Customer Reviews

Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption

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I read M.Scott Peck's "Glimpses of the Devil" over a 24 hour period, something I don't do with books that aren't "interesting." I could hardly put it down. Anyone who read "People of the Lie" will remember one of the final, gripping chapters on possession and demonology, in which Peck makes brief mention of his attendance at two exorcisms. This book is the long-awaited (in my case, at least) in-depth description of those two exorcisms. We meet the victims, learn about their lives up to and following Peck's work with them, and - as far as this skeptical "wanna-believer" is concerned - quite possibly meet Satan. When a doctor as committed to the scientific method as Peck - who initially interviewed the first victim with the intention of proving to himself that there was no Devil - states unequivocally that he felt the presence of something inhuman in the room where he and his team were treating the victim, I find myself inclined to believe him.
The prior reviewer criticizes Peck "for failing to make his cases interesting by weaving personal histories of the victims" with an analysis of why an evil spirit would be interested in them in the first place. I frankly don't know what this reviewer is talking about; Peck spends a great deal of time speculating (which is all one can really do when it comes to a matter such as possession) as to how his two patients became possessed, why they were chosen, why, in fact, some people become possessed and others don't. As far as his being smug and arrogant for taking on the role of exorcist after only a few years as a Christian, the previous reviewer fails to mention that Peck ASKED Malachi Martin to do the exorcism, but Malachi refused; and he then searched for as long as he could to find an experienced exorcist. When no one was available, and he felt the situation was critical, only then did he take on this role.
As far as sullying the name of the late Malachi Martin, my memory (I don't have the book with me as I write this) is that, while Peck does write about Martin's apparent tendency to stretch the truth about certain things, he also goes out of his way to express his love and respect for Martin.
This is a fascinating, and frightening, book, and a more than worthy follow-up to "People of the Lie."

In his final tome, Scott Peck returns to the dark and controversial topic of satanic possession.

The book is a case report of two women who underwent exorcisms in the 1980s. Jersey Babcock, a Connecticut mother in her late 20's, and Rebeccah Armitage, a 45-year-old multimillionaire from The Big Apple. One exorcism was successful, one was not.

Though some critique the book as theatrical, I don't find the accounts overly dramatic. Portraits do not fly off living room walls, there is no apparition of demons in physical form, no full moon that drips blood or half moon, crescent moon or even new moon mentioned (and I know this without even using books.google.com, because I read the whole book).

Further, Peck contends that the Roman Catholic Church's traditional symptom checklist for demonic possession is overzealous, permitting an exorcism only with present paranormal symptomology such as levitation, psychokinesis (to move objects with one's mind), a psychic knowledge of the future, or fluent speech and comprehension of foreign languages to which the patient has never been exposed. Peck contends, "these criteria are so unrealistically strict that they would deny an exorcism to the majority of victims genuinely possessed by the demonic."

Though not incontrovertible, there was evidence of satanic possession in Peck's cases. For instance, the women believed themselves to be possessed, they heard voices, and (most notably) a battery of psychiatric interviews and psychological tests found them to not be suffering any type of schizophrenic or psychotic disorder. Therefore, in contrast to R-Catholic policy, Peck bases diagnosis through a medical paradigm stating "physicians are taught that the best way to make diagnosis is usually through a process of exclusion. If it was clear that Jersey [or Beccah] was suffering from a standard, well-recognized psychiatric illness, then I would be able to exclude the possibility of demonic possession"

The book is not devoid of drama, however, and the women do exude extraordinary manifestations that are less overtly paranormal. For one, Peck addresses that like most possessed persons, the two women had "facial skin that looks strangely stretched, tight, and smooth" Recall this is the, pre-Botox injected, 1980s. Peck also writes that during the exorcisms the women's faces turned hideous shapes; Beccah displayed immense physical strength and presented snake-like motions and characteristics. Moreover, Beccah presented what is described to be the spiritual appearance of a snake (this could not be captured on videotape). Lastly, demons spoke to the exorcist through the possessed--though without the babble of multiple voices and without voice alterations, which were both present in the recent Hollywood movie, The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

So, with an air of skepticism, I think the strongest challenging questions are these:
Is Scott Peck a liar? Is he deluded by his own admitted arrogance, and delusions of grandeur? One could suggest that his fame, fortune and reputation as a modern day prophet were not sufficient for his ego and he desired a face-off with the Devil himself. Or one could wonder if the Devil was after Peck, seeking his demise before he experienced and wrote about some miraculous spiritual renewal.

