It is not known to what extent accusations of groups worshiping Satan in the time of the witch trials identified people who did consider themselves Satanists, rather than being the result of religious superstition or mass hysteria, or charges made against individuals suffering from mental illness.
Det vides ikke, i hvilket omfang beskyldningerne af tilbedelse af Satan i tiden af hekseprocesserne identificerende mennesker, som anså sig selv for at være satanister, snarere end at være et resultat af religiøs overtro, massehysteri eller anklagerne mod personer, der lider af psykisk sygdom.