How about Demons?: Possession and Exorcism in the Modern World

by Felicitas D. Goodman

"Quite an interesting book . . . " ―Religious Studies Review

"It is by far superior to anything else on demons we have seen in the past few years." ―The American Rationalist

" . . . Goodman is to be commended for a stimulating and wide-reaching treatment of a compelling and much-debated subject." ―Journal of Folklore Research

Rich in detail derived from the author's fieldwork and the anthropological literature, this work paints a picture of possession as one of the usually positive and most widespread of human religious experiences. It also details the ritual of exorcism, which is applied when things go wrong.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Anthropology, Paranormal

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodman's introduction covers possession as both a positive and a negative phenomenon. She doesn't limit herself to classical Christian demon possession, but considers, from an anthropologist's view, those religions where possession is good. Drawing the connection between multiple personality syndrome and possession (she does not equate the two) Goodman notes that speaking in tongues and possession bear more than passing similarities. She begins by looking at Spiritualism, Umbanda, and Pentecostalism as examples of where possession is desired. She also relates this to Vodun (voodoo) where gods, not demons, possess people.

Goodman then moves onto some negative examples: ghost possession and the demonic variety. She lingers a while on multiple personality syndrome and classical demonic possession. She compares ideas from Japan to those from America and Europe. Isolating case studies, she explores the sad case of Anneliese Michel, a young German woman who died after an exorcism and whose case became famous because of a court trial and a fictionalized movie. Unlike some scientific approaches, Goodman doesn't dismiss the possibility of spirits outright but remains agnostic on the issue.

This is a very good resource with some keen insight onto the question of what possession might be. I offer some further thoughts here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.

[Corey Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate Felicitas Goodman's overall neutrality with respect to metaphysics when it comes to demon possession. She offers a great overview of various cultural biases (good or bad), and always seems to juggle - in a natural way - between different points of view when it comes to what is actually happening to people. She'll talk of "alters", psychoanalysis, and multiple personality disorder one moment, and then alien presences and holy water the next. She seems to see everything with the spectrum of multiple disciplines, which I find intriguing and atypical. She does the same with respect to multiple religious beliefs as well, even contradictory ones, citing a distinct difference between the possession of Western and Eastern peoples.

Well researched. Unbiased. And intriguing.

[S. Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that I adore Dr. Goodman and her work. This book is no exception. I truly appreciate the body of knowledge she has assembled in this one title, addressing mental illness, spiritual intrusions, modern methods of approaching both and tribal wisdom to distinguish the two. Dr. Goodman provides a bridge between healing approaches that is incredibly under appreciated.