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Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption
The best-selling author of The Road Less Traveled reveals his more than twenty-five-year work as a psychiatrist and exorcist, discussing his early skepticism about the integration of psychiatry and religion, two of his most significant cases, and his beliefs about free will and the forces of evil. 75,000 first printing.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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About the author
M. Scott Peck
103 books1,664 followersMorgan Scott Peck was an American psychiatrist and best-selling author who wrote the book The Road Less Traveled, published in 1978.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
February 2, 2008
I feel a little unfair rating this book, since I'm apparently not anywhere near the intended audience. Peck is not going to convince anyone who doesn't already believe in actual demons and in Satan as an entity, and even those who believe in such things might find that this book stretches their credulity.
This book, as near as I can figure, expands upon two situations mentioned in Peck's earlier work, People of the Lie, where he encountered women in his psychiatric practice who he believed to be possessed. In the early eighties, Peck became interested in exorcism and possession and whether these could somehow be scientifically proven. In the process, he became acquainted with Malachai Martin, author of Hostage to the Devil. This already had my eyebrows shooting up, since Martin was a controversial figure and more than a little bit of a huckster. Martin eventually asked Peck to investigate the case of a young woman named Jersey, who believed herself to be possessed.
Peck meets Jersey, and almost immediately recognizes the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder, yet he uses hypnotism to speak directly to the "demons," and they convince him that there might be some truth to Jersey's belief. He agrees to continue to investigate the case. Soon after this, during a psychiatric interview, Jersey suddenly has what appears to be a psychotic break, exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia, but this ends abruptly when Peck tells her to "cut it out." Peck finds this sudden change "breathtaking," and he takes it as evidence of possession. This is interesting, since I've read at least one account of a woman with BPD who suffered from extremely brief episodes of psychosis that usually resolved themselves within an hour. Anyway, Peck goes ahead with a deliverance (an intense prayer session designed to relieve the sufferer of demonic influences), and when that affords only temporary relief, he performs a full-on exorcism, which takes four days. At the end, there is a marked improvement in Jersey's condition, but Peck himself states that his initial assessment was that "at most, what the exorcism did was to transform a severe untreatable borderline personality into a severe treatable one."
At this point, my reaction as a reader was basically that I thought Peck was misinterpreting psychiatric symptoms as demon possession, but Jersey did seem to be helped by the exorcism, so maybe it was a case of "no harm, no foul." Then Peck does something I consider to be unconscionable.
Peck is of the belief that possession can only occur if the victim leaves the demons an opening. Because both he and Jersey have come to believe that Jersey was possessed sometime around twelve years old, Peck spends a lot of time trying to find out what happened that gave the demons a foothold. Gradually it comes out that after Jersey had her appendix out when she was twelve, her father sexually molested her under the guise of medically examining her. While her father had a PhD in psychology and had a practice of seeing his patients in a starched white coat, he was not a medical doctor. Jersey emphatically swears up and down that she thought he was, but Peck tells her that at the age of twelve, she should have known that he was not a medical doctor and that what he was doing was wrong. Thus, her decision to lie to herself was what gave the demons a foothold and caused her possession. Peck emphatically tells her that no one would blame her, and that it was perhaps a necessary lie -- but it was a lie nonetheless, and that's what caused her to be infested by demons for the following fifteen years. "During the twelve days that followed," Peck writes, "we were to go over her father's sexual molestation several times, elaborating on the unfairness of it as well as the unfairness that the devil had taken advantage of such a tiny and pardonable wrong choice. But I also emphasized during those times that it had been, in fact, a wrong choice on her part. ... I repeatedly told her that God is truth, and truth is what is real. The choice to believe her father's lie because it was the less painful alternative was a choice to believe unreality. And unreality belonged to the devil.(p. 83)" I, frankly, have no words to respond to this, except that I consider it to be one of the most f-ed up things a therapist could tell a survivor of sexual abuse.
At any rate, this is getting long, but my main reaction on reading this case study and that of the other woman Peck exorcised, is that I'm glad that Peck stopped practicing as a psychiatrist in the mid-eighties in favor of the lecture circuit, and I hope he didn't infect too many other mental health professionals with his ideas.
This book, as near as I can figure, expands upon two situations mentioned in Peck's earlier work, People of the Lie, where he encountered women in his psychiatric practice who he believed to be possessed. In the early eighties, Peck became interested in exorcism and possession and whether these could somehow be scientifically proven. In the process, he became acquainted with Malachai Martin, author of Hostage to the Devil. This already had my eyebrows shooting up, since Martin was a controversial figure and more than a little bit of a huckster. Martin eventually asked Peck to investigate the case of a young woman named Jersey, who believed herself to be possessed.
Peck meets Jersey, and almost immediately recognizes the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder, yet he uses hypnotism to speak directly to the "demons," and they convince him that there might be some truth to Jersey's belief. He agrees to continue to investigate the case. Soon after this, during a psychiatric interview, Jersey suddenly has what appears to be a psychotic break, exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia, but this ends abruptly when Peck tells her to "cut it out." Peck finds this sudden change "breathtaking," and he takes it as evidence of possession. This is interesting, since I've read at least one account of a woman with BPD who suffered from extremely brief episodes of psychosis that usually resolved themselves within an hour. Anyway, Peck goes ahead with a deliverance (an intense prayer session designed to relieve the sufferer of demonic influences), and when that affords only temporary relief, he performs a full-on exorcism, which takes four days. At the end, there is a marked improvement in Jersey's condition, but Peck himself states that his initial assessment was that "at most, what the exorcism did was to transform a severe untreatable borderline personality into a severe treatable one."
At this point, my reaction as a reader was basically that I thought Peck was misinterpreting psychiatric symptoms as demon possession, but Jersey did seem to be helped by the exorcism, so maybe it was a case of "no harm, no foul." Then Peck does something I consider to be unconscionable.
Peck is of the belief that possession can only occur if the victim leaves the demons an opening. Because both he and Jersey have come to believe that Jersey was possessed sometime around twelve years old, Peck spends a lot of time trying to find out what happened that gave the demons a foothold. Gradually it comes out that after Jersey had her appendix out when she was twelve, her father sexually molested her under the guise of medically examining her. While her father had a PhD in psychology and had a practice of seeing his patients in a starched white coat, he was not a medical doctor. Jersey emphatically swears up and down that she thought he was, but Peck tells her that at the age of twelve, she should have known that he was not a medical doctor and that what he was doing was wrong. Thus, her decision to lie to herself was what gave the demons a foothold and caused her possession. Peck emphatically tells her that no one would blame her, and that it was perhaps a necessary lie -- but it was a lie nonetheless, and that's what caused her to be infested by demons for the following fifteen years. "During the twelve days that followed," Peck writes, "we were to go over her father's sexual molestation several times, elaborating on the unfairness of it as well as the unfairness that the devil had taken advantage of such a tiny and pardonable wrong choice. But I also emphasized during those times that it had been, in fact, a wrong choice on her part. ... I repeatedly told her that God is truth, and truth is what is real. The choice to believe her father's lie because it was the less painful alternative was a choice to believe unreality. And unreality belonged to the devil.(p. 83)" I, frankly, have no words to respond to this, except that I consider it to be one of the most f-ed up things a therapist could tell a survivor of sexual abuse.
At any rate, this is getting long, but my main reaction on reading this case study and that of the other woman Peck exorcised, is that I'm glad that Peck stopped practicing as a psychiatrist in the mid-eighties in favor of the lecture circuit, and I hope he didn't infect too many other mental health professionals with his ideas.
July 6, 2016
Very, very fascinating. I'm not a huge believer in Satan, but this opened my mind a little on the subject of possession.
My favorite parts:
"I gave examples from my clinical practice of how love was not wholly a thought or feeling. I told of how that very evening there would be some man sitting at a bar in the local village, crying into his beer and sputtering to the bartender how much he loved his wife and children while at the same time he was wasting his family's money and depriving them of his attention. We recounted how this man was thinking love and feeling love--were they not real tears in his eyes?--but he was not in truth behaving with love." [pg 55:]
"Since the primary motive of the evil is disguise, one of the places evil people are most likely to be found is within the church. What better way to conceal one's evil from oneself as well as from others than to be a deacon or some other highly visible form of Christian within our culture." [pg 148:]
The most interesting thing about M. Scott Peck, M.D. is his credibility. He is a graduate of Harvard and Case Western Reserve and he was at first highly skeptical of this subject. While I may not be 100% convinced, Peck is the type of credible, mentally stable, intelligent source that I look for when researching a new subject. He's no religious nut. He encourages questioning and doubting. He's a Christian I can get on board with. Dammit, I just looked him up and he passed away in 2005. I would have liked to have dinner with the man.
