PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS Vs EVIL SPIRIT POSSESSION

Assalam oalaikum,

  This blog cannot be wrapped up without bringing up the related topic- PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS Vs EVIL SPIRIT POSSESSION. More often than not there arises some amount of confusion and conflict between these two problems. Though the problem of psychological disorders is related to the mind whereas the problem of possession has a paranormal nature yet these two ailments have certain overlapping symptoms due to which the confusion and conflicts arise. 

   Now whether a person suffers from a psychological ailment (such as schizophrenia, dyslexia, bipolar disorders, depression, anxiety, epilepsy or multiple personality disorder) or from spirit possession- it is of utmost importance to identify the problem accurately. Since both spirit possession and the above mentioned psychological problems produce similar types of personality disorders, so any kind of confusion can lead to wastage of time and further aggravation of the problem.

  There are various traits which are common in both these type of problems, such as: lack of self-control, depression, violent behavior, irrational behavior, anxiety; irrational fear; etc. Such overlapping symptoms complicate the situation to quite an extent. So what can be the possible solution to this problem?

  If we try to analyze the situation from the point of view of both the doctors and the spiritual healers then the entire argument will boil down to this:
The medical practitioners usually reject the idea of spirit possession. This is quite understandable as it is beyond the scope of their subject. They feel that many patients of, say schizophrenia; do not get a timely medical treatment as they misjudge their problem as being paranormal and they end up wasting their time with spiritual healers. On the other hand, we find that many people who suffer from spirit possession and who urgently need a spiritual treatment end up in mental asylums because their real problem goes undetected. In a nutshell, many patients suffering from some sort of a neurobiological disorder visit spiritual healers instead of doctors and many people who are experiencing spirit possession end up wasting their time in hospitals due to lack of awareness.

  As far as the doctors are concerned- they are more likely to get confused in these cases. When the doctors treat a patient they tend to leave out the symptoms which they are unable to comprehend and carry on with the treatment in a limited way. For example: due to the problem of overlapping symptoms, if a spirit possession case has been mistakenly diagnosed by doctors as being a case of clinical depression so they will treat the patient according to the symptoms identified by them. However, if the patient shows aversion towards the Holy Quran or anything religious, then the doctors will conveniently ignore such a symptom, because it is beyond their comprehension and the scope of their field. On the other hand, if a case of a clinical depression lands up in the lap of a deceitful spiritual healer, then he may try to use the situation to his advantage. He will not disclose the real nature of the problem. Instead, he will carry on with it as a case of spirit possession. Hence, it is very important that the case reaches the right person so that the patient does not suffer.

   On the flip side, it is not a challenge for a competent spiritual healer to come to the rescue of an ailing person. For example, if a person is suffering from some kind of mental illness, then a good spiritual healer will be instantly able to understand the problem and he will advice the patient to seek medical help immediately. On the other hand, if a person is suffering at the hands of an evil spirit or a demon then identifying a problem for a competent spiritual healer is cakewalk too. This is because a possession case has certain sure-shot signs and symptoms, which differentiate it from medical problems.

For example: the victim becomes averse to everything religious, be it the Holy Quran, blessed water, taweez etc. I have discussed this point in my post-‘HATRED TOWARDS EVERYTHING SACRED’ (LINK).
The victim’s complexion gets darkened.
He or she has to be literally dragged to be brought before a spiritual healer. This happens because the in-dwelling spirit tries to resist the victim from being getting a spiritual treatment.
Sometimes, during Islamic exorcism sessions, the victim starts speaking in the voice of the in-dwelling demon or spirit. So the voice of the victim changes from normal to hoarse or guttural.
Another sure-shot symptom is that the spirit possessed victims get access to knowledge which they would never have under normal circumstances. This is because the victim starts speaking about things which are known to the in-dwelling spirit or demon.

Besides observing these symptoms, an adept spiritual healer will also be informed about the victim’s ‘possessed state’ through his moakkils.

  So instead of rushing to a doctor in case of any confusion in the symptoms it is better to consult an upright and adept spiritual healer. Quacks should be strictly avoided as they can take you for a ride and waste your time, money and energy. The right spiritual healer will help you in the following ways:

By disclosing the exact nature of the disease, whether it is entirely a medical one or a paranormal one.
In case of an entirely medical problem they will advice you to consult a medical practitioner.
In case the problem is of possession then they can heal the victim through their spiritual powers.
In certain cases, both spiritual healing as well as medical treatment needs to be carried out simultaneously for best results. So in case the situation demands this then the right healer will let you know about this as well.   

Keep Me In Your Prayers,
Amel Soname
Amel_soname@yahoo.com