Inner Awareness
There’s such a thing as spirit possession
By Jaime Licauco
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:17:00 09/08/2008
Filed Under: People, Lifestyle & Leisure
MANILA, Philippines—The incidents of spirit possession which affected 26 students in a public high school in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, as reported in two news items in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug. 24 and Sept. 4) caught my attention.
According to the first news item, classes have been suspended since early August “due to numerous episodes of students falling into seizures.” Education Sec. Jesli Lapus sent a medical team to determine if there was a medical explanation for and solution to such incidents.
Despite the intervention of Catholic priests and local healers, however, the cases of possession continued and the school authorities appealed for help from experts.
“Affected students pointed to evil spirits angered by the cutting of a 30- to 40-year-old tree at the back of the campus building,” according to the news item written by Madonna Virola. But, according to the school principal, Henry Tungol, this happened three or four years ago.
The second news item quoted a psychiatrist from the National Center of Mental Health, Dr. Maria Arlene Briones, who explained the incidents as merely a case of mass hysteria. She said, “The victims have weak personalities and hold pent-up anxieties. Their psychological distress is channeled into physical symptoms like general weakness, nausea, dizziness, headaches and shortness in breath.” She considered the incidents to be mere “melodramatic rebellion,” intended “to get people’s attention.”
Speaking in psychiatric lingo, she explained that “the symptoms included a trance-like state, melodramatic act of rebellion known as histrionics, and psychomotor agitation in which pent-up anxiety built over a long period of time result in disruptions to the nerves or neurons that send messages to the muscles, triggering temporary bouts of twitching, spasms and shaking.”
Her solution: “To educate the public not to be afraid. If possessed, let the student rest for one to two days and get her or him back to school.” She also advised the public to stop saying “umaarte (acting)” and “sinapian (possessed)” to the victims.
She attributed the incidents simply to culture and to the weakness of the victims’ personalities. She did not say they were caused by spirits.
Fr. Bar Fabella of Divine Word College in Calapan had a more practical suggestion. He said, “experts of different fields should get into the picture because it would not just be about problematic students.” One of the victims is his goddaughter with whom he talks when her parents are away.
Exorcist priests
Well, I have news for psychiatrists like the well-meaning Dr. Briones and other western-trained scientific minds: There is such a thing as spirit possession and this fact is well established in Church history and the Christian Bible itself. In fact, there is even an office in the Church’s clerical hierarchy called “exorcist priests.” And such an office or position is only given by a Bishop. And the task of the exorcist priest is “to cast out evil spirits” from persons and dwelling houses. Even Jesus Christ performed such exorcisms on individuals possessed by evil spirits. Unfortunately, spirit possession is not found in any standard medical book in this country.
No amount of education or public information, as Dr. Briones suggested, will drive out evil spirits from a person who is possessed. And no medical drug has yet been invented or discovered that will cure a possessed person. What the school needs is the help of a good, strong and knowledgeable exorcist or healer who can cast out the spirits and protect the students from being invaded again. The school premises should also be cleansed of negative entities of whatever type. If the school in Calapan or the Secretary of Education, Jesli Lapus, is interested we have a Paranormal Services Group, composed of experts in this matter. But unless officially requested, we do not and cannot intervene in any manner at all.
Note: The next Soulmates, Karma & Reincarnation seminar will be held Sept. 13, 1 to 7 p.m. and Basic ESP, Sept. 20 to 21, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rm. 308 Prince Plaza I Cond., 106 Legaspi St., Greenbelt, Makati. Call 810-7245/ 892-6806; fax 815-9890; e-mail: jtl@jaimelicauco.com.
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