Synopsis
How people turned natural wonders into beliefs in spirits—and how it’s tested today.
This examination traces how ancient cultures explained the world through gods, daemons, and unseen powers. It also surveys methods critics use to distinguish superstition from evidence, showing why many supposed communications from spirits were later exposed as deception. The text treats myth, tradition, and reason as intertwined forces shaping the idea of the supernatural across eras.
- How early humans personified natural phenomena as living beings
- How tradition and reason influenced the evolution of mythologies
- How investigators test supposed supernatural claims and reveal impostures
- What modern physiology and psychology say about belief and perception
Ideal for readers curious about the origins of belief and the history of trying to prove or disprove the supernatural through careful inquiry.
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About the Author
John Netten Radcliffe (20 April 1826 – 11 September 1884) was an English epidemiologist. Life The son of Charles Radcliffe, and younger brother of Dr. Charles Bland Radcliffe, he was born in Yorkshire and received his early medical training at the Leeds school of medicine. Shortly after obtaining his diploma he went to the Crimea as a surgeon attached to the headquarters of Omar Pasha, and remained there till the close of the war. He received for his services the Order of the Medjidie as well as the Turkish and English medals, with a clasp for Sebastopol. On returning home he became medical superintendent of the Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic in Queen Square, London. In 1865 Radcliffe was asked to prepare a report on the appearance of cholera abroad, and in 1866 he was engaged in investigating the outbreak in East London, which he traced to the infected supply of the East London Water Company. This report appeared as a blue-book[disambiguation needed] in 1867, and gained Radcliffe a reputation. He was elected a member of the Epidemiological Society in 1850, was its honorary secretary 1862–1871, and president 1875–1877. In November 1869 he was appointed to the second of the two public health inspectorships then created by the privy council, and, on the formation of the local government board in 1871, he was made assistant medical officer. In poor health, he resigned the post in 1883, and died on 11 September 1884
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Fiends, Ghosts, and Sprites (Classic Reprint)
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Paperback. Condition: New. Print on Demand. This book analyzes the historical origins of the human belief in supernatural beings and how it has evolved and taken form within different societies. The author begins by exploring how human beings began to conceive of supernatural entities from the phenomena of nature and the limitations of human knowledge. Tracing the development of mythology across different cultures and historical eras, the author shows how the primary mythological concepts of different nations are remarkably similar, modified only by the specific details of each culture's environment and social organization. The author also discusses the influence of Christianity and other religious systems on the evolution of mythological beliefs, showing how the idea of the devil and other evil spirits was adapted and adopted into various mythologies. The author concludes by summarizing the significance of this exploration of mythology, emphasizing that the study of mythological beliefs can illuminate our understanding of human nature and the ways in which we have sought to understand and control the world around us. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book. print-on-demand item. Seller Inventory # 9781330249604_0
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Fiends, Ghosts, and Sprites Including an Account of the Origin and Nature of Belief in the Supernatural Classic Reprint
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PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # LW-9781330249604
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