Possession and Exorcism, Part 2

Many people are interested in the topics of possession and exorcism, especially when a new movie comes out. I recall the groundswell of interest when, many years ago, the original The Exorcist movie was a hit.

Since then there have been others, such as The Last Exorcism and The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

The basic plot for The Devil Inside is intriguing to me because, as I understand it, it is about some legitimate exorcists who seek to help a person who is possessed but who has been labeled insane. Truth is often stranger than fiction. The premise that people who are said to be insane but are actually possessed or perhaps bothered by some untoward spiritual force is not as far out as it might appear.

Today we use soft language, euphemisms, and jargon to describe things. If a person has a problem, they have an "issue." If a kid is being teased and put down, and he becomes angry, he is said to have oppositional disorder. Maybe he sees injustice and is just plain angry.

If someone hears voices, they are said to have auditory hallucinations. What if they really are hearing voices? But this is too threatening to say or even suggest. When an alternative view of such a thing is portrayed in a movie, it is less threatening when the question is raised "what if some people diagnosed with a mental disorder don't have a mental disorder but are being harassed by spiritual forces? "

I wish to say a little about it so that some who are looking for truthful and accurate information about possession and exorcism may find this post. There is plenty of misinformation and misunderstanding out there. so let me begin by pointing out what is not accurate.

On the one extreme there are those who say that possession is a myth, fantasy or the result of some mere psychological process. But the truth is that there is such a thing as possession. There is partial possession and perfect possession.

Mostly, it's not a question of possession but of harassment. People are bothered, harassed or visited by malevolent and mischievous spiritual forces. For example, many people have had the experience, at some point in their life, of seeing a dark looming sinister figure appear in their room at night. Others have awakened to an oppressive sensation of something on being on top of them.

People, and far more than you would suspect, at some point in their life have heard something being said to them in their mind.

Have you ever asked yourself why the things that are said are often negative, mean, tormenting, or urging us on to do something self destructive?

The question is: if it is our very own thinking, why can't we control it at will and just make it stop?

One person had a voice urging him to take take some illegal drug, and then after he became hooked on the drug the same voice told him he was no good and urged him to do away with himself!

Fortunately, he did not, and then it went away and he is fine today.

I have to say, however, that evil is very subtle. Its suggestions may even appear beneficial, especially when we are in accord with them. One of the victims in the book Hostage to the Devil became enamored of some alternative form of spirituality.

He thought it was progressive and good, but it was actually a subtly twisted version of true spirituality. This person led many astray and only much later became aware that he was being guided by something malevolent.

So there is a spectrum of such phenomena, ranging from, at the low end of the spectrum, a naughty voice saying something bad will happen unless we perform a ritual to undo something we did, to a voice urging us to do something like take drugs or be promiscuous to, at the other end of the spectrum, something urging us to hurt ourselves or hurt another person.

The above listed phenomena are more along the lines of harassment than they are possession.

There is also the situation where something malevolent can get in during a moment of personal weakness, such as during a forbidden act, while taking drugs, in some bizarre ritual, or in an emotional moment at the bedside of a dying person where the malevolent spirit jumps from, for example, a dying mother to her daughter who is standing at the bedside. Afterwards the daughter does not feel right and senses something wrong inside. The daughter in this example, a decent person, will surely be troubled and tormented.

Possession in the classic sense is more than harassment, it is a take over. But one that often occurs slowly, almost imperceptibly, and ever so incrementally over a long period of time.

It often begins through sin, through forbidden acts, through desire, and through resentment and hate, where each step of the way we give in or go along with some mental suggestion or pressure.

More often than not, the victim gives in to suggestions that make a personal seductive appeal to what the person secretly desires, and there is often the promise of doing great things together, getting in on the ground floor of something big, or doing something very pleasurable or exciting. It poses as a friend, a confidant, a mentor, even a spirit guide. It starts off as a friend, and it is only once it has staked its claim or when the victim begins to want to get free that the dark, vicious side shows itself.

Bear in mind that a perfectly possessed person, who is in agreement with the ideas and will of the possessing entity, could be a pillar of society. He appears perfectly normal to everyone and masquerades and functions as a solid citizen and no one suspects that he is a sociopath. The only thing is that his rights are your wrongs, and he quietly works to undermine good cause or enterprise, to destroy innocence, and promote some agenda that is in accord with Satan's will. No exorcism will work for this person.

Now that I have briefly mentioned spiritual factors that make it possible for the need for a legitimate exorcism, I have to say that a very large percentage of what passes for exorcism is fraudulent and foolish, even dangerous.

There are meddlers, charlatans, fools, psychotics, religious nuts, and wicked people who tend to get in the news with big displays of alleged exorcisms. They make it into a circus sideshow and deceive many. There are foolish amateurs who have no business being involved in these matters at all, who think they see possession in someone or who try to do exorcisms.

My stern warning to anyone who is even thinking about getting involved in doing some sort of exorcism is: do not.

Do not get involved in these matters. Let the highly trained mental health professionals, medical practitioners, and social service providers assist people who are in danger of hurting themselves or others. Do not interfere.

For those who perhaps saw the movie and would like to read a serious, interesting, and authoritative discussion and portrayal of possession and exorcism, may I recommend the book Hostage to the Devil by the late Malachi Martin.

Malachi Martin was a Catholic priest, who participated in and conducted many exorcisms. He was also a consultant to the original exorcism movie. The book describes the possession and exorcism of 5 contemporary Americans.

Possession is discussed in a meaningful and accurate way. The subtle and personal nature of evil and how it insinuates itself a little at a time is talked about. We are also told of the subtle pride or error in judgment that left the people vulnerable to possession.

Father Martin is very measured and professional in his discussion, and his activities were always and only after a thorough examination of the allegedly possessed person was undertaken by mental health professionals and a physician, and in consultation with them.

The book may be available at some public libraries to read for free, and of course to purchase at Amazon.com or other retailers.