Imagine someone who suddenly begins hearing voices that no one else can hear. They become convinced that an unseen force is controlling their thoughts, begin speaking in ways that are difficult to follow and withdraw from family and friends.<\/p>\n
How would their community understand these experiences?<\/p>\n
Today, a mental-health professional might consider whether the person is experiencing psychosis and assess them for conditions such as schizophrenia. In another historical period\u2014or in a community where supernatural explanations remain influential\u2014the same experiences might be interpreted as spirit possession, witchcraft, a curse or divine punishment.<\/p>\n
Throughout history, people have tried to explain behaviours they could not understand. Before the development of psychiatry, there was little scientific knowledge about hallucinations, delusions or disturbances of thought. Some experiences once described as possession may now be recognised as symptoms of mental illness.<\/p>\n
However, not every historical account of possession represented schizophrenia, and culturally accepted spiritual experiences are not automatically signs of a mental disorder. A diagnosis requires careful professional assessment.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Schizophrenia is a serious but treatable mental-health condition that can affect a person\u2019s thoughts, emotions, behaviour and perception of reality.<\/p>\n
A person experiencing schizophrenia may have difficulty distinguishing between internal experiences and events occurring in the external world. The condition can affect relationships, education, employment, self-care and everyday functioning.<\/p>\n
Schizophrenia does not mean \u201csplit personality.\u201d It is different from dissociative identity disorder. Treatment may include antipsychotic medication, psychological therapy, family support, psychoeducation and social rehabilitation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The symptoms of schizophrenia vary between individuals. Similar symptoms may also occur in other psychiatric, neurological, substance-related or medical conditions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hallucinations involve hearing, seeing or sensing something that is not present in the external environment. Hearing voices is particularly common in schizophrenia.<\/p>\n
The voices may call the person\u2019s name, comment on their behaviour or give instructions. To the person experiencing them, these voices may appear completely real.<\/p>\n
Without an understanding of psychosis, such voices may be interpreted as spirits, demons, jinn, ancestors or other supernatural beings.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Delusions are strongly held beliefs that remain fixed despite evidence that they may not be true. A person may believe that they are being watched, persecuted or controlled. They may feel that thoughts are being inserted into their mind or that another force is directing their body.<\/p>\n
Such experiences may resemble traditional descriptions of spirit possession or supernatural influence.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A person\u2019s speech may become difficult to follow because their thoughts move rapidly between unrelated subjects. Their behaviour may also appear unpredictable or inappropriate to the situation.<\/p>\n
They may become severely agitated, neglect personal care or respond to experiences that others cannot perceive. These changes can appear frightening or mysterious, particularly where mental-health awareness is limited.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Some people with schizophrenia become less emotionally expressive, lose motivation, speak very little or withdraw from relationships and activities.<\/p>\n
Families may mistakenly interpret these symptoms as laziness, stubbornness or deliberate rejection. In reality, they may form part of the condition and significantly affect daily functioning.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Before modern medicine, unusual behaviour was often explained through spiritual or supernatural beliefs. People who showed signs that we might now associate with schizophrenia were sometimes believed to be possessed by spirits, cursed or under the influence of supernatural forces.<\/p>\n
In response, communities often turned to rituals, exorcisms or other spiritual practices in an attempt to remove these perceived influences. While these practices were rooted in cultural and religious beliefs, they could sometimes involve fear, isolation or physical harm.<\/p>\n
One well-known historical practice is trephination, also called trepanation, in which an opening was cut, scraped or drilled into the skull. It is sometimes thought that this was done to release evil spirits believed to be causing unusual behaviour. However, trephination was also used for medical reasons such as treating head injuries, skull fractures or severe headaches, and its purpose likely varied across cultures.<\/p>\n
People with symptoms resembling schizophrenia were not always treated with understanding or care. In some historical periods, they were confined, restrained or excluded from society. In others, they were subjected to harsh or painful treatments based on the belief that their condition was caused by supernatural forces or moral failings.<\/p>\n
Although these approaches were shaped by the limited knowledge of the time, they often caused significant suffering. Today, they serve as a reminder of how misunderstanding mental illness can lead to harmful responses.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Several symptoms of schizophrenia can resemble traditional descriptions of spirit possession.<\/p>\n
