This is a new release of the original 1930 edition.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

1930. Among primitive races, in antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. This volume is a survey of the history of possession from the most ancient times down to the present day and in all countries of the inhabited globe, together with an analysis of its nature and relationship to other phenomena, such as hysteria and the manifestations of spiritualism. The subject treated is a very fascinating one, to the general reader as well as to the student of psychology and ethnology. It would be difficult to see the human race in a more fantastic light than that cast by these stories of possession.

1930. Among primitive races, in antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. This volume is a survey of the history of possession from the most ancient times down to the present day and in all countries of the inhabited globe, together with an analysis of its nature and relationship to other phenomena, such as hysteria and the manifestations of spiritualism. The subject treated is a very fascinating one, to the general reader as well as to the student of psychology and ethnology. It would be difficult to see the human race in a more fantastic light than that cast by these stories of possession.

1930. Among primitive races, in antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. This volume is a survey of the history of possession from the most ancient times down to the present day and in all countries of the inhabited globe, together with an analysis of its nature and relationship to other phenomena, such as hysteria and the manifestations of spiritualism. The subject treated is a very fascinating one, to the general reader as well as to the student of psychology and ethnology. It would be difficult to see the human race in a more fantastic light than that cast by these stories of possession.

POSSESSION DEMONIACAL AND OTHER AMONG PRIMITIVE RACES, IN ANTIQUITY, THE MIDDLE AGES, AND MODERN TIMES by T. K. OESTERREICH PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TUBINGEN LONDON. Originally published in I930. Contents include; TRANSLATORS NOTE . . . . ix FOREWORD xi PART I THE NATURE OF THE STATE OF POSSESSION INTRODUCTION THE CONSTANT NATURE OF POSSESSION THROUGHOUT THE AGES ....... 3 CHAPTER I. SOURCES . . . . . .12 II. THE EXTERNAL SIGNS OF POSSESSION . . 17 Changes in the physiognomy of the possessed, 17. Changes of voice, 19. Muscular strength, 22. Old descriptions, 25. III. THE SUBJECTIVE STATE OF THE POSSESSED . 26 i. THE SOMNAMBULISTIC FORM OF POSSESSION. Apparent substitution of the spiritual individuality oper ating in the organism, 26. Examples of dialogues with possessing spirits, 29. Autobiography of one of these, 81. Somnambulistic possession without inner duplica tion, 32. Transformation of the personality, 34. The problem of division of the subject, 36. ii. THE LUCID FORM OF P

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Among primitive races, in antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. This volume is a survey of the history of possession from the most ancient times down to the present day and in all countries of the inhabited globe, together with an analysis of its nature and relationship to other phenomena, such as hysteria and the manifestations of spiritualism. The subject treated is a very fascinating one, to the general reader as well as to the student of psychology and ethnology. It would be difficult to see the human race in a more fantastic light than that cast by these stories of possession.