Demonic possession

[2BizE]

I don't believe in this demonic possession hocus pocus.  I do believe in mental illness including schizophrenia that can cause people to act very strangly. I believe people still do not fully understand the human mind, and ancient peoples certainly did not, thus the demonic possession became a way to describe mental illness. 

[OGHoosier]

I do believe that it exists from experiences to which I have been privy. Of course, I'd imagine that demonic possession is a rather low proportion of things that could be considered mental illnesses, and they are even less likely to happen in a secularized world. My belief in agency requires that people accept the demon's at-least-partial control, and in a world where fewer and fewer believe in spirits, diabolical overtures are less likely to be effective. Silver linings I suppose. 

 

[Kenngo1969]

14 hours ago, OGHoosier said:

I do believe that it exists from experiences to which I have been privy. Of course, I'd imagine that demonic possession is a rather low proportion of things that could be considered mental illnesses, and they are even less likely to happen in a secularized world. My belief in agency requires that people accept the demon's at-least-partial control, and in a world where fewer and fewer believe in spirits, diabolical overtures are less likely to be effective. [Emphasis added by Kenngo1969.]  Silver linings I suppose. 

 

Hmmm.  I'm not necessarily convinced of that: I think the Adversary will operate wherever he is given the "freest hand," and perhaps not believing in spirits gives him the freest hand of all.  I can envision a scenario which is not entirely outlandish in which various medications and other treatments are tried without success (or with only minimal success) in dealing with what those who treat a particular patient (and perhaps even the patient himself) are convinced is some kind of psychiatric diagnosis (though they may be at a loss to arrive at a specific one).  Meanwhile, the real culprit continues to operate largely unmolested.

Is such a thing relatively rare, perhaps?  Yes.  But nonexistent?  Color me skeptical.   

[Kenngo1969]

14 hours ago, 2BizE said:

I don't believe in this demonic possession hocus pocus.  I do believe in mental illness including schizophrenia that can cause people to act very strangly. I believe people still do not fully understand the human mind, and ancient peoples certainly did not, thus the demonic possession became a way to describe mental illness. 

You're entitled to your opinion, but those who have had firsthand experience with demonic possession would beg to differ.  Do I think such a prospect is worth getting all worked up over?  No.  But the dramatic, before-and-after effects of cases of demonic possession followed by casting out (as rare as those instances, hopefully, are) would seem to militate against an "It's-all-in-your-head" explanation.