When I was a kid there were a few things I thought would be more of big deal in adulthood including quicksand, killer bees, and satanists. Now I am not saying these things don’t exist, just not at the level we were scared into believing as children. Dr. Richard Gallagher, though, might argue about the last item on my list as he’s spent the past quarter of a century investigating cases of demonic possession from a medical expert’s point of view—but that is his story to share! Meet Richard Gallagher, MD: A board-certified psychiatrist and highly experienced clinician and teacher, Dr. Gallagher is a professor of psychiatry at NY Medical College and a psychoanalyst on the faculty of Columbia University. In addition, he is the longest-standing member of the International Association of Exorcists since the early 1990's, serving for a time as a scientific adviser on its governing board. He has devoted many years to distinguishing the rare cases of overt demonic attacks from the much more common conditions of medical and psychiatric disorders. He joined me on Uncorking a Story about his career and book Demonic Foes: My Twenty-Five Years as a Psychiatrist Investigating Possessions, Diabolic Attacks, and the Paranormal. Key Topics: How he got invited to investigate suspected cases of demonic possession. The numerous criteria he uses to differentiate between mental illnesses such as dissociative disorder and demonic possession. Why staying involved in the work relates to why he became a physician in the first place. Being approached by A-List Hollywood filmmakers to make a movie inspired by his book and experience. What Hollywood gets right about demonic possession and what it gets wrong. Buy Demonic Foes: My Twenty-Five Years as a Psychiatrist Investigating Possessions, Diabolic Attacks, and the Paranormal Amazon: https://amzn.to/3UhemM8 Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9780062876478 Connect with Dr. Richard Gallagher: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18483110.Richard_Gallagher Connect with Mike Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/ If you like this episode, please share it with a friend. If you have not done so already, please rate and review Uncorking a Story on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.