When you hear the word “obsession,” associations immediately arise with evil spirits, fanatical believers, and other similar things. But obsession can also be completely earthly, far from any mysticism - with people, ideas, deeds.
However, in both cases main question one: how to get rid of obsession, how to overcome painful addiction, no matter what it is connected with?
Medieval performances
What is obsession anyway? This concept is defined as a state of complete subordination of the individual’s mind to one idea, one feeling. In the religious understanding, possession occurs due to the introduction of a certain alien entity into a person’s body. Before interpreting the word, many sources clarify that this is a medieval and traditional medicine, thereby immediately dotting the i's: in modern psychology such a disorder does not exist.
And indeed, what the clergy considered (and still consider) as signs of possession, in most cases, are symptoms of a certain disease.
- Epilepsy: convulsions, loss of consciousness, peculiar sounds during seizures, a feeling of contact with the intangible after them, ideas or revelations received during this contact.
- Tourette's syndrome: a disorder nervous system, the main symptom of which is multiple motor tics. In rare cases, this pathology is characterized by such an unusual symptom as coprolalia - an irresistible desire to swear obscenely for no reason.
- Bipolar affective disorder: severe mood swings - from euphoria to deep depression.
- Split Personality: There are several personalities in one body at the same time, but only one of them is active at a particular time. The person acts like different people with different life experiences, characters, tastes, ideas, habits.
- Schizophrenia: hallucinations, delusions, speech impairment.
- personality disorder: theatrical behavior, exaggerated demonstrative expression of emotions.
This list is far from complete: many, many more symptoms of mental pathologies may look as if a person is really controlled by something that has taken over from the outside. If we consider that most of these symptoms are unknown to non-specialists, and deeply religious people tend to see in any situation the manifestation of the will of higher powers, it becomes clear why in the 21st century the idea of possession as a condition caused by a supernatural entity that has penetrated the human body is so widespread.
“I knew only one thought, power, one - but fiery passion...”
Many people are familiar with the expression “idée fixe,” but few know that this is a real psychological term introduced into science by the German psychiatrist Karl Wernicke.
A fixed idea (or an overvalued idea) is a judgment derived from real experience personality, which is accompanied by strong emotional stress and dominates all other judgments. There are four important criteria for diagnosing a highly valuable idea:
- Firstly, the idea occupies an unconditional first place in the human psyche. The Third may begin, relatively speaking. world war, but for a person his idea will still be more significant - again, relatively speaking, to breed a new breed of cats.
- Secondly, the emotional component that accompanies a highly valuable idea is clearly expressed: experiencing it and the successes and failures associated with it always evoke a strong emotional response.
- The third sign determines the main difference between an overvalued idea and similar mental pathologies: delusion, paranoia, obsessions. The fix idea is always based on a real event, even the smallest, most ordinary, or one that happened in the distant past. This is always a refraction of the specific experience of a particular person. There is no feeling of foreignness of thoughts or imposition from the outside.
- Fourthly, the patient retains critical thinking (or glimpses of it), and correction with the help of psychotherapy can produce tangible results. This is another difference between a fixed idea and delusion: with it, the patient is not able to objectively evaluate his judgments.
Among the most common super-valuable ideas is (the tendency to see in the slightest ailment serious illness), ideas of jealousy, invention, reformation and others. An interesting phenomenon is phantom pregnancy syndrome, which occurs in women with a fixed idea of becoming a mother.
Some personality types are more susceptible to having over-the-top ideas than others. If we use the terms of the theory of accentuations, then such individuals include paranoid and schizoid types. - this is an extreme degree of expression of certain character traits, located on the border of normality and pathology, which makes it possible to more likely predict the appearance of some mental disorders than others.
So, one of the main features of the paranoid type, which makes him so vulnerable to overvalued ideas, is inflated self-esteem. And from this, such people derive confidence in the unconditional importance of their judgments, the necessity of their actions - fertile ground for the emergence of an idea fix.
An overvalued idea must be separated from the fruitful obsession with a task that possesses a person who is focused on his work and is completely devoted to it. How many great discoveries the world would have missed if it were not for scientists obsessed with one idea, who literally devoted their lives to their research. Although, of course, there is reverse side medals: obsession with a task can both lead to unprecedented success and cause bitter disappointment in case of failure.
