Continuing on the Spook-tober theme, this week the dragons take a look at a classic trope in gothic and horror fiction: possession. Made more popular in the genre by films like The Exorcist, possession is an unsavoury subject, combining body horror with psychological terror. But where does the idea originate? What part does the human understanding of 'souls' or religion play? And what about the alleged 'true story' status some speculative fiction featuring possession is based on - is there any truth to the claim? Jules and Madeleine take a deep dive into the origins of the trope, citing several 'real life cases' and drawing parallels with popular fiction. On the slab this week: the Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Exorcist, Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins series and many more.
CW: Some of this discussion centres on familiar and religious abuse, as well as mental health issues.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Dissecting Dragon: Episode 81: War! What is it good for... in Storytelling?
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 80: Pivot Points - Historical Moments that changed Everything
Dissecting Dragon: Episode 79: Ouija Boards, Possessed Dolls & Bloody Mary - the Fascination with Supernatural Games
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 78: Portents, Symbols and Future Knowledge - Precognition and Foreshadowing in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragon: Episode 77: Man out of Time - Displaced Protagonists in Speculative Fiction
Disseecting Dragons: Episode 76: From Aslan to Ananda - Religious Allegory in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 75: Labyrinth - Looking at the Mystery of Mazes
Dissecting Dragon: Episode 74: The Sorting Hat and Other Trials - Finding your Tribe in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 73: Sand and Sky - Desert Archetypes in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 72: Maenads, Black Magic & Demon Drink - Addictions in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 71: The Lazarus Effect - Back from the Dead (Again!)
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 70: They Shall take up Serpents - Religious Cults in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Ep 69: When you say Nothing at all - Sparkling Dialogue in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 68: Cautionary Tunes - The Fantasy & History behind Folksongs & Nursery Rhymes
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 67: That Ship has Sailed - Happy Endings, Fan Service & the Appropriate Finale
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 66: Strange Familiarity - the Uncanny in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 65: The Strange Case of Professor Lupin - the Subversive Power of Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 64: Rogues, Renegades and Robin Hood - Our Favourite Outlaws in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 63: Mentors, Wizards and Wise Women - Portrayals of the Elderly in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 62: Occult Detectives - Urban Fantasy and Mystery
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