Multiple Personality Disorder and Demonic and Spirit Possession – Part II
I find the subject of possession one of the most intriguing aspects of the paranormal. Can a person actually be possessed, demonically or otherwise? Could this be a psychiatric disorder? According to the DSM, there is a disorder involving a spiritual or religious problem, which could lend credence that possession is a type of a psychiatric disorder. Could an alter in MPD be a demon or discarnate? The Wicklands, Bull, Pearce-Higgins, Peck and Allison believe this is possible. Fiore admits she is not sure.
Carl Wickland published his book, "Thirty Years Among the Dead" in 1924. He began to believe that spirits played a role in some psychiatric illnesses. He theorized that the discarnate did not know he was dead and was confused. To facilitate the process of convincing the entity that he was dead, the discarnate was allowed to posses Anna. He invented a machine that provided a low voltage electric shock, a forerunner of the machines used to provide ECT therapy that caused discomfort to the spirit. The spirit, then, departed.
Wickland did not concern himself with trying to prove the identity of the spirits because he believed the information about itself would not be accurate due to the state of confusion. Some spoke in languages unknown to Carl and Anna.
Titus Bull, while a practicing psychiatry, neurology and general medicine became aware of the work of James Hyslop, a psychical researcher, dealing with obsession. He began to believe possessing spirits were not evil, but were confused. The spirit did not cause psychiatric disorders, but was a complicating factor in these.
Anglican John D. Pearce-Higgins, former canon residentiary and vice-provost of London's Southwark Cathedral was one of the founders of the Church's Fellowship for Psychical and Spiritual studies and chaired its Psychic Phenomena Committee. He believed that the possessing spirit was not a devil, demon or evil spirit, but was an earthbound who was possibility confused and was attached to a person or a place.
His non-demonic approach to earthbounds clashed with the interpretations of the Catholic, Anglican, Episcopal and other traditional churches. Pearce-Higgins believed in the doctrine of Fallen Angels. Demons were Fallen Angels and fallen humans. He believed they remained children of God and were capable of redemption.
Pearce-Higgins approach to depossession and releasement was kind, yet firm. He soothed the discarnate, treating like a frightened, confused child. He emphasized that before performing a depossession and forms of mental and physical illnesses have to be explored, then ruled out. He was knowledgeable in psychology and was extremely careful in ruling out psychiatric disorders as a factor.
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