They call it religion. It's been branded a cult. The lethal handling of serpents. In the name of God. Immolation, speaking in tongues, ecstasy, self injury and the dangerous snakes. The bible belt of the very South. Backyard churches. In West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Appalachia.
Ralph Wilbur Hood is an American professor of psychology at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His "Mysticism scale," based on Walter Stace's distinction between "introverted" and "extroverted" mysticism, was developed in the 1970s, and is a well-known research instrument for mystical experiences. Hood is also well known for researching snake handling in the Appalachian Mountains.
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