" - an article in The Mail on Sunday*
Pagan Protection Center: Kerr Cuhulain on Michelle Remembers