My favorite parts:
"I gave examples from my clinical practice of how love was not wholly a thought or feeling. I told of how that very evening there would be some man sitting at a bar in the local village, crying into his beer and sputtering to the bartender how much he loved his wife and children while at the same time he was wasting his family's money and depriving them of his attention. We recounted how this man was thinking love and feeling love--were they not real tears in his eyes?--but he was not in truth behaving with love." [pg 55:]
"Since the primary motive of the evil is disguise, one of the places evil people are most likely to be found is within the church. What better way to conceal one's evil from oneself as well as from others than to be a deacon or some other highly visible form of Christian within our culture." [pg 148:]
The most interesting thing about M. Scott Peck, M.D. is his credibility. He is a graduate of Harvard and Case Western Reserve and he was at first highly skeptical of this subject. While I may not be 100% convinced, Peck is the type of credible, mentally stable, intelligent source that I look for when researching a new subject. He's no religious nut. He encourages questioning and doubting. He's a Christian I can get on board with. Dammit, I just looked him up and he passed away in 2005. I would have liked to have dinner with the man.
November 7, 2015
This discussion delves further into the details of the book than most of my reviews because I have some issues with the ethical behavior of the author of this book.
Though some might feel that a book recounting exorcisms is written on shaky foundation, I believe in the supernatural and, more specifically, the existence of evil spirits we call “demons.” I am not, however, a Christian, so I bring my own opinions to the reading of these stories, which is the impetus for this review. I believe that every spiritual explanation–from major religions to individual experiences–is like a blind man trying to describe an elephant. The observation touches on something true about the whole, but the interpretation misses the entire picture.
In Glimpses of the Devil, Dr. Peck, who is a psychiatrist and converted Christian, recounts two experiences where he acted as an exorcist. He holds these two cases up as proof of demonic possession. Enough evidence exists in what he presented that, if he has presented everything factually, I believe these are cases of true demon possession.
However, I disagree with his interpretation of events in two specific areas.
Glimpses of the Devil is described as a factual representation of events; however, it ends up as an autobiographical account of a man who decides, without religious or demonological training, to exorcise two patients. This becomes clear throughout the book as Dr. Peck wrestles with his decision. One of my chief concerns regarding all this is that he never asks, “Should I do further research into exorcisms beyond reading Malachi Martin‘s books?”
Mr. Martin is widely criticized in the exorcist community as writing sensational books full of half-truths and for decidedly un-Christian-like conduct, such as several affairs. Dr. Peck goes so far as to claim that no other handbook for exorcisms exists beyond Mr. Martin’s, which is patently untrue. Dr. Peck’s ignorance of the best practices in dealing with demons is evident from the beginning.
The first case is Jersey, a girl who has been possessed since she was twelve. Dr. Peck and his team exorcise her, which goes well. He then spends three weeks with her in psychoanalytic therapy, preparing her for re-entering the world.
After the exorcism, Dr. Peck is in contact with her over the years. During one visit, she explains to him that the demons still talk to her, but she is able to ignore them. In one instance, she told them to “shut the **** up,” and they did. However, out of curiosity, Dr. Peck asks to hypnotize her, as he did in the past, and to speak to the demons through her. She agrees and the resulting conversation is confusing. Nothing particularly demonic happens; instead, the entity speaking through Jersey identifies itself as a clerk living in Anaheim. He ends the hypnotic session and sees her rarely after that, though she, at press time, is happy, healthy, and no longer possessed.
I am appalled. Shame on you, Dr. Peck, for opening the door to allow a demon to speak through Jersey. I won’t be surprised if the ending to the story is that she ends up possessed again.
Look, I’m no expert, but I have read a few things and I have some common sense. One of the preeminent exorcists of our times, Father Gabriele Amorth, has given extensive precautionary information in An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories. These two books are not pea-soup-spitting horrors but are thoughtfully written tradesman’s books–discussions of the nuts and bolts and challenges facing exorcists. They could be about plumbing or IT development but are instead about exorcisms. At the time that Dr. Peck conducted his exorcisms, the books had not yet been written; however, I would expect a non-fiction published in 2005 to at least acknowledge the existence of Father Amorth’s books.
In his books, Father Amorth advises, quite sensibly, against engaging a demon in conversation. Assuming you believe demons are creatures of inherent evil and you aren’t interested in unleashing evil into the world, you can agree that you shouldn’t talk to them. Why? Because they lie. Even if they’re not lying about whatever you ask, how do you know that? You’re begging to be manipulated. What is there to learn, other than that they’re evil, which you already know?
It’s an exciting, gripping, fascinating world to step into. The lure of talking to something not human is immense. It’s no wonder the Catholic Church refuses to promote its work in the realm of exorcisms.
This deviation from “get the hell out of that woman” to “hey, guy, whatcha doin’ in there?” becomes prominent in the second patient’s exorcism. Dr. Peck is fascinated with the idea that Beccah is possessed by Satan, an evil creature millions of years old. He senses a giant, immoveable snake, as old as the world itself, coiled supernaturally around or inside of his patient. He wonders why it has possessed her. He asks it questions. He hypothesizes why it won’t leave her. He does everything except exorcise it.
I wasn’t there. I don’t know. Maybe it went differently, and his ruminations are for the book only. But the exorcism of Beccah took a subtle shift from the exorcism of Jersey. With Jersey, he very strongly orders the demons to leave for three days straight. With Beccah, he ends up falling to the floor weeping at one point and another team member must step in and complete the exorcism. Is it no wonder that it turned out the way it did?
I’m also uncomfortable with the conclusions that Dr. Peck has drawn, aided by Malachi Martin, about the reasons behind demonic possession. Both men claim that every possessed person is complicit in their possession, that to become possessed, one must open the door for that possession, even if only a crack.
When the first patient Jersey was twelve, her father molested her. She allowed him to do it because he claimed to be a medical doctor and was “examining” her after her appendix was removed. He held a PhD and was a practicing psychologist but was not a medical doctor.
Dr. Peck claims that at twelve years old, Jersey knew the difference between a psychologist and a medical doctor. Though he doesn’t outright blame her, he explains that in not protesting what her father did to her, she created a kind of cognitive dissonance that allowed the demons to gain a foothold. She willfully believed a lie, and therefore, she opened the door to being possessed.
Are you kidding me, Dr. Peck?
I have no idea why that poor girl was possessed, but the only proof the author had that her demonic interference started at twelve was her word while she was possessed. It could have been one of the demons speaking through her to hide the real timing and cause of the possession. Her bad behavior only starts manifesting in her twenties. Why did the demons wait so long?
And I just don’t agree with the idea of Jersey bringing this on herself because she was molested. “Oh,” Dr. Peck says, “you didn’t bring the molestation on yourself; however, you did bring the possession on yourself.”
In healing psychological trauma, it’s important to identify and acknowledge all feelings. Thus in a rape, a victim might say, “I feel that I brought this on myself.” While this may be a turning point for the victim, the turning point is because he or she is releasing that negative thought. A follow-up might be an acknowledgement that she didn’t bring it on herself or perhaps that she could have taken a different route home but had no way of knowing what would happen. It is not suddenly a fact that the victim brought the horrific tragedy on herself just because she thinks she did. It’s psychologically freeing–which we see in the case of Jersey–but that doesn’t make it true.
This preoccupation becomes even more apparent in Beccah’s case, and Dr. Peck’s search for the moment of her possession may have distracted him from being useful to her. Beccah was found wandering six streets away from her home when she was eighteen months old. Though little is known of her mother beyond that she was seen by Beccah as evil, this is exceedingly atypical behavior by a child in that age range, as asserted by Dr. Peck himself. Non-traumatized children nine months to several years old are afraid of strangers and cling desperately to their mothers. That Beccah ran away from home before she could talk says that she was already maladjusted, due to her circumstances, well before she had a choice in the matter.
While it is important to note that everyone has a choice and that choice is important in defeating a demon, we are all victims of our circumstances. A woman may end up being narcissistic because she was genetically predisposed and her mother modeled that behavior; she may free herself from it by taking responsibility for her actions. Going in is not a choice, but coming out is.
The very definition of a demon is a creature that preys on human victims. Have we forgotten what victims are? They’re victims. And it’s not a far stretch to believe that supernatural creatures intent on anguish and destruction choose innocents. It’s comforting to tell ourselves that we won’t ever be targets because we don’t do anything to invite evil into our lives, but that smacks of untruth.
I admire Dr. Peck’s open discussions, including failings that he freely admits. The books was fascinating, but I’m cautious about naming the elephant. Whenever we delve too far into specifics when it comes to religion, we become distracted and unable to see the entire picture. Though it’s obvious that “invoking “he name of Jesus Christ” holds sway over demons, that doesn’t prove that every piece of Christian dogma is correct. Exorcisms have been performed successfully for thousands of years across all cultures and religions, despite what the Catholic church might want people to believe.
I’m convinced that there’s evil in the world. And sometimes, we can do nothing to stop being swept away by it. Educating ourselves on all aspects of evil and opening ourselves to understanding beyond our own narrow worldview will aid in defeating it in our own lives and as collective humanity.
Also posted on my blog, Magic and Mayhem Book Reviews.
