Trapped Between Theological and Medical Notions of Possession: A Case of Possession Trance Disorder With a 3-Year Follow-Up
Igor J. Pietkiewicz, Urszula Kłosińska, Radosław Tomalski
Frontiers in Psychiatry May 26, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.891859 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Caucasian Roman-Catholic woman |
| Keywords | Possession linguistics Trance Consciousness Meaning existential Affect linguistics Psychotherapist Altered state Interpretative phenomenological analysis Clinical psychology Psychoanalysis Theology Qualitative research |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key findings | Receiving a Possession Trance Disorder diagnosis can reinforce patients' beliefs about supernatural causation of symptoms and discourage professional treatment. |
Abstract
Few studies on Possession Trance Disorder (PTD) describe diagnostic and research procedures in detail. This case study presents the clinical picture of a Caucasian Roman-Catholic woman who had been subjected to exorcisms because of her problems with affect regulation, lack of control over unaccepted sexual impulses, and somatoform symptoms accompanied by alterations in consciousness. It uses interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore meaning attributed by her to "possession" as a folk category and a medical diagnosis; how this affected her help-seeking was also explored. This study shows that receiving a PTD diagnosis can reinforce patients' beliefs about supernatural causation of symptoms and discourage professional treatment. Dilemmas and uncertainties about the diagnostic criteria and validity of this disorder are discussed.