The case of "Demon"
(Schizophrenia, Demon possession; Multiple personality disorder; Factitious disorder: F68.1)

Casebook of Biblical Psychiatry © Version 7

Based upon: Real Mental Illnesses Real Cases Real People Real Causes Real Solutions

Casebook of Biblical Psychiatry© brings the principles of Biblical Psychiatry to life based upon real-world cases and familiarizes Christians with different types of situations. This practical companion volume to Biblical Psychiatry© includes not only diagnosis, but also in-depth discussions by experienced Christians for Biblical approaches to treatment. This meticulously detailed volume of dynamic real-life case studies is simply a "must read" for all clinical Psychiatrists, mental health care professionals and Christians interested in expert opinion on today's treatment approaches. Psychiatric students, educators, and practitioners—as well as social workers, nurses, medical physicians, and interested laypersons—will find this unique volume of inestimable value in their day-to-day work.

The case of "Demon" (Demon possession: Factitious disorder: Faking mental illness: F68.1)
	The case of "Demon" (See also the case of "Bewitched") Insanity is not Demon possession more
	Biopsychiatric labels DSM-5	Schizophrenia, Demon possession; Multiple personality disorder; Factitious disorder: F68.1
	Checklist Behaviours DSM-7	Deception, lying, violence
	Insights MMPI-7
	Quick Pick EDS-7.1	-
	Self-disablement EDS-7.2	-
	Chemical imbalance EDS-7.3	No. They were never prescribed psychiatric drugs.
	Benefits EDS-7.4	Fun, entertainment, relief from boredom and monotony: EDS-7.4.2 Attention seeking, Pride, Praise, Honour, Fame: EDS-7.4.3 Control over others: EDS-7.4.6
	Monetary EDS-7.5	-
	Annoyance Scale EDS-7.6	Medium
	Diagnostic Laws EDS-7.7	Law of Narcissistic Behaviour Choice (NBC) EDS-7.7.1.NBC Law of Derivative Personal Benefit (DPB) EDS-7.7.2.DPB Law of Diagnostic Anosognosia Relativism (DAR) EDS-7.7.7.DAR Law of Pediatric Multifarious Obfuscation (PMO) EDS-7.7.12.PMO
	Determine the Problem	Bored in jail
	Ask a Child	He is an evil man. EDS-7.7.12.PMO
	5 years later EDS-7.7.LPT	-

The case of "Demon"

I was doing prison work and as I entered the maximum security prison, I was greeted by the chaplain, a "charismatic" by conviction, with the distressed notice, "We have an new inmate "Joe" on cell block N-2 who is demon possessed! He knows things impossible for him to know otherwise!"

Of course, I was skeptical, since I believe that demon possession was a temporary state permitted by God as a foil for Jesus to demonstrate the power of God against.

I told the chaplain that I would visit him during the course of the evening and see if it was true. Eventually I made my rounds and got to cell block N-2. As soon as I entered the cell block I was greeted with a barrage of profanity and cursing and verbal abuse the like of which this ex-GI had never heard. I chose to ignore it and went to the first cell like I always did and visited with the inmate there. He told me that guy doing all the shouting was demon possessed! I continued to follow my routine, enduring the verbal abuse thrown out of the cell across the hall. As I progressed to each inmate, they offered me some advice, warnings, and generally demonstrated that they were convinced that the guy was indeed demon possessed. They seemed to be genuinely afraid of him. I was told how he had run the chaplain off the cell block with his verbal abuse and apparently devilish knowledge about the chaplain's past.

As I got closer to his cell, Joe began to shout things like, I know you Ney Rieber. You drive a red Chevrolet truck. You come a long way to visit this prison. You have two children.... and so on. He shouted things that many, at first impression might think Satanically inspired. Given the setting and the situation, I could see how such would be the impression one who was inclined to believe in demon possession. He might think this was the real thing. This continued until I finally reached his cell.

[Bear in mind, this is a maximum security prison. The cells are about 8 feet long and six feet wide. Each cell has a commode, a wash basin, and a bunk, all steel and permanently attached to the floor and walls. The walls are solid walls, no bars. There is a small barred window perhaps 18 inches by 24 inches that looks out on the prison yard. The only other opening is an electronically operated solid steel door. About face high, the door has a small eight inch by 10 inch opening for the inmates to look out of and for the guards to inspect the inmate. This opening is screened with a 1/4 inch steel mesh that you might pass a pencil through, but that was the largest thing that could be put through it. About waist high, there is another opening in the door that will permit a food tray to be slid into the cell. It has a hinged steel plate that is locked closed except when meals are being distributed.]

I looked into the cell and there was Joe sitting on the floor, drool running down one corner of his mouth, a crazed look in his eyes. When he saw me at the door, he raised the intensity of his shouting, jumped up, and dashed to the door. I looked at him a moment, and began to laugh at him. He screamed and shouted louder than before, if possible. He banged his fists against the door and really made a racket. I kept laughing at him. When he paused for breath, I said, "Good show." How long have you been practicing?"

