Demonic Foes, Richard Gallagher
Demonic Foes, Richard Gallagher
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Demonic Foes
My Twenty-Five Years as a Psychiatrist Investigating Possessions, Diabolic Attacks, and the Paranormal

Author: Richard Gallagher

Narrator: Kevin Collins

Unabridged: 8 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 10/06/2020


Synopsis

The world’s leading psychiatric authority on demonic possession delves into the hidden world of exorcisms and his own transformation from cynic to believer over the course of his twenty-five-year career.

Successful New York psychiatrist Richard Gallagher was skeptical yet intrigued when a hard-nosed, no-nonsense Catholic priest asked him to examine a woman for a possible exorcism. Meeting her, Gallagher was astonished. The woman’s behavior defied logic. In an instant, she could pinpoint a person’s secret weaknesses. She knew how individuals she’d never known had died, including Gallagher’s own mother, who passed away after a lengthy battle with ovarian cancer. She spoke fluently in multiple languages, including Latin—but only when she was in a trance. This was not psychosis, Gallagher concluded. It was, in his scientific estimation, what could only be describe as paranormal ability. The woman wasn’t mentally disturbed—she was possessed. This remarkable case was the first of many that Gallagher would encounter. Sought after today by leaders of all faiths—ministers, priests, rabbis and imams, Gallagher has spent a quarter-century studying demonic activity and exorcisms throughout history and has witnessed more cases than any other psychiatrist in the world today.In this eerie and enthralling book, Gallagher chronicles his most famous cases for the first time, including: A professional who claimed her spiritualist mother had “assigned” her a spirit who “turned on her.”A petite woman—”90 pounds soaking wet”—who threw a 200-pound Lutheran deacon across the room to the horror of onlookers in a church hall;And “Julia,” the so-called Satanic queen and self-described witch, who exhibited “the most harrowing” case, a “once-in-a-century” possession.Going beyond horror movies and novels, Demonic Foes takes you deep into this hidden world, sharing in full details of these true-life tales of demonic possession.

About Richard Gallagher

Richard Gallagher, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist, is a professor of psychiatry at New York Medical and a psychoanalyst on the faculty of Columbia University. He graduated from Princeton University, Phi Beta Kappa in classics, and trained as a resident in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. The world’s foremost scientific expert on the subject of diabolic attacks, he has been an active member of the International Association of Exorcists since the 1990s. He lives in Westchester, New York.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Robert on November 12, 2020

This book was difficult for me to get through. The subject matter is fascinating, but unfortunately Dr Gallagher is not a good writer, which made this book a test of will and endurance for me to stick with and finish. If this is something you are interested in, I would recommend either "Glimpses of......more

Goodreads review by Hunter on January 31, 2021

For anyone skeptical about possessions, this is a must read. The most indepth, balanced and logical approach to an ages old question - do demons exist and can they possess humans? Gallagher skillfully defines the difference between possession and mental illness. What he finds is absolutely chilling.......more

Goodreads review by Candice on July 10, 2023

There were many things in this book that were a stretch— and I’m not even talking about demonic possession. In taking into account all the author’s credentials, and their experience, I had a hard time taking this book seriously. For example: the author is attending an exorcism for someone they descr......more

Goodreads review by Steve on February 27, 2024

Having written a book about possession myself, I’m in agreement with Richard Gallagher that we need a scientific perspective on the topic. Demonic Foes is his effort in this regard, but I often find that when demons are approached from within a specified religious tradition it’s difficult to be obje......more

Goodreads review by Kate on March 31, 2023

The bizarre pro Christian/ catholic messaging combined with a throw away comment about how Jews weren’t murdered in the Middle Ages combined with a “satanic panic” attitude regarding the new age movement in the US was out of pocket. Interesting perspective for someone who is clearly very passionate......more