The light has NOT converged like a wedge
If the signs of obsession with an overvalued idea in psychiatry stand out, as we have seen, clearly, then obsession with a person is a more complex case. Here most often we're talking about about unhappy love, about the impossibility of overcoming non-reciprocal feelings. However, this can also result in serious psychological problems or manifest itself somatically (physically).
The first step can be described by the famous proverb “Out of sight, out of mind.” The lack of physical contact will gradually create psychological distance. There is no need to look for a meeting or, even worse, to pursue the object of passion. It is better, on the contrary, to minimize possible intersection points. This advice also applies to virtual reality: You shouldn’t constantly check a person’s page on social networks or write to him.
Next you need to try to switch your attention. Great way- physical exercises that require concentration (for example, rock climbing). Books, music, films will also help, but it’s better to choose those works that will not remind you of your story.
Think about what and who your obsession has pushed far into the background: work, hobbies, family, friends... It's time to bring forgotten ideas and plans to life, to complete abandoned projects. Use obsession as a stimulus for creativity, turn it into creative energy. We all know that behind almost every great work of art there is a story of unhappy love.
Wedge with wedge! Meet someone new, but in no case should you compare him with the one who caused you to find yourself in such a deplorable situation. Try to see everything that exactly has to offer new person, and no one else.
It's time to form other habits. In everything. Learn a new skill is the advice that seems to be offered whenever psychological problems, but that doesn’t make it any less relevant. Switching to an unfamiliar activity can really help get rid of debilitating thoughts.
You need to understand that it is pointless to wait for instant metamorphoses. The process of freeing yourself from obsession will be long and most likely painful, but it is important not to give yourself any slack and not to look back. Don’t be ashamed of the problem, don’t hide it, but on the contrary, recognize it and fight it.
If you understand that the signs of obsession do not disappear, then consultation with a specialist is necessary. It is important not to delay the visit, otherwise the problem will grow to serious proportions, and then it will be much more difficult to cope with it. Author: Evgenia Bessonova
It happens that just one thought can completely absorb our mind, radically change our entire way of life and force us to build our entire life based on its value, which at some point becomes absolute for us. When this happens, they say that a person has been possessed by an extremely valuable idea. But why is this happening? What makes us put everything else to the margins of our value system and leave only one thing? And is this so bad for a person, because obsession with one idea concentrates our feelings and efforts in one direction, and therefore allows us to realize our desire for a goal more effectively? Is this true?
Well, let's figure out what it is - a Highly Valuable Idea.
An overvalued idea as a mental disorder.
The concept of “highly valuable idea” first appeared in 1892 in Germany, when the famous psychiatrist Karl Wernicke, while studying various obsessive states in his patients, faced the need to separate some conditions from others. The reason was that patients who were obsessed with different ideas showed their obsession in different ways.
Thus, one of Wernicke’s patients was firmly convinced that his wife was constantly cheating. At the same time, his confidence was built on beliefs that defied normal logic and, from the point of view of an ordinary person, were completely ridiculous. For example, seeing light in the window of the house opposite, he convinced himself that this was a signal to his wife from his lover about a meeting. Her desire to buy herself a new dress invariably met with resistance on his part, since he was absolutely sure that in fact this was being done for her lover, and when his wife came tired from work, he assured himself that the fatigue was not caused by work at all, but by carnal pleasures .
Another part of the patients were fixated on obsessions in a different way, maintaining clear consciousness, the ability to adequately assess the situation and normal logical thinking. The ideas of such people did not seem to come out of nowhere. On the contrary, a thought or idea for a long time located on the edge of their consciousness and having a completely normal logical basis, in certain moment became something exceptional, a decisive factor of incredible importance.
Such an idea was always accompanied by a powerful emotional response, and this combination often led to the fact that it began to occupy a dominant position in the mind, and being excellently logical and emotionally significant, it encouraged a person to be very active in its implementation. To others important feature there was an exaggerated and even painful exaggeration of the significance of the real facts that were at the basis of the original belief.