Though some might feel that a book recounting exorcisms is written on shaky foundation, I believe in the supernatural and, more specifically, the existence of evil spirits we call “demons.” I am not, however, a Christian, so I bring my own opinions to the reading of these stories, which is the impetus for this review. I believe that every spiritual explanation–from major religions to individual experiences–is like a blind man trying to describe an elephant. The observation touches on something true about the whole, but the interpretation misses the entire picture.
In Glimpses of the Devil, Dr. Peck, who is a psychiatrist and converted Christian, recounts two experiences where he acted as an exorcist. He holds these two cases up as proof of demonic possession. Enough evidence exists in what he presented that, if he has presented everything factually, I believe these are cases of true demon possession.
However, I disagree with his interpretation of events in two specific areas.
Glimpses of the Devil is described as a factual representation of events; however, it ends up as an autobiographical account of a man who decides, without religious or demonological training, to exorcise two patients. This becomes clear throughout the book as Dr. Peck wrestles with his decision. One of my chief concerns regarding all this is that he never asks, “Should I do further research into exorcisms beyond reading Malachi Martin‘s books?”
Mr. Martin is widely criticized in the exorcist community as writing sensational books full of half-truths and for decidedly un-Christian-like conduct, such as several affairs. Dr. Peck goes so far as to claim that no other handbook for exorcisms exists beyond Mr. Martin’s, which is patently untrue. Dr. Peck’s ignorance of the best practices in dealing with demons is evident from the beginning.
The first case is Jersey, a girl who has been possessed since she was twelve. Dr. Peck and his team exorcise her, which goes well. He then spends three weeks with her in psychoanalytic therapy, preparing her for re-entering the world.
After the exorcism, Dr. Peck is in contact with her over the years. During one visit, she explains to him that the demons still talk to her, but she is able to ignore them. In one instance, she told them to “shut the **** up,” and they did. However, out of curiosity, Dr. Peck asks to hypnotize her, as he did in the past, and to speak to the demons through her. She agrees and the resulting conversation is confusing. Nothing particularly demonic happens; instead, the entity speaking through Jersey identifies itself as a clerk living in Anaheim. He ends the hypnotic session and sees her rarely after that, though she, at press time, is happy, healthy, and no longer possessed.
I am appalled. Shame on you, Dr. Peck, for opening the door to allow a demon to speak through Jersey. I won’t be surprised if the ending to the story is that she ends up possessed again.
Look, I’m no expert, but I have read a few things and I have some common sense. One of the preeminent exorcists of our times, Father Gabriele Amorth, has given extensive precautionary information in An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories. These two books are not pea-soup-spitting horrors but are thoughtfully written tradesman’s books–discussions of the nuts and bolts and challenges facing exorcists. They could be about plumbing or IT development but are instead about exorcisms. At the time that Dr. Peck conducted his exorcisms, the books had not yet been written; however, I would expect a non-fiction published in 2005 to at least acknowledge the existence of Father Amorth’s books.
In his books, Father Amorth advises, quite sensibly, against engaging a demon in conversation. Assuming you believe demons are creatures of inherent evil and you aren’t interested in unleashing evil into the world, you can agree that you shouldn’t talk to them. Why? Because they lie. Even if they’re not lying about whatever you ask, how do you know that? You’re begging to be manipulated. What is there to learn, other than that they’re evil, which you already know?
It’s an exciting, gripping, fascinating world to step into. The lure of talking to something not human is immense. It’s no wonder the Catholic Church refuses to promote its work in the realm of exorcisms.
This deviation from “get the hell out of that woman” to “hey, guy, whatcha doin’ in there?” becomes prominent in the second patient’s exorcism. Dr. Peck is fascinated with the idea that Beccah is possessed by Satan, an evil creature millions of years old. He senses a giant, immoveable snake, as old as the world itself, coiled supernaturally around or inside of his patient. He wonders why it has possessed her. He asks it questions. He hypothesizes why it won’t leave her. He does everything except exorcise it.
I wasn’t there. I don’t know. Maybe it went differently, and his ruminations are for the book only. But the exorcism of Beccah took a subtle shift from the exorcism of Jersey. With Jersey, he very strongly orders the demons to leave for three days straight. With Beccah, he ends up falling to the floor weeping at one point and another team member must step in and complete the exorcism. Is it no wonder that it turned out the way it did?
I’m also uncomfortable with the conclusions that Dr. Peck has drawn, aided by Malachi Martin, about the reasons behind demonic possession. Both men claim that every possessed person is complicit in their possession, that to become possessed, one must open the door for that possession, even if only a crack.
When the first patient Jersey was twelve, her father molested her. She allowed him to do it because he claimed to be a medical doctor and was “examining” her after her appendix was removed. He held a PhD and was a practicing psychologist but was not a medical doctor.
Dr. Peck claims that at twelve years old, Jersey knew the difference between a psychologist and a medical doctor. Though he doesn’t outright blame her, he explains that in not protesting what her father did to her, she created a kind of cognitive dissonance that allowed the demons to gain a foothold. She willfully believed a lie, and therefore, she opened the door to being possessed.
Are you kidding me, Dr. Peck?
I have no idea why that poor girl was possessed, but the only proof the author had that her demonic interference started at twelve was her word while she was possessed. It could have been one of the demons speaking through her to hide the real timing and cause of the possession. Her bad behavior only starts manifesting in her twenties. Why did the demons wait so long?
And I just don’t agree with the idea of Jersey bringing this on herself because she was molested. “Oh,” Dr. Peck says, “you didn’t bring the molestation on yourself; however, you did bring the possession on yourself.”
In healing psychological trauma, it’s important to identify and acknowledge all feelings. Thus in a rape, a victim might say, “I feel that I brought this on myself.” While this may be a turning point for the victim, the turning point is because he or she is releasing that negative thought. A follow-up might be an acknowledgement that she didn’t bring it on herself or perhaps that she could have taken a different route home but had no way of knowing what would happen. It is not suddenly a fact that the victim brought the horrific tragedy on herself just because she thinks she did. It’s psychologically freeing–which we see in the case of Jersey–but that doesn’t make it true.
This preoccupation becomes even more apparent in Beccah’s case, and Dr. Peck’s search for the moment of her possession may have distracted him from being useful to her. Beccah was found wandering six streets away from her home when she was eighteen months old. Though little is known of her mother beyond that she was seen by Beccah as evil, this is exceedingly atypical behavior by a child in that age range, as asserted by Dr. Peck himself. Non-traumatized children nine months to several years old are afraid of strangers and cling desperately to their mothers. That Beccah ran away from home before she could talk says that she was already maladjusted, due to her circumstances, well before she had a choice in the matter.
While it is important to note that everyone has a choice and that choice is important in defeating a demon, we are all victims of our circumstances. A woman may end up being narcissistic because she was genetically predisposed and her mother modeled that behavior; she may free herself from it by taking responsibility for her actions. Going in is not a choice, but coming out is.
The very definition of a demon is a creature that preys on human victims. Have we forgotten what victims are? They’re victims. And it’s not a far stretch to believe that supernatural creatures intent on anguish and destruction choose innocents. It’s comforting to tell ourselves that we won’t ever be targets because we don’t do anything to invite evil into our lives, but that smacks of untruth.
I admire Dr. Peck’s open discussions, including failings that he freely admits. The books was fascinating, but I’m cautious about naming the elephant. Whenever we delve too far into specifics when it comes to religion, we become distracted and unable to see the entire picture. Though it’s obvious that “invoking “he name of Jesus Christ” holds sway over demons, that doesn’t prove that every piece of Christian dogma is correct. Exorcisms have been performed successfully for thousands of years across all cultures and religions, despite what the Catholic church might want people to believe.
I’m convinced that there’s evil in the world. And sometimes, we can do nothing to stop being swept away by it. Educating ourselves on all aspects of evil and opening ourselves to understanding beyond our own narrow worldview will aid in defeating it in our own lives and as collective humanity.
Also posted on my blog, Magic and Mayhem Book Reviews.
May 15, 2023
🙏🏼 This is Peck’s follow up to his volume entitled People of the Lie. This book was controversial because he took the possible reality of sentient evil seriously and worked with a Catholic exorcist. Many were against this book due to that, others accepted its premise. Catholics use psychologists and psychiatrists in their investigations of possible cases.
Without telling you where I land on this topic I will tell you this book is worthwhile to read. (Consider that Russell Crowe plays a Catholic exorcist in the 2023 film The Pope’s Exorcist, now in cinemas, which is based on two volumes of case histories by the late Fr Amorth who was the Chief Exorcist of Rome.)
***unfortunately in true Hollywood kitsch they write into the script that Fr Amorth demanded a demon to enter him during an exorcism >> shades of The Exorcist this never happened<< … that he tried to hang himself >>never happened << … that he uncovered a conspiracy of evil deep within the Vatican >> now we bring in Dan Brown never happened<< ….. stick to reading Fr Amorth’s case histories not Hollywood’s twisted revisions …..
Without telling you where I land on this topic I will tell you this book is worthwhile to read. (Consider that Russell Crowe plays a Catholic exorcist in the 2023 film The Pope’s Exorcist, now in cinemas, which is based on two volumes of case histories by the late Fr Amorth who was the Chief Exorcist of Rome.)
