This volume investigates how lay individuals in later medieval Europe conceptualized demonic possession and utilized these beliefs to interpret and resolve personal or communal crises. Sari Katajala-Peltomaa, a specialist in medieval social and religious history, synthesizes a diverse array of primary sources—including hagiographies, inquisitorial records, and miracle accounts—to reconstruct the lived experience of the supernatural. The author argues that possession was not merely a theological abstraction but a functional framework for navigating the complexities of medieval social life and psychological distress.

Scholars in the field of medieval religious culture identify this work as a significant contribution to the study of popular piety and the social construction of the supernatural. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's meticulous handling of complex, fragmented archival evidence.