But most important feature state, which was defined by Wernicke as an overvalued idea, was the fact that at some point it began to occupy an absolutely dominant position in the patient’s mind, subordinating his will, his aspirations, and sometimes his entire life, the meaning of which is largely was predetermined by this morbid mental preference.
How an extremely valuable idea appears.
You value your job very much and are terribly afraid of being fired. At some point, an understanding (catharsis) comes to you that this dismissal must certainly be arranged by other employees who are jealous of your success. From now on, your life changes radically. From now on, you attach importance to events that you previously did not pay attention to: a random sidelong glance from a colleague, a conversation between your friends during a smoke break away from you, a grin from your boss, a call from an unknown phone number - all of this becomes links in one chain aimed at depriving you of your position. . At the same time, the grounds for your suspicions are always realistic; any of the events described, purely hypothetically, could be part of a conspiracy against you, because it is known that this happens in life. If everything happens something like this, then with a high degree of probability you have been possessed by an extremely valuable idea.
The difference between a highly valuable idea and other obsessions.
Carl Wernicke
Based on observations of his patients, Karl Wernicke first introduced the definition of an overvalued idea, identifying it as a separate mental disorder. The criteria that separated it from another type of obsession—overvalued delirium—were the extent to which the patient’s idea and its premises were understandable to others, and also whether others had the opportunity to convince the person of the falsity of his ideas or not. In other words, if the obsession was based on real facts and the patient operated with the logic familiar to most people, then he suffered from an overvalued idea, and not delusion, which was always based on fantastic assumptions. As is easy to understand, the diagnosis that separated one from the other was based on the value judgments of others, and it was they who determined the boundaries of the norm.
Wernicke's basic ideas still form the basis for diagnosing states of obsession and, despite the fact that not all psychiatrists support them, there are no other clear definitions that distinguish super-valuable delusions from ideas.
How to distinguish an overvalued idea from other obsessions - such as overvalued delusions and obsession? Today, psychiatrists talk about four main signs by which this can be done.
First criterion- absolute dominance of the idea in consciousness. It doesn’t matter what is happening in the world: revolutions, earthquakes... The most important thing for you will be the theoretical betrayal of your partner.
Second criterion- a highly valuable idea has enormous emotional significance for you. Whatever form it takes, it invariably causes a strong and lasting emotional reaction in you.
Third criterion- the ideas that you believe underlie the obsession are actually present in your life or your previous experiences, and reality means the fact that these premises are real from the point of view of others. So, a brownie that constantly prevents you from falling asleep is not such a sign and tells others that your obsession is delirium.
Fourth sign- criticality of your thinking. This means that if an outsider, using certain arguments, is able to convince you of the falsity of your idea, then you are not suffering from delusion, but from an overvalued idea.
A clarification should be made here - the last two criteria are precisely the signs that distinguish super-valuable nonsense from just an idea, although not all psychiatrists agree with the latter.
Signs of states of obsession.
It’s no secret that in everyday conversations we often put “ mental diagnosis” to his interlocutor if, from a logical point of view, his position does not stand up to criticism. At such moments, most often we utter the words “what nonsense!” We understand perfectly well that this expression is just a metaphor, and a person who says “nonsense” can hardly be seriously diagnosed with a mental disorder. Lack of logic does not always mean the presence of an overvalued idea or nonsense, and stupidity and inability to think are not a sign of mental deviation. However, obsessive thoughts and overvalued ideas are not at all uncommon in our world; another question is to what extent they can be considered mental problems, because unlike what is delirium, everything here is not so obvious.
For example, one of my acquaintances has long and firmly believed in the existence of a secret world government, which for many hundreds of years has been pulling the strings of the leaders of individual countries and mercilessly exploiting the unfortunate peoples for its own selfish purposes. At the same time, like a huge number of other people who believe in similar things, he does not have real evidence of his position, but it is impossible to convince him otherwise; reasonable arguments do not work, because each time they are decisively rejected as insignificant and non-existent. It would seem that if in this case we use the last two criteria, then we are talking about the presence of not just an extremely valuable idea, but real nonsense. And yet, this is in no way a nonsense, or even an idea, because the very first condition is not met - the idea must completely dominate in consciousness, and if your idea does not live with you most of your time, then we can say that it is extremely valuable to you, there is no possibility.