***unfortunately in true Hollywood kitsch they write into the script that Fr Amorth demanded a demon to enter him during an exorcism >> shades of The Exorcist this never happened<< … that he tried to hang himself >>never happened << … that he uncovered a conspiracy of evil deep within the Vatican >> now we bring in Dan Brown never happened<< ….. stick to reading Fr Amorth’s case histories not Hollywood’s twisted revisions …..
October 22, 2017
M. Scott Peck fascinates me. A psychiatrist who wrote widely acclaimed books (such as The Road Less Traveled) who struggled with a number of personal demons (alcohol, nicotine, amorous affairs), who professed Christianity which at some times seems quite liberal but at other moments almost evangelical/charismatic in its nature.
In this book he discusses his start as an unbeliever in demonic spirits, his attempt to test the matter scientifically, and his eventual decision that the demonic does exist and his performing of two exorcisms.
The book felt choppy to me but seemed also an authentic attempt to express things that are difficult to understand which could result in public mockery, even the stripping of professional credentials.
I read this volume in part because I am also reading his People of the Lie which is a more psychological approach to the question of human evil.
In this book he discusses his start as an unbeliever in demonic spirits, his attempt to test the matter scientifically, and his eventual decision that the demonic does exist and his performing of two exorcisms.
The book felt choppy to me but seemed also an authentic attempt to express things that are difficult to understand which could result in public mockery, even the stripping of professional credentials.
I read this volume in part because I am also reading his People of the Lie which is a more psychological approach to the question of human evil.
June 25, 2023
I read 25% of this book before having to DNF it for multiple reasons.
1) The author repeatedly refers to himself as liberal.
2) He calls conservative Christians fundamentalists, though he did apparently work with them as part of his team during his “exorcism” of his first patient, Jersey.
3) He’s apparently a highly educated psychiatrist, but his writing style comes across as very elementary.
4) He comes across as arrogant.
5) He mocks the demons, which the Bible says even the angels do not do (Jude 1:9).
7) I didn’t find his supposed conversations with demons believable, as they came across as stupid, which demons are not. They are highly intelligent, wicked beings, that could not have been out-smarted by the ridiculous arguments that Dr. Peck apparently had with them.
6) As I was reading, I kept thinking, “This is stupid.”
I wouldn’t recommend this book.
Edited to add that I do believe people can be oppressed, harassed, and possessed by demons and truly need deliverance. I just don’t believe this authors account of his supposed encounters with, and exorcisms of them. This book seemed like a bunch of bologna.
1) The author repeatedly refers to himself as liberal.
2) He calls conservative Christians fundamentalists, though he did apparently work with them as part of his team during his “exorcism” of his first patient, Jersey.
3) He’s apparently a highly educated psychiatrist, but his writing style comes across as very elementary.
4) He comes across as arrogant.
5) He mocks the demons, which the Bible says even the angels do not do (Jude 1:9).
7) I didn’t find his supposed conversations with demons believable, as they came across as stupid, which demons are not. They are highly intelligent, wicked beings, that could not have been out-smarted by the ridiculous arguments that Dr. Peck apparently had with them.
6) As I was reading, I kept thinking, “This is stupid.”
I wouldn’t recommend this book.
Edited to add that I do believe people can be oppressed, harassed, and possessed by demons and truly need deliverance. I just don’t believe this authors account of his supposed encounters with, and exorcisms of them. This book seemed like a bunch of bologna.
December 26, 2009
when I give this book 3 stars, I mean it is an entertaining read, particularly for someone with a mental health background. It's full of bullshit, but it's entertaining bullshit.
November 3, 2017
This is an extremely interesting book. The author, Dr. Scott Peck, is a well known psychiatrist and author. In his practice, he has seen situations in which modern medical thought is not sufficient to explain what is the problem for some of his patients. In People of the Lie he presented a number of situations in which either the patients or their family exhibited behavior that that was evil and yet they didn't suffer from a known mental illness. This book goes beyond those earlier stories to incidents of actual possession.
I met Dr. Peck when he came to our church for a weekend seminar and our small group came to know him very well. We were impressed with his wisdom and intelligence as well as his honesty and forthrightness.
In this book, he discusses cases of his which involved actual possession. He knew Malachi Martin, author of Hostage to the Devil and discussed some of these cases with him.
People today are reluctant to even entertain the notion of a personal devil and yet as far back as the earliest records almost every civilization has a belief in devils. It is only the last 75 years that people have rejected the idea, especially when their image seems to only include a person in read tights with a trident and horns. C. S. Lewis says that the devil is just as happy when people are obsessed with him as when they ridicule him. Either way, he is camouflaged and can go about his work.
This is a great book to read with an open mind and learn from.
I met Dr. Peck when he came to our church for a weekend seminar and our small group came to know him very well. We were impressed with his wisdom and intelligence as well as his honesty and forthrightness.
In this book, he discusses cases of his which involved actual possession. He knew Malachi Martin, author of Hostage to the Devil and discussed some of these cases with him.
People today are reluctant to even entertain the notion of a personal devil and yet as far back as the earliest records almost every civilization has a belief in devils. It is only the last 75 years that people have rejected the idea, especially when their image seems to only include a person in read tights with a trident and horns. C. S. Lewis says that the devil is just as happy when people are obsessed with him as when they ridicule him. Either way, he is camouflaged and can go about his work.
This is a great book to read with an open mind and learn from.
Read
August 9, 2011Umm, very interesting. I think when I think of demon possession I am just so used to the "charismatic" responses of being "violent" that it's what I expected with this book, and though they were forceful in dealing with demons it showed me a different way of dealing with possession I never saw before.
It was an interesting read for sure, and it showed me the journey of one man who went from 99% sure there was no devil, to realizing 100% there is a devil from a psychiatrist's point of view. Very interesting indeed.
It also helped to identify some of the things we need to guard, and at the same time, what we need to deal with in our own lives, so we don't leave part of our lives open to the devil.
The book was less "glamourous" as hollywood makes exorcisms to be, but the one line that the author said was, "You had to be there...." He was there, and it made him realize there is a devil.
I think I would recommend this book to some, but not all. Trust me, not all would be able to read, and understand this.
It was an interesting read for sure, and it showed me the journey of one man who went from 99% sure there was no devil, to realizing 100% there is a devil from a psychiatrist's point of view. Very interesting indeed.
It also helped to identify some of the things we need to guard, and at the same time, what we need to deal with in our own lives, so we don't leave part of our lives open to the devil.
The book was less "glamourous" as hollywood makes exorcisms to be, but the one line that the author said was, "You had to be there...." He was there, and it made him realize there is a devil.
I think I would recommend this book to some, but not all. Trust me, not all would be able to read, and understand this.
November 28, 2018
I need to just step away from the crazy.
January 30, 2019
I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is a pretty terrifying read. For some reason, I have read a fair amount of books that deal with the problem of demonology [1], and this book adds yet another volume to that genre that I am familiar. Before finding this book in my local library's system, I was unaware that the author had written about his own involvement in exorcisms, which, to put it very mildly, is on the far edge of psychological practice. Despite having begun his exorcism practice--which appears limited to the two cases discussed here, thankfully--when he was but a very new Christian, he certainly wished to convey an understanding of exorcism within a general interest in the problem of evil and in his own growing awareness that there were indeed forces of great evil and that human beings readily recruited themselves to it. Moreover, the author has some very similar views as I do about the way that Satan tends to target those who are viewed as threatening to him and that, frequently, this targeting is done through child abuse and neglect of some kind, sometimes making for generational patterns of evil and abuse.
This book takes about 250 pages to discuss the author's thoughts on two exorcisms he engaged in during his time as a practicing psychiatrist. After introducing the subject and his own interest in the area, he talks about his mentoring of sorts by the late exorcist and generally scandalous and unreliable man Malachi Martin. The first four chapters look at the author's first exorcism, with a woman named Jersey, going through a diagnosis (1) of demon possession, an account of the four-day long exorcism itself (2), the follow-up treatment (3), and some commentary on some insights that the author gained from the experience (4). The second part deals with a darker experience, an unsuccessful exorcism of a woman named Beccah, also looking at the diagnosis (1), the unpleasant and ultimately unsuccessful three-day exoricism (2), and the intermittent follow-up that took place afterwards (3). The author then closes with a discussion of what possession is and provides an epilogue that seeks to place demon possession as a scientifically viable, if highly controversial, diagnosis. Throughout the reader gets a good sense of the way in which people become ensnared by evil and how difficult it is to break free from it.
