Reference Serials

Shepard, Leslie A., ed. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology; A Compendium of Information on the Occult Sciences, Magic, Demonology, Superstitions, Spiritism, Mysticism, Metaphysics, Psychical Science, and Parapsychology. 2d ed. 3 vols. Detroit: Gale, 1985. $245. 1,617p. ISBN 0–8103–0196–2. OCLC 10457831. As its title indicates, the Encyclopedia treats a wide range of topics. A reader can find in its three volumes information on witchcraft, spiritualism, the development of the field of parapsychology at Duke University, unidentified flying objects, and the Reverend Jim Jones. Like the first edition, this is based on two older, single‐volume works, the Encyclopedia of Occultism by Lewis Spence and the Encyclopaedia of Psychic Science by Nandor Fodor. Over three thousand entries from these books appear, largely intact, in the present work. A few minor editorial changes are made for clarity, and many minor inaccuracies are corrected. Moreover, additional sections, paragraphs, sentences, dates, or addresses are added where the editor feels there is a need for updating. The entries of Fodor and Spence are supplemented by over thirteen hundred new entries written by the editor. These articles largely reflect fields, events, persons, organizations, and periodicals of the period since the publication of the earlier volumes.