From the examples given above, it becomes clear that the boundaries between delusions, obsessive and overvalued ideas are very vague and conditional, and these phenomena are very close in nature. In light of such vagueness of boundaries, distinctions that make it possible to approximately draw the line between these concepts become of great importance.
So, if we are talking about obsessive thoughts and ideas (the diagnosis of “obsession”), their fundamental feature is that most often they are not perceived as one’s own, but as coming from outside. They lack purpose and tend to get stuck in loops like a broken record. This is a very painful condition, the peculiarity of which is the patient’s clearly expressed desire to eliminate it. A person who has never experienced a state of obsession can vaguely compare this state with the appearance in the head of a simple, but very obsessive melody, which one cannot get rid of.
Delirium (the diagnosis of “overvalued delirium”) most often appears in episodes, it completely captures consciousness, and this state is based on something that does not take place in real life. The patient’s reasoning almost always lacks the logic we are accustomed to, which is often replaced by bizarre paralogical conclusions (false logic). Overpriced nonsense has enormous value for a person and is perceived as something that is not subject to critical consideration at all.
As for the idea (the diagnosis of “overvalued idea”), this is a very strong emotional conviction in something, which, although it is not easy to get rid of, a critical attitude towards it on the part of the patient is still possible. The inferences that lead a person to such an idea are in most cases based on ordinary logic and concern things more or less related to the real world.
Of course, separating the symptoms of these obsessive states does not mean that one cannot transform into the other. Thus, an overvalued idea may well turn out to be a stage on the path to delusional states (in the case of the development of delusions, this often happens), but this does not mean at all that an obsession necessarily turns into delusion. Some psychiatrists believe that obsessive-compulsive disorder is of the same nature and that, in essence, it is one disease that simply has different manifestations and different stages. As examples, they cite cases in which completely correct formal logic and a critical attitude did not disappear at all, but were successfully put into service by patients at the service of their delirium. This is how one patient reasoned, who was convinced that he was a werewolf. “I am a wolf, but now I see human arms and legs because of a simple optical illusion, and the invisibility of my true appearance means nothing in front of the fact of my true nature, which I feel with my whole being.” This is how logic becomes a fragment that helps explain the truth of the nature of the delusional state.
An overvalued idea as a sign of mental disorder.
Nowadays, in psychiatry, overvalued ideas are considered as signs of a number of mental disorders, and each specific disorder is characterized by its own set of more or less typical ideas.
An example is obsessive-compulsive disorder (neurosis of obsessive states and obsessive actions), when, with the help of compulsive ritual actions, the patient seeks to prevent some very unlikely event (you need to wash your hands 10 times to avoid catching an infection).
Body dysmorphic disorder - obsession minor defects of his body (the patient cannot stop thinking and worrying about a small mole on his neck, believing that everyone around him pays attention only to this).
Hypochondriacal disorder, which consists of a continuous anxious search for symptoms in oneself dangerous diseases(which are always there).
Phantom pregnancy is an obsessive condition that occurs in women most often against the background strong desire get pregnant.
Social phobia - the patient comes from the belief that everyone around him pays attention only to him and this attention is certainly judgmental.
Characters prone to overvalued ideas.
Psychiatrists believe that there are several very specific character traits (accentuations) that are most susceptible to obsessions.
These include schizoid and paranoid character traits. Schizoid personalities In general, it is common to get carried away by new and unusual ideas, and this hobby sometimes reaches the point of mental pathology. As for the paranoid type, these people, as a rule, are overly preoccupied with various events that could theoretically have consequences for them. adverse consequences, on this basis conditions associated with obsessive phobias develop. Of course, this does not mean at all that people of this type will certainly become obsessed with obsessive ideas; these types of characters are only more prone than others to this type of mental disorder.
Is it necessary to treat people obsessed with an extremely valuable idea?
A good question: is it necessary to treat a person with extremely valuable ideas? And why do we even try to treat mental disorders if in most cases their carriers do not pose a danger to society?
