I think language can have a distorting impact on what is considered a professional practice and what is considered nonsense. If a person literally believes they are possessed then why not appeal to that belief? Is psychotherapy really any less of a subjective experience dependent on suggestion? People are often asked to cognitively restructure thier thoughts into patterns which allow them to better handle thier circumstances. Actual brain changes can be seen in those who actively re-wire thier brains using positive thoughts and imagery. If this is done through cognitive or behavioral therapy it is viewed as legitimate, so why are real changes observed in those who undergo an exorcism met with such skepticism? We know the pharmacology placebo effect and yet we don't question the efficacy of drug interventions. I agree that it's time to consider a wider range of treatment options and allow the patient to have more of a say in what they believe will promote thier own recovery.

Herschel (sp?) Walker just came out and said that he had recently been diagnosed with DID. That's his explanation for why he is sometimes angry and volatile with his wife. I wonder if his psychiatrist ruled out possession before coming up with his final diagnosis :)

As I discuss in my book Anger, Madness, and the Daimonic, dissociative identity disorder (DID) or multiple personality disorder is indeed a classic example of possession: not demonic possession but possession by the daimonic, the unconscious, or what Jung called the "shadow." The demonic and daimonic are different ways of explaining the same pervasive phenomenon that I call the "possession syndrome."

Very interesting subject. You conclude your piece by advocating a secular psychotherapy that "asks the right questions." I'm curious to learn what, in your mind, are the "right questions"?

I believe I indicated in the post what I think some of the "right questions" for psychotherapists to be asking are. Even a secular spiritual psychology, which I do advocate, needs to ask similar questions as the priest that was quoted: "'My remedy is based on spiritual means, which cannot be replaced by any pharmaceutical remedies. . . .I do not stop at the level of just treating symptoms. I'm very much interested in the soul of a person. As a priest, I keep asking questions a doctor will never ask.' "

Those questions would include, as I said: What is exorcism? How does it heal? Can we learn something valuable about psychotherapy from exorcism? Are there certain techniques employed by exorcists that psychologists should consider when treating angry, psychotic or violent patients? Are there vital existential or spiritual questions addressed by exorcism--for example, the riddle of evil--that psychotherapy detrimentally neglects?

Psychotherapists need to go beyond simplistic and unproven biochemical explanations of aberrant behavior and symptomatology, and ask what such phenomena MEAN psychologically, existentially, and spiritually for both the individual and the collective. Failure to do so seriously endangers the future of psychotherapy. For much more on this, see my book ANGER, MADNESS, AND THE DAIMONIC, in which I discuss alternate ways of understanding and treating the "possession syndrome" and most mental disorders in general.

Dr. Diamond, just wanted you to know that I have used your article as a reference on my recent blog entry located here:

http://ragingrev.com/2008/11/12/demons-angels-and-other-phenomena-are-th...

Thank you for your informative article and for providing it on the public domain. feel free to comment on my post and interact with myself and other readers.

Thanks again

Dr. Diamond,
I was quite surpised that a Psychologist would entertain the thought of a "religous remedy" as my understanding was that psychologists (generally) had only faith in their own abilities. I firmly believe that (as a Traditional Catholic) that there are only two forces in nature: Good & Evil. A person is either with God or he's against God. These posessions of people can only be truly exorcised by a Traditional Catholic priest (prior to all these false priests whom are severely misguided from the after-effects the errors of Vatican II has caused) as the Devil/demon (in a posessed person) can see the good as well as the defects of each person atttending an exorcism and certainly would recognize a counterfeit. As history has shown, a false priest (no matter what denomination they belong to) will not only fail at exorcims, but most likely will be ridiculed by the posessed demon ("how can a devil ask his own kind to leave a poseseed soul"?). However, a properly ordained priest that's a firm believer of the "True Catholic Tradition" will be successful as he truly has God on his side (not just uttering words to the posessed, but has gone through the necessary preparation and has all the armarment to accomplish his task) while the Devil will certainly recognize this.
If I'm not mistaken, the psychiatric hospitals in some part of England (I believe during the late 19th century) were completely closed after a priest had gone and exorcised/blessed all the inhabitants.

The link below may be of interest to all as Fr. Chad Ripperger Ph.D. talks about "Modern Psychology and the Catholic Faith" (at the bottom of the link) in one of his conferences.

http://www.sensustraditionis.org/multimedia.html

May God Bless you,
Romesh

Nice article and I enjoy reading it. Well exorcism is just there from time of Jesus until the existence of Psychotherapy and it was detailed from history that exorcism also healed those people allegedly mentally ill. But there are more people believe in Science and also many don't. That is why Psychotherapy should not be threatened by exorcism.