Good history of an unusual phenomenon
341351
Dr. Rachel Elior, professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the author of many works on Jewish mystic, examines a rather interesting subject: how and why people thought they possess the soul of a deceased person, called a dybbuk, and what happens to the possessed individuals. Her primary focus is, as it should be, upon women, since the dybbuk frequently opted to enter and control females rather than males.

Elior notes that the first appearance of this strange phenomenon occurred in the sixteenth century, after the expulsion of Jews from Spain, when Jews turned to mysticism for solace, when a center of mysticism arose in the city of Safed in Israel and when the subjects of demons and souls was part of everyday speech. The number of occurrences slowed down and soon ceased with the introduction of the enlightenment in the eighteenth century.

What caused women to believe they were possessed and why did people believe them? How did people treat the dybbuk impregnated woman different than witches who were said to be infused by the devil? Why didn't the Jewish community ostracize and demonize the possessed women? How were the women cured? How did Jewish literature address this issue? Elior discusses these and related subjects.

Elior shows how women were adversely affected by their socio-cultural-historical climate. They were married off by their parents without any consideration of love around the age of thirteen. They were usually forced to be submissive and subservient to the authority of their husbands. They were kept home-bound, secluded from society, and prevented from acquiring an education and any economic independence. Many found life with their husbands intolerable.

They were told that women are associated with sin and uncleanliness. They heard obnoxious views about their sex, such as the statement in Midrash Genesis Rabbah 7: "When Eve was created, Satan was created with her." They were assured that all women scheme and act treacherously. They were taught that women are responsible for being raped and for incest. What could they do? How could they express their anguish and frustrations?

"The principle way in which powerless people could deviate from the patriarchal order while still remaining within the traditional world was by succumbing to illness," Elior writes, "a step that occasionally used the power of physical and mental weakness to gain a degree of distance and liberation from the expected order."

The people around them believed that some souls were floating in the physical world and that souls entered the bodies of new born children and live again through reincarnation. The women used these ideas to escape from their terrifying, repulsive experiences and coercion. Either consciously or subconsciously, they developed the notion of the dybbuk, that a soul could enter their bodies, control them, make them sick, and stop them from having intercourse with their husbands, preclude them from the drudgery of housework and bring people to their homes to be interested in them. Frequently, these women, who were unable to speak for themselves, found a voice in a soul from the dead who articulated their concerns and spoke for them.

Elior shows how the phenomenon of the dybbuk disappeared when the forces that prompted its birth disappeared, when the number of coerced marriages declined, the role of women in society became enlightened and women were given their own voice.
1132369
Some dogs seem to know when their owners are coming home. No, not when they are walking up the front steps, but when they are still at the office DECIDING to come home. Some animals know when their owners are in distress or dying, far away. Some animals know when their owners are about to have a seizure, or attempt suicide.

Author Rupert Sheldrake has compiled a database of hundreds of fascinating anecdotal reports, supplemented by simple but  clever research studies. He challenges us to consider these unusual but intriguing phenomena, that do not depend on physical distance or any known sensory pathways. He has a healthy respect for scientific method (and uses it when he can) but none at all for scientific dogmatism. To skeptics who  discount these remarkable observations as mere "selective recall," he says, do the research and prove it.

