SCP-9304 - Anima Munda

Item#: 9304

Level2

Containment Class:

safe

Secondary Class:

none

Disruption Class:

keneq

Risk Class:

notice

link to memo

SCP-9304 before its removal from Cowlys Church

Special Containment Procedures: Integrity checks of the soundproofing and restraints are to be carried out daily. Noise cancelling headphones are to be tested before every confession. Until further notice SCP-9304 is to be held in the Items of Religious Significance wing of Site-12. Requests for access are to be sent to your Ethics Committee representative.

Description: SCP-9304 is a confessional constructed in late 18th Century Wales. It is carved from a single piece of Roloab wood and features iconography from multiple religions and backgrounds, primarily Catholic Christian but also includes the Eldar Futhark rune Gebo, the Hindu deity Lord Vishnu, and the Egyptian Goddess Ma'at. Two non-human deities associated with Fey practices are also included. According to early photographs the confessional originally had kneeling pads for both Penitent and Confessor, an uncommon arrangement at the time.

It is believed to have been constructed as an alternative to the outlawed practice of Sin-Eating. According to notes gathered during Operation ROSEBUSH, the confessional purportedly allows for the guilt of the Penitent to be transferred to the Confessor.

History: Installed in Cowlys Church, Pembrokeshire, in 1834, it remained in place until 1847, when spiralling repair costs caused a new church to be built to replace the failing building. At some point during the building and move, the confessional was lost and didn't resurface publicly until the late 1940s in the hands of Dr M Francis, a therapist specialising in treating World War Two veterans. They gained popularity in the Oxfordshire area, with claims of a "miracle cure" that led to an expose in Psychology Weekly and the Doctors arrest for kidnapping and false imprisonment in 1949. The therapist had removed both of the kneeling pads, replaced with simple chairs bolted to the floor, and hidden one side of the confessional behind a false wall where the kidnapped individual was found. Littlemore Hospital had recently joined the NHS and took them in until they passed in 1956. They were never identified.

The expose was flagged by the British Occult Service who sent agents to investigate, but upon reaching the therapist's office discovered that it had been bought wholesale by Marshall Carter & Dark and had been stripped bare.

Acquisition: In 2021 as part of Operation ROSEBUSH, a raid was carried out on a health spa operated by Marshall, Carter & Dark. The intention was to uncover a Pudelan smuggling ring, and recover any other items of interest. SCP-9304 was clad in soundproof panelling with one door removed and only identified as an item of interest when an individual was found inside the locked partition. Upon discovery of the security logs, object was identified as potentially anomalous pending testing.

Testing:

The specific contents of the security logs have unsurprisingly been secured away several clearances higher than I have, but from what I've seen of the waiting list they have no shortage of clients requesting the use of the "Anima Munda" or "Clean Soul" booth.
Whether this really does have anything to do with spiritual cleansing or is just a very good placebo is yet to be seen.

- Lead Researcher A. Larkin

- Close

Penitent

Confession

Confessor

Result

Jr Rchr Ellinson

Unpaid parking tickets.

D-25389

Ellinson stated that they did feel better having admitted their guilt, nothing conclusively anomalous. Ellinson promises to pay their parking tickets. No discernible change in D-25389 behaviour.

Guard Roberts

Cheated on a test in High School.

D-48616

Roberts stated that they "Can't believe I let that bother me for so long!". No discernible change in D-48616 behaviour until that evenings recreation time where they got into an argument with another D-Class over poker. D-48616 had not previously been noticeably confrontational and the outburst was remarked to be out of character.

Janitorial Staff

Passed Classified documents to the Chaos Insurgency.

D-72365

Janitor misunderstood what the SCP was doing and believed it to absolve them of the crime, and did not display any particular guilt. They have been taken for questioning, D-72365 was amnesticised as a precautionary measure and rotated out for observation.

Researcher Jones

Cheated on diet.

D-78902

During that evenings meal time, D-78902 was seen to pick up a muffin for dessert, look confused and put it back. Jones had two muffins.

We've double and triple checked, the booth is soundproof and the sound-cancelling headphones are checked before and after, they can't hear the confession being made and yet there does seem to be a corresponding change. An altered conscience perhaps? Something more targeted may yield better results

- Lead Researcher A. Larkin

- Close

Penitent

Confession

Confessor

Result

Guard Evans

Teenage Shoplifting.

