Exorcism-resistant Ghost Possession Treated with Clopenthixol

Hale, Anthony S.; Pinninti, Narsimha R.

doi:10.1192/bjp.165.3.386

Cited by 23 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…9,16,18,20,28,34,37 In most cases of possession, the possessing agent is unique and well known, whether it corresponds to a local entity belonging to the culture of the patient or to the universal fi gure of God or the devil. We recognized 6 categories of agents, listed in order of decreasing frequency: goddesses, deities, God, the Holy spirit, or an angel 34 (43%); deceased relatives and human ancestral spirits (29%); malevolent spirits and demons (for example, jinn or zâr) (18%); animals such as snakes, foxes, and turtles (5%); the devil (for example, Lucifer, Asmodeus, or Satan) (4%); and a local saint in one patient.…”

Section: Diagnostic Procedures and Clinical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…12 Total or partial amnesia of the experience is reported in 20% of patients (n = 79), 12,25,33,36 whereas in 80% of them (n = 323) amnesia of the episodes is either not commented on or documented as absent. 16,17,29…”

Section: Diagnostic Procedures and Clinical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the latter case, such diffi culties can follow migration from one country to another, 35 from a rural environment to urban centres, 22,24 or ensue from a religious conversion from a local belief system to Christianity. 28 Three authors do not refer to any theoretical framework, 11,16,27 whereas the other 25 articles refer to 1 to 6 explanatory models (mean = 3), which are, in descending order: psychosocial stressors (68%), cultural factors (64%), gain seeking (29%), hysteria theory (25%), communication theory (25%), traumatic theory (18%), underlying psychiatric condition (18%), dissociation theory (18%), and acculturation issues (14%). Other comments regarding the etiology of DTD are summarized in online eTable 2.…”

Section: Etiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Critical Review of Dissociative Trance and Possession Disorders: Etiological, Diagnostic, Therapeutic, and Nosological Issues

et al. 2011

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Objective: Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Fourth Edition, acknowledges the existence of dissociative trance and possession disorders, simply named dissociative trance disorder (DTD), it asks for further studies to assess its clinical utility in the DSM-5. To answer this question, we conducted the fi rst review of the medical literature. Method:The MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases were searched from 1988 to 2010, seeking case reports of DTD according to the DSM or the International Classifi cation of Diseases defi nitions. For each article, we collected epidemiologic and clinical data, explanatory models used by authors, treatments, and information on the outcome. Results:We found 28 articles reporting 402 cases of patients with DTD worldwide. The data show an equal proportion of female and male patients, and a predominance of possession (69%), compared with trance (31%). Amnesia is reported by 20% of patients. Conversely, hallucinatory symptoms during possession episodes were found in 56% of patients and thus should feature as an important criterion. Somatic complaints are found in 34% of patients. Multiple explanatory models are simultaneously held and appear to be complementary. Conclusion:Data strongly suggest the inclusion of DTD in the DSM-5, provided certain adjustments are implemented. DTD is a widespread disorder that can be understood as a global idiom of distress, probably underdiagnosed in Western countries owing to cultural biases, whose incidence could increase given the rising fl ow of migration. Accurate diagnosis and appropriate management should result from a comprehensive evaluation both of sociocultural and of idiosyncratic issues, among which acculturation diffi culties should systematically be considered, especially in cross-cultural settings.Can J Psychiatry. 2011;56(4):235-242. Clinical Implications• The DSM and the International Classifi cation of Diseases present dissociative trance and possession disorder as a transient involuntary state of dissociation causing distress or impairment.• Although reported worldwide, and possibly owing to various psychosocial stressors, in industrialized societies the disorder may more specifi cally concern people from ethnic minorities for whom acculturation diffi culties may play a key role.• A cross-cultural approach seems necessary for a better understanding of the disorder as well as to increase the validity of diagnosis and effi cacy of management. Limitations• This review was limited to articles written in English and indexed on major medical databases, thus reducing the number of studies and reported patients.• Owing to cultural biases and misconceptions about altered states of consciousness in Western societies, the disorder may still be underdiagnosed.• Papers showed important discrepancies in both the amount and the precision of data.

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Section: Diagnostic Procedures and Clinical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Diagnostic Procedures and Clinical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Etiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Critical Review of Dissociative Trance and Possession Disorders: Etiological, Diagnostic, Therapeutic, and Nosological Issues

et al. 2011

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“…Often rituals are part of the 'help-seeking pathways' [48] of religious patients, sometimes parallel to psychiatric treatment, which is not always perceived as helpful. However, when symptoms respond to medication and therapy, this allows the patient to adopt a broader view of the biological and psychosocial factors contributing to the problem, so that the idea of possession is being questioned or even discarded [49].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demonic Attributions in Nondelusional Disorders

Pfeifer¹

1999

Psychopathology

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Objective: Belief in demonic influence has repeatedly been described as a delusion in schizophrenic patients. The goal of this explorative study was to examine the frequency, as well as the psychodynamic and social functions of such beliefs in a sample of nondelusional patients. Method: The sample consisted of 343 psychiatric outpatients who described themselves as religious. In semistructured interviews they were asked to give their view of demonic causality of their illness. Results: A high prevalence of such beliefs was not only found in schizophrenic patients (56%) but also in the following groups of nondelusional patients: affective disorders (29%), anxiety disorders (48%), personality disorders (37%) and adjustment disorders (23%). Belief in demonic oppression tended to be associated with lower educational level and rural origin, and was significantly influenced by church affiliation. Conclusions: Beliefs in possession or demonic influence are not confined to delusional disorders and should not be qualified as a mere delusion. Rather they have to be interpreted against the cultural and religious background which is shaping causal models of mental distress in the individual.

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“…Developing countries are not the exclusive terrain of possession disorders and exorcism practices. Reports on these conditions were based on observations from countries in North America [63][64][65] and Latin America [66], the United Kingdom [67], Switzerland [68], Italy [69], France [70], Greece [71], Israel [30,72,73], Korea [74], and Russia [75]. A Barna Research poll showed that 54% of adult Americans believe that ''a human being can be under the control or the influence of spiritual forces such as demons'' [76].…”

Section: Possession Trance and Religionmentioning

confidence: 99%