The reason for treating a person for mental illness may be either his desire or very rare cases when such patients present real danger for themselves or for society. Of course, such symptoms almost always present some inconvenience to a person’s immediate environment, but this is not and should never be a reason for making a decision about treatment if it is not based on the wishes of the patient himself.
Are obsessions harmful or beneficial?
When we talk about obsession with an idea as a disease, we sometimes forget that people can do a lot of good things under this banner. So, if we turn to the history of science, then rare major discoveries have been made without elements of obsession. The same can be said about many brilliant works of art and literature, geographical discoveries, inventions, and spiritual insights.
However, history also knows many cases when crimes were committed in the name of such ideas; today we can recall radical religious trends, extreme political parties, mass manifestations of hysteria, which are almost always based on such ideas (remember Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s Russia or the Red Guard movement in China).
Of course, like almost any other thing in this world, an extremely valuable idea cannot be considered in any one unambiguous plane, however, the question of whether it brings harm or benefit obviously should be considered from two points of view - from the point of view of the person himself (whether he suffers or not) is it from his obsession or is it a gift of fate for him) and from the point of view of society (whether it is useful or harmful for others).
Overvalued ideas are a fairly typical phenomenon in human society, and they definitely play a role important role in culture and history. As for looking at this phenomenon as a painful manifestation of the psyche, you should always remember two things:
— the concept of a psychological norm has always been and will be socially subjective, in the same way, the criteria for psychological deviations will always have rather blurred boundaries. This means that determining at what point the “normal” ends and the disease begins will always be difficult. And the reality today is that often the criteria for assessing psychological deviations are determined not only by psychiatrists, but also by the prevailing social stereotypes in a given society.
- the boundaries of the disease itself should be determined by psychiatrists, and the decision to treat the disease should be made only by the patient himself - of course, provided that he does not pose a danger to himself or others.
To date, there is no specific method for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, and methods of influencing patients are selected based on the type and degree of the disorder. This can be psychotherapy, and in especially pronounced cases, antidepressants and antipsychotics are used.
Instructions
Aggression. Excessively aggressive behavior and uncontrollable fits of anger may indicate that a person has been possessed by a demon. Unreasonable irritability is becoming more and more common. A person ceases to perceive his actions logically. Outbursts of hatred towards everything around him force him to commit acts of violence. He can hit small child for a minor mistake, break a glass against the wall. Nervous breakdowns alternating in the obsessed with extreme apathy.
Seizures. Epilepsy attacks and convulsions are a manifestation of demonic possession. For no apparent reason, a person who was absolutely calm, a minute later begins to convulse. At the same time, he can bend so unnaturally that he horrifies those around him. Everything can be attributed to the individual flexibility of the spine, but this is not the only explanation.
Losing touch with reality. Possession by demons manifests itself in the strange behavior of people who previously behaved absolutely adequately. They hear voices, they see what others cannot see. This is similar to schizophrenia, but may also be occult.
Apathy. As the demon becomes more and more entrenched in the human body, the latter falls into an apathetic state. He is inactive, stops going to work and communicating with loved ones. This can then develop into a suicidal state. The possessed person seeks to take his own life. Usually he tries to do this through piercing and cutting objects. There is something sacred in this. This is how the demon seeks to completely weaken the will of the possessed.
Knowledge of languages. If the previous reasons can be explained from a psychological point of view, then this is clearly a paranormal phenomenon. A person who did not even speak two languages suddenly begins to speak several. Most often these are languages, for example, ancient or Sumerian. The voice of the possessed can change beyond recognition. It turns to screaming, wheezing, roaring, sounds from somewhere far away. Often a person can be possessed by not one, but several demons, so they speak different languages.
Swearing. The presence of obscenity and vulgarity in the speech of the possessed is an integral sign of obsession. In general, a person becomes vulgar and behaves indecently. His sexual attacks on other people can be unnecessarily provocative. Indecent behavior usually becomes one of the last criteria before complete demonic possession and displacement human personality.
Denial of religion. On initial stages When possessed, a person has a negative attitude towards all symbols of religion: crosses, the Bible, holy water. But in recent times the demon has become so strong in his power that he begins to commit sacrilege against them. The possessed person spits on crosses; holy water has no effect on him.
