Demons of the mind: satanic thoughts in seventeenth-century England

This article explores the widespread belief in Stuart England that the Devil could intrude thoughts into the human mind. Drawing on medical and religious literature, it argues that this idea was accepted throughout the seventeenth century, and remained largely unchallenged by naturalistic theories o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Seventeenth century 2020-05, Vol.35 (3), p.277-292
Main Author: Oldridge, Darren
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
17th century
Anatomical systems
Devil
Early modern period
health
melancholy
Mental disorders
mind
religion
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Summary:This article explores the widespread belief in Stuart England that the Devil could intrude thoughts into the human mind. Drawing on medical and religious literature, it argues that this idea was accepted throughout the seventeenth century, and remained largely unchallenged by naturalistic theories of mental illness. Indeed, contemporaries often combined demonic and physiological explanations for conditions such as "melancholy". The article argues that the concept of satanic thoughts survived because it was consistent with wider aspects of Protestant doctrine, and its effects were socially and politically unthreatening. Finally, it considers the relationship between the early modern belief in satanic incursions in the mind and modern understandings of mental health.
ISSN:0268-117X
2050-4616
DOI:10.1080/0268117X.2019.1603119