OBSESSION AND POSSESSION explained by Franz Hartmann

The literature of the mediaeval age is full of accounts of cases of obsession and permanent possession by demons, evil spirits and other entities, and such cases are by no means rare in our modem times.

In fact, there are many obsessed people to be found in our lunatic asylums, even if they are not recognized as such by modem academical science, which rejects the belief in the existence of invisible intelligent entities; but every one who is under the dominion of a fixed idea over which he has lost his power to control it, may be said to represent a case of possession, for he is himself possessed by the products of his thought; he has himself by his own imagination created the object which has gained dominion over him and, as there is no such thing as a creation out of nothing, he has himself attracted the elements for building that object, be it consciously or unconsciously, from the invisible world.

Every case of “hypnotism” is a case of obsession, and as there are people living who can by the power of their will hypnotize and obsess others, so there are also invisible entities who may do the same, be it consciously or by means of unconscious instinctive attraction.

Really everybody who is influenced by the will or thought, belief, opinion or doctrine of some one else, is to that extent obsessed by it, and whether it is a temporary obsession or becomes a permanent possession is a mere matter of degree. However, only such cases are now called “obsession” in which the personality seems to have become changed into another person, or when several personalities seem to exist in one individual.

Modem books on psychology speak about a “splitting of consciousness,” but it is not explained why and how such a division occurs.

Many cases of obsession have come to my personal knowledge, of which the following are some examples:

1. HALLUCINATIONS

In April, 1907, my friend, Mr. A.G. in Dresden, committed suicide by drowning.  He was a virtuous and intelligent man, occupying himself a great deal with reading philosophical and metaphysical literature. By some means he took it into his head that he was persecuted by the Masonic fraternity and his fear caused the unconscious action of his mind to create phantoms, which soon became manifested as (to him) audible voices.

Hence forth he was continually molested and annoyed by hearing insulting and offensive remarks about his person which apparently came from persons in his surroundings.

He was sent to an insane asylum, where he remained for several months, but could not be cured and, being driven to despair, he put an end to his life.

Now as far as I am aware of it, official medical science gives no reasonable explanations about such cases, although it endows them with the high-sounding name of “hallucination of hearing”; occult science teaches that the mind of man is the creator of thought forms and that these forms are substantial, even if they are only subjective and invisible, and that fear is a great agent in the production of such imaginary but nevertheless actually existing forms.

These forms receive their life and substance from the person who created them and constitute his false Egos, which, when they are allowed to grow strong enough, overpower his reason and judgment, and the best cure of this condition is the awakening of the true self-consciousness, by means of which one realizes the presence of that higher Self in whose light all the creations of ignorance disappear like mists in the light of the rising sun.

(Observation: the harassment made by these invisible voices may be due to the fact that the person created them as Franz Hartmann points out, but most often that is because a harmful entity has stuck to the aura of the person and since then this entity has been harassing the person. But the harassment can be also caused by the own person's psychic disorders that cause him schizophrenia. So, as you can see there are different possibilities and therefore it is necessary to do all a research work before make a diagnostic.)

2. ASTRAL OBSESSION OR POSSESSION

Mademoiselle L., a young French lady visiting Florence, was apparently obsessed by what seemed to be the spirit of an actor who had recently died and who before his death was deeply enamored of the celebrated actress, Sarah Bernhardt.

The young lady herself knew nothing of Sarah Bernhardt, she had never seen her and cared nothing for her, she even was greatly annoyed by the extravagant expression of admiration which the actor who had taken possession of her body made regarding the object of his love, and what seems most curious is the fact that this obsessing spirit did not seem to understand that he was inhabiting the body of another person, but imagined himself to be still alive and in his own physical form.

He gave his name and the address of the place where he lived and where he still imagined himself to live and his statements were found to be correct upon investigation. At last, after a great deal of persuasion and argumentation, he began to realize his situation and wept bitterly, but was finally comforted by the instruction which he received from the friends of the lady and left her organism, to return no more.

The presumable explanation for such cases is that the soul of a person who, during his life has not yet arrived at true self-consciousness of his own higher nature, leads a sort of a dream life when he enters the astral plane and blindly follows the law of instinctive attraction.

Some of the elements in the mind of that lady may have corresponded to elements existing in the mental sphere of that actor and, as like attracts like if there is no resistance, the obsession took place.

3. DEMONIACAL OBSESSION OR POSSESSION

Cases of demoniacal obsession have occurred at all times and among all nations and are occurring at present. Many atrocious crimes are taking place under the influence of such obsession and the criminal is their victim. He may then be regarded as a diseased person, whose misfortune is that he has at such a moment lost his power of self-control.

