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Steije Hofhuis

Steije Hofhuis is a cultural historian at Utrecht University, The Netherlands, who became intrigued by the idea of “mind parasites.” In his research, he examines European witch persecutions as an example of a virus-like cultural phenomenon that spread at the expense of its human hosts.

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Authored by

Steije Hofhuis

February 7, 2023

Witch-Hunting: A Lethal Cultural “Virus”?

New research suggests there may have been Darwinian mechanisms behind the evolution of witch-hunting phenomena.

History

Psychology

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