What is it to be possessed? If the program “The Real Exorcist” has the answers, it is surely that possession is: 1.) In the case of relatively sane individuals who are raised to live by very strict guidelines of “goodness,” discovering that what their society calls “badness” is in fact, part of who they are. The self separates the two, good and bad, and comes up with the conclusion that they are thinking someone else’s thoughts, hearing voices, etc, and that a daemon must have taken up residence within their being.
2.) These people are clearly insane, with some form of schizophrenia or other cognitive impairment.
Either way, it seems that there is a lot going on as far as the actors go. The possessee taking cues from the exorcist, and the exorcist being goaded and taking cues from the possessee. Each building upon the other, which of course fills the exorcism with violence and sexual tension. I know, I know, the “exorcist” in question isn’t remotely attractive, unless you are fond of Dr. Phil. Which, on a tangent, makes me wonder why they called the movie “The Exorcist,” “The Exorcist,” if it wasn’t really about the exorcist himself…
It occurred to me that although a total sham, it seems as though it is an interestingly effective means of therapy for some people. I wonder, and am rather frightened of the way things would play out if one were to pretend a possession. When one begins to laugh, it gives the exorcist fuel, if one begins to get agitated by having a book pushed up against their face/head, of course it smacks of daemonic activity. But mostly, it seems these people have very real psychological issues to work out, and this exorcist is willing to “heal” people who really need a good therapist…or do they? If their spiritual beliefs are so strong, maybe this is actually a beneficial thing, whereby the victim is allowed to become something else, become fearless, and become the aggressor. They get slapped around a bit, so there is also a punitive element, just in case they felt they did anything bad.
What about real possessions, or spiritual obsessions? I don’t know of any. I am repeatedly disappointed when I research my paranormal interests, and find that there is often little of the paranormal actually contained in any claims. It actually affects me profoundly. What is really happening is a struggle for power and for self-affirmation. Everyone likes the idea of powerful spiritual/daemonic entities, especially for All Hallows Eve. Maybe it is the attractive, enticing notion of an entity that is totally fearless, that has no social or moral constraints, and in fact, is not even human. It crossed my mind (with a shimmy, jazz-hands, and a flourish), it being Halloween and all, that Victor’s creature is correct, that power indeed comes from fearlessness, and that I could do with more of both. Maybe that’s why I am so interested in the occult. Power.
Quite fearless, thanks to a recent Jehovah’s Witness encounter; I definitely want the power to possess someone!
Pru
