Possession

New_Departure06

Anyone here ever been possessed by a demon or a ghost? Or come across instances of it?

What is the exact nature of possession? Does the spirit of the host leave their physical body to be replaced with that of the demon/ghost? Or is control shared and disputed in some way?

Ziycon

New_Departure06 wrote:

Anyone here ever been possessed by a demon or a ghost? Or come across instances of it?

What is the exact nature of possession? Does the spirit of the host leave their physical body to be replaced with that of the demon/ghost? Or is control shared and disputed in some way?

From what i know about possession it is where a demonic or elemental spirit takes control of a persons body and can either lie silghtly unknown or can make themselves fully known, they also can either shut out the consicnes of the person or suppress them for as long as they want!

Black Swan

Ziycon wrote:

From what i know about possession it is where a demonic or elemental spirit takes control of a persons body and can either lie silghtly unknown or can make themselves fully known, they also can either shut out the consicnes of the person or suppress them for as long as they want!

Could the spirit be benevolent?

Ziycon

Blue_Lagoon wrote:

Could the spirit be benevolent?

Could be, personally i've never heard of it!

Black Swan

It seems that most spirit possession is catagorized as malevolent for some reason, leaving no room for benevolent possession? Could someone be helped by spirit possession?

stormkeeper

Blue_Lagoon wrote:

It seems that most spirit possession is catagorized as malevolent for some reason, leaving no room for benevolent possession? Could someone be helped by spirit possession?

I'd like to think that it's possible, but I'm still debating an experience I had so can't answer that...

stevenmu

I think 'possesion' by definition would always be malevolent. 'Possesion' in this case means for something to take control of you without your permission, which can never be a good thing. The benevolent version of this, allowing something to use you as a conduit, would be channeling.

solas

I used be a direct voice medium, as stephen said, being used as a conduit to channel spirit. (benevolent)

stormkeeper

stevenmu wrote:

I think 'possesion' by definition would always be malevolent. 'Possesion' in this case means for something to take control of you without your permission, which can never be a good thing. The benevolent version of this, allowing something to use you as a conduit, would be channeling.

That's a good point... never thought of it like that.

Kernel

Check out the book 'Hostage to the Devil' by Fr. Malachi Martin, it looks good, but I haven't read it yet, just skimmed it (have toooo many books and not enough time). I've listened to his old radio interviews and he seems to have a lot of experience in the phenomenon of demonic possession, as well as being a pleasant, patient and intellectual man.

Be aware that he views the phenomenon mainly through Catholic dogma and teachings (I guess who am I to argue with him anyway), although he does make distinctions between psychological disorders and what he believes is genuine demonic possession.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi_Martin

Ziycon

Like that other post going round, automatic writing, possession maybe possible as benevalent but its in a different categorey, possession i feel by definition is malevolent!

Black Swan

stevenmu wrote:

I think 'possesion' by definition would always be malevolent. 'Possesion' in this case means for something to take control of you without your permission, which can never be a good thing. The benevolent version of this, allowing something to use you as a conduit, would be channeling.

Like if I am begging the point, sorry. But how about this? A person is mentally handicapped (socially dysfunctional and institutionalized) and they have an unexplained remission, and for all practical perposes, are now a different person, but very similar to someone who had recently died. Cannot remember where I had read this account, but many suspected that it was a possession for the good.

Ziycon

Blue_Lagoon wrote:

Like if I am begging the point, sorry. But how about this? A person is mentally handicapped (socially dysfunctional and institutionalized) and they have an unexplained remission, and for all practical perposes, are now a different person, but very similar to someone who had recently died. Cannot remember where I had read this account, but many suspected that it was a possession for the good.

Im kinda aware but not 100% sure how they do it, but there is good techniques to differentiate from possession and mental illness, but with that in mind there will forever be the odd few cases which are questionable!

6th

Ziycon wrote:

Like that other post going round, automatic writing, possession maybe possible as benevalent but its in a different categorey, possession i feel by definition is malevolent!

The whole language of discussing the paranormal is so difficult to navigate as very word words have a single meaning which everyone can agree on.

In this case though we seem to have come to the conclusion thats:

Possession is forced and by malevolent or demonic entity.