D-45681

D-45681 was chosen because of previous convictions for shoplifting. Upon interview they expressed a general dislike of the idea of shoplifting, but did not display any additional remorse for their particular crimes.

F. Newland

Penitent has been unemployed for over 18 months and expressed guilt over their laziness and lack of progress.

Asst. Rchr. Blesow

Blesow was chosen due to repeated underperformance and poor work ethic. Bleslow showed an increase in productivity over the next week, achieving a 'Satisfactory' assessment from their supervisor.

While we had positive results initially, Bleslows performance is steadily slipping back, and they are now developing signs of clinical depression, plus Newland is just as lazy as they were before only now they don't seem to care.
Trying to use negative emotions for a positive response may not be the way forward, but I have got an idea of which direction to go.
- Lead Researcher A. Larkin

- Close

Penitent

Confession

Confessor

Result

MTF Agent ████████

During an outbreak of SCP-610, Agent ████████ was required to terminate several civilians, several of whom were elderly.

D-91635

Agent ████████ showed an immediate improvement in mood and stating they "always told myself that it was a mercy, but I never really believed it till now". Agent ████████ went on to recommend several past and current colleagues they believe could benefit from SCP-XXXX. D-91635 was subdued but otherwise well, during recreation they were seen to cry at a TV ad for the SunLife over 50s Plan.

███ ████████

████████ was stationed at SCP-231 for 6 weeks. Due to a high Cognitive Manipulation Resistance Rating they are unable to successfully utilise amnestics without risking brain damage

D-84427

Improvement in ████████ is remarkable, they too asked if they could recommend a friend, I suspect that we are not going to run out of confessions any time soon. D-84427 didn't talk for several hours, but was otherwise unharmed. My theory is that the specific circumstances and frankly unusualness of the guilt means that D-84427 will have no frame of reference for it, and without anything to keep it in active memory, it will fade over time.

████ ██████

[REDACTED]

D-74231

[REDACTED]. D-74231 was conscious but took 5 minutes to regain alertness.

[REDACTED]

D-84427

D-84427 remained unresponsive to external stimuli for 80 minutes, where they eventually came to and asked to go back to their cell.

Lead Rchr. A Larkin

[REDACTED]

D-69248

D-69248 is shown to display increased empathy towards the other D-Class.

[REDACTED]

D-84427

D-84427 is physically unharmed.

[REDACTED]

D-84427

D-84427 is alive.

[REDACTED]

D-84427

D-84427 is alive.

[REDACTED]

D-84427

[REDACTED]

D-84427

[REDACTED]

NOTICE FROM THE ETHICS COMMITTEE

On 23/07/██, D-84427 was conducting one of their secondary duties which included the transportation of hazardous materials for destruction, when they intentionally released the pressure valves on several volatile waste containers, causing a large explosion. The resultant damage to the site infrastructure allowed SCP-███ to temporarily escape containment. SCP-███ was recaptured 42 minutes later and the containment breach declared secure. There were 4 fatalities including D-84427. It is not believed that they had intended to cause the containment breach.

Lead Researcher Larkin has been suspended pending psychological evaluation after repeated daily use of SCP-9304

SCP-9304 will remain secured under EC control until such time as suitable Ethical Guidelines have been drafted

— The Ethics Committee

- Close

D-84427 Cell.

Addendum: After a routine data scrape to check for manipulated files, the following deleted access log was found, it has only been partially recovered:

- Close

AUDIO LOG

DATE: 18/11/██

LOCATION: SCP-9304 Containment

[BEGIN LOG]

00:00: Motion sensors activate

00:01: ACCESS DENIED, LOCKDOWN ON COMMAND OF ETHICS COMMITTEE

00:02 - 00:03: An audible sigh is heard
[Unknown]: "Fine, wait there."
A thud and slide are heard, followed by sounds of typing

00:03: ACCESS GRANTED, WELCOME, ADMINISTRATOR

00:04 - 00:07: Muffled scraping is heard, followed by the door on SCP-9304 being locked

00:09: [Administrator]:"Forgive me Father for I have sinned, this is my first confes5okbnnnn.;,;……. .. ."