Monday Musings #6–Possession, Part 1: What is it, anyway?

What do you think of when you hear the term ‘possession’? Those not paranormally inclined would probably go straight to the phrase ‘possession is nine-tenths of the law’.  Which, from a Fortean viewpoint, is very interesting in itself.  However, most of us hear the term and find ourselves heading to the concept of demonic possession, with evil spirits taking over the body of a (usually) young, innocent person.  We think of Linda Blair’s head spinning ‘round, or of cursing, spitting, biting feral young men and women, tied down to beds, gnashing and gnawing, cursing and howling at well-meaning family members and priests, who are frantically trying to rescue their souls.

 We see these things because that’s what books and movies have conditioned us to think. But is there such a thing as ‘benign possession’? Those who claim to channel spirit guides and their followers would say there is.  So would members of certain religions, such as practitioners of Voodoun rites and ceremonies.

Could it be medical? There’s certainly evidence for such rare conditions as Alien Hand Syndrome, and skeptics have explained away many alleged possessions as epileptic seizures, or manifestations of other neurobiological disorders.

Or is it all psychological, all in the minds of the experiencers and their exorcists, part and parcel of one’s religious beliefs? Ben Radford certainly thinks so.  In a 2013 article for livescience.com, Radford writes “To the extent that exorcisms “work,” it is due to the power of suggestion and psychology: If you believe you’re possessed (and that an exorcism will cure you), then it just might.” Even the most ardent believers would have to admit that it’s a fair point.  Our belief systems play a major role in shaping our personal realities. It’s why some see God’s touch in the beauty of a rainbow, while others simply see light refracting through water droplets.  Many of us, though, can see both.

So what, in fact, is ‘possession’? Over the course of the next few weeks, I’m going to delve into each potential explanation of the phenomena, examining each facet—psychological, medical, demonic, benign…and anything else that pops up in my research. I suspect that I’ll come to the ultimate conclusion that possession is each of these things some of the time.  But the ride promises to be interesting. Join me?