Conversely, could it be that Peck's clients suffered a kind of psychotic or schizophrenic disorder that simply has not yet been identified; one that does not meet DSM criteria? Could this disorder involve a dissociation of personality or delusion that makes the person think they are possessed by the Devil?

Peck states the two exorcisms were videotaped, but unfortunately I was unable to locate a tear-out anywhere to buy them on DVD. Similarly, original documentation of the women's psychological exams or therapy records are not provided in full or part. Even if they were, these things could still be questioned. And one can read the text with the supposition that it is entirely untrue, but that preconceived decision, I think, ruins the value of the book. The spiritual realm, for good and for ill, has always been one susceptible to empirical criticism.

Peck writes in his conclusion that though he believes there is enough foundational evidence (well specified, in the text) to make demonology a legitimate science, an "incipient subspecialty of psychiatry and psychology," he admits practically "the acceptance of demonology into the scientific is not going to happen--at least not until history itself is reformed, not until a 350-year-old separation of the world of supposed natural phenomenon from the assumed world of supernatural phenomenon is revisited, and recognized by all concerned as having been a gigantic mistake."

Do I recommend this book? Sure. As always Peck has good insight, and his text is entertaining while at the same time intellectual and profoundly readable. If you are remotely interested in the topic you will devour the approx 250 pages in a day or two. Though, at $26.00 in hardcover I wouldn't rebuke you for waiting until it appears in paperback (while you wait, Peck's 1983 book People of the Lie, a text on human evil, describes one of these exorcisms in less detail, and can be found used on Amazon today for $4.44).

In the end, Peck adds a worthy and significant contribution to the topic of demonic possession, and my prediction is that as generations become more postmodern, the 350-year and waiting natural-supernatural segregation will crack like the foundation under my house and the exploration and explanation of the `supernatural' will be allowed once again. We will see plenty more books like this in the future.

A Ground-breaking Work of Love and Redemption: M. Scott Peck's Psycho-spiritual Magnum Opus!

I have waited over 15 years for this book to be written. It is simply a gift.

GLIMPSES OF THE DEVIL supplements his previous, classic work on the topic of evil PEOPLE OF THE LIE, which itself scientifically expanded on--in psychological depth and breadth--father Malachi Martin's pioneering masterpiece on demonic possession HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL, forming a trilogy of hope, healing, and redemption. These works have also greatly shaped my personal understanding, as well as that of countless others, of the reality of evil, providing a clearer road map with which to better navigate through the trials and travails of existence, ultimately saving me time and suffering in my encounters with evil in everyday life.

Dr. Peck pays particular attention to the process nature of exorcism, and the utilization of deliverance as a prerequisite means of uncovering the demonic within before finally employing the more formal, drastic measure of the ancient rite itself. Even through the darkest moments of finally uncovering Satanic interference as the motive force of self-destruction in the lives of two of his patients, and their subsequent deliverance and exorcisms, Peck's courage and humanity--in psychospiritual and even physical combat with preternatural evil--radiates like a beacon of love, shattering not only the "Pretense" of the devil's victims, but also the cold silence of a largely disbelieving world, exposing the raw nerve of man's ultimate freedom to choose absolute good or summary evil.

I expect this book to be met with resistance across the medical and religious spectrum, and it already has, but, as with any ground-breaking and important work that threatens complacency and post-modern belief structures, also with significant acclaim. GLIMPSES OF THE DEVIL rises above much of the confusion and hyperbole surrounding this rarefied topic, dares to make judgments on the limits of personal behavior, and offers no apologies for what it says. For it merely speaks the truth: Evil is real, the devil is real, and real prices are paid in suffering by the victims of possession and those heroic exorcists who must brave soul-scathing demonic attacks to free people from temporal strangulation and eternal damnation.

If secular, corporatized medicine ever evolves out of its atheistic limiting belief structures and affirms the condition of the human soul as the ultimate foundation for the formation of a healthy mind-body-spirit paradigm, only then will the science of exorcism finally be codified by the mental health establishment and both human evil and demonic possession recognized as the debilitating, psycho-spiritual pathologies that they truly are. Medicine will have Fr. Martin and Dr. Peck to thank.