By and large, this book is pretty humble and unsparing. The author admits his own faults and comments on areas where he was not quite as competent as he could have been. This is readily understandable, though, since the author only had two exorcisms over the course of a long and busy career, and exorcisms appear to be a rather rare sort of phenomenon even for the best of practitioners. The author's discussions point to the way that people are exposed to the influence of demons by showing an interest in writings that deal with astral projection and New Age spirituality and demonism, and show that demons often begin their influence with people during childhood in the context of abuse and neglect from their parents. As someone who has seen the demonic destruction of families and engaged in my own long and bitter spiritual struggles, this is a book that I found rather chilling and also rather insightful. If Peck does not come off as the most competent of exorcists in this book, he does at least demonstrate to the reader his own glimpse of the horrors of satanic involvement in people and the ways that people can be caught up in great evil.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
This book takes about 250 pages to discuss the author's thoughts on two exorcisms he engaged in during his time as a practicing psychiatrist. After introducing the subject and his own interest in the area, he talks about his mentoring of sorts by the late exorcist and generally scandalous and unreliable man Malachi Martin. The first four chapters look at the author's first exorcism, with a woman named Jersey, going through a diagnosis (1) of demon possession, an account of the four-day long exorcism itself (2), the follow-up treatment (3), and some commentary on some insights that the author gained from the experience (4). The second part deals with a darker experience, an unsuccessful exorcism of a woman named Beccah, also looking at the diagnosis (1), the unpleasant and ultimately unsuccessful three-day exoricism (2), and the intermittent follow-up that took place afterwards (3). The author then closes with a discussion of what possession is and provides an epilogue that seeks to place demon possession as a scientifically viable, if highly controversial, diagnosis. Throughout the reader gets a good sense of the way in which people become ensnared by evil and how difficult it is to break free from it.
By and large, this book is pretty humble and unsparing. The author admits his own faults and comments on areas where he was not quite as competent as he could have been. This is readily understandable, though, since the author only had two exorcisms over the course of a long and busy career, and exorcisms appear to be a rather rare sort of phenomenon even for the best of practitioners. The author's discussions point to the way that people are exposed to the influence of demons by showing an interest in writings that deal with astral projection and New Age spirituality and demonism, and show that demons often begin their influence with people during childhood in the context of abuse and neglect from their parents. As someone who has seen the demonic destruction of families and engaged in my own long and bitter spiritual struggles, this is a book that I found rather chilling and also rather insightful. If Peck does not come off as the most competent of exorcists in this book, he does at least demonstrate to the reader his own glimpse of the horrors of satanic involvement in people and the ways that people can be caught up in great evil.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
May 3, 2016
After First Reading
This was a fantastic book. Peck is the first person to give us a proper account of exorcisms which is intelligently explained, completely and utterly convincing, and pretty damned scary. As a psychiatrist, he details his daunting experiences with two particular patients who claim to be possessed by a demonic entity. Using his expertise and medical knowledge, he is neither biased nor at all ignorant in his dealings with this controversial subject. I won't say if he is successful or not, but I can tell you that in both cases he really does get glimpses of the devil, and manages to establish this terrifying privilege with nothing but medical expertise and a deft understanding of the human mind. The psychological triggers for one of the patients is truly startling.
After Second Reading
Yep. Pretty much what I said before. I admire Peck's bravery in publishing on such a misunderstood concept. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of doctors in the psychiatric community who laughed behind his back. But Peck comes across as very down-to-earth. He's the best kind of Christian in that he still has the ability to doubt things and question them. All the same, while I do believe he speaks in earnest, some of this book probably should be taken with a grain of salt. (Oh, you like salt with your dinner? Well, then, a grain of something you don't like, you fucking smartarse, you). I found it a little silly how quickly Peck jumped to the conclusion that he was dealing with Satan himself. I suppose it's one of those having to be there to understand it kind of things.
On reading some less positive reviews for this book though, some questions were asked which I think could lead to answers quite as horrifying as the thought of demonic possession. Specifically the the possibility that, through his own obsession with prodding these mysteries, Peck projected the idea of possession into his patients and this, in turn, led to the downfall of one of them. It is conceivable that someone could become convinced that they're possessed when really they are just schizophrenic or woke up on the wrong side of the bed or some damned thing. That would make Peck quite the villain.
But look here, I don't think that was the case. I think Peck probably was the genuine article, and I certainly can get behind his wistful proposition that such areas as this should not be pushed into the realm of fiction by medical professionals as they have been. Science and religion are worlds apart now, and that's unfortunate because either one dispelling the other is a dead-end road to understanding our place in the universe. There's just so many Atheists that one day God will be nothing more than a fictional fantasy like Hogwarts and unicorns and my imaginary girlfriend.
This was a fantastic book. Peck is the first person to give us a proper account of exorcisms which is intelligently explained, completely and utterly convincing, and pretty damned scary. As a psychiatrist, he details his daunting experiences with two particular patients who claim to be possessed by a demonic entity. Using his expertise and medical knowledge, he is neither biased nor at all ignorant in his dealings with this controversial subject. I won't say if he is successful or not, but I can tell you that in both cases he really does get glimpses of the devil, and manages to establish this terrifying privilege with nothing but medical expertise and a deft understanding of the human mind. The psychological triggers for one of the patients is truly startling.
After Second Reading
Yep. Pretty much what I said before. I admire Peck's bravery in publishing on such a misunderstood concept. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of doctors in the psychiatric community who laughed behind his back. But Peck comes across as very down-to-earth. He's the best kind of Christian in that he still has the ability to doubt things and question them. All the same, while I do believe he speaks in earnest, some of this book probably should be taken with a grain of salt. (Oh, you like salt with your dinner? Well, then, a grain of something you don't like, you fucking smartarse, you). I found it a little silly how quickly Peck jumped to the conclusion that he was dealing with Satan himself. I suppose it's one of those having to be there to understand it kind of things.
On reading some less positive reviews for this book though, some questions were asked which I think could lead to answers quite as horrifying as the thought of demonic possession. Specifically the the possibility that, through his own obsession with prodding these mysteries, Peck projected the idea of possession into his patients and this, in turn, led to the downfall of one of them. It is conceivable that someone could become convinced that they're possessed when really they are just schizophrenic or woke up on the wrong side of the bed or some damned thing. That would make Peck quite the villain.
But look here, I don't think that was the case. I think Peck probably was the genuine article, and I certainly can get behind his wistful proposition that such areas as this should not be pushed into the realm of fiction by medical professionals as they have been. Science and religion are worlds apart now, and that's unfortunate because either one dispelling the other is a dead-end road to understanding our place in the universe. There's just so many Atheists that one day God will be nothing more than a fictional fantasy like Hogwarts and unicorns and my imaginary girlfriend.
February 28, 2010
In this book, the author definitely hits a road less traveled (pun intended). Peck talks about how he became interested in the possibility of demonic possession (he was quite skeptical at first), his relations with the controversial Malachi Martin, and two patients he believes were demonically possessed. The book doesn't involve over-the-top "Exorcist" type of things. However, it is disturbing and creepy in parts. Jersey, Peck's first patient, is a twenty something who is severely neglecting her children and dabbling in a spiritualist cult. Peck is successfully able to "treat" her. Beccah, patient two, is a multi-millionaire married to an abusive crook. Raised Jewish, Beccah eventually converted to Christianity. As a very young girl she also became obsessed/possessed by an "evil book." As an adult, a depressed Beccah develops a thing for shady stock trading, lying, and self-mutilation. The mutilations she would perform with specially ordered "Nazi knives." Beccah's story doesn't end too well. Controversial, well-written, thought provoking.
May 1, 2022
Having read The Road Less Travelled and People of the Lie, this book doesn´t come close to the interest inspired by those two. Although Scott Peck has an academic and case-study style that I appreciated in People of the Lie (my favourite of his books), this style seemed a little more stilted and "So what?"-ish in this book. Perhaps the case studies included were particularly banal, but perhaps the fact of the matter is that possession happens to the most banal people (as evidenced by the banality of evil already explored in People of the Lie) as I have no doubt these were his most interesting cases. Maybe I was expecting fireworks and a resolution like in the film, The Excorist, or conclusions that were a little firmer. I don´t know. I was more interested in what he had to say about the Vatican´s exorcist, but as he seemed to be of no help to the miffed Scott Peck it came to nothing more than a mild character assassination. Slightly disappointed.
Want to read
October 10, 2017A therapist making a child feel at all responsible for her molestation? Making someone watch 32 hours of their own exorcism afterward? Sound ridiculous? After reading the first third of this book, I felt like lighting it on fire.
I don't know the former Dr. (?) Peck, but I couldn't help but feel his sadism shines in this work.
I really think this book will end up in my DNF file. This is the first time I've felt sickened and genuinely angry while reading a book in some time.
I don't know the former Dr. (?) Peck, but I couldn't help but feel his sadism shines in this work.
I really think this book will end up in my DNF file. This is the first time I've felt sickened and genuinely angry while reading a book in some time.
January 29, 2011
A creepy, well-written and compelling read. Left me mildly disturbed.
May 28, 2015
Very intriguing! Couldn't put it down...until it got dark.
Read
July 7, 2016Worst book I've read on the subject. Ever. Really bad. No stars.