This is a fascinating and well-written book. It was hard to put down, and in fact, I may read it again. To be sure, Sheldrake can't explain the phenomena he describes. He invokes the concept of morphic fields but can't really tell us what they are. Further research is needed, and, to his credit, Sheldrake is attempting to recruit people all over the world, to participate in just such research. Why, even you could participate. I recommend this book highly. Run out and buy it today. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
2139667
I'm still reading this. It's a fascinating treatment of an unusual phenomenon during WW I. It would be interesting to read something from the men and women helped by the Salvation Army in France during those years. The story doesn't move quickly, but I'm nonetheless enjoying it.
2837631
This book presents an interesting new perspective on the explanation for what many individuals may choose to consider a legitimate miracle. It very reasonably explains why many (if not most) anomalous or chance occurrences are simply just a manifestation of natural phenomena. In most cases I believe a majority of readers will agree with the authors sensible position. But not entirely! The author may take this position a bit too far. The problem is it amounts to one branch of legitimate science (Statistics) attempting to entirely negate another legitimate branch of science (Paranormal Activity). While mainstream science may choose to ignore the evidence; there are many instances of verified paranormal activity that have been scientifically demonstrated through repeated scientific testing and direct observation which have been documented by leading universities, science laboratories and U.S. Federal Government agencies including the CIA and NSA. Hundreds of these cases cannot be explained away as random chance as the author would have us believe. Broaden your knowledge with this book  but don't accept it all as entirely accurate.
3813129
The index of this scholarly book did not indicate that it discussed the Earling exorcism case (which occurred in my home town about the time I was born) but I decided to read the book anyway and when I came to page 241 lo and behold the Earling case was related, occupying almost a page.  (Not a good reflection on the index!) This made me glad I decided to read the book, even though some of the discussion of possessions and exorcisms were not of huge interest, jumping around in time and locale a lot.  The book suggests that those who hold diabolical possession to be non-existent cannot explain some of the cases, though that there may be mistaken diagnoses is of course possible. While witchcraft is now recognized as a delusion and the excesses in regard to witches are universally deplored, possession has not fallen to the same level of disbelief.  Anyone interested in the question owes it to himself or herself to read this book..
4031548
Steve Peek begins by proving parallel dimensions could potentially exist through quantum mechanics. Next reporting tales of the unknown: vampire like creatures, changeling, monsters, and sea serpents. He briefly mentions the Bermuda Triangle, missing persons, people who vanish, and people returning from distant lands. Then he covers ancient tales, folk legends, and fairy folk with a bit more emphasis on detail. Then he discusses in yet greater detail many megalithic sites (especially the very ancient Celtic ones), and the related theory of ley lines and the art of dowsing. Obviously whole books are written about all of these unexplained phenomena, however Steve just gives a high level overview. Often I would stop and research more on a particular topic.

  Finally he returns to hard science and reviews Earth's magnetic anomalies. What makes this book fascinating is how he ties together all these many mysteries with a theory that the parallel universes, which physics expounds, and can explain characteristics of all these mysterious phenomena. He pulls together knowledge of magnetic anomalies and natural fluctuation in field lines to tie together modern science and ancient wisdom.

  Ever wonder if there is a scientific basis for the Bermuda triangle? Ever wonder what Stonehenge was for and why it was continually rebuilt over several ages? You will find a new and plausible theorie in this book.