For, if Malachi Martin is truly the father of modern-day possession and exorcism, then M. Scott Peck is its godfather. Already hundreds, if not thousands, have chosen to renew their contract with God and life, and have discovered true liberation from the shackles of the devil through the work of these daring men of compassion, as, undoubtedly, many more will do in the future.

*Note: Fr. Martin's unparalleled spiritual and theological expertise--wedded to Dr. Peck's ground-breaking psychological insights and experience--form a synthesis of psychospiritual and psychotheological understanding from which the truth about the mysterious phenomena of exorcism and possession are only now beginning to fully emerge. But mysteries, by their very nature, remain: the mystery of good versus evil, of free will; the paradox of why a little child can have the will and reason of an adult in some areas; hence, a younger age of "accountability" and higher susceptibility to possession; why the demonic chooses one person over another, etc., ad infinitum...

Dr. Peck chose to write a book that laypeople could understand and relate to. This does not mean that there isn't a wealth of information, anecdotal and otherwise, to back his assertions. For instance, there has been an increase in demonic possession amongst children at an early age. In addition, exorcists are seeing more cases of people in their 20s and 30s who have, for egoic or mercenary reasons, entered into "pacts" with the devil for personal gain. If you are too sophisticated or judgmental to believe that a "pact" with the devil or "selling one's soul" is possible, you deny the truth. Father Martin's book HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL, as well as the experience and writings of other exorcists, confirms the subtleties of the phenomenon of selling out.

I heard one Protestant exorcist describe how someone, because of a violent car accident, incurred demonic interference. He speculated that the psychophysical trauma caused some sort of "separation." We know that all individuals have susceptibilities, dispositions, and predispositions to all sorts of conditions, medical and otherwise. It is known that the demonic are attracted to "negativities" in people's lives. We speculate about the triune nature of man and the interdependence between mind, body, and spirit. There is evidence that in some individuals, the induction of trauma or abuse can cause the psyche to separate or split, and, because of certain psychospiritual mechanisms, facilitate possession.

The problem with some of the more intellectually-dishonest reviewers of this book is that they cannot tolerate the criticism, direct or indirect, that Peck's work creates in their own minds. Some choose to ignore the facts, while others are just ignorant. Some individuals, weilding a neurotic world view, accept the "ideal" of a secularized psychology or spirituality while rejecting the "real" of the preternatural or supernatural; thereby, creating a lacuna with reality. Instead of bridging this reality gap with love or knowledge of the truth, or scientific inquiry, they fill it with fear or the hot air of their egos, puffed up with pride, and become veritible intellectual blimps.

Alas, in their selfish reason and narcissistic pride, they foolishly believe that the totality of objective reality can be grasped exclusively via the fallible subjectivity of the senses, and posit a static cosmological bias against the dynamic verities of faith, like Heaven and Hell--or angels and demons--and a moral universe of being. Instead of a holistic approach, they favor a fragmented or wholly naturalistic interpretation of life--contra right reason, experience and evidence--that excludes the knowable but immesurable forces of God and the supernatural. This is the proper theology of insanity!

As Dr. Peck says in PEOPLE OF THE LIE, in order to grow intellectually and spiritually, they would have to expend energy and suffering in order to revise their ontological road maps to conform to reality, which is a painful process. So, instead of shedding further light on the subject at hand, they generate heat and project their conflict outwards through ad hominem attacks against those with whom they disagree; thereby, taking the easy way out and lazily avoiding the conflict within themselves that critical self-examination would engender. And, "the unexamined life," as one philosopher so aptly put it, "is not worth living." Besides, performing exorcisms requires the virtues of self-sacrifice and courage, which many--in the economy of today's hedonistic society--simply lack.

The first condition of learning is humility. While Dr. Peck's acceptance of mystery--itself an act of humility--facilitates the open-mindedness required to further scientific investigation and discovery in this rarefied area, others' arrogance and lack of humility stifles further scientific and theological progress, tethering them to unreality, while muting the spiritual quest, not unlike the possessed. And, as Dr. Peck says, "sanity is the adherence to reality at all costs." Therefore, one might logically and reasonably ask, "are they insane?"