August 21, 2018
Wow! ¡Qué decepcionante libro! La idea de que un psicólogo/ psiquiatra diera un análisis serio sobre el perfil del poseído y las posibles diferencias con otras enfermedades mentales o manías sonaba interesante. Pero la realidad fue otra y me vi en la necesidad de interrumpir la lectura porque la siguiente mitad del libro fue más de lo mismo.
El autor es amigo del famoso jesuita, exsacerdote, exorcista Malachi Martin y presenta dos casos donde el autor realizó los exorcismos. Primero, presenta la historia personal y familiar de cada paciente y cómo concluye que están poseídos, procede a realizar el exorcismo con ayuda de un sacerdote de la iglesia más cercana. Reúne a un grupo de personas que considera que pueden ayudar a sostener al poseso durante el ritual y cuando es necesario, hace llamadas a Malachi para dar reporte y solicitar consejo.
Puff! Se me presentaron muchos problemas durante el desarrollo de sus “exorcismos”, primero que el psiquiatra no era católico, sino ateo recién bautizado episcopal - metodista, segundo, no recuerdo la autorización por parte de la Iglesia católica y del obispo o cardenal para realizar supuestos exorcismos y tres, no es una persona con entrenamiento teológico y espiritual, un hombre con altos estándares morales, éticos y espirituales para realizar semejante ritual sin autorización de la Iglesia Católica. En resumen, el hombre se saltó varios puntos importantes que demanda el ritual y la Iglesia Católica. Después de haber leído a los Padres de la Iglesia y su filosofía escolástica (San Buenaventura, Santo Tomás de Aquino, San Agustín, etc) algunos tratados como De Malo y Suma Teológica, algunos libros sobre otros exorcistas como el Padre Fortea o al Padre Amorth, encuentro decepcionante la ligereza con que se trata el tema en este libro. No pude terminar el libro y no lo recomiendo si se busca un contenido interesante.
El autor es amigo del famoso jesuita, exsacerdote, exorcista Malachi Martin y presenta dos casos donde el autor realizó los exorcismos. Primero, presenta la historia personal y familiar de cada paciente y cómo concluye que están poseídos, procede a realizar el exorcismo con ayuda de un sacerdote de la iglesia más cercana. Reúne a un grupo de personas que considera que pueden ayudar a sostener al poseso durante el ritual y cuando es necesario, hace llamadas a Malachi para dar reporte y solicitar consejo.
Puff! Se me presentaron muchos problemas durante el desarrollo de sus “exorcismos”, primero que el psiquiatra no era católico, sino ateo recién bautizado episcopal - metodista, segundo, no recuerdo la autorización por parte de la Iglesia católica y del obispo o cardenal para realizar supuestos exorcismos y tres, no es una persona con entrenamiento teológico y espiritual, un hombre con altos estándares morales, éticos y espirituales para realizar semejante ritual sin autorización de la Iglesia Católica. En resumen, el hombre se saltó varios puntos importantes que demanda el ritual y la Iglesia Católica. Después de haber leído a los Padres de la Iglesia y su filosofía escolástica (San Buenaventura, Santo Tomás de Aquino, San Agustín, etc) algunos tratados como De Malo y Suma Teológica, algunos libros sobre otros exorcistas como el Padre Fortea o al Padre Amorth, encuentro decepcionante la ligereza con que se trata el tema en este libro. No pude terminar el libro y no lo recomiendo si se busca un contenido interesante.
July 13, 2008
Not as good as Road Less Traveled or People of the Lie, but still very, very interesting. What we have here is the transcript of two (or three, I forget) exorcisms. Demons show up. I remember that one of the demons expressed awe or wonderment at the fact that we're able to live in such vulnerable circumstances. (The earth is a tear drop circling a furnace, when you think about it.) Also, the demon's were under very strict regimentation. For any you Screwtape readers out there, this all will ring quite familiar.
February 8, 2013
This is a fascinating look at two cases of Demonic Possession as witnessed by psychiatrist M. Scott Peck.
Blending science and religion, Peck emphatically states that possession is real and also rare.
In both cases where he assisted with the exorcism, there was a definite time in the life of the client when they made a choice to allow evil to overtake them and there then was a choice that had to be made to accept love and light.
While the subject matter is dramatic, Peck did not embellish or shock the reader into belief.
The book is well written and logical in presentation.
Blending science and religion, Peck emphatically states that possession is real and also rare.
In both cases where he assisted with the exorcism, there was a definite time in the life of the client when they made a choice to allow evil to overtake them and there then was a choice that had to be made to accept love and light.
While the subject matter is dramatic, Peck did not embellish or shock the reader into belief.
The book is well written and logical in presentation.
January 13, 2016
Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption by M. Scott Peck (Free Press 2005) (265.94). The author, who is an actual psychiatrist, believes that he has met the devil face to face. This book is two accounts of his work as an exorcist in cases of demonic possession. I'll bet that wherever he went to med school kind of keeps this on the down low, huh? My rating: 4/10, finished 2006.
May 27, 2009
I love psych vs. geniune evil books. Peck has a great book called People of the Lie and after many years published what he witnessed at exorcisms. Love the unexplainable and I have a wild imagination. I really enjoyed the book. anything "based on a true story" has appeal just about these days, doesn't it?
January 22, 2010
Fascinating book about exorcism. Engrossing, readable, and , if you are at all curious about this subject, Peck is rational, lucid and conversational in his speculation and investigation of what the heck the devil is.
January 26, 2014
A very singular outlook on a very complex issue. One has to be careful looking into the abyss.
April 9, 2023
Years ago, I happened to discover a copy of Hostage to the Devil by Malachi Martin in the Spirituality section of my local bookstore. I've always been interested in the subject of demonic possession, and I devoured that book in a matter of weeks. While I enjoyed it enough to pick it up for my collection on Kindle when I saw it on sale a while ago, I found many parts of it incredible to the point of seeming fictional.
From Glimpses of the Devil, I was hoping for a more stable, scholarly treatment of the subject. I found myself intrigued immediately by the disclosure that Peck and Martin were acquaintances, and was initially encouraged by the fact that Peck directly acknowledges that Martin is a liar, prone to everything from exaggeration and embellishment to outright manipulation and falsehood. Imagine, then, my disappointment as I read on to discover that Peck is every bit as suspect a narrator as Martin, with a sickening dose of self-aggrandizement thrown into the mix.
Peck would like his readers to believe that, as a Christian layperson with no spiritual education and very little spiritual grounding, he led the exorcism of one of his patients to such a powerful success that Satan himself had it out for him on the next one. One of the major reasons- dare I say, perhaps Peck believes the only reason- that the second exorcism failed was because he was too distracted and busy with being a nationally-renowned lecturer and authority in the field of psychology to focus on saving his patient from Lucifer himself, who took over from Judas after Peck (and his team, but mostly Peck, we are to understand) effortlessly expelled that demon with a "deliverance", not even a full exorcism. Though Peck does acknowledge his own arrogance- apparently, it's even the weakness that Lucifer attacks in exorcism number two- the entire book, every word of Peck's narration and every line of reconstructed dialogue that paints him in a saintly, eternally patient and articulate light, drips with it. There is no more perfect example than the very close of the book, when Peck recounts how, in his hour of need, Malachi Martin (despite being impossibly hard to reach) picked up the phone on the first ring, because "he had been waiting for well over two hours on that Sunday afternoon, doing nothing except being in prayer with no other goal than to be available for me if I needed him." Peck tries to spin this as evidence of Martin's loving nature, but all it does for me is reinforce Peck's idea that the world revolves around him. Even the Devil himself knows who he is and cares enough to hold a grudge, after all.
An argument can be made for how negligent this book is in painting exorcism as something that any old Christian (and it has to be a Christian, of course) can just get a group of friends together and pull off, and how dangerous that could be to all parties whether or not demons are actually involved in the situation. In my opinion, however, the most disgusting aspect of this book is how, on multiple occasions, Peck underlines that it is in some way the possessed person's fault that they are possessed, that they have made some sort of pact with dark forces and that they continue to make that pact every day that they remain possessed. Certainly, that's one vector for possession, but when you twist the story of a woman who suffered sexual abuse as a child into "she was possessed because she accepted the lie that the abuser had done nothing wrong", you've rocketed well past the point of victim blaming and into some very sick territory. Even if the story isn't true- and I have little reason to believe that it is, particularly given that the most dramatic and supposedly inarguable signs of possession conveniently don't show up on the videotapes that Peck made of both exorcisms- how dare this self-obsessed excuse for a person, much less a doctor or a scholar, say that a child doing her best to contextualize a traumatic assault is equivalent to someone signing a contract with the Devil?
I have no idea whether or to what extent Peck may be in league with the Devil himself, but I do fully believe that this book serves the Devil's ends much more than it does those of God or education. It trivializes the very dangerous and treacherous practice of exorcism, places blame on victims (thereby silencing them and making them less likely to seek help), and sacrifices every opportunity that it might have to provide objective, fact-based information and testimony in favour of reminding us of the greatness of Scotty Peck, exorcising psychiatrist extraordinaire. Absolutely shameful.
