POSSESSION – DEMONS & ANGELS

We think of possession as some evil, supernatural influence. This is why, in the modern world, it is ridiculed as non-existent, or simply the raving of the mad. But can a rational answer be given which can teach us a lot about ourselves?
I think it can. A good starting point is multiple personality. Here, the mind seems to fragment into a number of personalities, each taking it in turn to occupy the person. There are hundreds of documented cases.

They can be fascinating.

Many people seem to live their life quite naturally with such personality invasions, and each can seem a separate entity. But I’ve noticed, in many cases, a specific element within each personality.
They seem to reflect a specific emotion, or aspect, of the host. They can be specifically angry, sad, joyful, sexual, and many other traits. Indeed, it is as if it is not the mind that has split, but the specific emotions of the host.

This could have importance beyond the unexplained.

Consider, for instance, the serial killer. In many cases they seem to have separate personalities themselves. If married, a ‘normal’ personality can live a normal life, the wife even unaware of the truth.
The actual killer can be seen as anger in the raw. Once the murder has occurred, we often find a deep seated conscience which makes the killer carry out stupid errors, which eventually lead to capture, as if he wanted to be caught.

Could the serial killer be possessed?

Yet, not possessed by some supernatural influence, but a series of specific emotional fragments of his inner mind. It could be that there is a real ‘devil’ within.
Similarly, some people can appear absolute angels. Think of the monk, dedicating his life to service in God, totally subsuming all desires and emotions. Maybe it is not as difficult as it appears. The ‘monk’ personality simply sheds emotional baggage.

It can be seen in the evangelical movement.

In this case, they are filled with absolute joy, and nothing can touch them emotionally. Have they been touched by the ‘angelic’? Or have they simply discarded all other emotions?
We think of the mind as a coordinated whole. But the above suggests this need not be the case. Rather, the mind is a cauldron of conflicting emotions and traits, a particular fragment often rising within the ‘normal’ person.
Consider, for instance, sudden anger, where all other emotions disappear as you descend into a rage. Think, also, of the moments of pure, ecstatic joy, where nothing negative can touch you.
Are these moments of mild possession, when an emotional fragment escapes the confines of normality? If so, then the full blown possession is simply a matter of degrees. We all have the capacity to become devil or saint.

© Anthony North, February 2009