Description: This book explores the tradition of Icelandic spirit work, known as andleg mal, as practiced in the northern town of Akureyri. Based on firsthand accounts of these spirit encounters, Corinne Dempsey describes how andleg mal's beliefs and practices span not only earth and spirit but Icelandic histories and cross-Atlantic cultures.
Review Quotes: "As a reflection on participant experience, Bridges Between Worlds covers a segment of contemporary Icelandic Spiritualist practice, and a chapter on spiritual healing has some wider relevance." -- Rosemary Power, National University of Ireland, Galway, Folklore
"This is a well-written, engaging, and rewarding book."--Reading Religion"The supernatural is surprisingly closer than we imagine, even in a modern, scientifically sophisticated world. Bridges Between Worlds offers a fascinating, experience-near account of spiritualism and supernaturalism in contemporary Iceland." --Tanya Marie Luhrmann, author of When God Talks Back"In the land of Iceland, seemingly far-removed from the rest of the world, people of spiritual bent perform andleg mᬠto re-enchant a modernized world. Corinne Dempsey breaks new ground in this reflexive ethnography that places her within the narrative itself. Without being apologetic she empathetically demonstrates that her Icelandic friends are on a quest for something beyond the realm of the rational world we inhabit. This book will become an instant classic in contemporary spirituality studies." --Frank J. Korom, Professor of Religion and Anthropology, Boston University
"Bridges between Worlds, is a first-rate ethnography of spiritualism in Iceland. Most studies of trance and possession focus on non-European cultures, so it is refreshing to discover such a thoughtful study of such practices in Europe. The heart of the book is its rich and sympathetic descriptions of Icelandic Spiritualists, who truly come alive in these pages, as does the author herself. Bridges between Worlds will be a very useful book for those interested in religion in Iceland, trance, possession, healing, esotericism, and contemporary spiritual practices in Europe." --William S. Sax, Professor and Head of Department of Anthropology, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University