From Glimpses of the Devil, I was hoping for a more stable, scholarly treatment of the subject. I found myself intrigued immediately by the disclosure that Peck and Martin were acquaintances, and was initially encouraged by the fact that Peck directly acknowledges that Martin is a liar, prone to everything from exaggeration and embellishment to outright manipulation and falsehood. Imagine, then, my disappointment as I read on to discover that Peck is every bit as suspect a narrator as Martin, with a sickening dose of self-aggrandizement thrown into the mix.
Peck would like his readers to believe that, as a Christian layperson with no spiritual education and very little spiritual grounding, he led the exorcism of one of his patients to such a powerful success that Satan himself had it out for him on the next one. One of the major reasons- dare I say, perhaps Peck believes the only reason- that the second exorcism failed was because he was too distracted and busy with being a nationally-renowned lecturer and authority in the field of psychology to focus on saving his patient from Lucifer himself, who took over from Judas after Peck (and his team, but mostly Peck, we are to understand) effortlessly expelled that demon with a "deliverance", not even a full exorcism. Though Peck does acknowledge his own arrogance- apparently, it's even the weakness that Lucifer attacks in exorcism number two- the entire book, every word of Peck's narration and every line of reconstructed dialogue that paints him in a saintly, eternally patient and articulate light, drips with it. There is no more perfect example than the very close of the book, when Peck recounts how, in his hour of need, Malachi Martin (despite being impossibly hard to reach) picked up the phone on the first ring, because "he had been waiting for well over two hours on that Sunday afternoon, doing nothing except being in prayer with no other goal than to be available for me if I needed him." Peck tries to spin this as evidence of Martin's loving nature, but all it does for me is reinforce Peck's idea that the world revolves around him. Even the Devil himself knows who he is and cares enough to hold a grudge, after all.
An argument can be made for how negligent this book is in painting exorcism as something that any old Christian (and it has to be a Christian, of course) can just get a group of friends together and pull off, and how dangerous that could be to all parties whether or not demons are actually involved in the situation. In my opinion, however, the most disgusting aspect of this book is how, on multiple occasions, Peck underlines that it is in some way the possessed person's fault that they are possessed, that they have made some sort of pact with dark forces and that they continue to make that pact every day that they remain possessed. Certainly, that's one vector for possession, but when you twist the story of a woman who suffered sexual abuse as a child into "she was possessed because she accepted the lie that the abuser had done nothing wrong", you've rocketed well past the point of victim blaming and into some very sick territory. Even if the story isn't true- and I have little reason to believe that it is, particularly given that the most dramatic and supposedly inarguable signs of possession conveniently don't show up on the videotapes that Peck made of both exorcisms- how dare this self-obsessed excuse for a person, much less a doctor or a scholar, say that a child doing her best to contextualize a traumatic assault is equivalent to someone signing a contract with the Devil?
I have no idea whether or to what extent Peck may be in league with the Devil himself, but I do fully believe that this book serves the Devil's ends much more than it does those of God or education. It trivializes the very dangerous and treacherous practice of exorcism, places blame on victims (thereby silencing them and making them less likely to seek help), and sacrifices every opportunity that it might have to provide objective, fact-based information and testimony in favour of reminding us of the greatness of Scotty Peck, exorcising psychiatrist extraordinaire. Absolutely shameful.
January 5, 2024
I found this book to be an interesting read, and I finished it in a couple of days. I was a little disappointed that it didn't go over more varied exorcism cases, it only went over two people, but they were interesting because it followed up on what the clients did after the exorcism.
I like that the author was very thorough and descriptive in his account, as well as having credentials as a licensed psychiatrist from a prestigious educational background.
However, there are some things in the book that were a little questionable. I don't think that Mr. Peck is trying to embellish or dramatize his cases like he says Malachi Martin did. I suppose I just find it hard to believe in some of the things he talks about in the exorcisms and the conclusions he sometimes draws from them. For example, in the second case, with Becca, he says that Judas was in her. Yes, the very original Judas who betrayed Jesus for 12 silver coins. I was kind of confused because this would change the nature of the Bible itself. The Bible claims that the spirits of humans who die don't come back to earth. There are no incidences that I know of in the Bible where actual humans come back as demonic entities. Mr. Peck claims that Becca is being possessed by Judas because her obsession with trading in a less-than-legal stock market mirrors Judas' greed for money. I don't know if maybe Scott is contriving things and supposing the demonic entity is actually Judas, he maybe misheard, or the demonic entity is just coincidentally called Judas. I just felt that part was a little bit off.
Another instance is with Becca turns into almost a serpent, and then uses strong imagery such as 'snake' and 'serpent' as if she has become a snake. Wow, there are lizard people among us after all! Bust jokes aside, Jersey's physical 'transformation' was a little more believable in that she twisted her face like the Green Goblin. That was just a little bit unbelievable. Mainly also because he said that her 'transformation' wasn't shown on the recording camera and the only thing is he and his other colleagues in the room agreed that her appearance changed and became serpentine. I'm not saying that he didn't see it or it didn't happen, maybe those kinds of changes are in a kind of dimension or realm outside of our physical one that human senses can only pick up. I just thought that part felt like it was dipping into the fantasy realm for a little bit. Then again, I wasn't there to see it and understand it.
I don't know why other people in the comments are saying that Peck made the demons out to be weak and that it seemed unbelievable. They are age-old entities, but we don't know how intelligent they are. Just because things are old, doesn't mean they are wise. Especially if they never learn from their mistakes or adapt and change. In the Bible, they are shown to not be omnipotent and omnipresent like God. So we don't know if they are super intelligent and cunning. Maybe they are broken pathetic creatures and not like the powerful creatures we see them as portrayed in media. So I don't think it rubs me the wrong way about how the beings he speaks with don't display otherworldly intelligence. He could've been conversing with extremely low-ranking demons of low intelligence. It's hard to gauge their intelligence and if they are smart or not since they aren't human. Other than that, if people want to discuss more about the book, I'd enjoy the discourse.
I like that the author was very thorough and descriptive in his account, as well as having credentials as a licensed psychiatrist from a prestigious educational background.
However, there are some things in the book that were a little questionable. I don't think that Mr. Peck is trying to embellish or dramatize his cases like he says Malachi Martin did. I suppose I just find it hard to believe in some of the things he talks about in the exorcisms and the conclusions he sometimes draws from them. For example, in the second case, with Becca, he says that Judas was in her. Yes, the very original Judas who betrayed Jesus for 12 silver coins. I was kind of confused because this would change the nature of the Bible itself. The Bible claims that the spirits of humans who die don't come back to earth. There are no incidences that I know of in the Bible where actual humans come back as demonic entities. Mr. Peck claims that Becca is being possessed by Judas because her obsession with trading in a less-than-legal stock market mirrors Judas' greed for money. I don't know if maybe Scott is contriving things and supposing the demonic entity is actually Judas, he maybe misheard, or the demonic entity is just coincidentally called Judas. I just felt that part was a little bit off.
Another instance is with Becca turns into almost a serpent, and then uses strong imagery such as 'snake' and 'serpent' as if she has become a snake. Wow, there are lizard people among us after all! Bust jokes aside, Jersey's physical 'transformation' was a little more believable in that she twisted her face like the Green Goblin. That was just a little bit unbelievable. Mainly also because he said that her 'transformation' wasn't shown on the recording camera and the only thing is he and his other colleagues in the room agreed that her appearance changed and became serpentine. I'm not saying that he didn't see it or it didn't happen, maybe those kinds of changes are in a kind of dimension or realm outside of our physical one that human senses can only pick up. I just thought that part felt like it was dipping into the fantasy realm for a little bit. Then again, I wasn't there to see it and understand it.
I don't know why other people in the comments are saying that Peck made the demons out to be weak and that it seemed unbelievable. They are age-old entities, but we don't know how intelligent they are. Just because things are old, doesn't mean they are wise. Especially if they never learn from their mistakes or adapt and change. In the Bible, they are shown to not be omnipotent and omnipresent like God. So we don't know if they are super intelligent and cunning. Maybe they are broken pathetic creatures and not like the powerful creatures we see them as portrayed in media. So I don't think it rubs me the wrong way about how the beings he speaks with don't display otherworldly intelligence. He could've been conversing with extremely low-ranking demons of low intelligence. It's hard to gauge their intelligence and if they are smart or not since they aren't human. Other than that, if people want to discuss more about the book, I'd enjoy the discourse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
Glimpses of the Devil recounts two exorcisms actually performed by Dr Peck along with a team of religious leaders and volunteers. Both exorcisms were video recorded, and in writing the book, Dr Peck called on the recollections of the members of his team, the possessed person and members of her family.
Until Dr. Peck first met the young woman called Jersey, he did not believe in the devil. In fact, as a mature, highly experienced psychiatrist, he expected that this case would resolve his ongoing effort to prove to himself, as scientifically as possible, that there were absolutely no grounds for such beliefs. Twenty-seven-year-old Jersey was of average intelligence; a caring and devoted wife and mother to her husband and two young daughters, she had no history of mental illness.Yet what he discovered could not be explained away simply as madness or by any standard clinical diagnosis. Through a series of unanticipated events, Dr. Peck found himself thrust into the role of exorcist, and his desire to treat and help Jersey led him down a path of blurred boundaries between science and religion. Once there, he came face-to-face with deeply entrenched evil.
