What are some signs of a true demonic possession? Is there such a thing?

Question

I am currently working on a case where this guy says he is possessed. I have only worked on one other case of possession and it was clearly faked. How can you tell if a person is possessed for real? What should I look for as signs of true possession? I have already suggested he seek some medical help to see if maybe he has a dual personality or some other mental health issue. He seems convinced it is possession. But I surely do not want to encourage this. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

well if he starts acting like the kid off the Exorcist then you will know

Answer 2

try to ask his whether he like holy blood or not . if he feels fear about it he is possessed

Answer 3

Please clarify.  When you say you are "working on a case", what do you mean... in what capacity?

Which capacity you're working with him makes a big difference.  I'm studying to be an NLP practitioner and Hypnotherapist, and this actually came up in class yesterday.  Because of the way that an NLP approach works, if a client is manifesting a problem and sincerely believes that they are possessed, the appropriate action for us may be to perform an "exorcism".  Whether we accept the client's religious viewpoint or not, catering it can allow the client to release that block, and move on.

If you're a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, you might take an entirely different approach.

And if you're a minister/Priest(ess), your approach will also be different, as is appropriate to your belief system.

If he is "faking", then in NLP we would ask, "what's the message?"... what's the client's buy-in for "faking" this?  That would give us the key towards working with him.

So... if he's faking, what's the message?  What benefit is he getting out of this behavior?  The answer to that question may hold the key to how you should proceed from here.

Answer 4

Yes it is very real and very possible for a human being to be possessed... But they don't that they are and if some one says that they are possessed are not.... Now I am a paranormal researcher and investigator and if you need some idea's as to what to look for I can be reached at [e-mail]......................

Answer 5

Believe it or not, the church is fairly competent in matters when it comes to demonic possession (faith is a really powerful tool.) That being said, the 'celebrity' of being possessed causes as many people to fake possession as it allows people to truly become possessed.

True demonic possessions are rare, thank you very much, and usually occur during periods of spiritual 'vulnerability'. What differentiates a demonic possession from a psychological derangement is the strong awareness and unwillingness of the person's participation in what is being done to them. A person psychologically deranged may feel sick and helpless and may create a construct where they are not in control of themselves, but they also feel connected to their very body and being: a person being possessed does not question or create their motives. They 'know' they are losing possession of their very being, like someone sliding into their clothes while they are still wearing them. As the possession continues, they lose more and more of their personality, becoming very 'other' in their actions. We aren't talking small personality changes, we are talking about pi$$ing on crucifixes while attending mass kinda different, or making hugely inappropriate (especially age-wise) comments or speeches that are diametrically oppposed to who they are, age and personality wise. In a nutshell, demonic behavior can be determined by removing any physical and/or psychological causes, trauma, that might be underlying it. A person molested by a priest might not be entirely possessed if they start ripping out pages from the missal during mass, especially if the priest is present, but someone whose never shown an interest in any sort of religion suddenly doing the same, while shamelessly flirting with/insulting everyone they see begins to suggest more than mere spiritual confusion.  

The thing is, even if a person is 'faking' a possession, it would be the same as faking having a gun pointed at their head. Their derangement, real or otherwise, is probably not going to be solved by someone trying to 'downplay' their very sincere attempts at granting themselves some sort of power they otherwise feel they do not have. Try asking them about why they think they are possessed, what 'influences' might have given them that idea. It could be that the massive amount of attention given to someone who is possessed is really the reason why the person is feeling 'possessed' in the first place: if their problem happens to be a demon, then somebody is going to pay attention, and alot of it, to them.

Real or fake possession, involve the patient in the treatment. Tell him you need him to do research before you can submit his case to the Vatican (all demonic possessions have to go through a very rigorous procedure before being accepted as such, including an examination by their own doctors.) Also, ask him to bring you books on how a exorcism might be performed, in case the Vatican turns down the request. What material he brings in might shed more light on where he got the idea of possession in the first place (different media have different interpretations on what a successful exorcism requires) and engaging him openly on the topic might make him feel more comfortable with sharing information that might lead you to believe it isn't really a demonic possession (but an exorcism/prayer/blessing wouldn't hurt either.)

Answer 6

there are only two kind of possession, they kind where the whateveryouwanttocallit is basically just haunting the person, and when it is actually possessing there body. the latter will never try to get help, so this has to be the first one. now if he is hearing voices and he says things that he doesnt want to, he isnt possessed, just very troubled.

Answer 7

Put a crucifix under his pillow without letting him know. If he goes into a fit or anything then you MIGHT have a real demonic possession going on.

Answer 8

i would watch his head. it he turns it 360 degrees. bye.

Answer 9

Set up a camera when he's not looking. Wash his clothes in Holy Water. Bring a horse or dog by him, and see if they freak out.

He's probably faking. Any one of these actions will tell you that.