This book is the first ethnographic account of the global spiritual movement headed by John of God, a Brazilian faith healer. Renowned for performing surgeries using rudimentary tools such as kitchen knives and scissors, without anesthetics or asepsis, John of God is allegedly inhabited by "entities," or spirits, and goes into a trance-like state in order to heal his visitors and afterwards, when he regains consciousness, does not remember the operations. Visited by thousands of the desperately ill; the wealthy; celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Ram Daas, Wayne Dyer, and Shirley MacLaine; and an increasing array of media, John of God has become an international faith healing superstar in just over a decade. Books about him have been translated into several languages, from Russian to Ukrainian to Japanese; ABC, the Discovery Channel, and the BBC have made documentaries on his healing center; tour guides advertise package trips; and John of God himself travels to conduct healing events in the US, New Zealand, Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, and many other countries. More recently, a transnational spiritual community has developed around John of God, comprised of the ill, those who seek spiritual growth, healers, and tour guides, and according to followers, even spirits whose powers transcend national boundaries. Drawing on a decade of fieldwork in Brazil, the US, the UK, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand, Cristina Rocha examines the social and cultural forces that have made it possible for a healer from Brazil to become a global "guru" in the 21st century. Rocha explores what attracts foreigners to John of God's cosmology and healing practices, how they understand their own experiences, and how these radical experiences have transformed their lives.

The relationship between new religious movements (NRMs) and violence has long been a topic of intense public interest--an interest heavily fueled by multiple incidents of mass violence involving certain groups. Some of these incidents have made international headlines. When New Religious Movements make the news, it's usually because of some violent episode. Some of the most famous NRMs are known much more for the violent way they came to an end than for anything else. Violence and New Religious Movements offers a comprehensive examination of violence by-and against-new religious movements. The book begins with theoretical essays on the relationship between violence and NRMs and then moves on to examine particular groups. There are essays on the "Big Five"--the most well-known cases of violent incidents involving NRMs: Jonestown, Waco, Solar Temple, the Aum Shunrikyo subway attack, and the Heaven's Gate suicides. But the book also provides a richer survey by examining a host of lesser-known groups. This volume is the culmination of decades of research by scholars of New Religious Movements.

Many people believe they have seen ghosts, many others are doubtful, but despite the rationalism of the present day, there has been no decrease in the number of sightings: old ghosts have survived for centuries and have been joined by modern ones, haunted houses retain their eerie reputations, apparitions are studied by parapsychologists, poltergeists still wreak havoc in homes. Ghost Sightings is a wide-ranging guide to ghostly phenomena from all parts of the globe up to 2015. It covers cases throughout history: many of them famous, others less well known. It examines malign spirits and gentle ghosts, apparitions, wraiths, haunted houses and spooky urban myths. Each entry gives details of the date, location and course of events, as well as providing a historical context and analytical assessment of the phenomenon. The book's extensive appendices provide fascinating additional information, including the differing roles of ghosts in the world's religions, an exploration of out-of-body and near-death experiences, and modern theories offered to explain ghosts by figures such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Ghost Sightings is a thorough study of a subject that has intrigued, amazed and terrified mankind throughout history.

When a loved one dies, most of us assume the door to communication with that person has closed. Yet, in this profoundly inspiring book, "Another Door Opens ," Jeffrey A. Wands offers a different perception - one that suggests that a unique form of contact has opened.
In his trademark conversational style, Wands takes readers on a dramatic tour of the beyond - presenting an entirely new definition of death and, most interestingly, the opportunities it presents. By recounting real-life stories of those who've used his psychic ability to reach their loved ones, "Another Door Opens" provides intense and unforgettable examples of how the wisdom of the dead has helped change and enrich the lives of the living. The result is an awe-inspiring book that shows readers how to keep the door open to those who've passed - and how to use that connection to open doors to a new understanding of their own experiences.

The author wishes it to be known that the content of this book is authentic and true - messages sent from the Spirit World by Matthew's wife Barbara. When she passed over into the spiritual realms, that could have been the end of the book but Barbara is still communicating with her beloved husband every day, to let him know that there is life after death. This she emphasises without being prejudiced, God rest her soul. Written by Matthew, her husband.

You will always encounter challenges on your life's journey and to know you have the resources and the spiritual 'tools' within you to face every situation, will make the journey much easier. You can create a life of adventure, love, happiness and joy. It's up to you! May you live your journey joyfully, manifest your dreams, connect to your spiritual source, love and be loved.

This personal yet scholarly journey into the confusing and clandestine world of ritual abuse survivors sheds light on their catastrophic experiences and their efforts to heal afterward. Revised, updated, and expanded, this third edition of a classic study is one of the most authoritative and evenhanded volumes to tackle its hotly debated subject matter. Incorporating the authors' firsthand observations, the book provides historical, anthropological, and psychological context for contemporary reports of both ritual abuse and ritual crime. In addition to sharing patient vignettes and a history of cult and ritual abuse in society, the authors explore fascinating topics related to these practices, among them what triggers personality shifts for victims even many years after the abuse has stopped. Importantly, the book shows how ritual abuse affects society as a whole, influencing civil and criminal law, politics, legislation, social movements, social welfare, and psychological theory. It provides unique insights into the scientific study, forensic investigation, and implementation of social services for survivors of cult and ritual abuse, discusses new research and treatment strategies, and establishes the foundation for a psychological diagnosis to be called Cult and Ritual Trauma Disorder. Features recalled histories of ritual abuse and vignettes of patients who have experienced dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) Discusses techniques used to create and manipulate altered states of consciousness Explores how media sensationalizes and inaccurately depicts ritual abuse Critiques the argument that ritual abuse stories are the result of false memories and advances the idea that reports of ritual abuse are understated Expresses the position that clinicians have an ethical duty to achieve competence in recognizing and treating the psychological effects of ritual abuse Concludes that clinicians, lawmakers, law enforcement, social services personnel, journalists, and others need to treat allegations of ritual abuse seriously and evaluate each report on its own merits