Thirty Years Amongst the Dead is a 1924 book by Dr. Carl A. Wickland, a psychiatrist and early spiritualist researcher. In this work, Wickland presents his experiences treating patients who he believed were suffering from spirit possession, rather than mental illness. Key Themes of the Book: 1. Spirit Influence on Mental Illness ? Wickland argued that many cases of schizophrenia, hysteria, and other psychiatric conditions were actually caused by earthbound spirits influencing or possessing the living. 2. Use of Spirit Communication ? His wife, Anna Wickland, was a medium who allegedly communicated with these spirits, allowing them to speak through her in a trance state. 3. Electrotherapy for Spirit Removal ? Wickland used electrical therapy (mild shocks) to ?dislodge? spirits from afflicted individuals, believing this helped free the patient from possession. 4. Survival of Consciousness ? The book supports the idea that the dead can linger in the earthly realm if unaware of their passing, influencing the living in harmful ways. Impact and Controversy: ? The book remains popular among spiritualists and those interested in paranormal psychology. ? Mainstream psychiatry rejects Wickland?s theories, attributing mental illness to biological and psychological factors rather than spirits.