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Spiritual possession is the concept that Gods , Daemon s, Demons , Animas , or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a Human Body , resulting in noticeable changes in Behaviour . The concept of spiritual possession exists in many contemporary Religion s and can also be seen in the Mythology and Folklore of many cultures. While not all belief systems consider Spirit s to be purely Good or Evil , the term Demonic Possession is commonly used when the spirit is perceived as malignant (a Demon ), whereas incorporation or Channelling may be used in the case of benign Spirit s. Other terms applied to spiritual possession include Drawing Down The Moon , Invocation , being Ridden , and being Tied Down . Channelling is the claimed receipt of Information or commands by a person functioning as a Medium or ''channel'' for a Spirit or other source. This often involves a Séance . Some forms of Channeling appear to involve spiritual possession, as the Medium 's voice or body may appear to be under the direct control of the channelled Spiritual Being , but some maintain that Channeling and Possession are distinct. The concept is quite old and widespread in the History Of Religion . The concept was popularised in the West by Helena Blavatsky the founder of Theosophy . The claim is also made by many other Spiritualist religions, such as Kardecism . According to the Religious Scholar Wouter J. Hanegraaff , the difference between channeling and Spiritism is that the first conveys extensive philosophical and religious messages and Belief System s, not just short messages from the deceased or other entities. Brazil ian Psychic Surgeon s, such as José Arigó , claim to work as channels for deceased surgeons. RELIGIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC VIEWS Some religions — in particular, most Abrahamic Religion s — do not admit the existence of beneficial spiritual possessions; so, if they admit the concept at all, they automatically consider any spiritual possession as malign. Many of those religions, most notably Roman Catholicism , have ritual practices to drive out ( Exorcize ) such evil spirits. Charismatic Christianity includes a tradition of individuals being 'blessed' by the Holy Spirit - either Speaking In Tongues , or experiencing some other manifestation - but this is not traditionally considered possession by those who adhere to these beliefs. Many other creeds, including of the Yoruba , or of the Ghost s of deceased people, as in Kardecism . Depending on the religion, the person who is possessed may be a priest, or a specially gifted Medium , or a lay member. The existence of spiritual posession has not been scientifically proven. However, psychologists acknowledge that occosionally, an individual exhibits behaviors that are consistent with possession as it is understood by the individual or the individual's religious tradition. Believers hold that these cases provide evidence of spiritual possession, but most psychologists dismiss these claims as Anecdotal Evidence and suggest that there are other possible explanations for these cases, including Delusion and Malingering . Some cases of demonic possession may also be explainable by purely psychological or social causes, e.g. Hysteria — roughly, a grown-up versions of children tantrums. In fact this explanation was liberally mis-applied since the 19th Century . In the past, demonic possession may also have been alleged (by the subject or by others) for the purpose of excusing behavior which would otherwise be severely punished — not unlike a defendant falsely claiming temporary insanity in today's court of law. Incarnations are often feigned by dishonest priests and mediums for fraudulent puposes, e.g. by pretending to communicate with someone's deceased relatives in exchange for payment of "donations". The famous U.S. Escape Artist Houdini was instrumental in exposing several such frauds in the 1920s . HISTORICAL CASES The Salem Witch Trials ( 1692 ) followed a notable string of cases of alleged demonic possession. BOOKS Several notable books describe entering a trance state to allow a dead or other-dimensional being to speak through them. It's claimed that a ''guide'' conveys messages from other Spirit Men to listeners (see Séance ), in which case two intermediaries are needed, one on each side of the ''heavenly divide'' for a conversation between a living person and a dead one. In '''' ( 1969 ) by Arthur Ford , he describes séances he conducted for several different groups of people. He sat in a chair or laid down to enter a trance. He claimed a Spirit Man known as ''Fletcher'' spoke through him. Those for whom the séance was conducted would typically ask Fletcher to put them into contact with departed loved ones or perhaps famous people. (Interestingly, the chapter, "The Sun Myung Moon Sittings", was removed from the book in editions printed after Rev. Moon gained notoriety. The séances conducted for Rev. Moon and his disciples included strong testimonies from several spirit men, including Fletcher himself, all but averring that Rev. Moon was the Messiah .) In ''The Coming of Seth'' ( 1966 ) New Age Spiritual Medium Jane Roberts describes Extra-sensory Perception experiments and the beginnings of her experiences speaking for ''Seth''. ''Opening to Channel: How to Connect with your Guide'' ( 1987 ) by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer describes how to channel a spirit guide.
In fiction Spiritual possession, especially malign, has been a favorite theme of fictional works, especially in Horror Novel s and Film s. The movie '' The Exorcist '' ( 1973 ) may be the best-known example of the latter. A version of benign possession is Deadman , a ghostly Superhero who uses his possession ability in the cause of justice. Spiritual possession, though not necessarily malign, also appears as a secondary theme in The Dune Chronicles , a series of novels written by Frank Herbert . The Video Game Geist 's primary game mechanic revolves around possessing people, animals and objects in order to progress. In Fantasy Literature , the term channelling is sometimes used in other ways, particularly to describe a person's ability to draw on some form of Magical power. For example, the Wheel Of Time series uses the term extensively (although it is by no means the only work to do so). SEE ALSO Related ideas: REFERENCES
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