You should have seen the look on his face. At first, surprise, then he grinned a little. Finally he broke into a laugh. Then he asked, "How did you know?" How come I couldn't fool you like I have everyone else?

I told him, "I write to half of the guys on this cell block because they take my Bible correspondence course. They know a lot about me because I have told them about me. You simple asked them about who came onto the block and then parroted back the info to everyone as the came in. There is nothing supernatural about it. It was a good con, but you can't con God or a genuine student of the Word of God! Then I taught him the nature of Biblical demons and how he was 1900 years too late. Some months later, I baptized Joe. I have no idea where he is now, or what he is doing. He was transferred to another prison and we lost touch.

What is interesting is that the psychiatrists would have immediately rejected the notion of demon possession and simply diagnosed him with Schizophrenia or Multiple personality disorder, or entertaining himself (faking). The reason we know this, is because biopsychiatry reject the spirit world including the idea that man has a spirit distinct from his body. So the psychiatrists looked for the etiology of the behaviour outside of demon possession. This is exactly what the Christian successfully was able to do with the correct interpretation of the Bible that, like the psychiatrists, rejected demon possession, but for very different reasons. Psychiatrist would most likely prescribe psychoactive drugs to "dumb down" his executive function with a chemical lobotomy. Because Joe was annoying, and because all psychiatric drugs have the identical effect on both the sane and insane, the drug would likely have a dampening effect on his behaviour. If he was psychotic, the drug would diminish the behaviours, if he was just having a "good old time" and faking it, the drug would make him lethargic and indifferent and uninterested in the game.

Above written by Ney Rieber, preacher for the Church of Christ, wrote this in 1995 about this personal experience with a man who faked that he was demon possessed!

Discussion:

People enter counseling and deliberately fake a mental illness merely because they want the attention. In this case, Joe was clearly using this act for self-entertainment and to satisfy his need for attention. The whole prison was talking about him! Instead of being prisoner #33402AL, he was the crazy demon possessed man everyone talked about and was terrified of! It is rather boring in prison, but a faithful gospel preacher who knows his Bible cured this guy of his, "mental illness" of split personality. Pentecostals and charismatics are utterly deceived and useless in cases like this because they wrongly believe demon possession still happens today.

Click here for a full discussion of what the Bible says about demon possession.

Insanity is not Demon possession more

This story is much more common than one might realize. Multiple Personality Disorder is a myth and the product of junk pop science. Hollywood movies like Sybil or the "Faces of Eve" have propagated this myth in the eyes of the ignorant public. Psychiatrists don't really care if it is a myth, they make money off it! It is clear from both these stories like Sybil, that she was a bored, lonely and rather insignificant woman who found her life suddenly the center of everyone's attention. It is also clear that she was faking the whole thing. The stupid psychiatrists bought the whole thing critically without question because they wanted to be famous and document a newly discovered mental illness. So the psychiatrists desire for personal fame, fortune and recognition coupled with Sybil's desire for attention is the foundation of MPD. Today most people who know better, reject MPD as a bad example of junk science at its worst! MPD is actually a Factitious disorder: Faking mental illness: F68.1

Benefits from behaviour: This illustrates the Law of Narcissistic Behaviour Choice (NBC) EDS-7.7.1.NBC

1. Fun, entertainment, relief from boredom and monotony: EDS-7.4.2. Jail is boring.
2. Attention seeking, Pride, Praise, Honour, Fame: EDS-7.4.3. He is a nobody in jail, just another number.
3. Control over others: EDS-7.4.6. He had control over those who believed he was really demon possessed. He could alter their behavior for his personal gain. Get privileges he might not otherwise get.

Diagnostic laws that are seen illustrated in the case of "Demon":

1. Joe had calculated that the cost of being labeled insane, demon possessed or schizophrenic was less than the benefits of attention, relief of boredom and power he gained. This illustrates the Law of Derivative Personal Benefit (DPB) EDS-7.7.2.DPB
2. If he was prescribed psychiatric drugs, he would not take them because he knows his psychotic behaviour is a choice. If the psychiatrist diagnosed him with schizophrenia or MPD he would reject it. Here is a great example of the "insane" correctly accusing the psychiatrist of "Diagnostic Anosognosia" because the doctor clearly had no idea what he was talking about. This illustrates the Law of Diagnostic Anosognosia Relativism (DAR) EDS-7.7.7.DAR
3. Whereas many fabricated a complex etiology of the behaviour, a child would see the man is acting like a bad man. This illustrates the Law of Pediatric Multifarious Obfuscation (PMO) EDS-7.7.12.PMO

Demon possession as a cause of mental illness:

