Possession or hysteria?
A year before my conversion, 1971, Ken Russell released his rather disturbing film, “The Devils”, a highly eroticised version of the famous case of supposed possession at a monastery of nuns. The story is known as the Devils of Loudon. (Pictured, Vanessa Redgrave as the possessed Sr. Jeanne.) I may be mistaken, but I think most mystical theologians feel the phenomena associated with the case may have been hysteria at best, while most likely it was a political endeavor to be rid of a priest accused of witchcraft, rather than authentic possession. Nevertheless, it is a famous legal case in French history, involving personages such as Cardinal Richelieu and other officials in Paris.
I recently spoke with a woman who went through a series of deliverance sessions with a priest known for his work in that field. (He has since been asked to stop performing these prayer services by his Bishop, and has obeyed.) The woman in question has now pretty much left the faith. Her story of the deliverance ‘ritual’ and subsequent direction, may account, in part, for her reversion. I should note, there is an official ritual for exorcism in the Church, which requires a priest to be deputed by his Bishop to perform. Deliverance services and prayers are pretty much up to the individual performing these services, although I am not certain. This woman’s experience sounded as if it was made up as it went along.
Devil in the details.
Briefly, the woman’s background was one of abuse and severe neglect when she was a child. I believe she dabbled in the occult, before becoming a born again Christian, which eventually led her into the Catholic church. Within a short time, another friend, encouraged her to see the priest in question. Her new friend explained to the priest she believed evil spirits were at work affecting the woman’s health. (The friend introducing this woman to the priest, struggles with depression and other emotional difficulties, hence, it seems the priest in question should have been more prudent in discerning the woman’s condition.)
Father suggested she go through a series of semi-private deliverance prayer sessions with him officiating. In these exercises, he had two men on hand to restrain the woman in case she (or the evil spirits) could become violent. Two other women were always in the background praying the rosary as spiritual support.
It turned out, she needed to be restrained, since the ’spirit’ was rebellious and caused her to lash out at the priest. She kicked the priest across the room, spoke in a growl, biting the priest, as well as one of the men holding her arms down. As she told me her story it sounded more like an exorcism than a deliverance service. After several sessions and counsel, the priest told her she was somehow resisting, or holding onto the evil spirit, and he couldn’t liberate her unless she discovered what this attachment was.
Prior to the cessation of the ‘rituals’, the priest prepared prayers for her to use in between sessions. These became more elaborate and detailed as time went on. He also had her go through the exercises of St. Louis de Montfort known as total Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. These exercises are normally recommended for the more or less proficient in the spiritual life, not always suitable for a neophyte, or one not yet advanced in devotion to the Blessed Virgin. (My friend was not attracted to the devotion at that time, understandable since the language can be confusing to modern sensibilities and one emerging from an Evangelical background.)
Determined to be holy, the woman did her best to follow the direction she received. Nevertheless, she lived her life in a relative state of paranoia that she was ‘bad’ since she must be unconsciously attached to the demonic. She feared watching TV or listening to music because the devil was in everything - around every corner. She suppressed every natural inclination, as well as most recreation and entertainment. Instructed to pursue a regimen of contemplative prayer and devotions, she floundered in a spirituality far too advanced for her state of soul.
My friend is highly intelligent and well read, hence she devoted herself to studying encyclicals of the popes, texts on liturgy and theology. It is my opinion she gained a lot of knowledge about a relatively small portion of Church teaching, as well as dogma, that appealed to her, without sufficient spiritual direction. All the while ’haunted’ by what I can only guess was a morbid fixation upon the devil, who was out to get her.
Too much holiness, too soon.
Conditioned to pursue a more or less contemplative spirituality, along with numerous devotions and ascetical practices, she went about constantly thinking of herself as evil, unable to fulfill the duties she felt obliged to perform. The spirituality proposed to her was totally inappropriate for someone with her spiritual maturity. Friends and co-workers, devout Catholic people who should know better, were no help either.
As time went on, when trying to deal with issues related to her horrendous childhood abuse, so-called kindred souls would dismiss her sufferings as either something to get over or simply “offer up”. They told her God allowed these things out of love, and that she deserved these sufferings because of her sins. (Sounds like Job’s friends, doesn’t it?)
While at her job, she shared her experiences with Catholic co-workers who did nothing to counsel her to be more discreet about the process she was going through, yet instead, gossiped about it behind her back. (Her managers, as well as the priest should have counseled silence and discretion.)
She eventually distanced herself from the priest, experiencing deeper guilt since his “followers” all considered him to be a saint. (That is not to say she doesn’t consider him holy, she respects him a great deal.) Gradually she experienced a greater freedom of spirit, accepting the fact that she couldn’t live up to such a harsh spiritual regimen. Tired of taking on the blame for the abuse she suffered, as well as being fed up with feeling she was evil, my friend got to the point wherein she rejected just about every ascetical practice she felt she had been obliged to follow . Some might say she has lost her faith. I’m not so sure.
As for the priest, he obediently refrains from his deliverance ministry, without having been discredited or losing his reputation for holiness. Of course it must be stated there was nothing untoward or scandalous in his ministry either. However, I do believe he lacked discernment in this particular case. She should have been encouraged to seek psychological counseling to deal with the trauma of her earlier experiences, before jumping into the deliverance process. In the sessions, I would have erred on the side of caution and had a medical professional there as well.
In addition, I’m convinced the spirituality he proposed was far too advanced for this woman, as well as other souls he may have counseled. Steeped in contemplative spirituality as he is, at the time, he may have been proposing a spiritual life more suited to a proficient in prayer, but not a beginner. (Considering these facts, I think his Bishop was prudent in asking the priest to refrain from this ministry.)
Seeking peace.
In retrospect, the poor woman no longer is able to clearly distinguish what may have been hysteria from what she understood to be the evil spirit. Some of the phenomena she told me about could be either. At the very least, it seems to me there was an atmosphere of morbid preoccupation, contributed to by the priest himself. At the extreme, it sounds to me it may have been a case of obsession. Either way, I think the ordinary means of spiritual direction, frequent sacramental confession and communion, as well as a simple prayer life, coupled with a balanced social life, would have been the best remedy for this woman.
Through good spiritual direction, she might have been taught to mortify any morbid thoughts or preoccupation with the devil or the occult. Instead, she had been fixated upon it. Most especially, in her case, she ought to have been guided towards a greater understanding and acceptance of the love of God, while directed towards the practice of the virtue of charity. I believe she is finding that acceptance now, from friends and family who haven’t freaked out that she is no longer going to Church.
Please keep her in your prayers.
