4 ms·
I agree that it's not science, but exorcism could still be therapy. If someone has a condition that has the same symptoms described for demonic possession, an
by dubya 10y ago
I agree that it's not science, but exorcism could still be therapy. If someone has a condition that has the same symptoms described for demonic possession, an exorcism might just cure it. Though antidepressants might also work.
After reading "A new way to be mad" and a bit of Ian Hacking's other work, I had wondered if demonic possession might be similar to "mad travel" and multiple personality disorder, diagnosable psychological conditions that seem to have disappeared.
- reddytowns 10y agoTrying stuff randomly in the hopes of curing someone with no scientific basis has as much potential to do harm as to do good. Just because, after a bunch of other crap, you do this one thing, and the patient suddenly gets better does not mean you caused their improvement. It also does not mean what you did won't have long term effects, which you cannot predict. Imagine someone thinks they are possessed but really aren't. Won't an exorcism strengthen the belief that they can be possessed? And couldn't that lead to a stronger imaginary possession in the future? You might have just traded some temporary peace for a more severe lifelong problem, but shortsightedly just looking at the immediate effects and assumed you discovered something novel. Giving form and substance to the delusions of a mentally ill person just seems rather ill-concieved.