Have you ever dropped a coin into one of those funnel-shaped donation wells at a museum or zoo? It starts off slow, looping wide around the outer rim. But as it spirals inward, it picks up speed and dips lower—until it disappears down the center.
That’s what the Satanic Spin is like.
It’s Satan’s way of using our brain chemistry and memories to slowly spin us out of control—until we lose a battle against our value system. If we don’t notice the early signs, we’ll get pulled deeper and faster until we fall.
But here’s the good news: you can interrupt the Spin at any point. The sooner you catch it, the easier it is to stop.
1. The Flash
The Spin begins with a Flash. This is a moment—a thought, sound, image, smell, memory, or physical sensation—that grabs your attention. It might be as subtle as a glimpse of something out of the corner of your eye or a thought that flickers across your mind too quickly to notice.
Not all Flashes come from Satan, but he often uses them as opportunities to strike. For example, seeing someone dressed suggestively isn’t necessarily Satan’s doing—but if your brain locks onto that image and starts spinning, he’ll gladly jump in.
This Flash triggers a biochemical reaction in the brain.
2. The Chemical Spill
The Flash causes a chemical reaction in your brain—we call this the Spill. It’s like someone tilting a cup and pouring in a mix of brain chemicals: adrenaline, cortisol, dopamine, and more. These chemicals affect your body and mood. You might feel anxious, irritated, tempted, or just… off.
You’re still in control, but your system has shifted. The danger is that these subtle feelings can intensify without you realizing it, dragging you closer to the center of the Spin.
3. The Mood Shift
As the chemicals continue to drip, you slide into a mood. Maybe you start feeling discouraged, insecure, frustrated, or lonely. You might not even realize why. But your brain notices.
Your mind begins searching for other times you’ve felt this way. This happens automatically and almost instantly—because your brain wants to understand what’s going on. It starts flipping through your mental ‘filing cabinet’ to find a match.
4. The Filing Cabinet
Your brain stores everything—every conversation, every smell, every emotional memory. When you feel something, it tries to connect the dots.
It finds a memory where you felt the same way, and that memory becomes the next Flash. You start a new lap around the funnel. Each lap adds more chemicals, more mood shifts, and more painful or tempting memories. And with each lap, the coin drops lower—closer to losing the battle.
That’s the Satanic Spin. Flash. Spill. Mood. Memory. Repeat.
5. The Spin Drives the Scale
The Spin is the top-down view of the funnel. The Chemical Scale is the side view. As you cycle through the Spin repeatedly, you drop down the Scale—from Level 0 (value-based, connected choices) to Level 10 (crash/loss).
It doesn’t usually take just one lap to go from Level 0 to Level 1. Sometimes it takes hours and multiple laps. The early laps are slow and wide—you might not even notice them. But each lap adds speed and intensity.
People often wake up at Level 1 or 2 just from ordinary life—bad sleep, illness, stress. Satan will use that to his advantage. But the goal is always the same: to get you spinning faster and faster until your values are blurry and temptation takes over.
6. Breaking the Spin
Here’s the most important truth: the Spin can be interrupted.
Just because you’ve been Flashed doesn’t mean you have to keep spinning. You can recognize the chemical shift, catch the mood change, and stop the loop before it gains momentum.
Tools like MAN PWR goals, spiritual connection, reaching out to someone, or engaging in physical action can all help reset your chemistry. You can also use a ‘counter-Flash’—an intentional thought or image that connects you to God, to someone you love, or to a positive memory.
Picture your child laughing, recite your favorite scripture, imagine Christ’s face—whatever helps you re-center on truth and interrupt the Spin.
7. How to Spot the Spin Early
– Pay attention to when you feel “off.” Don’t wait until you’re deep in temptation.
– Set emotional “alarms” for yourself—feeling irritable, isolating, zoning out, getting short with others.
– Write down common Flashes and memory patterns that tend to spiral you.
– Practice recognizing the Spin in non-sinful moments (like that third donut you didn’t need to eat!).
– Commit to spiritual practices that keep you at Level 0—scripture, prayer, connection, purpose.
The Satanic Spin is real, but it’s not unbeatable. By learning how your brain works and listening to the Spirit, you can stop the Spin before it sends you crashing.
You were born to fight back—and win.
Start noticing the early laps. Stay at Level 0. And when you feel the pull, anchor yourself in your identity, your purpose, and your God.
Article written by Bryton Peterson, therapist intern, who works with the Men of Moroni and Sons of Helaman programs. If you are struggling, please contact Bryton at 801-920-7025 or book directly on his calendar for a free consultation.
