Comments on: The Gods & Ego States — How Comparable are They?

By: Nell

Nell — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:39:10 +0000

Hi Angela, are responding to me or to Michael’s initial post? I am not surprised by the potential link, and I agree that trauma – due to war or illness or abuse or some other extraordinary trial – can “open doors” and facilitate altered states, including divine possession. Trauma can also set people apart from general society, which I think is another facilitating factor in achieving altered states.

As to the character of that altered state… I think that’s some of the confusion that the original post was trying to sort through. Personally, I don’t believe in an absolute truth regarding possession, divine or otherwise. Altered states have a variety of causes, and can have a range of effects individually and socially. People in altered states, which they or others interpret as possession, sometimes express themselves in ways that I would define as “negative.” I’m not in a position to determine what’s divine, what’s not, what’s external, and what’s internal.

It seems to me that therapeutically the focus should be on what is useful for the individual in the healing process, and altered states can be useful – or not – in many ways. Religiously, ideally, I think the experience of an altered state or possession should be positive (or healing), but broader (or deeper) than the individual. For those who have suffered trauma, it may be that the experience of possession, and the individual/social outcome of the experience, is heavily influenced by where the person is in his/her healing process. That’s the question here that interests me.

By: Angela

Angela — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 02:09:44 +0000

well I’m surprised that your surprised….I mean think about it, one part of being possessed or channeling is the stepping aside of our own personality/soul/spirit withen our physical bodies or the stepping out of our physical bodies….those traumatized learn to willingly do this on thier own as protection. Therefore they’ve already learned how to let go and move aside…already learned how to open the door as it were. What exactly do you consider as a negative possission? A true possession by deity shouldn’t be a “negative” experience, and granted there are other things not so nice that can possess but then I’m not sure I’d want to intergrate that experience or state, though I would see it as a learning tool about controlling one’s own being, controlling one’s own energy etc…

By: Nell

Nell — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:43:58 +0000

Thank you for sharing this very gentle and interesting speculation on the relationship between possession, trauma and dissociative disorders. I’ve had limited experiences with possessed people without trauma, possessed people with trauma, and traumatized people with dissociative disorders. I think it’s a valuable connection to explore. But I will say that, in my (again, limited) experience, the possession and/or dissociation of traumatized people was directly tied to a deepset need for love, attention and affection. Channelling the divine can fill those needs temporarily, and in the longer term, can help heal. I’ve also seen people who, in my judgement, were exaggerating or just faking an altered state, either because they otherwise lacked the ability to express something (usually negative), or because they craved the attention. I find a marked difference between interacting with someone who’s channelling or dissociating because they need it, and someone who is channelling in a priest(ess)ly capacity, toward a less personal end. Basically, I think the individual filters the transmission, and if there is a deep need or longing (or in other cases, ego), it is a different kind of experience with a different kind of meaning, and outcome.

By: Erynn

Erynn — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 01:26:05 +0000

Thanks for the link to my posting. I’m wanting to write considerably more about the whole geilt thing, whether in my filidecht book or in articles. Isaac Bonewits asked me last year if I was going to write a book on Pagans and PTSD, but I’m just not qualified to write that kind of a book except as a “survivor success story” thing. I’d need a co-writer because I’m not a professional, I’m just someone with a lot of experience living with it and working with it within my own spiritual tradition and with helping others through the experiences themselves by just being there and listening.

Your blog here seems pretty interesting. I’ll poke around a bit more and see what kinds of things you have to say. Thank you again!