Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Contemporary Mediums and the Return of William James

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Demons of William James

  • 164 Accesses

Abstract

Two 1970s channelers claimed to be in touch with the spirit of William James. Their writings present an interesting version of James that they admit is partially their own construction. Demonic possession for them becomes something psychologically nuanced: a semi-conscious, creative blend of personalities rather than uncontrolled alternations of controlling personalities. Using the investigations of contemporary psychologist Gary Schwartz, the writings of James, and the writings of two prominent mediums claiming to be in contact with a post-mortem James, an analysis is made not only of the epistemological issues involved in demonic influence but also the ethical issues involved in therapeutic practice. The insights of two contemporary mediums—Allison DuBois and John Edward—are given both a charitable and skeptical reading.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bridgestock, Martin. 2008. Skeptical Ethics: What Should We Investigate? Skeptical Inquirer 32 (3): 35–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blum, Deborah. 2006. Ghost Hunters. New York: Perguin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • DuBois, Allison. 2005. Don’t Kiss Them Goodbye. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2006. We are Their Heaven: Why the Dead Never Leave Us. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edward, John. 1998. One Last Time: A Psychic Medium Speaks to Those We Have Loved and Lost. New York: Berkeley Publishing Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1992. The Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. New York: The Modern Library.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, William. 1960. William James and Psychical Research. Edited by Gardner Murphy and Robert Ballou. New York: Viking Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1994. The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. New York: Modern Library.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2000a. Correspondence: Vol. 8. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merow, Katherine. 2008. But You Deceived Me! The Necessity of Deception in Investigation of the Paranormal. Skeptical Inquirer 32 (4): 44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, Robert D. 2006. William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roach, Mary. 2005. Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife. New York: W. W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, Jane. 1979. The Afterdeath Journal of an American Philosopher: The Worldview of William James. New York: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, Gary. 2002. The Afterlife Experiments: Breakthrough Scientific Evidence of Life After Death. Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2005. The Truth Behind Medium: Extraordinary Experiments with the Real Allison DuBois of NBC’s Medium and Other Remarkable Psychics. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sluhovsky, Moshe. 1996. A Divine Apparition of Demonic Possession? Female Agency and Church Authority in Demon Possession in Sixteenth-Century France. The Sixteenth Century Journal 27 (4): 1039–1055.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, Susy. 1974. The Book of James. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1999. Ghost Writers in the Sky: More Communication from James. New York: Excel Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • South Park. 2002. Biggest Douche in the Universe. Season 6:15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swedenborg. 2000. Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell: Drawn from Things Heard and Seen. West Chester, PA: Swedenborg Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward, Roger A. 2004. Conversion in American Philosophy: Exploring the Practice of Transformation. New York: Fordham University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willke, Dr. and Mrs. 1973. Handbook on Abortion. Cincinnati: Hiltz Publishing Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiseman, Richard, and Robert Morris. 1997. Deception and Self-Deception: Investigating Psychics. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saint Ambrose University, Davenport, IA, USA

    Tadd Ruetenik

Authors
  1. Tadd Ruetenik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ruetenik, T. (2018). Contemporary Mediums and the Return of William James. In: The Demons of William James. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91623-1_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation