Spirit possession facts for kids
Spirit possession is a belief that a person's body or mind can be controlled by a spirit, ghost, demon, or god. This idea is found in many cultures and religions around the world. These include Buddhism, Christianity, Haitian Vodou, Hinduism, Islam, and traditions from Africa, Southeast Asia, and Native American groups.
Sometimes, people believe possession happens by choice, and other times it's seen as something that happens against a person's will. It can also be thought of as helpful or harmful to the person experiencing it. In 1969, a study found that beliefs about spirit possession existed in 74% of cultures studied worldwide.
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Spirit Beliefs in Religions
Christianity
Many Christians believe that spirits or demons can control people. They think these demons are linked to the Devil (also known as Satan). People believe that Satan tries to harm humans through "spiritual attacks," including demonic possession. To help someone who is believed to be possessed, people often use Prayer, blessings, religious ceremonies, and exorcisms.
Some religious thinkers believe that people who claimed to speak with spirits in the Old Testament were actually possessed by demons. The New Testament of the Bible also tells stories of Jesus driving out demons from people. Most Christians think demonic possession is not something a person chooses. However, some Bible verses have been seen to suggest that a person might allow a demon to enter them, like when the Devil entered Judas Iscariot.
The New Testament shows that demons listen to Jesus Christ's power:
In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area
The Bible also mentions demons possessing animals, like in the story of the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac.
Catholicism
Roman Catholic doctrine teaches that angels are spiritual beings with minds and wills. Fallen angels, called demons, can "demonically possess" people without their permission. This means the person is not to blame morally.
Catholic exorcists explain that there are different types of demonic activity. These range from simple everyday temptations to more serious forms of control.
- Possession: When demons take full control of a person's body without their consent. This often happens if a person's actions make them more open to demonic influence.
- Obsession: This involves sudden, strong, and unreasonable thoughts.
- Oppression: This is when a person is tormented, but they don't lose control of their mind or body. The biblical Book of Job describes Job being tormented by Satan through many misfortunes.
- External physical pain: Pain caused by Satan or demons.
- Infestation: When demons affect houses, objects, or animals.
- Subjection: When a person willingly gives in to Satan or demons.
Since the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church has described true demonic possession by four main signs:
- Showing unusual strength.
- Speaking languages the person doesn't know.
- Knowing hidden information the person couldn't possibly know.
- Showing great anger, using rude gestures, swearing, and hating holy symbols or places.
The Catholic Church is careful about saying someone is possessed. They often look for medical or mental health reasons first. They only perform a major exorcism if there's no other good explanation for what's happening. Official Catholic teaching says demonic possession can happen, but it's important not to confuse it with mental illness. Catholic exorcisms can only happen with a bishop's permission and by following strict rules. A simple exorcism is also part of baptism.
Reformed Christianity
In the past, Protestant writings also talked about demonic torment. In 1597, King James described four ways demons could influence people:
- Spectra: Haunting houses or lonely places.
- Obsession: Tormenting a person from the outside, causing weakness or sickness.
- Possession: Entering a person's body to cause uncontrollable fits or rude speech.
- Faerie: Influencing those who willingly join with spirits for prophecy or service.
King James believed that symptoms of demonic possession were different from natural diseases. He thought that casting out devils happened through prayer and calling on God's name. In 1603, the Church of England stopped its clergy from performing exorcisms because of many fake cases.
Baptist Christianity
In 2021, a Baptist group in Great Britain warned against getting involved in spiritual activities like Spiritualism. They said it could lead to "spiritual oppression" that needs Christian help to set a person free.
Evangelical Christianity
In charismatic and evangelical Christianity, groups called deliverance ministries often perform exorcisms. They believe that symptoms of possession can include certain illnesses. The New Testament shows that people with evil spirits could know future events or have great strength. Some Evangelical groups believe that if a person has accepted Christ, they cannot be demonically possessed because the Holy Spirit is already inside them.
Islam
In Islamic culture, different beings like jinn, shayatin (devils), and ʻafarit (vengeful ghosts) are often thought to cause spirit possession.
Afarit
Some believe that sleeping near a graveyard can allow contact with ghosts of the dead, who might visit in dreams and share hidden knowledge. Possession by ʻafarit is said to give the person some special powers, but it also makes them lose their mind.
Jinn
Jinn are believed to be more physical than spirits. They are thought to be made of fire and air, which allows them to possess human bodies. This is different from the whispers of devils. Since jinn are not always evil, their possession is seen differently from possession by devils.
Jinn are believed to have free will, so they can have their own reasons to possess humans. These reasons might include falling in love with a person, seeking revenge for being hurt, or other unknown reasons. Some fortune-tellers use this belief to gain hidden knowledge. The idea of jinn possessing humans is common among Muslims and accepted by most Islamic scholars.
Shayatin
Unlike jinn, devils (shayatin) are seen as purely evil. They do not physically possess people. Instead, they tempt humans to sin by whispering bad thoughts into their minds, often near the heart. These "devilish whisperings" affect the soul, not the body.
Judaism
In Jewish folklore, a dybbuk is a spirit that wanders without a body until it enters a living person. This idea became more common in the 16th century. A Jewish mystic named Isaac Luria wrote about souls moving from one body to another to become perfect. His followers developed the idea of a dybbuk, which is a soul that lives in a person until it finishes its task or makes up for its sins. A Baal Shem (a Jewish spiritual leader) could perform an exorcism to remove a harmful dybbuk.
African Traditions
Central Africa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Zebola is a women's spirit possession dance ritual in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is believed to help people heal and is sometimes seen as a traditional form of therapy.
Horn of Africa
Ethiopia
Among the Gurage people of Ethiopia, spirit possession is a common belief. A spirit called awre is thought to cause an illness that only affects men, bringing stomach pains and a trance-like state. If a person doesn't get better naturally, a traditional healer is called. The healer tries to find the spirit's name and then performs a ritual to remove it. This ritual involves preparing and eating a special dish. It is believed that this helps the person form a relationship with the spirit, even if they get possessed again later.
The Sidama people of Ethiopia also believe in spirit possession. Many of the possessed are women whose spirits demand luxury items. Men can also be possessed and sometimes become healers because of it.
East Africa
Kenya
The Digo people of Kenya believe in spirits called shaitani that possess them. These spirits often demand luxury items to make the person well. While some men might accuse women of faking possession for attention, they generally believe it's a real condition. The Giriama people of coastal Kenya also believe in spirit possession.
Mayotte
In Mayotte, about 25% of adults, mostly women, enter trance states where they are believed to be possessed by specific spirits. These spirits keep their identities from one possession to the next.
Mozambique
After the Mozambican Civil War, a new belief in spirit possession appeared in Mozambique. These spirits, called gamba, are said to be dead soldiers and mostly possess women.
Uganda
In Uganda, a woman named Alice Auma was reportedly possessed by the spirit of an Italian soldier. She later led an uprising against the government.
Tanzania
The Sukuma people of Tanzania believe in spirit possession.
Southern Africa
The Xesibe people of South Africa believe in spirit possession, especially among married women. This condition, called inwatso, is seen as a special calling to predict the future. People with inwatso are first treated with sympathy and then with respect as they develop their abilities.
West Africa
Among the Hausa people of West Africa, belief in spirit possession is common in their traditional religion.
African Diaspora Traditions
In many African diaspora religions, spirits that possess people are not always seen as harmful. They might be trying to correct bad behavior in the living. Possession can lead to healing for the person and new knowledge from the spirit.
Haitian Vodou
In Haitian Vodou, people can have a spiritual experience by being possessed by the Loa (or lwa). When a Loa enters a person, the person's body is used by the spirit. Some spirits are believed to give prophecies about future events. People describe this as a beautiful but tiring experience. They often feel a rush of energy when it starts.
Umbanda
Spirit possession is also found in Umbanda, an Afro-Brazilian religion. One such spirit is Pomba Gira, who can possess both women and men.
Hoodoo
Hoodoo is a spiritual tradition created by African-Americans. It includes respecting ancestral spirits, herbal healing, and spirit possession. In Hoodoo, people can be possessed by the Holy Ghost. This idea was influenced by West African spirit possession. When Africans were enslaved in the United States, the Holy Spirit took the place of African gods during possession.
In African-American churches, this is called being filled with the Holy Ghost. The Ring Shout, a sacred dance in Hoodoo, involves dancing in a circle counterclockwise with singing and clapping. This dance is believed to build up spiritual energy, leading to communication with ancestral spirits and possession by the Holy Spirit. It is thought that when people are possessed by the Holy Spirit, their hearts are filled with joy and purified from evil. The Ring Shout was influenced by the Kongo cosmogram, a symbol from the Bantu-Kongo people of Central Africa. It represents the cycle of life and the rising and setting of the sun, which is why the dance moves counterclockwise to invite the spirit.
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Asian Traditions
Buddhism
In Buddhism, a māra, sometimes called a "demon," can be a being suffering in a lower realm or a type of delusion. Before Gautama Buddha became enlightened, he was challenged by Mara, who represents temptation, and he overcame it. In traditional Buddhism, there are four types of māra:
- Kleśa-māra: Represents all unskillful emotions like greed and hate.
- Mṛtyu-māra: Represents death.
- Skandha-māra: Represents the idea of all conditioned existence.
- Devaputra-māra: A powerful being who tried to stop Buddha from reaching freedom from the cycle of rebirth.
It is believed that a māra will leave for a different realm once it is satisfied.
East Asia
Some types of Taoism, Korean shamanism, Shinto, and some new Japanese religions include the idea of spirit possession. Some groups have shamans who are believed to be possessed, or mediums who channel supernatural power.
China
In China, the idea of spirit possession is widely known through fairy tales and traditional stories, not just religion. It has influenced many parts of Chinese life, from superstitions to funeral rituals. Some Chinese people believe that illnesses are caused by an evil yin spirit (kuei). These spirits are thought to become evil if a deceased person was not honored by their family, died unexpectedly, or did not follow traditional values. These evil spirits are blamed for disasters and possessions.
Shamanism
Another type of spirit possession involves a shaman. A shaman is a spiritual leader, healer, and prophet who is believed to have the power to partly control spirits and communicate for them. Messages, cures, and predictions are delivered through the shaman.
Yin-yang Theory
The yin-yang theory is a key part of Chinese culture. It applies to spirit possession too. Generally, if the yin and yang in a person's body are out of balance, especially if yin is stronger, the person is considered "weak." Spirits, which are seen as yin, are then believed to control these individuals more easily.
Japan
- Misaki is a concept related to spirit possession in Japan.
India
Ayurveda
Bhūtavidyā, which is the exorcism of possessing spirits, is one of the traditional eight parts of Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of medicine.
Rajasthan
In modern Rajasthan, India, people believe in spirit possession. Some spirits are seen as good, like murdered royalty or Muslim saints, while others are seen as bad, like ghosts of people who died in debt. The person believed to be possessed is called a ghorala, or "mount." Even if a good spirit possesses someone, it's seen as undesirable because it means losing self-control and having strong emotional outbursts.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil women in India are said to experience possession by peye spirits. These spirits are often believed to be ghosts of young men who died with unfulfilled romantic desires. They are usually removed through rituals.
Sri Lanka
The Coast Veddas of Sri Lanka enter trances during religious festivals, where they are believed to be possessed by a spirit. During these trances, they sometimes use a mix of languages.
Southeast Asia
Indonesia
In Bali, Indonesia, there's a practice called sanghyang, where people willingly enter trance states to be possessed. This is seen as a sacred state where gods or helpful spirits temporarily enter the bodies of participants. The purpose of sanghyang is believed to be to clean people and places of bad influences and bring back spiritual balance. In Sulawesi, the women of the Bonerate people perform a possession-trance ritual where they put out glowing embers with their bare feet. The fact that they are not burned is seen as proof that the possession is real.
