Exorcism And Psychological Illnesses

[peach_cube]

[quote name='carrdero' post='1469753' date='Feb 27 2008, 05:55 AM']Hmmm, yes.[/quote]

"An Exorcist Tells His Story" by Fr. Gabrielle Amorth

[picchick]

I do not have time to read the whole thread (I think that this might annoy some of you) but here is my two cents:

I have had a mental health clinical in which some of the patients confided in me that they heard voices. One was at the time hearing voices and the other said that sometimes she hears voices. I kinda freaked out inside with one of them because being a student nurse, I never experienced that before and had no clue what to do. So I just talked to her. She was in no way possessed. She had this innocence to her that was very childlike. She talked to me earlier and I could see that. The other people who heard voices were the same. They were just hearing voices because they were sick. There was also a test done (I am not sure where) that if they looked at a scan of the brain, there is actually activity happening in the area of hearing. It is kinda cool I think that even if there are not really voices talking and it is "in their head" they can still have brain activity as if the "person" were right in front of them.

Anyway, the voices are usually never good yet, I don't think that they come from the devil. I think that possessions and illnesses are different (as some people have already mentioned). However, I do not see any problems using prayer as a way of healing. We use the Anointing of the Sick when someone is in the hospital. It is wholistic care: caring for the body and the soul at once. The patient would have to consent to it or they would have to be ok with it being done.

It is like an example that my one teacher gave us once. There was Native American man who was sick. The day my teacher had him as a patient, he said that the only way he was going to get better was if his medicine man were to come in and perform a ritual. So the staff set the room up as the man needed it to be for the ritual. The medicine man came and performed the ritual and in a couple of days the man got better. I think that this can be applied to exorcisms and mental illness.

Meg

[Jeff]

[quote name='mortify' post='1469666' date='Feb 27 2008, 12:54 AM']Did he mention any reason why the book is bad? Fr Amorth is the chief exorcist in Rome and president of an organization of exorcists, seems like the right guy to write about the topic.[/quote]

Indeed! That's why he considered it "bad". The overwhelming majority of Preists, while they can't admit it, don't really believe in demons.

[quote name='mortify' post='1469666' date='Feb 27 2008, 12:54 AM']I liked Malachi Martin's book _Hostage to the Devil_ but I took that more as an entertaining read than factual exposition.[/quote]

I respectfully disagree. Just because it's entertaining doesn't mean it's not factual. The late, M. Scott Peck knew Malachi Martin personally. His last book - "Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption", recounts his association with Father Martin. Although a sincere Christian, when Peck first met Malachi Martin, he didn't really believe in Demonic possession.

[JesusIsMySuperHero]

[quote name='picchick' post='1475895' date='Mar 11 2008, 07:46 PM']I do not have time to read the whole thread (I think that this might annoy some of you) but here is my two cents:

I have had a mental health clinical in which some of the patients confided in me that they heard voices. One was at the time hearing voices and the other said that sometimes she hears voices. I kinda freaked out inside with one of them because being a student nurse, I never experienced that before and had no clue what to do. So I just talked to her. She was in no way possessed. She had this innocence to her that was very childlike. She talked to me earlier and I could see that. The other people who heard voices were the same. They were just hearing voices because they were sick. There was also a test done (I am not sure where) that if they looked at a scan of the brain, there is actually activity happening in the area of hearing. It is kinda cool I think that even if there are not really voices talking and it is "in their head" they can still have brain activity as if the "person" were right in front of them.

Anyway, the voices are usually never good yet, I don't think that they come from the devil. I think that possessions and illnesses are different (as some people have already mentioned). However, I do not see any problems using prayer as a way of healing. We use the Anointing of the Sick when someone is in the hospital. It is wholistic care: caring for the body and the soul at once. The patient would have to consent to it or they would have to be ok with it being done.

It is like an example that my one teacher gave us once. There was Native American man who was sick. The day my teacher had him as a patient, he said that the only way he was going to get better was if his medicine man were to come in and perform a ritual. So the staff set the room up as the man needed it to be for the ritual. The medicine man came and performed the ritual and in a couple of days the man got better. I think that this can be applied to exorcisms and mental illness.

Meg[/quote]

I think is is a great post, and should be read by more people, though I have to admit a couple of things here.

Some mental Illness are chemical. Some mental illnesses and hearing voices are not.

I have intimated how I have committed the sin of iniquity, and I want to talk about how that happened.

When I first started to believe in Jesus Christ, it was simplistic. I repented of my sins before an altar at a Pentecostal church. That night I was baptized. At that moment, in my soul, there was a great peace - I knew I was in God's hands forever. Over time, I really got deeply involved in my faith. I would pray in Tongues for hours, and read the bible. As I read, my body would be filled up with a fire that burned through my entire body. I lived as if I could do no wrong because 'God' was with me always. I tried to force my beliefs on everybody for weeks, and in the end, I did some very evil things in the name of my faith.

Fortunately, over time, I meet a great friend in Missouri named Rick. We meet in a forum, much like this one. He had a mission there, kinda like what I am doing right now. He wanted to make all the imposters on the board come out against him by posting up things they wouldn't be able to stand.

One day, I started to spout out my spiritual nonsense, with great love, he corrected me, and then, that mental illness of spirits talking to my mind all the time had come to a great halt. When I realized he was right, and that great fire that burned in my life was an illness caused by evil spirits, I did the only thing I could do, I started to cast each and every single one of them into the Bottomless pit, because above all else, I must be saved.

So, when I say, iniquity is saying something is of God that isn't, take note. Yes, spirits talk to you. They make you believe all sorts of nonsense. They will take you out of the simplicity that is Jesus Christ. They will deceive you, because once they have hold, they don't want to let go.

Now, I have to admit, much of that I am in God's hands peace I felt on the night I repented and was baptized is how I feel right now. God just needed a few years of being driven mad by spirits to recreate the peace of knowing and loving Christ again.

Edited May 2, 2008 by JesusIsMySuperHero

[ardillacid]

[quote name='Jeff' post='1476846' date='Mar 13 2008, 02:38 PM']Indeed! That's why he considered it "bad". The overwhelming majority of Preists, while they can't admit it, don't really believe in demons.[/quote]
I've been looking for you all my life! You can read other people's minds and souls!! How could anyone argue against you!!!

[JesusIsMySuperHero]

[quote name='Jeff' post='1476846' date='Mar 13 2008, 01:38 PM']Indeed! That's why he considered it "bad". The overwhelming majority of Preists, while they can't admit it, don't really believe in demons.[/quote]

I don't have that luxury anymore. There isn't a day where Lucifer, his fallen angel allies, and his children don't try to make my life miserable. Luckily, I take great joy in the fact I am counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake!

Its too bad the majority of Priests don't believe in demons. Maybe if they did, and started to get spiritually aggressive, maybe we could have a much better world.

I have no doubt the recent sexual scandals the CC has faced is because those men were Satanists who were probably possessed by so many demons they could say, we are legion!

Edited May 2, 2008 by JesusIsMySuperHero

[JesusIsMySuperHero]

Another thing to note,

Is the person a believer. If you start rebuking demons out of a person who doesn't believe, LOL! If they don't believe in God or the Devil, they will believe you are uttering nonsense, and nothing can be done without unless the person believes. As you have faith, be it onto you.

You can't just push your beliefs and prayers on someone who doesn't believe.

Before you even do something like that, pray about it before. If I was about to say, would you like me to pray with you, I would ask God if I should in silent prayer, to see what the answer would be. If I feel excited about doing that, I would, if I felt a knot in my stomach about it, I wouldn't.