page_title: Demonic possession
section_title: Catholicism
hierarchical_section_title: Demonic possession / Abrahamic religions / Christianity / Catholicism
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Blatt 18v: Heilung zweier Besessener, Mt 8,28-34 English: Page 18v: Healing of the two demon-possessed, Mt 8:28-34
context_page_description: Demonic possession involves the belief that an alien spirit, demon, or entity controls a person's actions. Those who believe themselves so possessed commonly claim that symptoms of demonic possession include missing memories, perceptual distortions, loss of a sense of control, and hyper-suggestibility. Erika Bourguignon found in a study of 488 societies worldwide that seventy-four percent believe in possession by spirits, with the highest numbers of believing societies in Pacific cultures and the lowest incidence among Native Americans of both North and South America.
context_section_description: Catholic exorcists differentiate between "ordinary" Satanic/demonic activity or influence (mundane everyday temptations) and "extraordinary" Satanic/demonic activity, which can take six different forms, ranging from complete control by Satan or demons to voluntary submission:
  Possession, in which Satan or demons take full possession of a person's body without their consent, but it's usually because this person did something that caused it to happen.
  Obsession, which includes sudden attacks of irrationally obsessive thoughts, usually culminating in suicidal ideation, and which typically influences dreams.
  Oppression, in which there is no loss of consciousness or involuntary action, such as in the biblical Book of Job in which Job was tormented by a series of misfortunes in business, material possessions, family, and health.
  External physical pain caused by Satan or demons.
  Infestation, which affects houses, objects/things, or animals; and
  Subjection, in which a person voluntarily submits to Satan or demons.
  In the Roman Ritual, true demonic or satanic possession has been characterized since the Middle Ages, by the following four typical characteristics:
  Manifestation of superhuman strength.
  Speaking in tongues or languages that the victim cannot know.
  Revelation of knowledge, distant or hidden, that the victim cannot know.
  Blasphemous rage, obscene hand gestures, using profanity and an aversion to holy symbols and names, relics or places.
  
  The New Catholic Encyclopedia states, "Ecclesiastical authorities are reluctant to admit diabolical possession in most cases, because many can be explained by physical or mental illness alone. Therefore, medical and psychological examinations are necessary before the performance of major exorcism. The standard that must be met is that of moral certitude (De exorcismis, 16). For an exorcist to be morally certain, or beyond reasonable doubt, that he is dealing with a genuine case of demonic possession, there must be no other reasonable explanation for the phenomena in question." 
  The New Testament (of The Holy Bible) indicates that people can be possessed by demons, but that the demons respond and submit to Jesus Christ's authority:
  ³³In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴"Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God! "³⁵"Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. ³⁶All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" ³⁷And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. (Luke 4:33-35 NIV)
  It also indicates that demons can possess animals as in the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac.
  Official Catholic doctrine affirms that demonic possession can occur as distinguished from mental illness, but stresses that cases of mental illness should not be misdiagnosed as demonic influence. Catholic exorcisms can occur only under the authority of a bishop and in accordance with strict rules; a simple exorcism also occurs during baptism.
caption: Exorcism of the Gerasene Demonaic
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