Magic, Witchcraft, and the Spirit World
An anthropological and historical survey of magic, ritual curing, trance, spirit possession, sorcery, and witchcraft accusations, offered as an MIT OpenCourseWare course. Material spans traditional nonwestern societies, medieval and early modern Europe, and colonial and contemporary North America, examining how different cultures explain misfortune, illness, and the boundary between the natural and supernatural. The course draws on ethnographic case studies and historical records, including European witch trials and possession episodes, to compare how societies construct and respond to the occult. Site materials include the syllabus, readings list, and assignments as published on MIT OpenCourseWare, free to access with no certificate offered. Suited to students interested in anthropology, religious studies, or the history of belief systems, the course treats witchcraft and spirit possession as social and historical phenomena rather than advocating any belief in them.