She Traded Darkness For The TruthShe Traded Darkness For The Truth
The Call with Nancy Sabato
Author Jac Marino Chen recounts her path from childhood trauma and deep involvement in new age and occult practices to crying out to Jesus during a spiritual attack. The conversation highlights how one Bible verse, persistent prayer and God’s grace shifted her from despair to lasting peace and freedom in Christ.
30:59•17 Aug 2026
She Traded Darkness for Truth: From Occult Practices to Freedom in Christ
Episode Overview
- Hidden childhood abuse and a parent’s addiction can drive people to seek escape in control, self-harm and supernatural experiences.
- New age and occult practices may look like healing and light, but Jac describes them as an illusion that left her emptier, darker and spiritually trapped.
- A single, well-timed Bible verse from her grandfather (“Jesus is the way and the truth and the life…”) quietly challenged her entire belief system.
- During a severe spiritual attack, crying out to Jesus brought an immediate sense of peace and the conviction that she had been wrong and He was right.
- Family and friends are urged to pray, share Scripture boldly and care more about a loved one’s eternal soul than about keeping the peace.
“I heard myself cry out, ‘Jesus Christ, save me.’ And just like that, in that moment, I felt the peace that I had been desperately searching for my whole life.”
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? This conversation on **The Call with Nancy Sabato** follows author Jac Marino Chen as she talks honestly about moving from childhood trauma and occult practices into a relationship with Jesus. Jac recalls growing up assuming she was Christian, while carrying the hidden weight of sexual abuse and a father’s drug and alcohol addiction.
With no real understanding of Christ to turn to, she chased escape in supernatural experiences, from UFO encounters and Ouija boards to new age teachings, tarot, crystals, astrology and, eventually, full-blown ritual magic. As she puts it, new age spirituality seemed to “put the wand in my own hand” and promise control over a life filled with pain and shame.
Things escalated as she joined an occult order, performed ceremonies in black robes in a Masonic temple, and felt a growing sense of doom. She describes believing she was too far gone, even flirting with the idea that suicide might bring hope. The turning point came when her grandfather calmly quoted John 14:6: *“Jesus is the way and the truth and the life.
And no one comes to the Father except through Him.”* That single verse lodged in her mind and quietly worked on her heart. The climax of her story is both chilling and beautiful.
During a spiritual attack in her studio flat, she collapsed and cried out, “Jesus Christ, save me.” She says, “Just like that… I felt the peace that I had been desperately searching for my whole life.” From there, she started reading the Bible herself and realised she’d been “trading gold, treasure for trash.” This episode speaks strongly to anyone tangled up in new age or occult practices, and to families watching from the sidelines, unsure what to do.
You’ll hear clear encouragement to pray, to share Scripture boldly, and to trust that “lost people need the gospel” even when they look fine on the outside. Could this be the nudge you or someone you love needs to step out of darkness and into truth?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.