Very intriguing! Couldn't put it down...until it got dark.

I read 25% of this book before having to DNF it for multiple reasons.

1) The author repeatedly refers to himself as liberal.
2) He calls conservative Christians fundamentalists, though he did apparently work with them as part of his team during his “exorcism” of his first patient, Jersey.
3) He’s apparently a highly educated psychiatrist, but his writing style comes across as very elementary.
4) He comes across as arrogant.
5) He mocks the demons, which the Bible says even the angels do not do (Jude 1:9).
7) I didn’t find his supposed conversations with demons believable, as they came across as stupid, which demons are not. They are highly intelligent, wicked beings, that could not have been out-smarted by the ridiculous arguments that Dr. Peck apparently had with them.
6) As I was reading, I kept thinking, “This is stupid.”

I wouldn’t recommend this book.

Edited to add that I do believe people can be oppressed, harassed, and possessed by demons and truly need deliverance. I just don’t believe this authors account of his supposed encounters with, and exorcisms of them. This book seemed like a bunch of bologna.

A therapist making a child feel at all responsible for her molestation? Making someone watch 32 hours of their own exorcism afterward? Sound ridiculous? After reading the first third of this book, I felt like lighting it on fire.

I don't know the former Dr. (?) Peck, but I couldn't help but feel his sadism shines in this work.

I really think this book will end up in my DNF file. This is the first time I've felt sickened and genuinely angry while reading a book in some time.

Umm, very interesting. I think when I think of demon possession I am just so used to the "charismatic" responses of being "violent" that it's what I expected with this book, and though they were forceful in dealing with demons it showed me a different way of dealing with possession I never saw before.



It was an interesting read for sure, and it showed me the journey of one man who went from 99% sure there was no devil, to realizing 100% there is a devil from a psychiatrist's point of view. Very interesting indeed.



It also helped to identify some of the things we need to guard, and at the same time, what we need to deal with in our own lives, so we don't leave part of our lives open to the devil.



The book was less "glamourous" as hollywood makes exorcisms to be, but the one line that the author said was, "You had to be there...." He was there, and it made him realize there is a devil.



I think I would recommend this book to some, but not all. Trust me, not all would be able to read, and understand this.

The author who is most famous for "The Road Less Traveled", writes about two exorcisms he conducted. He did not go into this lightly. He details his process as he tries to get help from the Catholic church and a famous author of a book on exorcism, but in the end, he puts together a team and conducts the procedure himself. He describes how he went from 95% skeptic to 100% believer in the reality of demonic possession. Fascinating read. In spite of the subject, not overly religious.

I'm being lenient giving this book a 3 it would actually be more like a 2.5. Good story but overall I think he relied too much on his spiritual/religious beliefs to actually be a good psychiatrist to his patients. Eh.

This is not the best book I've read by Dr. Peck If you believe in demonic possession then this book provides that extra piece of evidence you're looking for. For me, the jury's still out. I'm not convinced one way or the other after reading this book.

I'm not quite sure what Edgar Cayce has to do with demonic possession. I started reading his books when I was 12. I didn't read them all in one go, but I did read my first Edgar Cayce book when I was 12. I've read them all since then - one book each year or one book every 18 months. As far as I know, I'm not possessed. Maybe I missed something in Dr. Peck's book.

The most frightening part for me is that sine people, Dr. Peck in this case, would deliberately go out and seek evil. When he did his first exorcism, he tried to get help from various members of various churches. About 90% of them declined. If the church didn't want to get involved in an exorcism, why would he, as a lay person, think it was alright for him to get involved with one? Pearl S. Buck said in one of her books that when you meet evil face to face, turn around and run the other way as fast as you can. I've lived by this rule most of my life. I can't understand why some people would want to walk straight into it.

No really impressed with the doctor's interpretation of what is considered "sin".

Another Peck book on the existence of evil. He names it and understands it well.

Worst book I've read on the subject. Ever. Really bad. No stars.

I read this for my own information for the work I do as a healing minister. Very interesting book.

Awesome explanation of possession, and exorcism and some insight on evil.

If you don't believe there is true evil or a Lucifer in the world, you will think twice after finishing this masterpiece