an open letter to doctor william reville of the irish times

Dear Bill.
I have just read another of your witty little articles in The Irish Times.
The article was a review of a book which puported to offer psychological explanations for cases of demonic possession.
Thank you for that article Bill.
It give me some much needed larfs.
Having said that, I must add your assessment of the book under review seemed mostly fair enough.
You outlined the various psychological perspectives which the author offers on demonic possession.
You touched on all his perspectives.
Hallucinations.
Drug induced psychosis.
Female hysteria.
Group hysteria.
Yes, all the usual perspectives.
Except one.
One more perspective you might have mentioned Bill in the course of your urbane, rational and eminently civilised assessment.
The perspective that in some instances there may actually be some sort of possession of an individual by the forces of darkness.
Surely this perspective would be important to mention for a man of science like yourself.
I mean, if only to ridicule it.
Don't get me wrong Bill.
Your review was adequate.
And adequate in The Anodyne Atheistic Abortionist Contraceptivist Left Wing Anti American Pro Jihadi Drooling Drivelling Dribbling Irish Times is akin to bloody marvellous.
But you might have mentioned even the anecdotal testimonies which are freely and readily available, and which aver that although the psychological perspectives explain much of what passes for demonic possession, they don't explain it all.
I challenge you Bill.
I challenge you to review Matt Baglio's book The Rite (Published by Simon & Schuster 2009) which is stocked on the top floor of that nifty nooky naffy book shop on Grafton Street.
You know the one.
Snooty male books sellers who labour under the misapprehension that the book shop is their turf and not their place of work.
Hag women looking at the customers as if they've got two heads.
And one sexy little girl staff member with mischievous eyes, bobbed brown hair, short skirts and punky tights who is just the bees knees.
But I digress.
Review Matt Baglio's book The Rite.
It gives a slightly different perspective on cases of demonic possession to the one which you advocated.
To my innocent eyes the data seems quite sound too.
Review it Bill.
If you dare.
Fond regards.
James Healy