An understanding of this law would probably change the present mode of legal treatment of criminals. Materialistic science knows nothing of such obsession and some of the would-be wise deny the possibility of such things; because the existence of demons and thought forms endowed with will and intelligence is beyond their grasp and cannot be tangibly demonstrated in the laboratory of the universities.

Metaphysical science teaches the existence of demoniacal powers and explains how a demon may grow in man. In a well-known letter of an adept written to Mr. Sinnett it is said:

« Every thought of man having attained a certain maturity attracts from the invisible world certain elements corresponding to its own nature; thus creating a being with a will and intelligence of its own and having an independent life for more or less time according to the intensity of the desire which called it into existence. »

The seed of a tree, planted into suitable ground, attracts from its surroundings the necessary elements for growing into a corresponding tree and a thought germinating in the mind of a person ultimately produces a living thought form; while such thought forms are again attracted to other persons, in whose minds they find some element corresponding to their own nature.

Hate, fear, jealousy, envy, greed, etc., cause corresponding monsters to grow, and thus momentary obsession (as in some cases of epilepsy) or even permanent possession by “evil spirits” takes place and causes lasting insanity.

(Observation: here once again Franz Hartmann has right, because one can create one's own demons if one continuously nourishes negative thoughts, but usually the “demons” who manipulate people to commit crimes are evil disembodied men who seek to satisfy their perversities through persons who live on Earth.)

The fact that everybody peoples his own subjective world by the products of his own imagination may be known to every one who examines his own mental condition; but these products are visible to those who are endowed with astral sight and therefore also perceptible to animals, as the following case goes to show:

Professor S., well known as a vivisectionist, who had to leave Florence owing to the indignation of the people on account of his atrocious cruelties towards the animals which he tortured, was also hated and feared by all the dogs.

Even the gentlest dogs grew excited at his approach; they barked at him furiously and snapped at him and had to be removed when he entered a room. It seems that his cruelty attracted corresponding influences from the astral plane, and for all we know the astral images of the murdered animals took perceptible forms in his mental sphere.

It is furthermore stated that this Professor S. in his later years was subject to hallucinations; that he was tortured by visions of his mutilated victims and hearing their pitiful cries.

That thought forms may become very permanent is shown by the fact that murderers are sometimes driven to despair and suicide by seeing the shape of the murdered person in their own mental sphere.

It is also said that Lord Lytton in old age saw the shapes of the heroes of his novels, which were the products of his own fancy, and that they were to him living realities.

Such things may be called “obsessions”; but they are harm less in comparison with demoniacal obsessions; these having quite a different origin. Cases of this kind are caused by entities inhabiting the astral world, whose orders may be as varied as the combinations which may be invented by the imagination of man, representing all possible instances of passions and mental qualities together with their external expression in corresponding semi-animal forms.

Hysterical or sensitive persons without much self control may apparently be obsessed by the “spirits” of animals, dogs, cats, etc., and imitate their actions, barking, howling, mewing and even undertaking gymnastic feats (climbing of walls), etc., of which they are incapable in their normal condition.

Moreover, such usual obsessions may show human intelligence, making use of the organs of speech of the obsessed person.

In Japan, China, Korea and other countries in the East, such a .demon is known by the name of “the Fox” (in Japan “Kitsune”) and its obsessions are exceedingly frequent. Professor E. v. Baelz, who lived in Tokyo, gives a description of such a case in the Vienna Medical Weekly, of which the following is an extract:

« The patient was for four weeks treated at the university hospital at Tokyo. She was a strong peasant woman of forty-seven years of age, of a wealthy family.  Eight years before she entered the hospital she was told that such a demon had been cast out from a certain person and that he was seeking another habitation. (Compare Matthew 8:31)

It seems that her fear was excited and that this made her open for the obsession.

At first the “fox took possession of her chest and rising upwards to the head it began to talk through her, to criticize her own thoughts, ridicule her ideas, use obscene, abusive and blasphemous language and mix itself into her conversation with others, turning her life into an actual hell.  In vain she applied for help to priests, missionaries and exorcisers, spending nearly all her means on such experiments.”

One of these spells is described as follows:

While she was telling us the history of her case, she began to beat her left breast with her fist; exclaiming:

-      “Oh, sir! Now he begins to move again in my breast.”

Then suddenly a strange voice began to speak through her mouth, saying:

-      “Yes, I am here, you stupid goose, and do not think that you can prevent it. I know as much as these doctors.”