Dr Peck’s second exorcism was Beccah, in her mid-forties and with a superior intellect, who had suffered from profound depression throughout her life, choosing to remain in an abusive relationship with her husband, one dominated by distrust and greed. This exorcism, like Jersey’s took four days, but this one was not successful in that Beccah was repossessed. Dr Peck attributed her repossession to the length of her possession, which was thought to be about 40 years. Beccah went back to her fraudulent financial business and died of osteomyelitis or morphine addiction fifteen or twenty years later by which time, Dr Peck was no longer in touch with her.
Dr Peck breaks an exorcism down into stages of Presence, Pretense, Break Point, Voice, Clash and Expulsion, the same stages as mentioned by Malachi Martin on Hostage to the Devil. In Presence, the team becomes aware of a demonic presence in the room. The temperature seems to drop, there is no other outward sign, but everyone can feel it. In Pretence, the demon pretends to be the possessed person, using his/her voice to speak. At Break Point, the Pretense ends and the demon uses the possessed’s vocal chords to speak in its own Voice. Clash, as the word suggests, marks the crucial disagreement with the demon and can include the exorcist, the possessed and members of the team. Expulsion marks the exit of the demon, which happens because the possessed turns against the demon, because of demands made by the exorcist, or (the Catholic church believes) by the intervention of Jesus.
Glimpses of the Devil is not a work of fiction. It is rather scientific work by a nationally recognised doctor. Nor is it one man’s testimony. Videotapes of both exorcisms exist and Dr Peck identifies all of the people involved in each process, though for obvious reasons, they are anonymised. One feels that one is actually present at each exorcism, observing all of the details worth observing. The author does not speculate or draw unproven conclusions. His principle conclusions are that the devil is a real being who is a huge threat to individual human beings, and the devil is afraid of Jesus.
It is a very difficult book to put down!
Until Dr. Peck first met the young woman called Jersey, he did not believe in the devil. In fact, as a mature, highly experienced psychiatrist, he expected that this case would resolve his ongoing effort to prove to himself, as scientifically as possible, that there were absolutely no grounds for such beliefs. Twenty-seven-year-old Jersey was of average intelligence; a caring and devoted wife and mother to her husband and two young daughters, she had no history of mental illness.Yet what he discovered could not be explained away simply as madness or by any standard clinical diagnosis. Through a series of unanticipated events, Dr. Peck found himself thrust into the role of exorcist, and his desire to treat and help Jersey led him down a path of blurred boundaries between science and religion. Once there, he came face-to-face with deeply entrenched evil.
Dr Peck’s second exorcism was Beccah, in her mid-forties and with a superior intellect, who had suffered from profound depression throughout her life, choosing to remain in an abusive relationship with her husband, one dominated by distrust and greed. This exorcism, like Jersey’s took four days, but this one was not successful in that Beccah was repossessed. Dr Peck attributed her repossession to the length of her possession, which was thought to be about 40 years. Beccah went back to her fraudulent financial business and died of osteomyelitis or morphine addiction fifteen or twenty years later by which time, Dr Peck was no longer in touch with her.
Dr Peck breaks an exorcism down into stages of Presence, Pretense, Break Point, Voice, Clash and Expulsion, the same stages as mentioned by Malachi Martin on Hostage to the Devil. In Presence, the team becomes aware of a demonic presence in the room. The temperature seems to drop, there is no other outward sign, but everyone can feel it. In Pretence, the demon pretends to be the possessed person, using his/her voice to speak. At Break Point, the Pretense ends and the demon uses the possessed’s vocal chords to speak in its own Voice. Clash, as the word suggests, marks the crucial disagreement with the demon and can include the exorcist, the possessed and members of the team. Expulsion marks the exit of the demon, which happens because the possessed turns against the demon, because of demands made by the exorcist, or (the Catholic church believes) by the intervention of Jesus.
Glimpses of the Devil is not a work of fiction. It is rather scientific work by a nationally recognised doctor. Nor is it one man’s testimony. Videotapes of both exorcisms exist and Dr Peck identifies all of the people involved in each process, though for obvious reasons, they are anonymised. One feels that one is actually present at each exorcism, observing all of the details worth observing. The author does not speculate or draw unproven conclusions. His principle conclusions are that the devil is a real being who is a huge threat to individual human beings, and the devil is afraid of Jesus.
It is a very difficult book to put down!
July 11, 2020
Excellent account of a man of science who deals with at least two demonic possessions. Told from the perspective of a cynic turned exorcist, this book delves deep into the dark corners of humanity where one might catch glimpses of the devil. I highly recommend this book to skeptics and believers alike, as it is told from a unique perspective.
The author lets the readers know right away that he felt that Malachi Martin was a fraud, and goes into his experiences with devils and demons, even though he was not a believer. He became a believer once he realized that his specialty of psychiatric opinions did not properly fit the individuals. However therein lies the only problem with this book as well. One's own worldview can oftentimes lead to error if all options are not exhausted.
For example, a patient who needs psychiatric care will exhibit strange behavior, and the author concludes that the patient is demon possessed simply because she did not fit the mold, so to speak. He treated it as if it had to be possession because his field of study did not allow for anything else. This is where I find most scientists to be blind to the paranormal because their worldview does not allow for any other option outside of science. Therefore, if something inexplicable occurs, there is a need on the scientists part to explain it through known scientific methods. They do so to their own peril at times, going so far as to create their own religion.
Case in point: Science does not allow room for a God, so they create their own god and call it a universal conscience, some invisible entity that acts as a guide for all organisms to function in a certain way called instinct. No one ever questions this, they just accept it as fact, though will accuse the religious man of doing the very same thing with their faith in gods.
Fortunately, this book is balanced in its beliefs and I can appreciate that. Nothing is worse than to have a book with an agenda present only one side of the argument.
The author lets the readers know right away that he felt that Malachi Martin was a fraud, and goes into his experiences with devils and demons, even though he was not a believer. He became a believer once he realized that his specialty of psychiatric opinions did not properly fit the individuals. However therein lies the only problem with this book as well. One's own worldview can oftentimes lead to error if all options are not exhausted.
For example, a patient who needs psychiatric care will exhibit strange behavior, and the author concludes that the patient is demon possessed simply because she did not fit the mold, so to speak. He treated it as if it had to be possession because his field of study did not allow for anything else. This is where I find most scientists to be blind to the paranormal because their worldview does not allow for any other option outside of science. Therefore, if something inexplicable occurs, there is a need on the scientists part to explain it through known scientific methods. They do so to their own peril at times, going so far as to create their own religion.
Case in point: Science does not allow room for a God, so they create their own god and call it a universal conscience, some invisible entity that acts as a guide for all organisms to function in a certain way called instinct. No one ever questions this, they just accept it as fact, though will accuse the religious man of doing the very same thing with their faith in gods.
Fortunately, this book is balanced in its beliefs and I can appreciate that. Nothing is worse than to have a book with an agenda present only one side of the argument.
April 6, 2021
As a practicing Christian who believes the devil is more than merely a metaphor or Jungian archetype, but is an actual individual personage, I found Glimpses of the Devil interesting because Dr. Peck was both a psychiatrist and a religious man who also believed in the literal existence of Satan. I found his accounts of two exorcisms in which he acted as chief exorcist credible and to jive with what I had previously concluded about demonic and/or satanic possession: that possession just doesn't happen to random people, but occurs when people to some extent cooperate with the evil entity. It's like the folklore about vampires--for vampires to enter one's home, one must invite the creature in.
I gave this book a 3-star rating (rather than 4 stars) because there were some aspects of Peck's behavior and attitudes that I found slightly disturbing. As someone who professed to be a Christian, he seemed to me to exhibit a casual, informal attitude towards God and Jesus Christ, and to the seriousness of the exorcism process, as well as an arrogance to his powers as an exorcist (although he himself admits his own arrogance, and that it was an error on his part). But none of this was really surprising to me, as I was already aware of many of the details of Dr. Peck's personal life.
Still, even with those caveats, I would recommend Glimpses of the Devil to anyone interested in the interplay of science and religion (as well as Peck's earlier work, The People of the Lie).
I gave this book a 3-star rating (rather than 4 stars) because there were some aspects of Peck's behavior and attitudes that I found slightly disturbing. As someone who professed to be a Christian, he seemed to me to exhibit a casual, informal attitude towards God and Jesus Christ, and to the seriousness of the exorcism process, as well as an arrogance to his powers as an exorcist (although he himself admits his own arrogance, and that it was an error on his part). But none of this was really surprising to me, as I was already aware of many of the details of Dr. Peck's personal life.
Still, even with those caveats, I would recommend Glimpses of the Devil to anyone interested in the interplay of science and religion (as well as Peck's earlier work, The People of the Lie).
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