Swans Commentary » swans.com July 18, 2005  

 


 

People Of The Lie
Scott Peck's Glimpses of the Devil

 

by Milo Clark

 

 

 

 

M. Scott Peck, M. D.; Glimpses of the Devil, A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism and Redemption; Free Press, New York, 2005. ISBN 0-7432-5467-8

 

(Swans - July 18, 2005)  In a previous work, People of the Lie, Scott Peck first confronted, in print, situations of possession and an exorcism. As a scientist these confrontations are as much personal as professional. With Glimpses of the Devil, Peck further confronts both situations and self to conclude, personally and professionally, that there most definitely is a Devil, whether Lucifer or Antichrist.

"I would never again doubt the existence of Satan." . . . . "By the devil, I mean a spirit that is powerful (it may be in several places at the same time and manifest itself in a variety of distinctly paranormal ways), thoroughly malevolent (its only motivation seemed to be the destruction of human beings or the entire human race), deceitful and vain, capable of taking up a kind of residence within the mind, brain, soul, or body of susceptible and willing human beings -- a spirit that had various names (among them Lucifer and Satan), that was real and did exist." (p. 238)

As well as Devil, there are demons, junior devils, if you will. Demonic possession, therefore, is a subset.

". . . possessed people are not evil: they are in conflict between good and evil. Were it not for this conflict we could not know that there is such a thing as possession. It is the conflict that gives rise to this 'stigmata' of possession. Thoroughly evil people are not in conflict: they are not in pain or discomfort. There is no inner turmoil." (p. 239)

In reference to evil people, "Given the universal dynamics of laziness and narcissism, I do not think that the people of the lie need Satan to recruit them to their evil: I believe they are quite capable of recruiting themselves." (p. 240)

Is Peck describing George W. Bush?

 

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M. Scott Peck, M. D.; Glimpses of the Devil, A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism and Redemption; Free Press, New York, 2005. ISBN 0-7432-5467-8

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Internal Resources

America the 'beautiful' on Swans

Patterns which Connect on Swans

 

About the Author

Milo Clark on Swans (with bio).

 

Legalese

Please, feel free to insert a link to this work on your Web site or to disseminate its URL on your favorite lists, quoting the first paragraph or providing a summary. However, please DO NOT steal, scavenge, or repost this work on the Web or any electronic media. Inlining, mirroring, and framing are expressly prohibited. Pulp re-publishing is welcome -- please contact the publisher. This material is copyrighted, © Milo Clark 2005. All rights reserved.

 

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Swans -- ISSN: 1554-4915
URL for this work: http://www.swans.com/library/art11/mgc162.html
Published July 18, 2005



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