Someone hearing voices may believe that a spirit is communicating with them. A person experiencing a delusion of control may feel that another being is directing their thoughts or body. Disorganised speech and unusual behaviour may make it appear that the person has become someone else.<\/p>\n
These interpretations may be influenced by limited awareness of mental-health conditions, strong cultural or religious beliefs, fear of unexplained behaviour, limited access to mental-health services and stigma surrounding psychiatric treatment.<\/p>\n
Religious belief itself is not a symptom of schizophrenia. Mental-health professionals must distinguish between beliefs that are culturally shared and experiences that are unusual within the person\u2019s community, cause significant distress and interfere with functioning.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In some communities, including parts of Bangladesh and India, symptoms of psychosis may still be interpreted as the influence of ghosts, spirits, jinn, sorcery or curses.<\/p>\n
Some individuals and families consult traditional or faith-based healers before seeking psychiatric assistance. This should not automatically be interpreted as intentional neglect. Families are usually trying to help using the knowledge, beliefs and services available to them.<\/p>\n
Spiritual support and psychiatric care do not necessarily have to conflict. Some people use both. Problems arise when professional assessment is delayed or replaced by coercive, physically harmful or psychologically traumatising practices.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistaking symptoms of schizophrenia for possession can have serious consequences.<\/p>\n
The person may experience delayed diagnosis and treatment, allowing symptoms and functional difficulties to worsen. They may be physically restrained, confined, socially isolated or subjected to harmful rituals.<\/p>\n
Some practices may involve beating, burning, starvation, sleep deprivation or forcing the person to consume substances. These practices can cause physical injury, fear, humiliation and long-term psychological trauma.<\/p>\n
A person believed to be possessed may also be excluded from education, employment, relationships and community life. Being described as cursed, dangerous or morally responsible for their symptoms can intensify shame and discrimination.<\/p>\n
Families can also experience emotional exhaustion, social isolation and financial pressure. They may spend significant amounts of money moving between healers while becoming increasingly distressed by the person\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n
Early professional assessment can help determine whether the person is experiencing schizophrenia, another mental-health condition or a neurological, medical or substance-related problem. Appropriate care may include medication, psychological therapy, family education and social support. Timely access to treatment can reduce distress, improve functioning and support recovery.<\/p>\n
The movement from supernatural explanations to modern psychiatry reflects humanity\u2019s changing understanding of mental illness. Experiences once attributed entirely to spirits or curses can now be examined through medical and psychological knowledge.<\/p>\n
This does not require people to abandon their cultural or religious beliefs. It means recognising when someone may also require professional mental-health care.<\/p>\n
By replacing fear and harmful myths with knowledge and compassion, society can help people living with schizophrenia receive timely support, appropriate treatment and the dignity they deserve.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ahmed, M. N., & Azam, M. N. K. (2014). Traditional treatment of schizophrenia-like psychosis in Bangladesh. Schizophrenia Research and Treatment<\/em>.<\/p>\n Kate, N., Grover, S., Kulhara, P., & Nehra, R. (2012). Supernatural beliefs and help-seeking in schizophrenia. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 21<\/em>(1), 49\u201354.<\/p>\n National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2014). Psychosis and schizophrenia in adults<\/em> (CG178).<\/p>\n World Health Organization. (2025). Schizophrenia<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Imagine someone who suddenly begins hearing voices that no one else can hear. They become convinced that an unseen force is controlling their thoughts, begin speaking in ways that are difficult to follow and withdraw from family and friends. How would their community understand these experiences? Today, a mental-health professional might consider whether the person […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":87,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,3,13],"tags":[27,31,30,19,29,22,25,26,28],"class_list":["post-86","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-disorders","category-mental-health","category-superstitions","tag-exorcism","tag-hallucinations","tag-history-of-psychiatry","tag-mental-health","tag-mental-health-awareness","tag-psychology","tag-schizophrenia","tag-spirit-possession","tag-trephination"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=86"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90,"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions\/90"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/87"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=86"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=86"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psychologyfortoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=86"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}