ABSTRACT
It is commonly observed that individuals presenting as possessed by a demon or evil spirit speak in a specific and unique way. In general, demonically possessed individuals display prosodic and voice quality convergence whereby the voice of the possessing demon is generally low in pitch, deep, rough, or laryngealized. Another typical term of description for the speech or sounds made by those in a possessed state is “guttural” (throaty, harsh, or grating). Universally, low-pitch vocalizations in humans and animals are acoustic carriers of meaning. This chapter discusses the various articulatory functions that are involved in the production of these vocalizations, which are, at times, triggered by a specific posture in typical possession cases. The reasons for the production of these vocalizations are investigated, leading to the proposal that low-pitched vocalizations are part of a cross-species and cross-cultural universal signalling system that allows the acoustic emotional expression of threat or danger which arouses fear in the perceiver. People who claim to be demonically possessed may also utilize these vocalizations as part of the same signalling system.
