Evil Deeds

Evil Deeds

A Forensic Psychologist on Anger, Madness and Destructive Behavior
by Dr. Stephen Diamond

Follow Dr. Diamond's Blog, Evil Deeds: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds
(I saw this movie last night, so thought it was a fitting post, from Dr. Diamond. Thoughts?)


Giving the Devil His Due: Exorcism, Psychotherapy, and the Possession SyndromeWhat is the public's fascination with possession and exorcism?
Published on August 27, 2010

"As summer starts to slowly fade, the new movie The Last Exorcism (directed by Daniel Stamm) opens in theaters today to the delight of horror fans. I haven't yet seen it, and probably won't till it comes to DVD. But I thought we might revisit some of my previous comments about possession and exorcism from one of my earliest postings here at Psychology Today more than two years ago.

Exorcism--the ritualistic expulsion of evil spirits inhabiting body, brain or place--has been practiced in some form throughout history, and is probably the prototype of modern psychotherapy. Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, was initially an exorcist. Jesus of Nazareth is reputed to have healed individuals suffering from mental and physical symptoms by casting out demons. Now, more than two millennia later, the Roman Catholic Church is secretly educating a new crop of exorcists to meet a rapidly rising demand for exorcisms in Italy, Australia, America and elsewhere around the globe."

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/201008/giving-the-devil-his-due-exorcism-psychotherapy-and-the-possession-syndrome