Soreness. At the last stage of demon possession, the person looks very sick. His skin takes on a greenish-gray tint. The eyes become red and watery. He constantly feels sick and his joints hurt. He stops eating, and his organs gradually begin to fail. Constant cramps and weakening of the body lead to fatal outcome.
Please note
In Christianity, demons and the devil are considered to be responsible for possession, and in Islam, devils and jinn are considered to be responsible.
If you suspect someone of possession, you should immediately contact a medium or priest. The possessed person needs help immediately, otherwise it will be too late.
Related article
Sources:
- About the signs of demonic possession and their types
It must be unpleasant when your body is taken over by another entity. And it is doubly unpleasant if this entity is evil, in other words, a demon. To prevent this trouble, you need to know how the demon enters the human body.
Religious interpretation
Before taking possession of a person, demons prepare the “soil.” They cannot inhabit a person with a pure soul, so they inspire sinful thoughts. But demons instill their thoughts in people so much that they do not notice this suggestion. Demons attach their thoughts to the thoughts of people, so that it is not noticeable how sinful thoughts penetrate human consciousness.
Gradually, sinful thoughts take over the human mind. Taking advantage of this, the demon can subjugate the will of the latter, enter his body and control it. Such people are called possessed, possessed or zombified.
A demon can inhabit not only a sinner. Sometimes the Lord allows a demon to take possession of a church-going, sincere believer.
Signs of obsession
Many books have been written about the possessed and even more films have been made. As follows from the above, the religious interpretation of possession looks like the subordination of a person’s will by a demon.
An obsessed person changes greatly, both externally and internally. He may have fits of rage and convulsions. Possessed people often think about suicide, and even more often about murder. They can speak on behalf of the one who has taken possession of their body, even in an unfamiliar language.
Another sign of obsession is a rejection of Christian symbols. But in this case we can talk about mental disorders, rather than about the fact of external interference. After all, Muslims also do not accept Christian symbols, but this does not indicate their obsession.
Signs of obsession include immoral behavior, hallucinations, mental abnormalities and frequent loss of consciousness. True, Muslims are not possessed by demons, but by jinn or shaitan, which is the same thing.
Religions or cults may be different, but in any of them, the introduction of a hostile entity into a person is accompanied by similar symptoms. The possessed person not only suffers himself, but also causes suffering to those around him. Possession by a demon has a detrimental effect on its host. In this case, the entity does not physically eat the body from the inside - it feeds on the energy of this body.
How to cast out a demon
The phenomenon of the invasion of a hostile entity was known long before the advent of Christianity. Priests, and then priests, tried to fight these entities with the help of rituals, spells and prayers. True, as the practice of the inquisitors has shown, there is nothing more effective than the physical destruction of the carrier.
Actually, the victim needed physical suffering – and that’s what they received. When the inquisitors first tortured and then burned the body alive at the stake, the demon received so much energy that all he could do was leave the host’s body just before his death.
Possession - a myth that came to us from the Middle Ages, or reality? Having a medical education, I never believed in demons inhabiting the human body, because... knew that this phenomenon existed scientific explanation, and is often associated with the presence of mental disorders. But while doing an internship at a psychoneurological dispensary, I happened to encounter a possessed person, the signs of such a phenomenon are noticeably different from the symptoms of mental illness. In this article I will tell you how to recognize an obsessed person and protect yourself from a similar fate.
According to representatives of the clergy, demonic possession is a harsh reality, and not medieval fiction. There are many possessed people around, but since the evil spirit does not want to be noticed, it skillfully hides in the body of its victim. The clergy claim that a demon in a person can be recognized by his eyes. From his cold and penetrating glance become uneasy.
People who are possessed by a demon cannot tolerate anything related to religion. They may have a broad outlook, have different hobbies, take into account other people's opinions and treat others with understanding. But as soon as you start talking about God and what is connected with him, their face immediately changes, and not a trace remains of their courtesy and respect. The demon is unable to hide his presence when he hears something about his eternal enemy. In addition, they cannot be in church or near a priest.
