The Value of Collaboration between Psychiatrists and Exorcist Priests

Abstract

The article presents the issues of cooperation between psychiatrists and exorcist priests, taking into account the psychiatrist, exorcist priest, patient, and the unusual disease of possession, paying particular attention to when and why the cooperation is essential. And it is necessary mainly in difficult cases of possession. Possession does not only exist as another mental illness; possession is a parapsychological disease, an unusual disease in which supernatural phenomena occur, and is therefore more than a patient’s conviction that he or she will be subjected to demons. Possession is the real seizure of the possessed body by an evil spirit. Possession needs a specific diagnosis and treatment, by a unique specialist, which is an exorcist priest. For the work of exorcist priests, it is very important the cooperation with psychiatrists, who recognize and treat cases of pseudo-possessions and mental illnesses that may coexist with possessions. The article also points out when psychiatrists should refer patients to an exorcist priest. The golden rule turns out to be to give the psychiatrist what belongs to psychiatrists, and to the exorcist priest what belongs to exorcists.