1. Christians do not get a total free pass in this issue either. A study documents that 1 in 3 Christians believe that demon possession is a possible cause of mental illness. This is as superstitious as it is anti-biblical!
2. The Bible does teach demon possession. Demon possession is where a supernatural being, like an evil angel, inhabits or controls or takes over the free will of a human. Demon possession was always accompanied by two things that mentally humans lack: supernatural strength and supernatural knowledge.
3. Movies like "The Exorcist" are a realistic portrayals of demon possession, although demon possession ceased in 100 AD and does not happen today. If it did, there would be unanimous agreement that the person was demon possess because all would see with their own eyes the supernatural power and knowledge. Till then, Christians should stop spreading false doctrine that demon possession happens today.
4. For example in Mark 5 there is an example of demon possession where the man was unable to be bound with any chain man could make and supernatural knowledge that Jesus was the Son of God, before humans had comprehended this truth from the teachings of Jesus himself.
5. In Acts 16:16 you have an example of demon possession that was similar to modern fortune telling: "It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling." Acts 16:16. Save your money on modern fortune tellers. I always laugh that in Quebec, a fat blonde woman named "JoJo Savard" who owned "JoJo's Psychic Alliance", claimed to be a fortune teller and flooded the TV with hundreds of commercials. She failed to foresee her own bankruptcy!
   
6. All modern fortune tellers and psychics are frauds! So are all TV faith healing preachers like Peter Popoff and Benny Hinn!
7. In 1665 AD, Dr. William Drage concluded that he had witnessed several cases of demon possession in a couple of women. In fact, Mary Hall was faking the whole thing (hysteria) for attention because she did not like the way she was being treated by her father. However, Drage correctly notes that this is not a bodily illness, but a spiritual one: "A Disease of Witchcraft is a Sickness that arises from strange and preternatural Causes . . . afflicting with strange and unaccustomed Symptoms, and commonly preternaturally violent, very seldom or not at all curable by Ordinary and Natural Remedies." It is best to view this as a comedy act put on by Mary Hall who was supposed possessed by two demons. Only then, do you realize how much fun she was having putting on her show and getting all kinds of attention. Typical of hysterics, the curtain rises on Act 1, and Mary Hall starts "the old shaking foot trick"! "It took her first in one foot with a trembling shaking and Convulsive motion, afterwards it possessed both; she would sit stamping very much; she had sometimes like Epileptick, sometimes like Convulsive sits, and strange ejaculations". When that was enough to convince them to call in the excorcist, (Doctor Woodhouse) Mary Hall had to start writing some new material quickly... and she should be awarded a Grammy award posthumously. "were heard in her [Mary Hall] strange noises, like mewing of Cats, barking of Dogs, roaring of Bears, &c. at last a Voice spoke in her, "Pus Cat, what a Cat? nothing but me!" ... Mary later told revealed the true reason Mary Hall was unhappy: She wanted to Choke her father! This was all about a daughter's anger and/or rebellion against her father! He may have been unfair to her, or perhaps it was just a bit of teenage rebellion! The curtain open in Act 2: "We are only two little Imps, Goodwife' Harods, and Youngs; sometimes we are in the shape of Serpents, sometimes of Flies, sometimes of Rats or Mice; and Gfe Harod sent us to choke this Maid, Mary Hall; but we should have choked Goodman Hall, but of him we had no Power, and so possessed his daughter; we came down the Chimney, riding on a stick, and went first to Mary's foot, whereupon her foot trembled first of all her distemper." The obvious tip off is that demons do not ride on broom sticks, being a 17th century concept alone. Demons are supernatural beings. Acts 3: "Sometimes she would beat her self, sometimes with one, sometimes both hands, chiefly on the Breast. Sometimes her legs would go, fast and violently, kicking of the ground, and the Spirits would say, Come, Mary, Dance; and then they would make a tune, and make her feet to Dance it; sometimes they would say, Mary, make a mouth; and then they convulsed her mouth." Doctor Woodhouse, and two other doctors were deceived by Mary Hall's new found acting career and concluded she was demon possessed: "he really thought she was possessed". Had Woodhouse merely broken out in laughter, he would have likely cured Mary Hall instantly of her "demon possession". It is crystal clear that it was Mary, not the demon, who wanted to "choke Goodman Hall", her father. Mary Hall was spanking her father through the demon. There are countless examples of this sad, but typical case of faking insanity today. The story of Sybil is yet a modern case of a bored woman, trying to get her acting career off the ground! Perhaps she knew about Mary Hall. We refer you to the case of "Joe", the jail house demoniac who fooled all the psychiatrists, but not the church preacher! (Daimonomageia. A small treatise of sicknesses and diseases from witchcraft, William Drage, 1665 AD)
8. See also the case of "Bewitched":

Note: Although these are based upon real case stories, the names and details have been changed to hide the identities of the people. This practice follows the standards of medical case history publication.

By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections.

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