Abstract Kōfuku no Kagaku (internationally known as Happy Science) is a major Japanese new religious movement with branches operating worldwide. A central theme in recent years has been the potential of possession by evil spirits. In this respect, Kōfuku no Kagaku offers a variety of exorcistic and apotropaic rituals. This chapter examines how spirit possession is understood in Kōfuku no Kagaku...
This article introduces the special issue “Euro-American Esoteric Readings of East Asia.” First, the genesis of the special issue is explained, after which working definitions of the key terminology are given, namely, “East Asia,” “Euro-American,” “Western,” and “esotericism.” Next, the rationale of the special issue as well as short synopses of its five contributions are presented. The article...