Editing Exorcism (section)

==Anthropological view==
Religious figures would have been presented with an individual and base their diagnosis of possession upon their own knowledge, which would be based on religious understandings. The occurrence of a possession, has similar characteristics of someone who is experiencing a mental illness.<ref name="doi.apa.org">{{Cite journal |last1=Exline |first1=Julie J. |last2=Pargament |first2=Kenneth I. |last3=Wilt |first3=Joshua A. |last4=Harriott |first4=Valencia A. |date=2021 |title=Mental illness, normal psychological processes, or attacks by the devil? Three lenses to frame demonic struggles in therapy. |url=http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/scp0000268 |journal=Spirituality in Clinical Practice |language=en |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=215–228 |doi=10.1037/scp0000268 |s2cid=237853652 |issn=2326-4519 |via=APA|url-access=subscription }}</ref>  Characteristics such as an abrupt change in behaviour and demeanor, loss of faith, thoughts of being chosen by a demonic power, experiences in seeing and hearing evil entities, and persistent fear in demonic forces.<ref name="doi.apa.org"/> These are deemed as unfavorable within religious influence, therefore are treated and diagnosed within religious collectives, as illness.

However, not all possessions were deemed as negative, possessions occurring among the higher classes typically went untreated as they were said to be undertaken by benevolent spirits upholding social order; whereas possessions experienced by the powerless were considered as expressing [[Hegemony|anti-hegemonic]] sentiment and needed to be treated immediately.<ref name="Sharabi 182–195">{{Cite journal |last=Sharabi |first=Asaf |date=2021-02-17 |title=The Politics of Madness and Spirit Possession in Northern India |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01459740.2020.1807540 |journal=Medical Anthropology |language=en |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=182–195 |doi=10.1080/01459740.2020.1807540 |pmid=32866040 |s2cid=221404656 |issn=0145-9740|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

This reflects a style of dichotomy that establishes spiritual possession as an illness which is socially mediated, and reflective of the social climate in which it is produced. Exorcisms are performed in response to spiritual possessions which cause distress or are found to be challenging the status quo and/or hegemonic values within the individual; otherwise, possessions are treated as holy communication from deities.<ref name="Sharabi 182–195"/> These illnesses/possessions are culturally constructed as either psychological or spiritual.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Halliburton |first=Murphy |date=2005 |title="Just Some Spirits": The Erosion of Spirit Possession and the Rise of "Tension" in South India |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01459740590933849 |journal=Medical Anthropology |language=en |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=111–144 |doi=10.1080/01459740590933849 |pmid=16019568 |s2cid=40861711 |issn=0145-9740 |via=Taylor & Francis|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Spiritual possession and exorcism come as a pair, representative of social expectations of 'normal' functioning, and can often be engaged as a tool to challenge or maintain religious collective values.

The Catholic Church, for example, enters a relationship with the victims of spiritual possession akin to the Shamanistic Complex.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Levi-Strauss |first=Claude |title=Structural Anthropology |publisher=Basic Books |year=1963 |isbn=0786724439 |location=New York |pages=193–211 |language=En}}</ref> The victim also represents what [[Nancy Scheper-Hughes|Nancy Scheper Hughes]] would call the 'individual body', that is, the victims' personal belief system as a Christian would assist in the healing process. In the sense that their belief that there is a demon within their body and that through the power of Christ the demon can be removed, creates a diagnosis and cure for this illness. A non-Christian may respond differently to this healing process. A non-Christian most likely would not even seek out religious intervention based on their symptoms, they would believe them to from a different illness, and would not find an exorcism an effective treatment.

The Shamanistic Complex gives a possible explanation as to what makes an exorcism effective or can increase the effectiveness. Exorcism exists within a realm of cultural healing practices, social processes that are informed by social norms.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Joralemon |first=Donald |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315470610/exploring-medical-anthropology-donald-joralemon |title=Exploring Medical Anthropology |date=2017 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-315-47061-0 |edition=4th |location=London |doi=10.4324/9781315470610}}</ref> This much is true of most other healing practices, inclusive of those focussed on spiritual, psychological, and physical health. As such the systems set out by religious communities, like the Catholic Church, to diagnose and combat spiritual possession as a disease, as only effective as the psychological belief within these aspects.