During April 1574, an aspiring London barrister named Robert Brigges was possessed by Satan. For three weeks, Brigges shouted, raged, and sobbed; suffered from sensory deprivations; and engaged in impassioned disputes with his invisible adversary. Although Brigges's case was considered significant in its time, it is virtually unknown today, with modern scholars rarely mentioning and never analyzing it. The case, however, is very unusual--perhaps unique among English cases--in its first-person, spontaneous, highly detailed documentation of the afflicted person's experience and in its sociocultural details. Sands challenges the prevailing notion that cases of early modern English demon possession occurred only among the socially impotent.

The manuscript sources of this episode (published here for the first time) bombard the reader with an accretion of detail that is never connected to any broad assertion of what really happened, never connected to any larger historical significance. It is this connection that Sands's study aims to establish through an analysis of the cultural context of Brigges's experience. The case affords us a rare glimpse into the dark, private, unedited side of an intelligent, articulate, educated, early modern mind. A serious attempt to understand the workings of that mind requires us to understand and accept (for the purposes of analysis) the concepts that furnish it. Only through this approach can we hope to bridge the cultural gap between that mind and ours--thus experiencing, even if only momentarily, the common humanity of present and past.

The study of the Solar system, particularly of its newly discovered outer parts, is one of the hottest topics in modern astrophysics with great potential for revealing fundamental clues about the origin of planets and even the emergence of life. The three lecturers of the 35th Saas-Fee Advanced Course, which have been updated and collected in this volume, cover the field from observational, theoretical and numerical perspectives.

Features . . .

• Bigfoot
• Sea Serpent Chessie
• The Snarly Yow
• The Bunnyman
• Other stange beasts, including goatmen, swamp monsters, and others

Some say they have been abducted and subjected to terrifying physical examinations. Others claim that young children have been kidnapped and returned only after the removal of flesh samples. Still others allege that women have been kidnapped and impregnated, the unborn children later removed for a vast cross-breeding experiment. These crimes against humanity are not perpetuated by an international terrorist organisation. The 'abductees' assert that they have been kidnapped by extraterrestrial beings. UFO abduction claims have spawned a veritable cottage industry, providing the fodder for an explosion of magazine articles, television interviews, newspaper features, best-selling books, and movies. Somewhere beyond all the tumult lies the truth. Dedicated to 'those who will needlessly bear mental scars because of the foolish fantasies of a few', "UFO Abductions" lifts the shroud of mystery from the invisible epidemic of UFO abduction claims. Philip J Klass, an internationally recognised sceptical authority on the subject of UFO reports, traces the history of these claims, from the celebrated Betty and Barney Hill case in 1966 to the extraordinary tales which are surfacing today. His response to these claims and the answers he provides are both absorbing and factual - a fascinating glimpse into an American subculture obsessed with visitors from outer space.

It is time for us to wake up! People celebrate God all over the world and we are too wrapped up trying to get people to see God the way we see him/her that we are missing the big picture! It is time to go on your own quest to establish your own true relationship with your creator. This book offers collections and insights of various beliefs and encourages you to find your own path to the Divine.

Everyone is familiar with the idea of strange lights in the night skies, but Pennsylvania's UFO reports go far beyond that. This book is a selection of stories about the bizarre experiences of those in the Keystone State who have spotted UFOs, encountered aliens, or were abducted by extraterrestrial beings.

Wherever vampires existed in the imaginations of different peoples, they adapted themselves to the customs of the local culture. As a result, vampire lore is extremely diverse. So too, representations of the vampire in creative works have been marked by much originality. In "The Vampyre" (1819), John Polidori introduced Lord Ruthven and established the vampire craze of the 19th century that resulted in a flood of German vampire poetry, French vampire drama, and British vampire fiction. This tradition culminated in Bram Stoker's "Dracula" (1897), which fixed the character of the Transylvanian nobleman as the archetypal vampire firmly in the public imagination. Numerous films drew from Stoker's novel to varying degrees, with each emphasizing different elements of his vampire character. And more recent writers have created works in which vampirism is used to explore contemporary social concerns.

The contributors to this volume discuss representations of the vampire in fiction, folklore, film, and popular culture. The first section includes chapters on Stoker and his works, with attention to such figures as Oscar Wilde and Edvard Munch. The second section explores the vampire in film and popular culture from Bela Lugosi to "Blacula." The volume then looks at such modern writers as Anne Rice and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro who have adapted the vampire legend to meet their artistic needs. A final section studies contemporary issues, such as vampirism as a metaphor for AIDS in ""Killing Zoe."

