While most understanding of exorcism comes from Hollywood films, the reality is normally much more mundane: often it is less about spectacle and more about an earnest, if rudimentary, form of therapy (A moment that changed me: ‘I visited a therapist – who offered me an exorcism’, 16 November).
Exorcism is unique in that it allows the “possessed” to externalise their trauma, to give it a name and a face, and to have it ritually extracted from them. For many survivors of abuse, feelings of guilt and complicity remain for years, and exorcism can prove a cathartic experience that, while not solving these problems entirely, can give patients the motivation to seek conventional therapy.
We must, however, remember that some religious and spiritual leaders target vulnerable people. Exorcisms have been performed on disabled and mentally ill people, with tragic and sometimes lethal consequences. Despite its shortcomings, I do believe (as an atheist) that there is still a place for exorcism in modern society.
Fiona Findlay
Glasgow
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