Rabbi Gershon (Dybbuk)Spirit Possession

http://www.walkingstick.org/
Rabbi Gershon Winkler is the author of a dozen books on Jewish folklore, theology, and mysticism. He's the co-founder of the Walking Stick Foundation, a non-profit group based in northwestern New Mexico, devoted to recovering aboriginal, earth-honoring spirituality. He's a renowned scholar and has been called a "stand-up theologian" by the Tallahassee Democrat -- you'll realize it's a title that fits if you ever get the pleasure to speak with him. Ghostvillage.com interviewed Rabbi Winkler about his latest book, Kabbalah 365: Daily Fruit from the Tree of Life.

A human being that is possessed by a spirit or some otherworldly creature is a phenomenon found in a myriad of cultures and religions. Jewish folklore calls the spirit that causes this rare but remarkable occurrence a "dybbuk." A dybbuk (pronounced "dih-buk") is the term for a wandering soul that attaches itself to a living person and controls that person's behavior to accomplish a task. The word "dybbuk" is the Hebrew word for "cleaving" or "clinging," and surprisingly, having a dybbuk is not always a bad thing for the human host. However, sometimes having a dybbuk is a very bad thing. Rabbi Gershon Winkler has been studying Jewish folklore, spirituality, and its shamanic roots for more than 25 years. He has written books covering the Jewish perspective on ghosts, apparitions, magic, and reincarnation, including a book titled Dybbuk. I spoke to Rabbi Winkler about dybbuk from his office at the Walking Stick Foundation in the wilderness of New Mexico. to read more read Jeff Belanger's article here
http://www.ghostvillage.com/legends/2003/legends32