Demonic possession

‘I don’t know what possessed me’ is an everyday phrase we might use if we did something out of character or made a mistake where we haven’t stopped to think. Similarly, if we say a person ‘acted like someone possessed’ we mean they seemed as though their will was suspended and ‘taken over’ by something out of their control, to behave in some excessive way.

Many people’s immediate association with demonic possession may come from the famous film ‘The Exorcist’, which depicts a young girl literally being taken over by a demon, making her behave in a dramatic and frightening way.

Many people’s immediate association with demonic possession may come from the famous film ‘The Exorcist’

So, the idea of ‘possession’ is rather different from other altered states of consciousness, such as induced trance, prayer, or meditation, or how we feel when drunk or having taken drugs. And ‘demonic possession’ relates to the idea that an evil will, arising from, or external to, a person’s own personality, has taken control of them or is seeking to control them, in some way.

Demonic possession has been talked about for thousands of years across many cultures. Demons have many names, whether they are malevolent supernatural entities; tricksters trying to lead people away from a good path; or creatures which provoke nightmares or feelings of fear or distress. The Lesser Key of Solomon, compiled in the 16th century from older sources, lists a variety of demons by name. In ancient traditions, it was also thought the evil intents of demons were balanced out by the watchful actions of guardian angels. In some strands of Christian tradition, demons are associated with the fallen angel Lucifer (Isaiah 14.12), who becomes the Devil or Satan (see Luke 10.18). Many cultures however have rites or ceremonies designed to prevent demonic possession and to protect people from supernatural evil.

There have been examples in history, often in the musical world, where people have claimed to have sold their souls to the Devil (and therefore their hope of heaven and salvation) in exchange for musical prowess or success in this life. This is called the ‘faustian bargain’ after the German legend of Johann Georg Faust. In the story, Faust made a pact with the Devil at a crossroads, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and earthly delights. Famously, blues guitarist, Robert Johnson, was accused of doing this at a local crossroads, after dramatically improving his performance. 19th century violinist, Paganini, and song-writing legend Bob Dylan, have also been accused of, or hinted at, such pacts, although the truth of the matter may rest in the additional intrigue and publicity such claims elicited. It should be noted that the faustian bargain is the opposite of a biblical story about Jesus in which, although the Devil tempts him with power and control, Jesus overcomes the temptation and refuses to turn away from God (Matthew 4.1-11).

exorcism without proper care, safeguarding vulnerable people, or understanding what else might be going on is very dangerous

Although some people may seek possession by a demon or an evil spirit to gain power, it is usually considered damaging or even lethal to human flourishing, and spiritual defences must be built up to stop evil taking over. Demon possession in many cultures is said to result in afflicted people behaving abnormally, blasphemously and possibly violently, suspending the will of the person, while the demon makes its wants and desires known; or even removing the soul or spirit of a person and replacing the person’s personality within their body. In the last case, sometimes the response by families to such apparent possession is to hurt or injure the body in order to drive the evil spirit away. And this has sometimes led to tragedy where the ‘possessed’ person has been seriously injured or has died.

The act of casting out demons from a possessed person to heal them is called exorcism. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation on the internet about demonic possession and you can find people who say that things like having bad breath or looking dirty may be ‘signs’ of demonic possession. You can also find people on the internet who claim to be able to diagnose demonic possession or exorcise possessed persons. But exorcism without proper care, safeguarding vulnerable people, or understanding what else might be going on is very dangerous, and has sometimes led to tragedy.

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However, the exorcism of demons is one of Jesus’s important ministries, and one which he passed on to his disciples. One particularly famous example is found in the Gospels (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39). Jesus meets a man said to be suffering from demon possession. The man has been raving and hurting himself and is incredibly strong, so has been chained up naked and cast out from his community. When Jesus meets him and asks his name, he is told ‘legion’ because of the many devils possessing him. Jesus talks to the demons, who know who he is, and casts them out into a herd of pigs which rush down the cliff to death in the sea. After this dramatic scene, the man is seen peacefully restored and well again ‘clothed and in his right mind’ (Luke 8.35).

Today, exorcism is understood within a much wider ministry of healing from the experience of evil, and is often called ‘deliverance’

That last phrase, ‘in his right mind’ reminds us that today we know a great deal more about mental illness than was known back then. Today, exorcism is understood within a much wider ministry of healing from the experience of evil, and is often called ‘deliverance’, as in the Lord’s Prayer: ‘deliver us from evil’. Some biblical examples of demon possession might well today be diagnosed as epilepsy (Matthew 17.15) or schizophrenia, or other mental disorders. Today, many people who ask for help because they feel possessed, can be healed with treatment for the mental disorders which make them feel that way, such as hearing ‘demonic’ voices telling them evil things, or feeling deeply oppressed, or seeing frightening, hellish things which are not there.

But that does not mean that all reports of ‘possession’ can be explained away as mental illness. People’s experience of evil can vary and there is no doubt that often this is experienced as distressing spiritual evil that can affect every aspect of a person’s life, pulling them away from God. People also sometimes ask whether demons or evil spirits can make a person do evil things, or actually be a cause of mental illness.

Some people who have been involved in occult practices or spiritual searches which involve summoning demons have asked for help when their practices involve trying to control named demons or get them to reveal supernatural knowledge has led them to feel overwhelmed by these forces or being controlled in their turn. This can happen even when the demons are understood as psychological ideas and not actual entities. Dabbling in supernatural experiments of this kind often results in requests for deliverance, even years later. Demonic summoning can seem edgy and exciting and make people feel powerful but it can be very spiritually dangerous.

Demonic summoning can seem edgy and exciting and make people feel powerful but it can be very spiritually dangerous.

The good news from the Christian point of view is that scripture tells us that Jesus has absolute authority and healing power over evil so modern Christian deliverance is modelled on an understanding that when evil is cast out in Jesus’s name, it can be replaced by peace, reassurance and comfort. Indeed, some Christians seek out ‘good’ possession by the Holy Spirit, a way of knowing and being filled with God, and may seek to surrender their will and conscious desires to the goodness, protection and creative ebb and flow of the Spirit, who is invited to dwell within them (see Acts 2.4; 13.52).

There is always help from the Christian Church for anyone who experiences evil in their lives and ways to access help and healing. In the Church of England, for example, every diocese has specially trained ministers, working with GPs, mental health chaplains and psychiatrists to make sure people are kept safe and given the best care. But many Christian denominations carry out deliverance in different ways, sometimes in a church service or as a pastoral ministry.

People can experience evil in physical, mental and spiritual ways. So, if you need help of this kind, or feel that you, or someone you know, is suffering from demonic possession or any other manifestation of supernatural evil, do visit a local church or talk to a minister. It also makes sense to talk to let a doctor know as well, to make sure any physical or mental effects can be treated.

If you are feel you are under spiritual attack, or have dabbled in something that has left you vulnerable to the effects of evil, the Lord’s Prayer or the prayer called St Patrick’s Breastplate, can help you visualise the protection and care of Jesus all around you, until you can get help.

Helpful Reading:

Michael Perry, (2012 updated edition), Deliverance, London, SPCK

Chris Cook, (2028) Hearing Voices, Demonic and Divine, Taylor and Francis (open access)

A Time to Heal: A contribution towards the Ministry of Healing Church House Publishing (The Archbishop’s

Council 2000) Chapter 9.

Strawbridge, J., Adams, N., Hamley, I., (2023) Deliver Us from Evil, SCM Press