Is a person the only controller of his or her thoughts and actions? Can a person be truly possessed and robbed out of his or her control over his or her own actions? Possession as a term can be defined as the takeover or owning of something. Demons are the spiritual creatures that are said to exist and live with us. Collectively the term demonic possession means the takeover of someone’s body, mind, or actions by a spirit or demon. Whether a person could be possessed or not has been an argumentative topic for decades among all people from various cultures. The different occurrences that are attributed to the control of demons make the credibility of demonic possession questioned. In the past and throughout history, multiple events were attributed to or described as the work of demons and …show more content…
Although many people believe that demons could takeover people’s minds and bodies, this belief can be proved to be nothing but an overused superstition, spread by the illiterate and used by frauds and tricksters as an excuse for their wrong doings, using medical, specifically mental, psychological, and religious proofs.
There are various proofs that demonic possession does not exist and one of these proofs is the proof related to the mental state of the supposedly possessed person. Mental disorders have been rapidly spreading and gaining new forms in the past decades. These newly discovered disorders are not recent but they were already existing but without being diagnosed or classified. Due to the widespread ideology that demons could take over the body and the lack of medical explanations to some symptoms, people would always think of demonic possession as the first diagnosis for
During that time when someone would get very ill and would hallucinate people believed that they were being possessed. This was a very religious period.
The tale of Arne Johnson’s possession revolves around a real-life case that captured widespread attention and became known as the “Devil Made Me Do It” case. This gripping incident unfolded in the United States during the 1980s and involved Arne Cheyenne Johnson, his girlfriend Debbie Glatzel, and the Glatzel family. The chain of events leading to the possession commenced with David Glatzel, Debbie’s younger brother, who purportedly started encountering peculiar phenomena, including unsettling visions and abnormal behavior. Convinced that David was tormented by demonic entities, the Glatzel family sought assistance from Ed and Lorraine Warren, a renowned couple specializing in paranormal investigations involving hauntings, possessions,
Demons were thought of as beings that did not physically exist, thereby allowing them to easily get into the bodies of humans. Humans were thought of as being very penetrable and having many openings for the devil to gain access inside them. The demons attack the body, especially the brain, where they take over the person's "...memory, imagination, and reason" (Levack 20). 8. The New Testament solidified for people the true existence of demons.
Hysteria During the salem Witch Trials in February 1692 and May 1693 there was a serious case of mass Hysteria. It started when a group of young girls were seen dancing in the woods and claimed to be possessed by the devil, and accused several other women in the town of practicing witchcraft (MacGowan, Douglas). At this time in the village many people had uncontrollable emotion because they were scared of the people that were accused of being witches, and of someone accusing them of being a witch. During this time of mass Hysteria if you were accused of being a witch, or practicing witchcraft you were going to be hung.
Such stories of witches and demons and spells to ward them off or attract them had always been circulation, but under the influence of an “authority” like Tituba, the
Also there was psychological scarring to the spirit within their body. Their thoughts only consisting of: when the next “meal” would be
Salem Witch Trials According to Blumberg, the Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft- the Devil’s magic- and 20 were executed. Eventually, the colony admitted the trials were a mistake and compensated the families of those convicted. Since then, the story of the trials has become synonymous with paranoia and injustice, and it continues to beguile the popular imagination more than 300 years later.
Mental illnesses have a high prevalence amongst the United States population. Each year, tens of millions of individuals suffer and are affected by mental illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health, 1). These illnesses range from anxiety disorder, eating disorders, major depression, personality disorder, and many more. Yet, with the existing knowledge, mental providers and professionals, and the DSM-5, mental illness remains a growing mystery to the public. Literature has played a significant role in how mental illnesses are defined, their characteristics, and the portrayal of those who are mentally ill to the public eye.
Throughout Europe, more than hundreds of thousands of people were prosecuted due charges of witchcraft. Witchcraft conspiracies were escalated from large cities to small towns and rural areas. Witchcraft was seen as an existential cycle in the human race since simple sorcery was set out through the offering of the helpful spirits and throughout the use of charms, it was mostly used through traditional virtues in societies. Most people believed that there were hostile spirits, and through each person there was a purpose of their own, which would protect them from demons and harmful enemies that could only be fought throw magic. Even though, Western beliefs about witchcraft increased dramatically in the mythologies and folklore of ancient people, witches in ancient Egypt repeatedly use their
1. There are a bunch of ways to test to see if a possession was real. They would test a possession by using a dhup or an incense by putting it under the nose of the “possessed”. If that person did not flinch with the incense under their nose, then they were thought to be possessed. 2.
During that time, people held deep fears of the unknown, demonic, and supernatural. One particular aspect of the text that may strike us as surprising, strange, and even bizarre is the belief
In The Myth of Mental Illness, Thomas S. Szasz argued that mental illness does not exist. He claimed that mental illness is not a literal “thing” and it is only a metaphor for human problems in their daily lives. Therefore, he believed that mental illness is just a myth. However, Szasz claimed that the definition of mental illness should be changed. He believed that we should look into mental illness from a different perspective.
In the past, people with mental disorders have been misunderstood and poorly treated. During, times in ancient Greece, many societies connected mental disorders to punishments from the gods or being possessed by demons. But, people still tried to find a more scientific explanation. No matter the cause, if not properly cared for, anxiety can lead to serious problems and disorders. II.
Mental Illness: Were They Aware? In the late 16th to the early 17th centuries, mental illness was often misinterpreted as witchcraft. William Shakespeare, a renowned writer, had a great understanding of this. He shows this through his writing, especially in Macbeth, by incorporating guilt, hallucinations, PTSD, and witchcraft for his audience. A private psychotherapist stated “William Shakespeare, the most brilliant psychotherapist who never once treated a patient.”
Name : Chhon Phalla Room : Nokor Bachay (301) Supernatural Beliefs Cross-culturally For as long time age’s, we have been fascinated with the idea of other worlds and other creatures that are somehow 'supernatural'. All around us is the physical world and the reality of that world is something we deal with on a daily basis. But since the dawn of man we have been telling stories of something else, something 'other', which might take the form of ghosts, of demons, of aliens or of elves.