Er...demon possession

[PeggyGuggenheim]

Deep breath.

A very very close friend has been having some strange experiences lately.

During her first ever reiki session (a year ago) she was very affected by something, she didn't understand what. But she felt that something amazing had happened, some spiritual energy had come into her. She stopped smoking, drinking, eating meat. Began practising yoga. She changed in an interesting way, she became calmer, more compassionate, and very interested in spiritual matters, meditation especially.

(Previously she had been quite a hyper, sometimes misanthropic, hilarious person, a totally original thinker, very creative, a one-off. Drinker, smoker, party girl.)

Over a long period, her ideas about "the reiki change" have developed. She became worried that whatever "it" was that had changed her...was not benign. She began to feel controlled by "it", began to think of it as an "it" - something or things that were actually inside her, directing her behaviour and decisions. Like, the decisions to stop eating meat, drinking milk and alcohol, smoking, which had at first seemed really sensible, now seemed to her like - aaah, it's too wierd! It seemed to her like the malign "force" was ensuring her bodily health, in order that it might more easily inhabit her, like it was a parasite, you know, that needed a healthy host.

So anyway she got the fear big time, after some more stuff happened, and contacted some Christian friends and told all. Now she's just been "exorcised" by some evangelicals in London, people who are followers of Derek Prince, a pastor who was an expert in driving out demons.

I am just reeling, can't believe it, especially as I took all my courage and told her on the phone I thought she was having a psychotic episode. She just laughed that off, said of course that's what I'd think, because I didn't believe in spiritual warfare, and the devil's best trick was convincing the world he didn't exist. Circular arguing and I see no way out.

I'm just venting here, but it would be incredible if anyone else had stories about helping friends in similar situations...I'm not holding my breath though!!!

I don't think that sounds far-fetched at all OP. I also don't think it means she is having a psychotic episode. The bible does make it clear what we're dealing with - Ephesians 6 - and I have seen enough evidence of this to be convinced.

I don't think it's our job to find out more than the basics about what the devil may be up to. Sometimes someone may have a very clear indication of some demonic 'interference' (for want of a better word) but most of the time we have no idea there may be some kind of demonic activity going on. But as Jesus broke the power of the devil when he died on the cross all is not lost - far from it. Imo one of the works of a christian is to enforce that victory, either through private or public prayer. It doesn't matter as long as the job is done.

Derek Prince was, btw, a wonderful christian, very balanced. He happened to have a lot of knowledge about demonic activity and taught others about it. You might like to have a look at some of his teachings (easy to find). Different christians have different ministeries, his was this (other things too); it's important to take different ministeries in context ie a part of the whole. Imo it is also important to not become too focused on the devil : dip in when you have to, get out and get on when the job is done.

I don't think there is any reason to be concerned that your friend may become fundamentalist, gay-hating etc. She became aware of something that most of us are blind to; the veil became thin, if you like, and she saw it, it was obvious to her. I know of someone who became a christian because she did some aid work in Africa and demonic manifestations there were obvious - physical as well as mental/emotional - which freaked her right out! I suppose once she was convinced that the devil was real she realised that God was too, that he's serious about getting people free from all the heinous shit that the devil wraps around people.

btw it's quite rare to be possessed though certainly not unheard of. The usual thing is to be oppressed, though this may be semantics. It's all vile stuff. Thank God for Jesus, I say.

Hiya Peggy

Maybe a mainstream Christian group might be helpful here? The Anglicans and Catholics both perform exorcisms but assume and make provision for the fact that many 'possessed' souls are actually in dire need of psychiatric help.

To prevent people getting carried away, the point of contact to find an exorcist is usually the area bishop, with or without input from a parish priest or hospital chaplain. They'll definitely have seen this 'is it psychosis or just religious belief' many times before.

Of course, if your friend's church is far-out enough they'll already have told her that the CofE is full of apostasy and RCs are the devil incarnate. It gets more difficult if you think she's poorly and being sucked into a cult.

oh please! I have been to many 'far out' churches as you call them maria and I have never heard anything along these lines, not even faintly. The majority are deeply committed to loving, to honouring God and his church in all its guises.

I wish I could say the same for the CofE churches I have attended re not very charitable towards the 'far out-ers' I'm afraid.

Agree totally with Springydaffs, who puts it better than I could. I think it's entirely possible that your friend inadvertently opened herself up to something evil in the Reiki session. I believe that if something is not from God, it's from the devil. Thank God your friend has found a place to help her.

Sorry springy, I really didn't mean to offend. I'm not suggesting that any of the the evangelical Christian churches you have attended are what I'm calling far-out. Which is probably why you've never heard the nasty comments I was talking about .

What I was trying to say is that the more traditional, hierarchical churches might be able to practically help a concerned friend who feels out of her depth with talk of possession, and unfamiliar with deliverance ministries.

The OP is concerned her friend might be unwell or be at risk of joining a cult-type organisation (which I suspect neither you nor I would actually call Christian, even if they use the term themselves). And IMHO, one way to identify a cult is how they talk about non-members, and whether or not they encourage believers to question and think about their faith.

Agreed, maria, the Anglican system has a diocesan exorcist team and they'd be more than happy to talk through such issues, it's all much more low key than it sounds (usually)

Yes, sorry I fired off there maria. I get that mainstream christians can find the church that eg practise the spiritual gifts, believe that the devil is active etc threatening, but the suspicion and unkindness I have encountered in the mainstream church is dispiriting. We all, I would hope, want to glorify him, to bring his great love into the world, to see people set free from the dreadful, and specific, work the devil weaves into peoples' lives given half the chance. For some reason OP your friend got a clear snapshot of what is going on and was able to find christians who knew what to do - phew (they're not easy to find!). I agree that sometimes people who are suffering some kind of MH crisis/psychosis also often 'see' into the spiritual realm but imo just because you get a sneak preview doesn't mean you're mad. Perhaps... a lot falls away when you are in extremis - I am not surprised that in some extreme emotional/mental states, people are able to see spiritual dimensions more clearly.

Maria, I have also come up against some horrible churches who eg practise all the gifts etc but are deeply unloving. I suppose you know things by their fruits - a good maxim, surprisingly effective. clanging cymbal and all that.

First thought...undiagnosed bi-polar.
Sorry but that is the most likely explanation. My mum had this kind of thing all her life, very vibrant and then going off on some spiritual quest, saying that she was being controlled.

So... consensus seems to be that the OP is right to consider the possibility her friend might be unwell, and correct in being sensitive to her new beliefs. So, now she 'just' needs to find a specialist who agrees with the MN consensus and of course persuade her friend to see them and follow their advice .

Thinking hard, maybe an uber-Christian GP, or a vicar who is a retired psychiatrist, an Anglican or Catholic dioscesan exorcist or a deliverance ministry which believes mental illness is real and needs medication...

consensus? erm...

Right, I posted before & am posting again, I am a Papist & find all your guff Springydaffs not only guff, but harmful guff.

Maria & Madhairday are talking sense, religion & faith can help people who have substance abuse & general problems & are, in my experience, very kind.

The lunatic evangelicals who offer to cast out the spirits, talk in tongues, & of the demons are generally very harmful and will not help your friend a jot, they will probably push her over the edge.

Sorry meant to say & if she is vulnerable will probably push her over the edge.

They have an agenda, & not a particularly pleasant one IME.

Judge and juries akimbo