What could possibly be the religious and scientific truth, if any, behind Exorcism?
Roughly, exorcism is based the belief in “spirits” and so forth. Essentially, this is literally a Stone Age belief that can be found in countless technologically primitive cultures that have been investigated by Anthropology. If there is any factual basis for it this ancient belief, it would seem likely that it is in effect an early form of Psychology; “spirits” is in effect, an early metaphor for “thoughts,” moods, obsessions, mental orientations. Ideas which can be good: “good spirits.” Or bad: “bad spirits” or “demons.”
Exorcisms are based on the belief that otherwise good people can be possessed by invisible bad “demons” and “evil spirits.” And the aim of exorcism is to get the evil spirits to leave, to cease occupying the victim. But in the more modern language of Psychology, we might say that the belief is that a given victim has his mind occupied by some destructive thought(s), ideas; and the hope is to make those thoughts go away. The ancient belief in “spirits” can make a certain amount of modern sense; belief in “spirit”s and so forth, amount to an early, primitive form of Psychology. They are both concerned with finding destructive ideas, concepts, in the mind; and getting them out.
So the word “spirit” or “demon” we might suggest, was in effect an early term for some of the thoughts, ideas, that can possess our minds. But primitive as this ancient Psychology was, we now need to make some improvements in this ancient belief. First: 1) we need to note that what we are talking about when we are talking about “spirit”s, is really, thoughts, or ideas. And then next, we need to make another important refinement: 2) if we are going to have to hold to the original language of Exorcists at all, then we should note this: that exorcists need them to ask themselves which thoughts, “spirits,” really ARE evil, and which are the truly good spirits. Surprisingly, the Bible itself warned that in the end, the very things that our religious leaders think are “good,” are often evil; and “evil, good” (Isa. 5.20, etc.). So we are supposed to "test the spirits" (1 John 4.1).
Our preachers are very, very sure that they themselves are good. And that they know good spirits or ideas vs. evil ones, when they see them. But surprisingly, even the Bible itself constantly warned that often, religious leaders get things exactly backwards; those they think are good prophets, are often “false prophets”; the leaders they thought were good apostles, were “false apostles.” And so forth. And especially? The “spirits” and angels – thoughts - they thought were good, are often really evil (“Satan disguises himself as an angel of light”; see also 1 John 4.1). And finally, things they think are good spirits, may have been evil.
Today in fact, no doubt the Church is hearing more and more people, ideas, that violently condemn the Church; that say that the Church itself is really the "evil one." Priests and ministers might want to silence or "exorcise" such voices when they appear in an individual. However, ironically, those might often be the voice, after all, of truth; not sin and error.
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