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Date Posted: 01:46:29 07/05/04 Mon
Author: Eladio
Subject: CAST OUT WHAT?, by Fr J Mahoney

CAST OUT WHAT?

One issue that has come up as a concern repeatedly from MPD patients is the question of "exorcism." Some patients have been exposed to it. Some have wondered whether it might be of help to them. Some have been puzzled by the whole idea. Perhaps some description of the issues involved might be helpful.

First, before we do anything else, I want to say strongly, clearly, and directly that I think exorcism is wrong when it comes to MPD. I am opposed to it.

What is exorcism? Classically, it is a religious process that attempts to "cast out" some foreign presence. Most religions would consider the foreign presence to be some form of the presence of evil. That is certainly the case for the Jewish and Christian traditions.

In Christian tradition that external presence is seen as demonic or Satanic. The cure for ongoing possession is seen as exorcism. The possession is seen as an intrusion of that which is not of our world into the life of the individual, taking over, at least at times, the person’s body and consciousness.

Some denominations in more recent times have used the language of possession and of attack by the demonic a bit differently. At times it has been used to refer to any situation in which there is strong temptation, resistant psychiatric illness, addictive or destructive compulsion, or extreme emotions. Some churches, then, may say that someone is "possessed by the demon of anger" or is "being attacked by the demon of unemployment." They may see a situation in which someone has difficulty dealing with the emotion of anger as being, not a situation of normal emotional processes, but as a result of external attack. They may actually be seeing the person’s problem as a result of the action of evil, or they may be referring to a lighter situation of "not enough Christ" being present.

The idea of possession has been a concern throughout the history of the Christian Churches. Part of the response has been based on theology, but much has been based on fear of the new or unexplained.

In many different cultures and religious groups, the first response to something new or hard to understand is to attribute it to evil, possession, or Satanic influence. Many things that are now commonplace were at first seen as indications of possession. Epilepsy and many other physical diseases, newly discovered natural phenomena, and mental abilities under the influence of hypnosis have all been considered at different times as influences of the devil or actual possession.

Some religions have very loose guidelines to help clergy in identifying whether a situation is one of possession. Often, it is largely up to the individual clergy, or the standards boil down to some indication of something that is not "normal." There was a study done by a professor at a fundamentalist seminary on the West Coast. He asked for responses from missionaries who had served around the world, trying to work out what criteria they were using for exorcism. His intent was to develop a process that would help new ministers in identifying and working with possession situations. What he discovered was surprising. There was no real pattern that was being used. Even for the same minister, each exorcism would be based on different criteria. The only thing that was in common in all of this was the conviction of the minister that every exorcism he performed was appropriate.

In recent years there has been a custom that has developed of people who are not clergy responding to what they consider as unusual, startling, or fear-provoking by identifying it as demonic, leading them to then "cast it out."

I have a serious problem with any exorcism that is not based on very careful assessment under the authority of a full church community. It is dangerous to the view and understanding of faith and harmful to the person on the receiving end. You can well ask what is going on for the person performing those exorcisms. Is there a desire for control over the person seen as possessed? Is there something enticing about the idea of having direct control over supernatural forces? What, really, is going on? Why is the idea so attractive for the person doing the exorcism? Why might it be attractive for the person receiving the exorcism? Why do they go along with it?

I do accept that there can be situations (where there is not a question of MPD being present) in which an exorcism may be appropriate. I would only see it occurring after a careful assessment leading to a determination that possession is in fact present. All other possibilities should be first considered, and there should be a period of time before any action is directly taken. I would affirm that regardless of the church or denomination.

The procedures for Catholics are very specific. According to the law of the Catholic Church, exorcism can only occur by direct order of the bishop, after two careful investigations, based on positive indications that possession is in fact present.

Regardless of the procedures used, it would appear that many of those who have experienced the process of exorcism in fact had some form of dissociative disorder. Now that we have a much better understanding of the processes that may be present with MPD and other dissociative disorders, those dynamics must, in justice, be taken in account.

What about exorcism for someone with MPD?

Some mental health authors have suggested that there may be cases where exorcism is "therapeutic." This belief is based on a judgment that if the patient subjectively feels that possession has occurred, providing the suggestion that they are now freed may lead to improvement. The therapist may not believe that true possession is even a possibility. There may be a sense that the religious issues involved are not really important. I consider the religious issues as very important.

How could someone with MPD have a sense that possession has occurred? What dynamic may in fact be going on? The basis for such a conclusion would be:

* a sense that intense or frightening emotions are evil,
* a suggestion by someone else that they are possessed,
* or, a sense that another personality is so separate that it could not have come from within. Another way of stating this last idea is the sense that another personality is "ego-alien."

One or all of these elements may be present. I see no theoretical or clinical reason for agreeing with the patient. The most prominent writers in the field of the treatment of MPD have noted that exorcism for MPD should not even be considered.

An organized review was done by Dr. Fraser from the Royal Ottawa Hospital in Canada. He reviewed the experiences of a number of his patients who had undergone earlier exorcism. The patients varied in religious background, as did the religion of those doing the exorcisms and the form and nature of the exorcism activity. Some exorcisms were supported by the Church or religious community of the exorcist. Some of the exorcisms had occurred before, as well as after, the diagnosis of MPD. Based on his review of 7 cases, he reached several conclusions:

* The exorcisms had an effect in that they produced a change and had an impact on the personality system. Alternate personalities can be temporarily "banished" and new personalities can be created in response to the sense of trauma.
* The effect in each case was severely destructive.
* At least in cases where MPD is present or may be present, exorcism is contraindicated.

If someone with MPD was to consider exorcism, based on a recommendation from clergy or from some other source, such as a therapist, I would encourage asking several questions, and I would encourage waiting before any action was taken even if it did appear to be a good idea. Some of these answers will only become clearer after working with that particular personality over some period of time. It takes more than one or two contacts to begin even thinking about that as a possibility.

How much does this person know about MPD? Why is the person suggesting doing an exorcism? What is the position or stance of that person’s church on exorcism? Why am I considering it? Do I feel under pressure by this person? Would this simply end up being another form of abuse? Why is there a sense that this personality is so different from other personalities? What indications are there that this personality is from "outside" rather than formed from within? In situations of ritual abuse, if this personality was formed in response to orders or demands from outside, does this personality simply "act like" demons are supposed to act like? What is the proof it actually is a demon?

After getting answers to all these questions, I would then get at least a second and third opinion about the idea. I would also expect that there be consensus inside that exorcism is appropriate. The expectation should be that it is a personality, unless it can be clearly proved otherwise. Again, I have never seen a situation in which exorcism was appropriate for someone with MPD. There are strange things that can occur with MPD, and they indicate nothing about possession.

For myself, clinically, there are a few more questions that I would consider that involve looking at the dynamics or relationships between the personalities. That has to be done "from the outside." I do think, though, that asking the above questions could help make things clearer for you.

One more thought. In looking at the person suggesting the exorcism, does that person look scared? Do they seem intense? Are they using "pressure tactics"? If so, I would jog quickly away from the person.

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© Fr J Mahoney

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