In the philosophy of Animism, and in the belief of many peoples, savage and civilised, spirits of the dead, or spirits at large, can take up their homes in the bodies of living men.  Such men, or women, are spoken of as ‘inspired,’ or ‘possessed.’  They speak in voices not their own, they act in a manner alien to their natural character, they are said to utter prophecies, and to display knowledge which they could not have normally acquired, and, in fact, do not consciously possess, in their normal condition.  All these and similar phenomena the savage explains by the hypothesis that an alien spirit—­perhaps a demon, perhaps a ghost, or a god—­has taken possession of the patient.  The possessed, being full of the spirit, delivers sermons, oracles, prophecies, and what the Americans call ‘inspirational addresses,’ before he returns to his normal consciousness.  Though many such prophets are conscious impostors, others are sincere.  Dr. Mason mentions a prophet who became converted to Christianity.  ’He could not account for his former exercises, but said that it certainly appeared to him as though a spirit spoke, and he must tell what it communicated.’  Dr. Mason also gives the following anecdote: 

’...Another individual had a familiar spirit that he consulted and with which he conversed; but, on hearing the Gospel, he professed to become converted, and had no more communication with his spirit.  It had left him, he said; it spoke to him no more.  After a protracted trial I baptised him.  I watched his case with interest, and for several years he led an unimpeachable Christian life; but, on losing his religious zeal, and disagreeing with some of the church members, he removed to a distant village, where he could not attend the services of the Sabbath, and it was soon after reported that he had communications with his familiar spirit again.  I sent a native preacher to visit him.  The man said he heard the voice which had conversed with him formerly, but it spoke very differently.  Its language was exceedingly pleasant to hear, and produced great brokenness of heart.  It said, “Love each other; act righteously—­act uprightly,” with other exhortations such us he had heard from the teachers.  An assistant was placed in the village near him, when the spirit left him again; and ever since he has maintained the character of a consistent Christian.’[2]

This anecdote illustrates what is called by spiritists ’change of control.’  After receiving, and deserting, Christian doctrine, the patient again spoke unconsciously, but under the influence of the faith which he had abandoned.  In the same way we shall find that a modern American ‘Medium,’ after being for a time constantly in the society of educated and psychological observers, obtained new ‘controls’ of a character more urbane and civilised than her old ’familiar spirit.’[3]

It is admitted that the possessed sometimes display an eloquence which they are incapable of in their normal condition.[4] In China, possessed women, who never composed a line of poetry in their normal lives, utter their thoughts in verse, and are said to give evidence of clairvoyant powers.[5]