These faithless critics--medical and clerical professionals alike--would do better to first cast the Empire State Building of disbelief out of their own eye before admonishing Dr. Peck to cast the mote from his.

To the discerning and educated observer, one of the quantum leaps of understanding provided by this book, and a fascinating topic for further scientific inquiry, is the phenomenon of the manifestation of the "Pretense"--in its many variations--outside of the formal rite of exorcism. In this case it was Jersey's pretense of schizophrenia, and its purpose as a ruse to confuse Dr. Peck, but more importantly his therapeutic use of it as a diagnostic tool to uncover the existence of an authentic possession, since confusion--taken in context as a manifestation of the lie--is a hallmark of evil, preternatural and otherwise. In other words, the evil spirit within Jersey desired to confuse Dr. Peck into thinking she was schizophrenic and not actually possessed, to preclude it's discovery and final expulsion.

Similarly, another area for further research is the mini clashes of will between an evil patient and his therapist, above and beyond the normal resistance encountered in traditional psychoanalytic psychotherapy. These tend to have a peculiar, existential quality. For instance, an unnatural and patently hostile aversion to stated religious truths, that Dr. Peck experienced outside of the main "Clash" of wills seen during a deliverance or formal exorcism, can aid in the diagnosis of evil when triangulated with other phenomena.

Superimpose this knowledge, and apply it to some of the case studies of evil personalities in Dr. Peck's PEOPLE OF THE LIE, and a clearer picture emerges that perhaps Peck's intuitive, hypothetical diagnosis--back in the 1970s-'80s--that Charlene was indeed possessed, and not merely evil, was correct. Also, the possibility that she was too far gone--and beyond the normal rite of exorcism because she was perfectly possessed--may have also been accurate given the intensity of her will and the size and energy of her pretense, as is eerily demonstrated by the similarities between Charlene and the harrowing case of Beccah in this book.

Dr. Rama P. Coomaraswamy is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and surgeon at Albert Einstein Medical Center. He was personal friends with both Malachi Martin and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Fr. Martin instructed him in possession and exorcism. Dr. Coomaraswamy's books are most informative.

As always, keep an open mind and heart & proceed with caution; however, do proceed...and buy this book!

Dr. Peck passed away September 25, 2005. We will miss you.

In "Glimpses of the Devil", M. Scott Peck, a popular psychiatrist and best-selling author who had recently converted to a liberal, nondenominational brand of Christianity, purports to have conducted two exorcisms, only one of which was successful.

Dr. Peck wrote a gripping, easy-flowing narrative, which sent chills down my spine more than once, but I was ultimately unconvinced that his two patients were actually possessed. Because he was a trained psychiatrist, Dr. Peck presented this book as a_scientific_argument for the existence of demonic possession, basing that argument on his professional opinion that his two patients exhibited psychiatric characteristics that did not fit with standard theories of psychopathology. That doesn't convince me because #1- At worst, psychiatry is a pseudoscience akin to chiropractic and physiognomy. At best, it is a collection of theories taking their first tentative baby steps towards rational justification through the scientific method, a justification which may never fully come because of the intangible nature of human thought processes. Therefore, his claiming "scientific" proof for demonic possession seems to me an extravagant claim. #2- Peck himself acknowledges that most other professional psychiatrists would classify his two patients as having Multiple Personality Disorders (aka Dissociative Identity Disorder), a disorder which would manifest the same symptoms as those of a possessed person. So, the only proof that Dr. Peck presents is his own maverick professional diagnosis and his own subjective impressions and feelings of a demonic presence. I can't say for sure whether the two women were possessed or not (although I would lean towards the negative), but Dr. Peck's reasoning just doesn't deserve the scientific imprimatur he sought. (One amusing feature of the two cases was how the signs of possession would immediately cease every time the team of exorcists wanted to take a lunch break or have a smoke. I guess even Lucifer is on the clock!)