Influenced by Islam, Indonesian beliefs include demons (setan) made of fire, who are prone to anger. They are believed to envy humans and try to control their bodies. When they attack a human, they try to take over the mind, making the person feel angry, violent, and irrational. The demon is believed to give the person special powers, like great strength or the ability to change into an animal. In extreme cases, the person's body might change to match the demon's spiritual qualities.
Malaysia
Female factory workers in Malaysia have reportedly been possessed by spirits. Factory owners often see this as mass hysteria and old beliefs interfering with modern life. Some believe that spirit possession is a traditional way for these young, unmarried women to protest difficult working conditions without being punished.
Oceanic Traditions
Melanesia
The Urapmin people of New Guinea Highlands have a group possession practice called the "spirit disco." Men and women dance and sing Christian songs. If successful, some dancers will "get the spirit," moving wildly and then collapsing. It is believed that the body is normally "heavy" with sin, and possession by the Holy Spirit throws out the sins, making the person "light" again. This is a new ritual for the Urapmin, who didn't have spirit possession traditions before.
Micronesia
The idea of spirit possession exists in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia. Even though most people are Christian, traditional beliefs about possession by the dead still exist, usually among women. These events often happen during family conflicts. The spirits, speaking through the women, usually tell family members to treat each other better.
European Traditions
Italian Folk Magic
In traditional Italian folk magic, spirit possessions are not uncommon. It is believed that a person can be possessed by many spirits at once. To get rid of the spirit(s), a curatore, guaritore, or pratico (all meaning healer) is called. These healers perform sacred rituals that are passed down through generations. If the family is religious, they might also ask a priest to perform a traditional Catholic exorcism.
Shamanic Traditions
Shamanism is a religious practice where a person (a shaman) is believed to talk with a spirit world by entering altered states of consciousness, like a trance. The goal is usually to bring these spirits or spiritual energies into the physical world for healing or other purposes.
New Religious Movements
Wicca
Wiccans believe in willingly being possessed by the Goddess. This is part of a sacred ceremony called Drawing Down the Moon. The high priestess asks the Goddess to possess her and speak through her.
Scientific Views
Cultural Anthropology
Anthropologist I.M. Lewis noticed that women are more often involved in spirit possession groups than men. He suggested that these groups might be a way for women to gain importance when they are excluded from other parts of their cultures.
Medicine and Psychology
Spirit possession, including demonic possession, is not a recognized psychiatric or medical diagnosis. In clinical psychiatry, trance and possession disorders are defined as "states involving a temporary loss of the sense of personal identity and full awareness of the surroundings." They are generally seen as a type of dissociative disorder.
People who are believed to be possessed by spirits sometimes show symptoms similar to those of mental illnesses like psychosis, epilepsy, or dissociative identity disorder. These can include uncontrolled behavior and actions that seem beyond the person's normal self. Sleep paralysis is also sometimes thought to be demonic possession, though it's not an illness. Studies have found that alleged demonic possessions can be linked to trauma.
The DSM-5 (a guide for mental health diagnoses) states that "possession-form identities in dissociative identity disorder typically manifest as behaviors that appear as if a 'spirit,' supernatural being, or outside person has taken control." This means the person might start speaking or acting very differently. The symptoms can vary in different cultures. The DSM-5 suggests that possession experiences might be caused by mental distress. Some worry that believing in demonic possession can stop people with mental illnesses from getting the healthcare they need.
Notable Examples
Purported Demonic Possessions
- Martha Brossier (1578)
- Aix-en-Provence possessions (1611)
- Loudun possessions (1634)
- The Possession of Elizabeth Knapp (1671)
- George Lukins (1788)
- Gottliebin Dittus (1842)
- Clara Germana Cele (1906)
- Exorcism of Roland Doe (1940)
- Anneliese Michel (1968)
- Michael Taylor (1974)
- Arne Cheyenne Johnson (1981)
- Tanacu exorcism (2005)
Images for kids
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Exorcism of the Gerasene Demonaic
See also
In Spanish: Posesión espiritual para niños
- Automatic writing
- Body hopping
- Demonology
- Divine madness
- Enthusiasm
- List of exorcists
- Necromancy
- Spirit spouse
- Spiritualist Church
- Unclean spirit
- Walk-in
