Exorcism

In the Christianity

At the origin of the behavior of the Church it there with the example and the command of the Christ: “Cure the patients and drive out the demons.” The exorcism aims expelling the demon S or at releasing from the démoniaque influence and that by the spiritual authority that Jesus entrusted to his Church. The supposed most known entity to cause the possession is the force which the Christians names Satan or the Diable. According to the Catholic church when the Church publicly requires and with authority, in the name of Jesus-Christ, that a person or an object be protected from the influence from Malignant and is withdrawn from her empire, one speaks about public exorcism. In a simple form, exorcism is practiced at the time of the celebration of the Baptême. Solemn canonical exorcism, called " Great exorcism " , can be practiced only by a priest Exorciste and with the permission of the bishop. (Gift Amorth, bishop of Rome). Other catholics like the Father Ovila Melançon in “Exorcisms and Capacities of Laic” affirm to want " to dissipate the confusion, almost generalized in the Church, concerning the people having the capacity to practice exorcisms… Private exorcism can be practiced by any priest and even by very faithful, without any authorization of the bishop. It is the common doctrines taught by the theologists who studied this question, even among most famous of them… " Private exorcism could be accomplished by " the faithful ones in a state of grâce" . This declaration confirms the fact that exorcism passes by particular prayers but more especially the faith, the mercy (with respect to the demon) and the love which the priests put when they recite them. These is the elements which ensure that the demon will be driven out forever and not only during the reading of the prayers; one can add that exorcism must, in the spirit of the priest, consist in driving out the demon but also save had and not only the first goal.

Is the crisis of possession reducible with a crisis of hysteria?

Put besides its particular theological significance and the possible parapsychological phenomena which would be associated to him, the crisis of possession is not distinguished from a crisis of hysteria within the meaning of Charcot or of the phenomena of Spasmophilie, of Transe or states of Rebirth which the psychologist meets…

For the theologists, the differential Diagnosis between mental disease and diabolic possession, is done only on the existence of paranormaux phenomena. Some however already revised their position and we read in the Praktisches Bibellexicon (1961, p.126): “being given the resemblance striking between the possession and the phenomena described by the Parapsychology, today is essential the most extreme reserve. What, before was regarded as signs it certain authenticity of a Possession cannot pass today for such without fuller examination”.

If one admits, on the contrary, that the phenomena parapsychologic escape the field from the Préternaturel and relate to simply the fields scientist, any criterion disappears, to differentiate the possession from the suitable shape of psychopathological disorder or mechanism psychophysiologic whose consequences could even, in certain cases, being beneficial and used by the therapeutist…

From the nontheological point of view of the parapsychologist, the particular phenomena which orchestrate the possession or the Sainteté and seem to escape the current scientific analysis, are however of its field by the assumption constitutive of the Parapsychologie itself…

Foot-note Bucket: The Parapsychologie is not recognized like science by the scientific community. It is indexed in the Pseudo-sciences by the university scientific community. (Source: university of Zététique of Nice)

States of had

One distinguishes a state from calm and a state of crisis. The state of crisis results in distorsions, glares of rage, impious words and blasphématoires. For the period of calm, all is generally forgotten and the behavior becomes again well adapted, even very pious.

For the theologists, the differential diagnosis between mental disease and diabolic possession, are done only on the existence of paranormaux phenomena. What, before was regarded as signs it certain authenticity of a possession cannot pass today for such without fuller examination.

Symptoms of the possession

According to the theologists, there exist signs making it possible to carry the diagnosis of possession. The Roman Ritual states three essential symptoms among others which would have a similar value:

- To speak or understand an unknown language (Glossolalie).

- To discover the distant and secret things (Clairvoyance).

- To make watch of an unexplainable force by the physical habitus of the person considered (Psychokinèse).

The pious gestures put had in an insane rage and awfully lead it to blasphémer. The amnesia of the possession is frequent, and often constant.

The marks of the devil, for the Church of the Middle Ages, were not limited to the three signs, now mentioned by the Roman Ritual; one gave even precedence to other symptoms such as the levitation and especially of the zones of anesthesia, of the points of the abnormally insensitive bodies (it acts, for the modern neurologist, of a symptom of leprosy at his beginning, certain neurological diseases or of a phenomenon of hysterical nature. One can especially note that the person often only speaks.)

Remedies

It is useful to consider the “remedies” suggested by the Church. The catholics propose to come to end from the possession:

the general Confession (relating to the whole of the last life)
the Fast
the Prayer
the Communion
blessed objects and especially the Water bénite (of which the ritual says that it “drives out the demon” better with its ease in the flames of the hell)
the exorcism which consists, in the name of Christ, to intimate to the demon the order to acknowledge its name, then to leave had. In orthodoxy, this phase passes by a long ritual and the repetition of particularly impressive special prayers.

