Dissociation and Possession: Part 2

​Drawing on two examples to illustrate the results of confusing the diagnostic criteria of one for the other, I shall attempt to explain some repercussions following any misdiagnoses. Alters mentioned in the narratives are memory fragments that seemed to have a life of their own yet are part of the memory system. Alters may be co-conscious (i.e., aware) of each other but in these two cases the majority of alters were not co-conscious with the patient.  If you wish to understand more about dissociation, please refer to the topic “Dissociative Disorders” under “Categories.”
 
Anne had been put on a stage by her senior pastor to showcase before the congregation the extent of her ‘demonisation’ with subsequent exorcisms performed. Months later, Anne and her husband turned up at my counselling office, ostensibly for partner relational issues. At their second interview, while talking about the couple’s acrimonious relationship, she suddenly went into a self-induced trance and slipped gently from her chair onto the floor. Anne’s husband excitedly commented that that was her modus operandi a couple of nights each week, claiming that she was ‘possessed’ and would then attempt to attack him. She spoke with a different voice from her normal self, and claimed she was a Buddhist. This was in contradiction to her Christian baptism years ago. When confronted with that fact, she said that she was a different person and can accept the faith of that ‘other person.’ At the third session, I sought to clarify her alter’s reason for claiming she was ‘possessed.’ Anne’s alter said that that terrified her husband, and she enjoyed frightening him due to his earlier infidelities. My tentative conclusion then was that this alter was not ‘a demon.’ I informed her accordingly that I did not consider her a demon, and therefore, she need not collapse onto the floor whenever she surfaced. Her alters never repeated that again. At no time throughout the seven years of counselling were any of Anne’s alters blasphemous nor was there any opposition to the differential faith schemas of over twenty alters, many of whom spoke with different vocal pitches. Towards the end of therapy, when I thought that all of Anne’s alters were fully integrated in her memory system, three separate new alters came forward. On further enquiry why they chose to self-disclose at this late session, they all claimed that when they did surface years ago, a pastor accused them of being demons and attempted to exorcise them. That was when they went into hiding, and waited until they could trust me before resurfacing. They further claimed that they had been listening to me treat the other alters with respect and kindness and chose to reveal themselves presently. Despite a couple of alters being co-conscious with each other, all the alters were not co-conscious with Anne.
 
The second case concerned a young lady, Susan, who would occasionally go into a trance at a Sunday church service. She would scream at the top of her voice for minutes on end, disrupting the pastor’s sermon. Susan was often escorted out of the service by the staff, who would invariably attempt to exorcise her ‘demons.’ When queried about her emotional outbursts, she had no memory of them. Susan was not co-conscious with her alter. Eventually, she was sent to me as her histrionics apparently remained ‘incurable.’ One day, after inducing Susan into a trance state, I identified and called out the alter who was responsible for these flare-ups. When asked for the reason behind these frenzies, the alter confessed. While in a trance during an exorcism attempt several months prior, she had overheard a pastor make a humorous joke about her situation, causing much laughter in the room. This alter felt ashamed being laughed at! It took revenge on that pastor whenever he was preaching, and repeatedly disrupted his sermon to embarrass him.  
 
A misdiagnosis would result in alters or memory fragments remaining silent, and hiding deep in the subconscious of the patient, until they feel comfortable to resurface, which may be months or years later. What this implies is that the patient remains untreated for a longer term. Further, to stigmatise someone as being ‘demonically possessed’ can be damaging to how the patients view themselves or how others see them. Hence, to discern judiciously would likely lead to a correct diagnosis for an appropriate treatment regime.
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