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The concept of demon possession fell out of scientific favor with the rise of modern and post-modern philosophies. These ways of thinking, however, have failed to adequately describe the phenomena of demonic possession. They have likewise been unsuccessful in developing an appropriate treatment method for those experiencing the signs and symptoms of classical possession. Though belief in possession has been rejected as superstition, the phenomenon of demonic possession is a psychic fact and necessarily should be approached as such. Re-appropriating a pre-modern philosophy and using an understanding of symbolic language, this article offers a renewed method of understanding the possession state.
Keywords: possession, psychic reality, demonic
Mark Crooks' paper is a study defending the traditional use of a demonological paradigm for understanding the phenomena of demonic possession. He suggests that demonic possession should once again be viewed as a valid phenomenon and commences his argument by pointing out that denial - by merely changing our philosophical paradigm - does not negate the reality of an event. Rather, he contends that when comparing the explanations of the modern interpretations versus the traditional paradigm of demonology that the traditional is more credible than the recently adopted models of the naturalistic sciences.
Using what he calls a "post-anecdotal" method Crooks proceeds to show that the ancient system of demonology is not only just as adequate as the modern medical model but is even more efficient in describing the phenomena of possession states. His approach is similar to the oft-used Jungian method of observing the psyche through the lens of myth and fairytale. This "post-anecdotal" method is analogous to the establishing of mythological contents of the psyche as "psychic facts." The use of demonology to describe psychic facts is similar to Jung's utilizing alchemical symbolism to do the same.
Psychic facts are just that: reality as it is encountered within the psyche. A psychic fact carries as much weight in the life of the individual as does the supposed "fact" of the external world; it is as influential to the behavior and personality as is an external, environmental factor. It may actually carry more weight and have more substance because, as the mediator of perceptions, the psychic is all that is "real." We must not lose sight of...