Possession

“Possession” means, in the spiritual view of this lexicon, the conception that a human being is influenced by a foreign or one’s own soul-fragment – for instance from an earlier incarnation. This is expressly a personal, worldview-based conception with a long cultural-historical tradition – no medical diagnosis and no substitute for medical help.

A spiritual-historical conception

In our reading, a soul-“fragment” can lead a certain life of its own and burden a human being. Such images of “impure spirits” or “shadows” are found in many cultures and religions. For us they belong to the sphere of karma and the development of the soul – as a belief-conception, not as an assertion of fact about the emergence of illnesses.

A clear distinction from mental illnesses

Historically, states that we today know as psychoses or schizophrenia were sometimes read as “possession”. This equation we reject: mental illnesses are medically well described and belong in specialist medical and psychotherapeutic treatment (see psychosis and psychiatry). We hold out no prospect of “healing” through rituals and advise expressly against any self-treatment with drugs.

What does that mean in practice?

• In the case of signs such as delusion, hearing voices or loss of reality, have it clarified by a specialist – promptly, do not postpone.
• In acute crises, use medical emergency services or crisis services.
• Understand spiritual conceptions as a personal view – never as a substitute for treatment.

Note: This article renders a personal, worldview-based view and is not medical advice. It replaces no medical diagnosis or treatment. For health questions please turn to a doctor or pharmacy; do not discontinue prescribed medication on your own initiative.

Autor: D. Harald Alke