Position of psychiatry

The disorder " is defined; multiple personality by the coexistence, at the same individual of two or several states of personalities distinct that they have a clean memory, specific behavioral methods and their own styles of social relation or which they share part of these different items. The two spirits are fought in the same field which is the body, and the heart like is shared; according to part of oneself, it is the subject of the diabolic impressions, and, according to the other, of the movements which are clean for him and which God him donne". This type of disorder starts to settle as of childhood but, generally, is not noticed by the clinicians that much later; they are almost always girls (60 to 90%).

The passage of a personality to another is generally abrupt (a few minutes). The transition is under the dependence of the relational context. The transitions can also occur when there is conflict between the various personalities or when these last developed a common plan. The personalities can be diametrically opposite in their characteristics and differ even as for the personality and physiological tests: they can require for example different corrective lenses, answer in a different way the same treatment and to have IQ different. One describes the existence of possible complications, such as suicide, self-mutilation, aggression, rape, drug-addiction, etc

The Schizophrénie can lead it also to the feeling to be had. In this case the entourage distinguishes more easily than it is of a personality disorder and not about a mystical phenomenon.

The the Vatican invites the exorcists to be addressed to psychiatrists. Since the Psychanalyse exists, it is known that the devil is not inevitably any more at the origin of the mental health disorders which can assign the man. With the eyes of the Church, that which is said had is not it inevitably, and requires often more for the assistance of a psychiatrist that for that for an exorcist. However, the priest-exorcists so far had only one old ritual of almost four hundred years to practice their ministry. They can now count on a new ritual, which integrates the evolution of medicine and psychiatry. This document of 70 pages, entirely in Latin and in conformity with the decrees of the Concile Vatican II, replaces the formulas and the prayers of chapter XII of the Roman Ritual.

The text warns against the imagination of the men which can carry them to believe that they are the prey of the demon. In all the cases, it should be checked that which is said had by the demon it is really. The text recommends to distinguish between a true diabolic intervention and the credulity from unquestionable faithful which think of being the object of evil spells or curses. " Should not be refused to them a spiritual help, but a exorcisme." should not at all costs be practiced;

The document continues: " The exorcist will decide with prudence of the need for using the rite of exorcism after having proceeded to a diligent investigation - in the respect of the denominational secrecy - and after having consulted, according to the possibilities, of the spiritual matter experts, and, if he is considered to be convenient, of the specialists in medical science and psychiatric, who have the direction of realities spirituelles." While expressing a greatest caution, the Church thus does not exclude the influence from the demon on certain people.

It distinguishes between exorcism minor, made prayers, and the great exorcism, which consists of a liturgical celebration. It is most impressive, that which generally the horror films take as a starting point. The new ritual somewhat simplified it. Thus, the prayers of scorn and insults to the demon disappeared. The rite includes/understands inter alia a water sprinkling bénite, various prayers, the laying on of hands, the presentation of a crucifix with had, and an imperative formula which is addressed directly to the devil and orders to him from to go away. This spectacular rite proves seldom used. " In more than 90% of the cases known as of possession, the problems are of nature psychologique". The ecclesiastical authorities prefer to create structures of listening and to offer a psychological support with the people in difficulty.

The real cases of possession are very, very rare, but people think sometimes that exorcism is the solution with all their problems. They always do not seek to include/understand them and want a relief fast. But exorcism, if it is used wrongly, can contribute to insert people in their psychological problems.

Method in eleven parts established by the pope Paul V

- Recitation by the priest out of stole violet, whose end surrounds the neck of had, of a litany accompanied by a water bénite sprinkling;

- Recitation of Psalm LIV;

- Adjuration with the divinity and interrogation made with the demon (or with several) of its name and from where it comes priest exorcist must first of all get informed of the name and the circle from which the demon (S) comes;

- Recitation of certain passages of the Gospels (Jean I; Luc X-XI; Marc XVI);

- Pronunciation of the first exorcism against the Demon, by the priest posing the right hand on the head of had;

- Preparatory Prayer;

- Prayer accompanied by various signs of cross on the person of the rowdy character (to include/understand anybody here had);

- The Second exorcism pronounced with a certain violence against the " Serpent" antique; ;

- New prayer;

- Third and last exorcism;

- Recitation of canticles, psalms and prayer finales.

See too

Suffering

External bonds

Maintenance on Exorcism
Gift Gabriele Amorth, exorcist of Rome
the exceptional case of Anneliese Michel: http://pageperso.aol.fr/editionsdft/mapage/cinemaartsetculture.html

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