In a short time the obsession became complete and it was then only the demon who spoke through her. After ten minutes the talk of the fox became less coherent and the woman was able to reproach the intruder and to beg him to leave.

Such attacks took place six or ten times a day and even oftener. The demon in his conversations showed an intelligence and wit superior to that of the patient.

Whether she was ever cured is not known. »

To give a reasonable explanation of such occurrences is only possible if we admit the existence of intelligent entities, demons or devils, inhabiting the invisible world, which however is visible enough for those who have the power to see it, and the only rational cure for it is that these spiritual influences are to be driven out by a superior spiritual power and the organism of the patient made strong enough to resist them.

If the obsessed person cannot attain himself the intellectual and spiritual strength to cure himself, a cure may be effected by the spiritual will of another; but persons having that superior power are at the present day very rare and therefore in our insane asylums and prisons for criminals many such incurable cases may be found.

This state will continue until the practice of medicine is not based merely upon external research and intellectual speculation, but becomes a divine art, and the most necessary prerequisite of the true physician of the future will be — not sanctimoniousness — but sanctity; spiritualization and the knowledge of the occult powers hidden in the constitution of man.

(Occult Review, August 1907, vol. 6, p.101-106)

(For those who consider that this last advice given by Franz Hartmann are pure "empty words," you must know that he was also a very prestigious doctor graduated from the Munich University and he was very sought in all parts of the world where he traveled, thus he is not only talking as an esotericist but also as a physician.)

ANOTHER DEMONIACAL

POSSESSION CASE

In another article, Franz Hartmann again mentioned this subject and what he wrote about it was the following:

Numerous cases of demoniacal obsession and possession have come to my personal knowledge and our insane asylums are full of them. I should, therefore, not be at a loss to cite cases that have come under my personal observation, but I prefer to mention one which has been stated to me by a friend. I chose this case on account of its remarkable peculiarity.

The Marchese N. was an Italian nobleman of means living in Paris. He was a very sober and quiet gentleman, leading a retired life and occupying himself with reading books on mysticism, and it is also said that he indulged in certain occult practices, such as staring into a magic mirror and hypnotizing himself for the purpose of producing an “exteriorization” of his astral body and developing clairvoyance.

This gentleman went to bed one evening in apparently perfect health and woke up a raving maniac during the night.  He broke the furniture and made such a noise in the hotel where he lived as to disturb all the inhabitants.

He had to be held down by force until the doctors came who put him into a strait-jacket and carried him to a hospital. Upon the advice of his relatives he was taken back to Italy and put into an insane asylum, where he occupied a cell and at intervals continued to rave.

This state continued for several months, when the Marchese became suddenly reasonable again. He ate and spoke and acted like any other sane person, and no trace of insanity was noticeable about him any more. Therefore, after a few weeks of observation he was permitted to return to Paris, where he resumed his previous way of living.

Now the remarkable thing in this matter is that after he had left the asylum his ghost was seen by many in the cell which he had occupied, and one of his friends while on a visit to Paris told him about this circumstance.

Thereupon Mr. N. became very curious to see himself his own ghost. Against the advice of others he went to Naples, visited the asylum, entered the cell and was at the next moment a raving maniac again and remained so until he died.

~ * ~

The presumable explanation of this case is, that this person, owing to a want of self-possession and self-control, has created an “elemental being” within himself, constituting a second personality, a creation of his mind.

Such “elementals” are the usual products of some suppressed desire and grow by attracting corresponding elements from the surrounding astral, mental and spiritual atmosphere.

Everything in the world, be it visible or invisible, is the ultimate product of desire and imagination. A person may be obsessed by his own thought or idea if he allows it to grow.  Ideas are germs within the mind, comparable to seeds in the soil, which grow by attracting to themselves from the ground elements corresponding to their own nature.

All forms are representations of corresponding ideas; they are, so to say, materialized spirits. If there were no spirit of humanity in the world, there would be no men and women as its representations. If that spirit or “class-soul” of which a horse or dog are representatives were not in existence, there would be neither horses and dogs.

So it is with everything, demons included. A devilish idea in the mind of man attracts to itself demoniacal influences for its own growth, and the more it is hidden and suppressed, the more will it grow, for every power grows by resistance.

Thus it may grow at the expense of the vitality of its owner, until it becomes for the time being an apparently self-existing entity, capable of becoming objective and of manifesting itself in a form separate from its creator, as is shown by numerous instances known in the history of spiritualism and in the history of the lives of the saints. The account given above is an illustration of such possibilities.

(Occult Review, March 1907, vol. 5, p.141-142)