Herman Westerink

Demonic possession and the historical construction of melancholy and hysteria.

History of Psychiatry September 1, 2014 Herman Westerink

Contrary to the often-voiced opinion that the birth of modern psychiatry should be regarded as a victory of enlightened science and rationality over outdated religious beliefs and ecclesiastical authority, it is argued in this article that the emergence of medical and psychiatric approaches to pathology in modernity takes place in the context of intensified religious life and mutual rivalry...