Possession states are a complex phenomenon that takes a variety of different cultural and religious forms, which may or may not be associated with a psychiatric diagnosis. A case study demonstrates how demonic attributions may be employed as a form of negative religious coping and may lead to spiritual struggles. It illustrates the importance of understanding theological/religious context of...
Abstract: Leah is a woman in her 40s hearing voices in the context of a recently diagnosed first episode of psychosis. Her voices represent a dynamic interplay between conflicting psychological and spiritual forces within her, which are various externalized, collaborated with, and related to, in an attempt to cope with, and make meaning amidst, multiple traumatic life events. This brief case...
The agentive aspects of communicative religious experiences remain somewhat neglected in the social sciences literature. There is a need for phenomenological descriptions of these experiences and the ways in which they differ from culturally defined psychopathological states. In this semi-structured interview study, eight congregants attending an evangelical church in London were asked to...