About the author
Rosalind C. Morris is an anthropologist known for ethnographic work on spirit possession, mediumship, and the effects of modernity on ritual life in Southeast Asia. Her book In the Place of Origins: Modernity and Its Mediums in Northern Thailand, published by Duke University Press in 2000, examines contemporary spirit mediums in northern Thailand as a lens for understanding how ideas of the past and the new intersect in a changing society. The book treats mediumship not as a static survival of tradition but as a practice actively reshaped by modern social forces, situating it within debates in the anthropology of religion and Southeast Asian studies. Morris writes in an academic register, drawing on extended fieldwork and close attention to performance and ritual detail rather than popular or devotional framing. The book suits readers with an interest in anthropology, religious studies, or Thai cultural history rather than general spirituality readers.
📖 Where to start with Rosalind C Morris
💬 What our editors say about Rosalind C Morris's books
“Rosalind C. Morris delivers a rigorous intellectual examination that demands patience and theoretical engagement from its audience. While it succeeds brilliantly in mapping the intricate connections between spirit mediumship,…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on In the Place of Origins: Modernity and Its Mediums in Northern Thailand - Ingram Academic Morris, Rosalind C
“This scholarly text provides a rigorous, albeit dense, examination of Northern Thai spirit mediums and their role in navigating modernity. Dr. Morris’s analysis of how media reshapes tradition is intellectually stimulating but…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on In the Place of Origins: Modernity and Its Mediums in Northern Thailand - Ingram Academic Morris, Rosalind C
