Demonic Possession

[scorpiogirly]

Do you believe?

I've been watching a lot of podcasts on YouTube lately with exorcist from the church.

I'm torn. Do you believe?

I used to work in a Wetherspoons so yes I’ve witnessed first hand people who are definitely fucking possessed. Staff and customers.
On a serious note tho, I do think there’s definitely some spooky things that happen that we can’t explain, but I don’t know about demonic possession.

I think if someone is religious, and feels they have been possessed, and visits a priest for ‘deliverance’ and it ‘works’ who are we to question the validity of those claims? Even if it was a placebo effect

their placebo effect will just be another symptom that is not reality

it will just become another symptom of their illness

There is a Russell Crowe film where he is an alcaholic priest who does exorcisms, when challenged by The Vatican he says that the people he helps are all mentally ill but believe they are possessed so what does it matter how he cures them?
Obviously it all ends up going horribly wrong but its an interesting point

Will it?
What if their profound faith has them believing that they really have been cured and then, are actually cured? As in, they are totally fine after? Does it matter how they got there?

No.
People centuries ago just didn't understand things like epilepsy, dpd, schizophrenia etc which led to the creation of the idea of demonic possession. It's a completely entrenched myth throughout the world now, even though we know better, it's become its own thing rather than what it originally was. An attempt by superstitious people to explain things they couldn't understand.

If there's ever scientific proof that demons exist and possess people, I will happy change my view on the matter.

I saw that film!
It was quite good, random ending though.

No not really. But it's still scarey and I don't watch horror films.

OP have you been on the sherry recently?

But they are not living in reality

This can be dangerous for themselves and at times others

What else will their profound faith have them believing that others are possessed by demons and they must save them

Also someone who is suffering with symptoms their perception of reality can change very very quickly that can lead to unpredictable behaviour

just curious about the mental health assessment. Is it carried out by a qualified psychologist? Does the psychologist just say 'no signs of mental illness, it's definitely demonic possession so crack on with the exorcism" or is it a priest who assess?

I was raised Catholic but I do not believe in demonic possession.

Torn between what? Reality and fiction? Of course demonic possession isn’t real. And this is from someone who was raised in a very catholic family that believed in all sort of nonsense and imo played on it.

I agree with this

No, but like a pp I’m fascinated by it and love a good demonic possession film with priests and the Vatican getting involved.

No. There's no such thing as a demon and there's no such thing as possession. At all.

Nay, lass.

The Church of England also does deliverance.

Regardless of that, however, demonic possession isn't real and anyone who is having an exorcism/deliverance performed on them is not possessed and is gaining nothing but a validation of their delusion and/or a placebo effect.

I see what you mean. So kind of like they seem ‘cured’ but really aren’t and this may stop them seeking professional medical help and therefore stop recurrences?

What does this mean please?

I don’t believe in demons.

I have a recurring nightmare that there is a demon in my home, it talks to me, but I cannot see it, and it plays tricks on me - the last of these was only 2 days ago when I woke up shouting.
I am a normal sane mum, not sleep deprived or on any meds, it just feels so real when it happens - not sure if I'm being haunted or it's just 'one of those things' which will eventually fade away - but thinking of his voice makes me go cold.

I know - there will be an explanation to this - but it's really sinister

It started well but then went a bit nuts.
It was also best not to look at the plot too closely 😁

No, but I can understand why people used to believe in it. People's faces can change so much under the influence of fever / psychosis / drugs.

No excuse for believing it now though. Cruel, wilful ignorance.

I cannot watch any horror films that involve ghosts, little possessed girls or anything like that. It plays on my mind for days and days !!

Well quite. I think a lot of this is psychosomatic and the prayers help some people a lot.

I do believe in a kind of evil energy. But not demonic possession as such.