This book is an exciting opportunity for exercising individual thought based upon humanity's search for a significant role in the ongoing drama of a much better world. It is a challenge to all of humanity of every race and culture, every religious faith, and to those who possess an avid religion of no religion, the pure atheist. Throughout the book, the author proclaims the dignity of the human creature as he seeks his destiny. It reflects a destiny that exists beyond all human comprehension, and is not to be restricted by any religion, especially Christianity. The author suggests that the most tragic happening for the Christian faith is that it has been categorized as "just another religion." The central theme of the book is that there is an awesomely bigger picture for the success of human life, and we are a precise part of its unfolding as humans, with the gifts of a reasoning mind, and a delicate inner spirit, searching for meaning and destiny. The book suggests that the ultimate destiny and goal is the ultimate perfection of human nature; his character and his behavior. This lies at the heart of all searching minds, and spirits, as they are driven to a discovery or destiny. Contained in Paul's letter to the Corinthians in the first century is his observation that "the human eye has never seen, or the ear heard; nor has there entered into the mind of any man, what it is that God has prepared for those who love Him." This book affirms that God is, and that God possesses the true blueprint for the perfection of human nature. Our human destiny is dependent upon our relationship to the Master Creator and our cooperation with Him. This is a crucial ingredient of all religions, and for all human beings who can recognize that God has created the human creature in His own image of a mind and spirit capable of communication with Him. This book does not attempt to identify the realistic facts of what the "bigger picture" is like. It only challenges us to realize that there is a "bigger picture," and we humans must participate in the development of it. We can only use our God-given minds and our spirits to cooperate with God in the attainment of a perfect humanity in a perfect new world. The book is designed as a "thinking" and "pondering" opportunity. It consists of nine chapters containing commentaries on the meaning of life, followed by thought- provoking sermons preached many years ago, but are currently challenging with a great depth of thought that enables the reader to ponder and consider and experience what it is that is happening to us as a part of the drama of world history, and cosmic exploration. The Christian event is vital to our thinking exploration because it was a happening that revealed the simple but essential fact that we humans are a part of a dramatic movement of life that involves the entire panorama of the cosmic universe. The book is full of affirmations that we humans are a part of a much more significant existence than we realize. Chapter titles reflect the insightful progress of the book: Chapter 1 "The Prelude"; Chapter II "The Glory of Life"; Chapter III "The Vital Truth That Eludes Us"; Chapter IV "Life is Utterly Amazing"; Chapter V "What is Really Going On?"; Chapter VI "Faith Is Vital"; Chapter VII "When Hope Comes Alive"; Chapter Vifi "Love Is Like a Miracle"; and Chapter IX "Your Ultimate Goal." The fmal statement of the author reflects his common-sense analysis of human life. He states that "There is no such thing as perfection in this life, but ultimately in 'God's Bigger Picture' there will be " It is God's goal for His human creation--you and me.

Controversial archaeological and astronomical "discoveries" have been the subject of countless news stories, best-selling books, movies, and television programs. Promoted (but seldom critically evaluated) are the theories that markings in the desert of Peru are the remains of an ancient airfield used by space visitors, that the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt exhibits advanced technology unknown to the ancient Egyptians, and that there were near-collisions between planets of our solar system in historical times. This book critically evaluates many of these popular hypotheses about man's early history. It presents the most important evidence and arguments for and against theories of a universal flood, the lost continent of Atlantis, mysterious pyramid powers, pre-Columbian voyages to America by ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians, and Velikovsky's cosmic catastrophism. Professor Stiebing stresses the need for careful and objective analysis of the "evidence" used to support radical reconstructions of the past. The book discusses radio-carbon dating, archaeological stratigraphy, textual interpretation, and epigraphy as well as emphasis on the proper use of data provided by geology, astronomy and other sciences. It is written in non-technical language and will appeal to a wide audience.

Organized geographically, Unnatural Phenomena: A Guide to the Bizarre Wonders of North America explores the history of natural phenomena in virtually every U.S. state. Can the sky quake? Can sand play music? Have UFOs been sighted in your town? Unnatural Phenomena crosses the centuries and travels America to chronicle the strangest natural phenomena, the most bizarre scientific findings, and events from history that defy rational explanation. Conveniently organized by region, state, and locality, this one-volume, illustrated encyclopedia maps a landscape straight out of The Twilight Zone. From apparitions in the sky to inhuman skeletons rising from the earth—and everything in between—Jerome Clark, expert on strange phenomena and author of ABC-CLIO's Extraordinary Encounters: An Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrials and Otherworldly Beings, sifts through the legends, the hoaxes, and the science. Authoritatively researched, the entries in Unnatural Phenomena will expand the most skeptical reader's sense of the possible. The truth is out there … the evidence is in here.

'Some dreams die as seeds only to live again as trees...' writes Airende Emiaghe in this compelling book of hope amidst hopelessness. Seven women, one God gives you the right to start all over again from any point as this book reaffirms God's commitment to bring us to Himself with an outstretched hand for it is the sick who need physicians. From Hagar through Eve to the Samaritan woman, the pains of growing up and the needs of women are expounded in lucid and real terms. Life is not fair but this book tells us the role God plays in our every day experiences. In details, we are told what women are going through and how they are reacting to it. We are also told how women are supposed to react to it. Successful living depends not upon what life dumps on us as much as how we react to what life dumps on us for life is a promise but he fulfillment of these promises makes it worth living. The keys to successful living are handed over to willing seekers herein. Cultivated over five years and written in two years, Seven Women, One God is a carefully prepared inspirational life tool.