I also have a problem with Dr. Peck's methods, which I would describe as questionable, as was the ultimate efficacy of his treatment. In the case of "Jersey", his "successful" exorcism, he had to resort to hypnosis to draw out the demons (or the demonic side of the patient's multiple personalities) and even after the successful treatments, the patient still heard the demonic voices, though more muted than before. It would be very interesting for someone to do a follow-up on her today. In the second case, which was eventually unsuccessful, it was Dr. Peck who first suggested the possibility to the patient that she might be possessed. I'm not sure what the medical term for that might be, but it smacks of implanting an idea into the head of a mentally disturbed person and sounds highly unethical.

Peck advocates a middle ground position on the question of how to diagnose a possession, between the rigorous Catholic requirement of supernatural phenomena such as levitation or xenoglossia, and the Charismatic mania for blaming every human failing on demonic influence. Peck believes that psychiatric diagnosis is the key. I suppose psychiatry can play a role in weeding out the obviously mentally ill, as the Catholic Church practices in its pre-exorcism process, but considering the supernatural nature of the malady, I don't see how psychiatry can diagnose or treat demonic possession with any shred of certainty. The whole subject is an open question, but I think that if possession happens, it happens only rarely. It's no coincidence that the explosion of demand for exorcisms coincided in latter-20th century America with the popularity of possession-related movies (The Exorcist, Emily Rose, etc.), the rise of Charismatic churches and the widespread acceptance of the Culture of Irresponsibility ("The Devil/Society/My Deprived Upbringing, et al, made me do it!") In any case, the patients in this book sounded to me like two extremely mentally ill women who were manipulated by a well-meaning but ignorant head-shrink. It really is a very interesting book though, so I would recommend it so one could judge for himself.

I read this book because I had read People of the Lie, and felt that in that book Dr. Peck should have included more details, more evidence, to support his theories of evil and demonic possession. In Glimpses of the Devil, he does elaborate and provide more detail, but, to me, this book is ultimately much more about him, his perceptions, and his reception of Christianity than about his two patients, who he feels were satanically possessed. Dr. Peck sounds very rational and calm in his writing, and he makes a clearly sincere effort to show why he came to his conclusions. The problem is that he's not convincing. After reading the book, I felt convinced that his two patients had severe psychiatric illness, and that their cases were very sad. These two people had been emotionally and physically abused and neglected, and they had developed ways to survive emotionally and to function in the world despite the abuse; but the theory that they were possessed by demons or by satan doesn't come across as credible. Dr. Peck seems to have been looking for a patient to diagnose as possessed, because he was curious, fascinated, and wanted to learn more about the possibility. People with psychiatric illness can be very disturbing to other people, disturbing on the deepest levels, and psychiatric illness is so difficult to understand, to conceive, even with experience and knowledge of it. It is not at all hard to understand how an experienced, prestigious psychiatrist could have the suspicions Dr. Peck did, but I think he should have leaned more on the authority of tradition, both of psychiatry and of the Catholic Church, before drawing such firm conclusions. The book, though, is well-written, and very interesting to read. People of the Lie should probably be read first, and is the better book.

I stayed and read the first half of this well-thought-out (and to me, shocking) book before even leaving the coffee-shop at Borders. Dr. Peck carves out accessible spots for the lay reader to better understand three complex, troubling and not well codified or discussed areas: 1) psychiatric identification of clients who might be possessed and treatable by exorcism, 2) dynamics of team leadership during an exorcism, and 3) referrals for psychotherapy or psychiatric follow-up after an exorcism has been performed. While alternative analyses abound, he makes a compelling case for the clarity of his approach and analyses in these two cases.
I liked the fact that Dr. Peck continually stresses the rarity of the subject situations he encountered over 25 years or practice. He did not spend much time on the structure of the traditional Catholic rite of exorcism itself (which comprises the format of the two exorcisms about which he writes) and took some measures to protect the privacy and rights of the patients involved and their families. I think he does a good job in this short book (288 pp.) of moving back and forth from a cross-cultural historical exploration of the issues relating to exorcism, to a psychiatric assessment of possible alternative explanations for client behaviors and of issues in psychiatric diagnoses. He details two cases here and follows each with a post-session critique of his casework. This book continues Dr. Peck's earlier focus on unraveling the presence of and efficacy of one or more "lies" in treatable patients: lies we tell others and/or tell ourselves.
Peck does write as an outsider to the Catholic Church, and he was limited by time and by understanding in his ability to explore Church resources, or to explore the theological framing of issues around exorcism. I think he does make a strong and convincing case for the presence of, and influence of, evil in the world. Casual readers and psycotherapists might both wish there were more back-stories or concrete "facts" to these cases, and lay readers may better enjoy other authors' more detailed narratives or introductory/ secondary sources. Nevertheless, I think Peck sheds light on an obscured and difficult topic. Readers with an interest in, or understanding of, psychiatric treatment, comparative religion, New age cult deprogramming, ecclesiastic hierarchy, teleology and/or ethics may find Dr. Peck's perspective and this book very interesting.

