George Borrow and the Corpse-Candle...

I recently stumbled across a description in George Borrow's travelogue "Wild Wales" of an encounter with a corpse-candle. The account has been reproduced in the "Supernatural Narratives" section of the Transpersonal Anthropology website. It is interesting to note the similarity between Borrow's description of the corpse-candle and its motives, in 19th century rural Wales, and Evans-Pritchard's account of disembodied witchcraft substance amongst the Azande in 1920s Sudan.

Talking With the Spirits: Bristol Spirit Lodge Documentary Film...

I have just commenced work an an ethnographic/documentary style film about the Bristol Spirit Lodge, a centre for the development and promotion of trance and physical mediumship. The film will feature indepth interviews with members of the lodge, including sitters and mediums, in an attempt to expand upon the fieldwork I conducted there for my dissertation earlier in the year. It's primary focus will be on the way in which seance experiences are interpreted and lived with by those who are witness to them.

More news on the film will be made available as the project develops.

Anthropology & The Paranormal...

On March 4th 2010 I will be giving a presentation for the Society of Psychical Research on the topic of Anthropology and the Paranormal.

Over the course of the presentation I will discuss the way in which anthropologists, both historical and contemporary, have dealt with the issue of paranormal beliefs and experiences in the field through an examination of specific case studies and ethnographic examples. I will also explore the practical and theoretical benefits of an anthropological approach to the investigation of the supernatural with the aim of demonstrating the importance of immersion in, and engagement with, the paranormal if it is to be understood.