
Contents
Cite
Abstract
This chapter trivializes diabolic possession and shows the banality of such cases in early modern Europe. It argues that demonic possession was originally a catch-all term that was used in premodern times to describe all sorts of both physiological and psychological afflictions, the causes of which were not self-evidently organic, or afflictions that failed to respond to standard naturalist medical cures. Starting in the late Middle Ages, however, the diagnosis of possession was expanded to include disturbances that had their origins as well as their manifestations solely in the soul. This widening of the scope of possession was a response to the unprecedented growth of ecstatic behaviors that characterized both divine and demonic possessions. With more people claiming direct interactions with the divine, self-described visionaries, prophets, and prophetesses were scrutinized more and more thoroughly by the church. More often than not, they were found to be possessed by malevolent, rather than divine, spirits. Thus, the boundaries between natural and supernatural causalities and between physiological and psychological symptoms were completely porous.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
November 2022 | 12 |
December 2022 | 1 |
January 2023 | 3 |
February 2023 | 19 |
April 2023 | 1 |
May 2023 | 10 |
July 2023 | 2 |
August 2023 | 1 |
October 2023 | 3 |
January 2024 | 2 |
February 2024 | 4 |
August 2024 | 2 |
November 2024 | 10 |
April 2025 | 3 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.