Physical manifestations of being “possessed” can be caused by actual possession by a real demon, allowed and courted to enter and possess, or by a psychosomatic phenomenon. In the latter, the person is not possessed by a real demon, but psychologically is in a different state than before this special manifestation, tool appeared in their life. In some cases, this state may be the result of some kind of auto-suggestion to fill a personal need. In some cases it could be the breaking through of a dual personality. In some cases it could be hallucinatory (the person constructs a cause and then incarnates it). In other cases, it could be a fake. It is interesting to know that in many cases the person, who speaks in an audible-tongue to them unknown, does not give any information not already known and proven; their information parallels their known sentiments and uses these voices to inform someone of what they had not the strength to tell them, otherwise!! Doctors today use what are called “sugar Pills” to people who believe they are sick. I have observed the power of learned responses at Pentecostal programs. After many people came to the altar to be “healed”, the speaker spent 15 minutes telling them about those in the past who “fell on the ground” when the Holy Spirit possessed them. I kept wondering, “Why is he spending so much time on this?” And I soon learned why. After a few minutes of this instruction, the “healer” began to touch those who had come forward, (you think they were not prone to fall on the ground??). When one fell, that reinforced the “healer’s message and they all began to fall!! Without this advanced instruction, I have often wondered IF any would have fallen at all!! It was a directed response!! The Pentecostal preacher did not tell the poor soul that this is common among pagan people “possessed” by so-called evil spirits!!
In Greek history, centuries before Christ, the Greeks were deeply engaged in experiencing supernatural phenomena. They welcomed being possessed!! They called it “madness”. They demanded these “fits of madness” glorified their gods. This “madness” was expressed in such ways as dancing and ecstatic utterances. Through these kinds of manifestations they had a “feeling better felt than told” of a “cleansing” from the guilt of sin. For them, these “fits of madness” had a therapeutic value and were allowed and encouraged. Because of sin, the Greeks had guilt given them through the God-given conscience. Not having the Bible or a member of the Lord’s Church around, they had no real solution for their guilt (like the Pentecostals do, today). The recognition of sin forces man to do something to remedy it. The souls of guilty, sinful men are restless. The restless seek and need assurance. The Greeks sought this assurance from their deities as do the false teachers, today!! The overwhelming sense of human ignorance and insecurity with the dread of divine wrath makes sin unbearable. As they wrote; “out of his divine knowledge, Apollo would tell you what to do when you felt anxious or frightened.” The Greeks believed in their Oracle, not because they were superstitious fools, but because they could not do without believing in them!!
It has often been my idea that some of us do not BELIEVE we can or SHOULD be forgiven of sin. But, if God has accepted us, THEN WE NEED TO ACCEPT SELF AND LOVE SELF. A continual feeling of guilt, or of uncertainty, or of inferiority, can cause individuals to seek after other assurances. Because the mere written promises of God are hard for some to accept, they want more. Some want to hear an audible voice, have God do something out-of-the way special for them JUST to prove they “got-saved”
God has to do something special, when He does, no one can take that from them!!