  I would have liked more detail in some cases, but a worthwhile read, which held my interest and inclined me to look at a few things in more detail. Stimulating.
3170450
I have heard that spirit has the ability to appear in 2 places at once. This book is about bilocation, but about a living nun 400 years ago who could appear in SW America and facilitate the conversion to Christianity of Native Americans. The Catholic Church has been studying how this bilocation occurred to see the possiblilties of replacating it. Turns out there really was something called Chronovision (chrono means year in Greek) - that can go back in time and hear the actions and sometimes take photos of the actions in the past. One of the creators is censored, after he speaks to a magazine talking about their progress on this top secret project. This book also deals with synchronicity - one of my favorite words - where everything comes together - is interelated - A journalist who wants to know God exists, and follows signs he is given, a lady who dreams of the Lady in Blue and can see beyond her dreams. And the work of God in mysterious and very cool ways.
This is a wonderful book. It is based on fact of occurances in the past of sightings and although I haven't researched the people Sierra says really have tried to duplicate Chronovision, lists them for reference.
Cannot wait for the next Sierra book to be translated.
1410786
This is a bit of history that I had never studied so the book was informative.  The author's writing style made it interesting.
1722113
Interesting and had a lot of history in it.
876122
It's difficult to write a book on this scientifically controversial subject that doesn't either dismiss the putative phenomena out of hand, or cross the line into stretching credibility.  How can a book maintain a scientific tone while discussing things that so widely assumed to be incompatible with a scientific worldview, things like reading people's thoughts without using our five senses, or affecting physical matter with "mind power?"
There have been a small handful of treatments that have come close, such Ray Hyman's "The Elusive Quarry" on the mostly skeptical side, and Broughton's "Parapsychology: The Controversial Science" on the slightly less skeptical side.
When we pick up a book on science and the paranormal, the first thing we generally want to know is whether the author is arguing for the reality of anomalies or against them.  When it comes to a true scientific controversy, many of the best treatments are neccessarily the ones where you don't quite know which side is being argued because the facts are being presented as far as practical for you to evaluate.  That's a difficult posture to take in a book on scientific anomalies because the term itself is somewhat of an oxymoron to many people.
If it is an anomaly, how can it be scientific?  Isn't science supposed to be about things we can measure and "prove?"  Parapsychology relentlessly tests our attitude and philosophy toward how science works by presenting us with what are potentially very significant anomalies to the way we understand nature.
"Psi Wars" is a particularly good treatment of the general topic of the paranomal and its investigation by science.  It begins by showing clearly why putative psi phenomena are so threatening to our understanding, by virtue of their sheer bizarreness.  It then reviews the evidence for certain phenomena, such as telepathy, and shows it to be, (as parapsychologists have long contended, often against ridicule and accusations), remarkably strong.
A unique aspect of this book is that while reviewing the strength of the evidence for psi phenomena is an unusually balanced way, it also presents well-reasoned articles explaining why skepticism is still the most useful approach for scientists to take toward certain kinds of anomalies.  Standard statistical methods can show intrinsic weaknesses when used to analyze highly unusual results.  Scientific protocols have some unavoidable difficulties dealing with results that are so unreliably replicated in a laboratory.
This book stands out as an excellent case study of methdological issues of particularly difficult scientific investigations and a good way to examine tricky issues of philosophy of science.  Could it be that the phenomena are real and our understanding of nature has some disturbing holes in it, or could it be that our methods of understanding nature have limits yet to be fully recognized?
Psi Wars stands out for me as an unusually serious and responsible treatment of anomalous science in a field all to easy to dismiss or pass off as a joke.
2833770
Even though I am a scientific minded person who always looks to the proven validity of using the scientific method I admit to also being fascinated with the UFO abduction reports.  This 336 page paperback (Secret Life: First hand documented accounts of UFO abductions by David Jacobs, Ph. D.) provides an interesting account of sixty individuals who all claim to have been abducted by creatures from outer space. This book also has more than 300 independently corroborated accounts.

This easy to read volume is organized into four parts. Part one gives a background on the beginning of the authors research into the UFO abduction phenomena.  The second part, which is the longest, covers the abduction experience.  Topics in this section go into detail on the interviews with those people who claim to have been abducted sometime in their lives.  This part also explores the various physical probing and other things these aliens did to these people. The third part deals with how those who were abducted live with this secret.  The final part searches for meaning in the adduction experiences.  There is also an afterword and three appendix sections in this book.

Even though I have read numerous books on this topic in the past, I did find many of the stories in this book fascinating.  In the past, I took numerous hypnosis courses and even became certified on this topic; nevertheless, I was not convinced then and I am still not convinced that aliens are kidnapping thousands of people and performing experiments on them.

If you are interested in this topic this book is for you.  I found it to be a good read and much food for thought when it comes to alien abduction stories.

Rating:  4 Stars.  Joseph J. Truncale (The Samurai Soul: An old warriors poetic tribute).
3680272
The writing style of this book is very lively and the subject matter is interesting.  I noticed one reviewer said it was way over the head of most people.  Maybe so but "most people" wouldn't be reading it anyway.  Anyone who is interested in science and is moderately intelligent should be able to read it without any issues.

Yes all these great scientists made mistakes and in some cases like that of Fred Hoyle clung to them for dear life despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.  I wouldn't call Einsteins case exactly a "blunder" and Darwin's is understandable.

