Demonic possession From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation <#mw-navigation>, search <#p-search> This article *may require cleanup </wiki/Wikipedia:Cleanup> to meet Wikipedia's quality standards </wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style>*. No cleanup reason </wiki/Template:Cleanup/doc> has been specified. Please help improve this article <//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Demonic_possession&action=edit> if you can. /(December 2011)/ [show <#>]Part of a series of articles </wiki/Category:Paranormal> on the *paranormal </wiki/Paranormal>* Main articles * Afterlife </wiki/Afterlife> * Angel </wiki/Angel> * Astral projection </wiki/Astral_Projection> * Aura </wiki/Aura_(paranormal)> * Clairvoyance </wiki/Clairvoyance> * Close encounter </wiki/Close_encounter> * Cold spot </wiki/Cold_spot> * Conjuration </wiki/Conjuration> * Cryptid </wiki/Cryptid> * Cryptozoology </wiki/Cryptozoology> * Demon </wiki/Demon> * *Demonic possession* * Demonology </wiki/Demonology> * Ectoplasm </wiki/Ectoplasm_(paranormal)> * Electronic voice phenomenon </wiki/Electronic_voice_phenomenon> * Exorcism </wiki/Exorcism> * Extra-sensory perception </wiki/Extra-sensory_perception> * Fear of ghosts </wiki/Fear_of_ghosts> * Forteana </wiki/Forteana> * Ghost </wiki/Ghost> * Ghost hunting </wiki/Ghost_hunting> * Ghost story </wiki/Ghost_story> * Haunted house </wiki/Haunted_house> * Hypnosis </wiki/Hypnosis> * Intelligent haunting </wiki/Intelligent_haunting> * Magic </wiki/Magic_(paranormal)> * Mediumship </wiki/Mediumship> * Miracle </wiki/Miracle> * Near-death experience </wiki/Near-death_experience> * Occult </wiki/Occult> * Ouija </wiki/Ouija> * Paranormal </wiki/Paranormal> * Paranormal fiction </wiki/Paranormal_fiction> * Paranormal television </wiki/Paranormal_television> * Poltergeist </wiki/Poltergeist> * Precognition </wiki/Precognition> * Psychic </wiki/Psychic> * Psychic reading </wiki/Psychic_reading> * Psychokinesis </wiki/Psychokinesis> * Psychometry </wiki/Psychometry_(paranormal)> * Reincarnation </wiki/Reincarnation> * Remote viewing </wiki/Remote_viewing> * Residual haunting </wiki/Residual_haunting> * Shadow people </wiki/Shadow_people> * Spirit photography </wiki/Spirit_photography> * Spirit possession </wiki/Spirit_possession> * Spirit world </wiki/Spirit_world_(Spiritualism)> * Spiritualism </wiki/Spiritualism> * Stone Tape </wiki/Stone_Tape> * Supernatural </wiki/Supernatural> * Telepathy </wiki/Telepathy> * UFO </wiki/Unidentified_flying_object> * UFO hypotheses </w/index.php?title=UFO_hypotheses&action=edit&redlink=1> * UFO sightings </wiki/List_of_UFO_sightings> * Ufology </wiki/Ufology> * Will-o'-the-wisp </wiki/Will-o%27-the-wisp> Haunted locations United Kingdom </wiki/Reportedly_haunted_locations_in_the_United_Kingdom> United States </wiki/List_of_reportedly_haunted_locations_in_the_United_States> world </wiki/List_of_reportedly_haunted_locations_in_the_world> Articles on skepticism </wiki/Skepticism> * Cold reading </wiki/Cold_reading> * Committee for Skeptical Inquiry </wiki/Committee_for_Skeptical_Inquiry> * Debunking </wiki/Debunker> * Hoax </wiki/Hoax> * James Randi Educational Foundation </wiki/James_Randi_Educational_Foundation> * Magical thinking </wiki/Magical_thinking> * Prizes for evidence of the paranormal </wiki/List_of_prizes_for_evidence_of_the_paranormal> * Pseudoskepticism </wiki/Pseudoskepticism> * Scientific skepticism </wiki/Scientific_skepticism> Related articles on science </wiki/Science>, psychology </wiki/Psychology>, and logic </wiki/Logic> * Agnosticism </wiki/Agnosticism> * Anomalistics </wiki/Anomalistics> * Argument from ignorance </wiki/Argument_from_ignorance> * Argumentum ad populum </wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum> * Bandwagon effect </wiki/Bandwagon_effect> * Begging the question </wiki/Begging_the_question> * Cognitive dissonance </wiki/Cognitive_dissonance> * Communal reinforcement </wiki/Communal_reinforcement> * Fallacy </wiki/Fallacy> * Falsifiability </wiki/Falsifiability> * Fringe science </wiki/Fringe_science> * Groupthink </wiki/Groupthink> * Junk science </wiki/Junk_science> * Protoscience </wiki/Protoscience> * Pseudoscience </wiki/Pseudoscience> * Scientific evidence </wiki/Scientific_evidence> * Scientific method </wiki/Scientific_method> * Superstition </wiki/Superstition> * Uncertainty </wiki/Uncertainty> * Urban legend </wiki/Urban_legend> Related articles on Social change </wiki/Social_change> and Parapsychology </wiki/Parapsychology> * Countermovement </wiki/Countermovement> * Death and culture </wiki/Death_and_culture> * Parapsychology </wiki/Parapsychology> * Scientific literacy </wiki/Scientific_literacy> * Social movement </wiki/Social_movement> * v </wiki/Template:Paranormal> * t </wiki/Template_talk:Paranormal> * e <//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Paranormal&action=edit> *Demonic possession* is held by many belief systems </wiki/Belief_system> to be the control </wiki/Spirit_possession> of an individual by a malevolent preternatural being </wiki/Demon>. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories </wiki/Memories> or personalities </wiki/Personalities>, convulsions </wiki/Convulsions>, “fits” and fainting </wiki/Fainting> as if one were dying.^[1] <#cite_note-1> Other descriptions include access to hidden knowledge (gnosis </wiki/Gnosis>) and foreign languages (glossolalia </wiki/Glossolalia>), drastic changes in vocal intonation and facial structure, the sudden appearance of injuries (scratches, bite marks) or lesions, and superhuman strength. Unlike in channeling </wiki/Mediumship>, the subject has no control over the possessing entity and so it will persist until forced to leave the victim, usually through a form of exorcism </wiki/Exorcism>. Many cultures and religions </wiki/Religion> contain some concept of demonic possession, but the details vary considerably. The oldest references to demonic possession are from the Sumerians </wiki/Sumerians>, who believed that all diseases of the body and mind were caused by "sickness demons" called /gidim/ or /gid-dim/.^[2] <#cite_note-2> The priests </wiki/Priest> who practiced exorcisms in these nations were called /ashipu/ (sorcerer) as opposed to an /asu/ (physician) who applied bandages and salves.^[3] <#cite_note-3> Many cuneiform </wiki/Cuneiform_script> tablets </wiki/Clay_tablet> contain prayers to certain gods asking for protection from demons, while others ask the gods to expel the demons that have invaded their bodies. Shamanic </wiki/Shamanic> cultures also believe in demon possession and shamans </wiki/Shaman> perform exorcisms. In these cultures, diseases are often attributed to the presence of a vengeful spirit </wiki/Vengeful_spirit> (or loosely termed demon </wiki/Demon>) in the body of the patient. These spirits are more often the spectres of animals or people wronged by the bearer, the exorcism rites usually consisting of respectful offerings or sacrificial offerings. Christianity holds that possession derives from the Devil </wiki/Devil>, i.e. Satan </wiki/Satan>, or one of his lessor demons. In many Christian belief systems, Satan and his demons are actually fallen angels </wiki/Fallen_angel>.^[4] <#cite_note-4> Contents [hide <#>] * 1 Bible accounts <#Bible_accounts> * 2 Christianity <#Christianity> * 3 Medicine and psychology <#Medicine_and_psychology> * 4 Notable cases <#Notable_cases> * 5 In fiction <#In_fiction> * 6 Film <#Film> * 7 See also <#See_also> * 8 Notes <#Notes> * 9 External links <#External_links> Bible accounts [edit </w/index.php?title=Demonic_possession&action=edit&section=1>] According to the /Catholic Encyclopedia </wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia>/:^[5] <#cite_note-5> "In the Old Testament </wiki/Old_Testament> we have only one instance, and even that is not very certain. We are told that "an evil spirit from the Lord troubled" Saul </wiki/Saul_the_King> (1 Samuel 16:14 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=1%20Samuel&verse=16:14&src=!>). The Hebrew rûah <http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/words.pl?word=07307> need not imply a personal influence, though, if we may judge from Josephus </wiki/Josephus> (Ant. Jud., VI, viii, 2; ii, 2), the Jews were inclined to give the word that meaning in this very case. In New-Testament </wiki/New_Testament> times, however, the phenomenon had become very common." The New Testament mentions several episodes in which Jesus drove out demons from persons </wiki/Miracles_of_Jesus#Exorcisms>, believing these to be the entities </wiki/Entity> responsible for those mental and physical illnesses. * Matthew 4:23-25 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Matthew&verse=4:23-25&src=!>: Demon-possessed persons are healed by Jesus (also Luke 6:17-19 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Luke&verse=6:17-19&src=!>). * Matthew 7:21-23 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Matthew&verse=7:21-23&src=!>: Many will drive out demons in Jesus' name (also Mark 16:17 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Mark&verse=16:17&src=!>; Luke 10:17 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Luke&verse=10:17&src=!>; Acts 5:16 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Acts&verse=5:16&src=!>; 8:7 <http://bibref.hebtools.com?book=%20Acts&verse=8:7&src=!>). * Matthew 8:14-17 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Matthew&verse=8:14-17&src=!>: Jesus healed many demon-possessed (also Mark 1:29-39 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Mark&verse=1:29-39&src=!>; Luke 4:33-41 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Luke&verse=4:33-41&src=!>). * Matthew 8:28-34 <http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Matthew&verse=8:28-34&src=!>: Jesus sent a herd of demons from two men into a