In addition to the above, demonic possession can be recognized by the following signs:
- aggressive behavior, swearing;
- conversations in someone else's voice, often in a third person, as well as in an unknown language;
- epileptic seizures, convulsions;
- the person smells of sulfur;
- abilities of telekinesis, levitation, mind reading;
- thoughts of murder or suicide;
- lack of empathy, pity and shame.
Dependencies and addictions of possessed people
Demons in people often reveal themselves as unhealthy addictions and various addictions, which include:
- Fornication, unquenchable passion and adultery. According to the church, sexual relations outside marriage are unacceptable, and it is believed that dark forces push people to do this. Possessed persons behave in a dissolute and lustful manner. They are unable to restrain their attraction to the opposite sex, and sometimes to members of the same sex, so they often change sexual partners. While married, such people cheat on their spouses.
- Availability bad habits. Possessed people are often alcoholics or drug addicts. The demon residing in a person’s body forces him to drink alcohol and drugs in order to speed up the process of personality destruction and conquer not only his body, but also his mind. Being in an altered state, possessed people behave aggressively and inappropriately, and after sobering up they do not remember anything.
- Gluttony or gluttony. An insatiable appetite and constant thoughts about food may indicate the presence of a demon in a person. Every meal of such individuals looks like a grand feast for a company of 3 people. In addition, they always and everywhere chew something - at home, at work, in transport, on the street or at a party.
- Envy. Other people's successes normal person motivate them to improve themselves and achieve their own heights. While possessed people, looking at the triumph and happiness of other people, they begin to harm them in every possible way. The feeling of envy completely consumes them and forces them to do unthinkable things.
Possession or mental disorders?
Despite the fact that the signs of demon possession and mental disorders have some similarities, it is quite possible to distinguish a possessed person from a sick person. A person in whose body a demon lives behaves aggressively towards others. Of course, some mental disorders can also manifest themselves in this way, so we should take into account those cases where a person constantly behaves maliciously, regardless of the situation.
To distinguish mentally ill people from those possessed by demons, you can carry out a number of special checks, thanks to which evil spirits will certainly manifest themselves:
- talk about religion or start praying;
- place an icon in front of a person or light incense;
- add holy water to the drink and give it to the supposedly possessed person to drink.
There is another simple, but at the same time effective, way to identify demons, but it should be used in conjunction with other methods to exclude accidents. Place 2 glasses in front of the person, one of which will contain ordinary water, and the other will contain holy water. Demons will immediately sense danger, and under no circumstances will they reach for a glass of blessed water.
Despite the fact that clergy believe in demon possession, they argue that today most of the allegedly possessed people are actually mentally ill. And some individuals even pretend to be possessed in order to attract the attention of others.
Characteristic diseases
Demonic entities can manifest themselves not only in aggressive behavior person, but also in the form of physical ailments:
- general weakness;
- fatigue;
- convulsions and seizures;
- headaches;
- causeless nausea;
- excessive thinness or obesity;
- tremor of the limbs;
- fever or low body temperature;
- mummification of body parts.
Of course it's not worth everything alarming symptoms perceived as demonic possession, you must first consult a doctor to identify the cause feeling unwell. If the presence of any disease is not confirmed, then, most likely, a demon has taken possession of the person and is trying in every possible way to harm his health.
The clergy also talk about cases when a demon takes over the mind of a parent and in every possible way convinces him of the child’s possession. As a result, instead of going to the hospital, they try in every possible way to expel the unclean from their child, which often leads to his death. As a rule, such people categorically refuse traditional medicine, arguing that they have a huge distrust of it.
How to protect yourself from demons
According to priests, people endanger themselves when they begin to lead an incorrect lifestyle. A demon can enter a person along with sin, for example, alcohol, drugs, adultery, cynicism, murder. Sinners do not have a strong guardian angel, and they are also deprived God's grace, therefore, it is not difficult for demonic entities to subjugate his body and mind.
To protect yourself from evil spirits, you need to adhere to Christian morals, follow the biblical commandments, regularly attend church, take communion, confess your sins, read prayers, and fast. Demons are afraid to approach believers, because... he is under the protection of God. Moreover, it is never too late to start living a righteous life and overcome your addictions before the demon tries to take over you.
