A possession is a state in which a person’s body has been taken control of by Satan. It is an extreme state of devil’s actions on a human being. How to recognise it?

During a possession the devil can control a person’s body against their will. He can secretly remain in the body and manifest himself only in specific situations , when he can or when he must (e.g. during an exorcism). During such a manifestation, the possessed person is not in control of their body, the evil spirit is able to speak through their mouth and attack others.

Recognizing a possession is based on diagnosing the possible causes and symptoms of the evil spirit’s work. The symptoms might be, e.g.:

• an aversion for the sacred (blessed objects, objects related to religious cult, sacral buildings, e.g. churches),
• blasphemy and cursing,
• aggression towards the clergy and praying people,
• speaking and understanding unfamiliar languages, speaking in somebody else’s voice,
• supernatural occurrences in the surroundings, ranging from oppression even to levitation.

In an initial recognition, every Christian can investigate the person’s life, their attitude towards God, faith, sacraments and blessed items. If the person suspected of possession reacts to a cross or a meal blessed with blessed water with aggression, a stiffening of the body, or if satanic symbols appear on their body, an exorcist priest should be contacted. The final recognition is up to him and he is also the only person that can undertake an exorcism. In the process of freeing from the evil power laypeople have a great role to play through accompanying and supporting the freed person, as well as through helping the exorcist priest during his prayers for delivery.