Description

---

In 1976 a young German girl named Anneliese Michel underwent a series of exorcisms. The rites were administered by two priests of the Catholic Church to free Anneliese of the six demons they believed possessed her. Seemingly as a result of the exorcisms the girl died. Worldwide publicity followed when the girl's parents and the two exorcists were brought to trial and convicted of negligent homicide. Here a noted anthropologist offers her own interpretation of the exorcisms of Anneliese Michel. Drawing on interviews with the two exorcists, the girl's parents and friends, transcripts of the trial, and tape recordings made during the exorcisms - as well as studies of religious experience in various cultures - Felicitas Goodman has written a fascinating, compelling book, one that finally tells what happened in this strange case as it delves into the age-old mystery of demonic possession.

About the Author

---

Felicitas D. Goodman (1914-2005) was Associate Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. A Religious Anthropologist, she wrote numerous books including Speaking in Tongues; How About Demons?; Where the Spirits Ride the Wind; and Ecstasy, Ritual, and Alternate Reality. In 1978 she founded the Cuyamungue Institute, based in Sante Fe, New Mexico. The institute is a nonprofit anthropoligical research and teaching institution specializing in ecstatic trance and the use of ritual body postures. To learn more about Dr. Goodman and her work visit www.ritualbodypostures.com .