New Video: Spirit Visions (1/3): Message or Madness?

Following up on my recent video about the Ghost Exhibition in Basel, I’m shifting the lens toward a woefully underexplored historical puzzle: How did spirit visions and related experiences go from being dismissed as “insanity” to being explored as modern therapeutic tools? Part 1 of this new video trilogy sets the stage by exploring dramatic … Read more

What is the Historical Study of Science and Magic Good for?

Christian Jarrett, an editor at Aeon magazine, approached me after reading my response to a Japanese newspaper query on ghost beliefs in the West last year to commission a short article on a similar topic. I was happy to comply, and my Aeon piece on the hidden history of hallucinations and visions went online in … Read more

Congratulations and Thanks to Jules Evans, Winner of the latest Patreon Prize Draw!

It’s a great pleasure to announce Forbidden Histories supporter Jules Evans as the winner of the last Patreon prize draw. Jules, who won a copy of Adam Crabtree’s seminal From Mesmer to Freud: Magnetic Sleep and the Roots of Psychological Healing, is currently a research fellow at the Centre for the History of Emotions, Queen … Read more