demonic possession
Quick Summary
In religious and folk traditions, demonic possession is a condition where a person exhibits unusual behavior and personality changes, interpreted as being under the control of a supernatural power. Symptoms can include violent movements, shrieking, and strange speech. Some religions, like Christianity, acknowledge the possibility of evil transcendental causes for these states, which may be addressed through exorcism.
Historically, conditions like epilepsy, hysteria, and schizophrenia have been identified as potential explanations for behaviors once attributed to demonic possession. In some traditions, possession is seen as a spiritual transgression requiring atonement, while in others, the possessed individual acts as a medium for the controlling spirit, often to diagnose and heal others. Scientific perspectives generally view these as psychophysical manifestations treatable through medical or psychological means.12
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mental health…have supernatural origins, such as demonic possession. Even reformers sometimes used harsh methods of treatment—for example, the 18th-century American physician Benjamin Rush endorsed the practice of restraining mental patients with his notorious “tranquilising chair.”
Read More…have supernatural origins, such as demonic possession. Even reformers sometimes used harsh methods of treatment—for example, the 18th-century American physician Benjamin Rush endorsed the practice of restraining mental patients with his notorious “tranquilising chair.”
Read More- mental disorderEarly history
…gods or as evidence of demoniac possession. Only a few realized that individuals with mental illnesses should be treated humanely rather than exorcised, punished, or banished. Certain Greek medical writers, however, notably Hippocrates (flourished 400 bce), regarded mental disorders as diseases to be understood in terms of disturbed physiology. He…
Read More…gods or as evidence of demoniac possession. Only a few realized that individuals with mental illnesses should be treated humanely rather than exorcised, punished, or banished. Certain Greek medical writers, however, notably Hippocrates (flourished 400 bce), regarded mental disorders as diseases to be understood in terms of disturbed physiology. He…
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