Demonic possession and the historical construction of melancholy and hysteria.
Herman Westerink
History of Psychiatry September 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1177/0957154x14530818 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression |
| Keywords | Humans Religion and psychology Hysteria Neurology History, 16th century History, 17th century History, 18th century History, 19th century Spirit possession Modernity Melancholy Demonical possession |
| Key points | Argues that the emergence of medical and psychiatric approaches to pathology in modernity took place amid intensified religious life and rivalry between Protestant and Catholic denominations, and that two main types of demonological possession shaped conceptualizations of melancholy and hysteria, a heritage the author traces in Charcot, Kraepelin, and Freud's psychoanalysis. |
Abstract
Contrary to the often-voiced opinion that the birth of modern psychiatry should be regarded as a victory of enlightened science and rationality over outdated religious beliefs and ecclesiastical authority, it is argued in this article that the emergence of medical and psychiatric approaches to pathology in modernity takes place in the context of intensified religious life and mutual rivalry between the various religious denominations. Notably the two main types of demonological possession appearing in the context of Protestant and Catholic religious life, theological reflections and pastoral practices play a major role in the conceptualizations of melancholy and hysteria. The heritage of this can be viewed in the works of psychiatrists such as Charcot and Kraepelin, and also in Freud's psychoanalysis.
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