Channelling is a co-operative exercise between a medium/psychic and a benevalent entity.

This seem fair enough to people?

Possession seems to almost be a type of rape, in that it is an unwanted and forced situation.

As Ziycon pointed out this shows a difference between ouija and automatic writing too.

Nevyn

I disagree

stormkeeper

Thaedydal wrote:

I disagree

Want to give us your take on things?

Ziycon

Thaedydal wrote:

I disagree

I'd like to hear your thoughts too!

Nevyn

I will I promise rather busy over the weekend and I want to answer properly but in a way that will not have me picked at. so as soon as I am happy with what I had written on the matter I will post it up

stormkeeper

That's cool

faceman

Be careful not to confuse posession with some forms of epilepsy, psychosis, schizo, and of course anything drug related!

In all my experience ive only ever come across 1 borderline case of temporary possession.

stormkeeper

As much as 100-200 years ago, some of those conditions would have been considered to be possession! Amazing how perspectives have changed over the years really...

Sapien

6th wrote:

TPossession is forced and by malevolent or demonic entity.

Channelling is a co-operative exercise between a medium/psychic and a benevalent entity.

This seem fair enough to people?

Interesting. I'm not sure I'd define these terms quite thus.

I'm thinking of rituals performed by Voodoo practitioners who allow themselves to be "possessed" by aspects of the Loa (god). In this case the term they use is possession as opposed to channelling, though the entities inhabiting their bodies, while often surly and frightening, are benign and beneficial.

I think the distinction between channelling and possession has more to do with the form of the contact than the nature of the spirit contacted. Generally in channelling the medium remains still and composed, the spirit only having control over a defined mode of communication - commonly speech or writing. In fact, most mediums would describe the experience as a dictation, more so than direct control. As you say - a cooperative exercise.

Possession on the other hand, whether demonic and unsought-after, or as part of a ritual, sees the entire person being taken over by the spirit. The individuals personality is seen to be completely replaced, and they invariably begin to move in different, often exaggerated ways. The voice of a possessed person will change in a way that is not often found in channelling, and occasionally their appearance will be altered dramatically.

And, on the other hand, channelling, as we have described it, of demonic entities is not impossible, though admittedly a little trickier than asking granny who gets the cat.

Solicited possession is an extremely widespread religious and magickal activity. It can be found existing independently in many different cultures and spiritual systems. The Voodoo-like religions of the Americas and Caribbean are famous for it, but it also exists in a slightly tamer form in some fundamentalist Christian churches. Practices of indigenous peoples throughout Asia and Africa, and of course the Tungus tribes of Siberia, from whom we get the word "Shaman", place great importance on complete possession by sacred discarnate forces. A distilled version of this process, called Godform Assumption or Archetype Assumption, is very important in modern magick, and I'm sure most witches and magickians have experimented with it at some point, and know what it can be like to be, at least partially, possessed by god of their choosing.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the vast preponderance of possessions that occur are beneficial and brought about intentionally by the possessed, with the transgressive, involuntary, demonic variety being extremely rare by comparison.

scorplett

very well put sapien. I pretty much agree with what you have said and how. As someone who has channelled everything from the mildest little 'voice in the ear' to full rescue channells and with that being a Wiccan High Priestess and having had direct deity drawn into me and for both channelling and posession having not only experianced them personally but also witnessed them in others I think that you have expressed things quite well.
It is without a doubt far more prominent for posession to be invoked in ceremony rather than some entity just choosing a host.
That said just because someone magically invites or instructs an entity does not make that entity 'good' or 'evil' entities of such ilk are far beyond what we could concieve of a good and evil and cannot possibly have these concepts lumped upon them.
Entities that might come in to a medium are somewhat different as these are usually residual energies or souls of deceased or deeply meditating human beings and as such can without a doubt be classified as good or evil simply due to their humanity (although not nescessarily because)
I think it important to understand that a human concept can only be aplied in human terms and as such can-not be applied to Deities or Elementals etc even though our interactions with such entities may be positive or negative this canot be interpreted as good or evil.
I'll come back to this, just like Thead I am very busy this weekend and am quite interested in this topic.