Just curious - How many of you know about the true story of German girl Anneliese Michel and what's your opinion about what really happened to her ? Do you believe in possession ? How many of you liken mental illness to possession ?

I sometimes wonder - I've wasted all this money on doctors and "therapy" ... the DSM itself cost me about $100. Why, when it has done me no good, and what I really need is for God to snatch me from the clutches of the devil ? Why bother with all these medical terms and science ?

I'm a man of science, by profession, but I can't help thinking twice about this one.

[Travelinglady]

I am not familiar with this story. However, I think demon possession is possible, but is not usually the cause of "mental illness."

[BubonicPlague]

Anneliese suffered severe delusions, and spoke made up tongues (not some foreign or alien language). It's possible that she suffered a psychotic disorder, most likely Schizophrenia. She suffered a very abusive death, and both her parents were quacks.

Just my opinion.

Anyone can argue with me, but I might not reply back.

[blur]

i do believe people can be demonized (but i haven't seen the emily rose movie). i certainly didn't always believe that and would have looked at you like you were completely nuts for suggesting it, but it became abundantly clear to me this stuff is real and can happen anywhere not just in places like africa.

as for whether one is dealing with mental illness or demons it isn't necessarily an either/or but can be both. a friend of mine once said that the demonic likes to piggyback on mental illnesses and makes them that much worse. so, i think a person can be dealing with mental illness, the demonic, and sometimes both.

if you want to learn more about this a good book is deep wounds, deep healing by dr. charles kraft a seminary prof, anthropologist and missionary. he gets to the roots as to why a person might be demonized (common reasons are drug use, abuse, involvement with the occult/new age, things passed down from one's family line, promiscuity, etc) and makes the analogy of garbage and rats. the garbage is whatever is giving the demons an opening to attack the person and the rats are the demons. the idea is if you get rid of all the garbage then the rats will leave because there is no reason for them to be there anymore. when he prays for people he also doesn't let the demons get all crazy or cause a fuss at all. it can be downright boring when he does what is called deliverance (casting out demons).
all this is just my opinion.

[(JD)]

I do believe that people who have not trusted in God can be possessed...there are accounts proving that. I do not believe that believers in God can be possessed but certainly oppressed (from with-out) by evil.

I do not believe that all possession is mental illness, nor do I believe that all mental illness is caused by possession, but there are accounts of both.

There is an evil force in the world that battles against God, in my belief...and that evil will do anything to keep someone from finding the God of Love. It isn't really about us, it's about that battle evil has with Good.

I personally know there are demons; I have personally helped to clear a house from one that was oppressing some Christian friends of mine. It is a very dark and powerful entity. I couldn't imagine how someone without God's power could affect it.

It's sad to hear that you spent money on the DSM. I have only purchased one in my life, that being when I first open my practice. (Now you can subscribe online for a fee though...sigh.) You can research any disorder you feel you may have quite easily without one..even taking a personal survey here at PC to see what might be bothering you.