Some in society attribute evil intent to people who attempt suicide. Others believe that they are under the influence of Satan. At the same time, a physician with impeccable motives may give his patient antidepressant drugs in a dose that he believes to be therapeutic. Therefore, we know today that seizures will occur in response to good intentions. In either case, the suicide attempt or the 'therapeutic dose', the overdose will produce seizures and severe convulsions.
Evil is unnecessary.
Today, we know that epilepsy occurs in response to alterations in brain function. In contrast, today, many people have attitudes toward psychiatric disorders that are closely tied to the earlier mystical views of epilepsy. Schizophrenia, depression and anxiety are often believed to be a manifestation of a moral weakness. This is interesting because some evidence suggests that the so called physical diseases can result from personal decisions about diet and smoking. Clearly, some in our society consider smoking-induced problems to be due to moral weakness.