Sunday Sermon: The Demonic Factor

{“Mental illness is not funny,” Philip Dick noted somberly in one of his novels. At the same time, explanations for mental disorders are frequently hilarious. In the following excerpt, Rodger Bufford, a Christian psychiatrist, discusses Satan’s role in madness, while dodging the obvious question: what would psychiatry have to say about a patient who claims to be the Son of God and who tells his followers to eat his flesh and drink his blood?}

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“Demonic influence and mental disorders are conceptually distinct phenomena, but in view of the extensive overlap among symptoms, it may be difficult in a given instance to make a firm conclusion regarding which phenomenon is present.” (Rodger Bufford)

Rodger Bufford, from “Demonic Influence and Mental Disorders” (1988):

Demon possession was a widely accepted explanation for disturbed behavior from antiquity through the middle of the nineteenth century. The scientific revolution and the adoption of naturalistic reductionism around the close of the nineteenth century left no room for the supernatural or spiritual. Consequently, what had formerly been viewed as demonic influence became "nothing but" mental illness or mental disorders.

In exploring the relationship between demonic influences and mental disorders, we must remember that the question is not whether Satan is involved in mental disorders; rather, it is a question of how he is involved. Mental disorders, like any other human malady, came with the Fall and the entrance of sin into the world. All human suffering can be traced, in part, to that momentous event. Satan's role in the Fall, and thus in all earthly ill, must be acknowledged. Discerning the means of his involvement in mental disorders is the issue at hand.

Historically, the predominant view has been that demon possession and mental disorders are alternative explanations of the same phenomena. We need first to ask whether, on the basis of their respective symptoms alone, we can tell the difference between demon possession and mental illness. As we examine the relationship of demonic influence and possession to mental disorders, it is important to keep in mind several considerations. The first consideration must be that of distinguishing among spiritual, psychological, and physical problems.

Second, given our assumption that mental disorders and demon possession both occur, we must realize that a given person may show any of the following conditions: 1) physical disorder alone; 2) demon possession alone; 3) mental disorder alone; 4) a combination of physical disorder, demon possession, and mental disorder. Demon possession is understood to be a spiritual problem, while a mental disorder is a psychological problem.

Third, it is important to remember that Satan was involved in the entrance of sin into our world, and thus in the many changes that resulted. Whether the problem is spiritual, psychological, physical, or a combination of these, Satan is nonetheless involved.

Even in the time of Christ there appears to have been confusion regarding the distinctions between mental illness and demonic influence (and these were both confused with signs of the power of God). [Donald] Bloesch proposes a distinction in terms of the mind and the will. Examination of mental disorders suggests that in some mental disorders the will may be affected; examples include severe depression and perhaps alcoholism and drug dependence. In other mental disorders the primary disturbance is one of affect or emotion, as in the major affective disorders, and most neurotic disorders. In practice, however, people function as wholes, with a continuous interplay among mind, will and emotions in a manner that makes it impossible to sustain the functional distinction required by Bloesch's formulation.

In practical terms we must observe the person who shows disturbed behavior and determine whether or not a demon is present. Demons do not readily reveal their presence for analysis and treatment; if we knew beforehand that the person had a demon, then there would be no difficulty in distinguishing demonic influence from mental disorders. Comparison of the two conditions reveals that virtually all the symptoms associated with demonic influence are duplicated in at least one mental disorder as defined by DSM-111-R.¹ Supernatural knowledge is often claimed by individuals with the hallucinations and delusions of psychotic disorders, especially paranoid schizophrenics. Exploits of unusual strength and endurance may be observed in manic episodes and in catatonic conditions (where normal fatigue reactions seem to be absent). Nakedness or deterioration of dress and appearance is common in [those with] psychotic disorders, especially schizophrenia.

Speaking in a different voice, and even the appearance of two or more distinct personalities are classified as Dissociative Disorders (e.g., Multiple Personality Disorder). Bizarre behavior is characteristic of all the psychotic conditions. Finally, violent behavior is found in certain psychotic conditions, especially Delusional (paranoid) Disorder, as well as in Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Antisocial Personality, and Conduct Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence. Those who are demon-possessed sometimes admit that fact. Claims to be demon-possessed are specifically included as a consideration in the diagnosis of Multiple Personality Disorder. Finally, persons who are demon-possessed often show involvement in occult practices; while this activity is not a defining symptom for any specific mental disorder, it seems likely that it could be observed in persons diagnosed with a number of disorders. ²

In general, it seems safe to presume that demonic influence is relatively independent of biological causes. If this is true, it follows that as evidence of organic cause increases, the likelihood of demonic influence as an explanation for behavioral disturbance is correspondingly decreased. It is noteworthy that those mental disorders that are characterized by the most prominent disturbances of thought and behavior are also the conditions to which biological factors have been most strongly linked. This suggests that psychotic manifestations—mental disorders in which disturbed religious ideation is quite common—are unlikely to be the result of demonic influence because of the high probability of organic causes such as senile dementia. Thus, the deranged person who claims to be Jesus Christ, Napoleon, or Satan is more likely to have a severe organic brain disorder or schizophrenic disorder than a demon.

Two important cautionary notes must be sounded here. First, because all aspects of the person interact, it is possible that malfunction in one of them may result in greater vulnerability to stressors that could interfere with functioning in other dimensions. Just as a physical illness makes a person more prone to depression, depression may make a person more likely to become demonically influenced. The fact that one problem leads to another does not negate the value of distinguishing among the conditions, both for conceptualization and treatment. Second, we have seen that Satan is able to produce even physical disorders, as well as physical healings. Thus, while the presence of physical factors often makes the probability of demon possession seem less likely, it cannot clearly rule out the demonic factor.

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Demonic Influence and Mental Disorders - Chapter 8 of "Counseling and the Demonic" (georgefox.edu)

¹ “DSM III-r” refers to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, often known as “the psychiatrists’ Bible,” possibly because psychiatrists, when dealing with especially difficult patients, will sometimes thrust the DSM at them while chanting “The power of psychiatry compels you! In the name of Freud, Jung, and all the saints, I command you!”   

² Can a demon-possessed person who has been dispossessed by means of an exorcism subsequently be repossessed?

“Does your head sometimes slowly rotate 360 degrees on your neck while you hover three feet above your bed? You might have a demon!”