Dr. M. Scott Peck, best selling author, famous psychiatrist and spiritual expert, has written a new book called Glimpses of the Devil, narrating his experiences of conducting two exorcisms in the 80s. I have been a fan of Peck's for years, and enjoyed most of his previous works, especially People of the Lie.

Most of us are familiar with the William Peter Blatty novel and movie, The Exorcist, which was loosely based on actual cases of demonic possession of two adolescent boys, but I don't know anyone who has ever really heard of an exorcism. I was surprised at the subject matter, because the suspension of the average reader's disbelief in supernatural evil (or reliance on faith) seemed quite high for a sophisticated and skeptical audience. However, Peck's account of the diagnosis and treatment of the patients he believed were possessed was utterly convincing.

In both cases, Peck claims that Satan itself was among the myriad of demons residing in the bodies of his two patients. Why Satan would bring out the proverbial big guns for two young women with no apparent personal power or influence remains a mystery. After treating a number of mental illnesses and behavior disorders, Peck believes that demonic possession is more common than we realize, and is often misdiagnosed in patients as a multiple personality disorder. In ancient times, mental illnesses, epilepsy, and behavior disorders often were assumed to be caused by possession of demons, and Jesus performed a number of exorcisms, according to the New Testament. Did demonic possession become extinct? Or is is merely universally untreated?

The Catholic Church has strict criteria for defining demonic possession with which Peck deviates in his diagnoses. Peck discovers several similar symptoms in his cases that he believes are as authentic as the more extreme events where the victim may manifest levitation, speaking in tongues, telekinesis, and physical aversion to sacred symbols. In Peck's cases, the patients transform into an inhuman entity: one began to resemble a snake, and the other a kind of evil imp. Both women had naturally stretched facial skin, like a bad face-lift; and when Peck called forth the demons (through hypnosis or a formal rite), the demons discussed things or used phraseology or expressions that the victims could not know. Both women were described as "potentially holy" and "a threat to the forces of darkness."

The first patient was an avid follower of New Age philosophies and avant-garde religions that were the result of rejecting traditional doctrines at about age 12. Peck uncovers one serious childhood trauma that may have made her vulnerable to attack, but he makes it clear that her acceptance of the demons was a matter of free will. The second patient was a more complicated case where the woman was raised by a truly evil mother who taught her a warped set of values that led to an abusive marriage and a complete psychic break with her heritage and traditions. When the Prince of Lies makes its appearance during the formal exorcism, it mixes heresy, blasphemy, partial truths, and manipulations to hold on to its prey.

Throughout his commentary in retrospect of the events, Peck defines the modus operandi of demons that resembles the behavior of evil people who are "perfectly possessed." "Imperfectly possessed" people are not evil, but struggle with a conflict of good and evil and are vulnerable, by some acceptance of a false belief system, to demonic attack. This conflict is debilitating and extremely toxic to their spirits and will inevitably result in self-destruction and terrible consequences. Whereas,

"Thoroughly evil people are not in conflict; they are not in pain or discomfort. There is no inner turmoil. They are quite common - much more common than the possessed.

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; they are quite capable of recruiting themselves."

Ultimately, Peck's experience leads him to a belief in the devil, which he was pretty certain did not exist prior to meeting it face-to-face. This served to reinforce his faith in God, since without a great power of good, there could not be this pathetic, but nevertheless destructive, power of evil. In Glimpses of the Devil you will get enlightening glimpses of evil people everywhere.

With GLIMPSES OF THE DEVIL, psychiatrist and bestselling author, M. Scott Peck adds "exorcist" to his resume.

