From: Sociology of Religion | Date: September 22, 1997| Author: | COPYRIGHT 1997 Association for the Sociology of Religion. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

In the early 1970s when I was conducting research in Iceland, I was struck by the widespread belief in spiritualism in that country. I found a librarian who spoke only of Dr. Helgi Pjeturss, a medium, to whom he was personally devoted (he appears on p. 210 of the book). There was also a public interest in a medium who had conversed with the illegitimate daughter of a 17th-century priest: the medium's book was on the Christmas bestseller list. According to the findings cited by the authors, some 12.4 percent of the population attend seances - and the figure is on the increase. The ...