This is a fascinating book which really functions as a very good introduction to various episodes in the history of science.  Easily recommended.
1813505
I enjoyed reading this book. It contained alot about Iowa. Brad Steiger, who is from Iowa, wrote the Introduction. The October 1973 "flap" is covered very well. Bigfoot type sightings are also covered. Summer 1972 is also reported on. After the Air Force and the Condon Committee decided there were no UFOs, they didn't go away. Foreign reports are included. There is a good section of photographs. I recommend this book to anyone interested in these type of phenomena. Maverick
111325
Acton delivers a brisk, well-written history of ballooning, focusing on the extraordinary achievements of Joe Kittinger, a US Air Force pilot who, in 1960, ascended in a balloon over 100,000 feet to the edge of space and then parachuted back to earth. In telling Kittinger's story, Acton catalogues key events (by turns exciting, tragic, and comic) in the history of ballooning and parachuting. One of the most interesting topics in Acton's psychologically probing account of Kittinger's exploits is "breakaway syndrome", a bizarre and dangerous state of lonely detachment and bliss that astronauts and pilots often feel at very high altitudes. Not surprisingly, this can be very dangerous in situations where a cool head and quick thinking are crucial. The book also presents a compelling overview of human kind's myths, thoughts, and scientific theories about the nature of the heavens since pre-history. It touches on anthropology, theology, physics, and astronomy, while leaving room for some cracking good adventure stories. And you'll find out why the sky is blue too. A good read all round.
3147408
History is not my strong suit.  I bought this and "Closing of the Western Mind" at the same time.  I found that book to read like a college text book, but this book is very interesting.  It is a bit long winded and the subject matter is not my absolute favorite, but it held my interest and told me things I would not have known had I not read it.  I foind its perspective intriguing and I sudgest it to others who are interested in the relationship of faith to science.  It points out misconceptions we have been given about the development of the two and their relationship to one another.
447826
Interesting read with a lot of technical and scientific details.  I thought I might find it boring but actually found it quite interesting.  The writer had obviously researched very carefully and wrote the whole thing in a way that was understandable to the lay reader.  The whole concept brought with it more than one would ever think could happen in a split second, blink, blink.
1562103
This is truly a fascinating book, filled with examples of hallucinations of hearing, taste, touch and sight, and the varieties of syndromes, states of being and drugs that cause them. Hallucinations are much more common then I would have thought and are by no means a sure sign your going crazy.

I couldn't help but consider the religious implications eluded to by Sacks. After a book like this, much of what we read in the bible, from God speaking, revelations, prophecies, visions, miracles and dramatic conversions like that of Paul, all have the ring of Hallucination. It is quite understandable why with one sweep of the hand, naturalist dismiss the paranormal and every religious experience ever had by humanity.  Even the professional skeptic Michael Shermer had a hallucination of being abducted by aliens, while driving late one night after a long bike race.

This book shows why seeing is not believing! If it was Michael Shermer, instead of doubting Thomas, who saw and put his finger into the nail scarred hands of Christ, it wouldn't have resulted in belief! And perhaps it shouldn't. The fact that there is mechanisms in the brain, that can create what seems objective reality (so we see, feel and hear what isn't actually there) does give one good reason to doubt any sensory experience of what isn't in accordance with the normal order of things.

But here is the difficulty, if there be a God and He wants to interact with us, then there is likely nothing he could do, that one could not justly write off as a hallucination. Now there is a possibility that God uses the very mechanisms responsible for hallucinations to communicate with mankind. Though, normally they are caused by malfunctions of the brain, possibly God somehow stimulates the mind to hear His voice, have visions, revelations and deep religious experiences. Sure, we can consider a conversion experience (like the many William James wrote about in A Varieties of Religious Experiences) a hallucination, but this does not automatically mean there can't be a supernatural element behind it. Joan of Arc may have been having hallucinations, but this doesn't necessarily rule out God's guidance. Science only can explain the natural. If there is a supernatural that moves upon the brain, it will of course cause activity in the brain that can be studied, but won't necessarily infer the supernatural. These consideration cause me to think that the content of hallucinations, is definitely something worthy of study. Many of the hallucination mentioned in this book are of rather meaningless content, though truly imaginative creations of the brain. But now what are we to do, with the cases, where people supposedly get detailed information of something they had no access to, or prophecies that come to past, or detailed visions of places they never been? What is one to make of revelations, sound guidance, profound truth and moral progress?

I have friends who regularly "hear God."  This is an inner voice, that differs from their own inner reasoning. This voice is wise, compassionate, comforting, loving and inspires them to do what is right, even if its not in their own interest. Is this just the better angels of their nature speaking? It definitely is not a negative or malign influence in their life, it is beneficial to themselves and to humanity. I suppose it is all going to come down to ones presuppositions on how to interpret such an experience. I do think Christians are justified in their belief that its of God, despite of the naturalistic explanations to the contrary. Why? Because of the content.