After reading William Peter Blatty's THE EXORCIST, Dr. Peck started to search the origins and motivations of Human Evil; first as a secular researcher and later as a Christian believer he began an intellectual and spiritual quest to either discredit or confirm demonic possession phenomena.
Peck's acquaintance with renowned but controversial author and exorcist, the late Father Malachi Martin, led him ultimately to conducting exorcisms on his own. Recalled here are the cases of two women whom Peck claims were demonically possessed: Jersey, a 27-year-old wife and mother with no history of mental illness but a chaotic and eccentric family background; Beccah, a highly intelligent middle-aged woman suffering from long years of spousal abuse. According to Peck, the purging of Jersey's demons was successful, Beccah's was not.

The book left me with contempt for M. Scott Peck. I found the sequence of events too coincidental, contrived.
It's hard for me to believe that the enigmatic, very protective and ultra-conservative Malachi Martin would've so easily entrusted -let alone manipulated- the newly baptized, non-denominational Peck with purging demons. Demonic Possession and exorcism was something Fr. Martin took extremely seriously. All his work was explicit about exorcism potentially being very dangerous and spiritually costly for all parties involved, he was constant that only trained clergymen, strong in faith should conduct the procedure and that they should not stray from the Roman Ritual.
Furthermore, Peck's general portrayal of most clergy in this book is negative. He shows us both priests and ministers either being sceptical, indifferent or cowardly when confronted about the demoniac. Only he and his motley crew of laymen and laywomen had the fortitude to defeat the Devil.
Jersey's case was laughable. Peck tells us he became convinced she was truly possessed merely from a comment she made about feeling sorry for her demons (Why would that confirm anything preternatural?). Later on, he and a colleague get together and continuously insult her intelligence and maturity (Why?). The seeming ease which he claimed to have summoned, questioned and expelled her demons shows Peck not only to be a ridiculous but also an arrogant crank. Peck seems as much the huckster as those "new agey spiritualists" he intimates were contributing factors to Jersey's dilemma.
I believe this book will bring both believers (such as myself) and sceptics of demonic possession to one of those rare moments of agreement: This book is rubbish.
If you haven't yet read Fr. Malachi Martin's book, HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL, please do so.

I read Dr. Peck's "People of the Lie", and found it interesting that a respected psychiatrist would state that -- in certain extremely rare circumstances -- a diagnosis of "demonic possession" seemed the most likely explanation. Later in that same book, he revealed that a number of other psychiatrists agree, although actually stating such officially would be the end of their career. Thus, 1-star reviews disregarded, I looked forward to reading Peck's most recent book which focused exclusively upon the "possession" phenomenon.

Boy, was I disappointed!

In the introduction, Peck states how "skeptical" he was, and how if he chose to include all his "second thoughts" and cynicisms, this book would be three times as long -- or wouldn't have been written at all. He then proceeds, in a semi-scholarly fashion, to detail the unusual details regarding one of his cases, a young lady he calls "Jersey." By the end of the case, I was a little put off by the heavy religious overtones, but was willing to keep an open mind and overlook Peck's obvious biases. In the second (and final) case, however, Peck seems to work himself into a lather trying to bombard the reader with the "Good News" in an attempt to make us accept Christ as our Lord and Savior . . . or else. Peck makes it absolutely clear where he stands on this issue -- either you're on the side of the Christian diety, or you're aligned with the Devil. I took slight offense at this.

All the fire & brimstone aside, this wasn't a very good book. Only two cases are covered, and while seemingly earnest and honest, Peck comes off as a naive and bumbling fool. Harsh criticism, but appropriate. For example, early in the book his "mentor" (Malachi) states that Charismatics, who "cast out devils left and right", are mostly casting out "their own fantasies." Peck disregards this sage advice in his first case, intuitively "naming" a whole legion of demons: "YOU must be a demon of anger! And YOU must be a demon of confusion! And YOU must be the demon of nihilism!", etc., "casting them out" one by one . . . before finally coming face to face with Who do you think? Is it . . . SATAN??? Yep. Old Nick was surprisingly easy to "cast out" as well . . . even an amateur like Peck can do it. Once, I'll extend the courtesy of a benefit of a doubt -- to be polite -- but in his second case what happens? "Oh, YOU must be the demon Judas, because you're a betrayer . . . and YOU must be Lucifer himself!" The Devil twice in a row? Unlikely, to say the least!

I believe that an evil spirit CAN influence, obsess, and eventually infest a weak minded person who willingly opens themselves up to that sort of dark energy. Peck claims that both subjects became possessed at a early age due to very minor "sins" ("Jersey" allowed her doctor father to "examine" her inappropriately following an appendectomy -- Peck cruelly tells her that she "should've known better", thereby blaming the victim; whereas "Beckah" had the audacity to like an illustrated children's book which Peck found dark and disturbing). This is B.S., and possibly even borderline malpractice.

I was stunned by Peck's childlike naivite regarding the spiritual world, of which he seems profoundly ignorant. It is possible -- indeed, perhaps even likely -- that both "Jersey" and "Beckah" were under the direct influence of a dark energy. Instead of actually being useful, though, the benighted Dr Peck proceeds to begin acting out in a rather bizarre and grandiose manner -- "casting out" all sorts of generic "demons" of his own imaginings, then slugging it out with Satan himself -- and winning (of course) . . . twice. What a Holy man Dr Peck must be to have beaten Satan twice! Perhaps we should attend his workshop to learn from this sainted guru how we can better ourselves? Rubbish.

What clearly seems to have occurred, in both unfortunate cases, is that an underqualified wannabe exorcist with an undiagnosed mental disorder misidentified the true nature of the entity he was dealing with and attempted to browbeat it into submission through the "power of faith". The entity played Peck like the fool he is, presenting exactly what Peck expected / wanted to see, then only pretending to depart (either shifting from infestation to obsession, as with Jersey, or simply going dormant, as with Beckah). Both "exorcisms" were utter failures, as is this book.

GLIMPSES OF THE DEVIL, Peck's lengthy report on two exorcisms he performed, is a fascinating book for several reasons. Not least of all is that this book was Peck's last book, published the year of his death from cancer at the age of 69. Given his extraordinary career as a best-selling author and psychiatrist, it should be read by those interested in Peck and in one of his chief interests, the relationship between mental health and Christian spirituality.

It is also fascinating because he means it to be a contribution to science. It is not every day that a scientist publishes research on the Devil.

This is not the book to read if one wants to learn how to free people from the grip of the Devil. The chief place to begin to learn how to free people from the grip of the Devil is first, the Gospels, second, the rest of the New Testament, and third, the rest of the Bible. Peck at a number of places in this book acknowledges his dependence on Christ for his work as an exorcist. But there is no systematic discussion of biblical teaching on exorcism. There is more discussion of what he had learned from his mentor, the author and exorcist, Malachi Martin. But that is because Peck does not mean this book to be a manual. It is a report on what he considers scientific research.

Based on my study and experience of exorcism, the most important thing to keep in mind when discussing the Devil is what John, the disciple of Christ, wrote to followers of Christ: "the one who is in you [meaning the Holy Spirit] is greater than the one who is in the world [meaning the Devil]" (1 Jn. 4:4b). One should also keep in mind what another of Christ's disciples wrote: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (James 4:7-10). Submission to God in trust and humility is what enables one to resist the Devil successfully, as well as exorcise any evil spirit. It is interesting that Peck considers the second exorcism he performed a failure and a mistake, at least in part because he was not sufficiently humble.

Peck, like many, errs in speaking of demonic and satanic POSSESSION. Ownership or possession is a frequent biblical image, but it is never said that demons or Satan own or possess humans. They are certainly said to influence humans for the worse, but they do not own them. A fundamental truth that pertains to this subject is, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it" (Psalm 24:1). The teaching of the sovereignty of God is woven throughout the entire Bible. When we imagine that the demonic possesses its victims we grant the Devil more than he is due and we disadvantage ourselves in our effort to combat the Devil. It is not simply a matter of semantics. It pertains to what the Kingdom of God is. The Kingdom of God is what Jesus is all about and what exorcism is about.

I recommend DEMON POSSESSION AND THE CHRISTIAN by C. Fred Dickason as a book that will be more helpful to those who want to learn how to deal with evil spirits. It presents more case histories than Peck's book and is written by one more experienced with exorcism that Peck is. But GLIMPSES OF THE DEVIL is noteworthy because it is written by a psychiatrist who happens to be famous and very influential.