Some cases of schizophrenia are argued to be demon possession and treatable by faith healers. A reply raises concerns about the intellectual credibility and harmful implications of such beliefs. This paper contributes by arguing that a critique of demon possession beliefs in schizophrenia is needed, but on an alternative basis. It reflects on differences between demonic and other spirit possession and considers implications for mental healthcare providers.
Suspicion toward spirit-related practices, beliefs, and experiences is misplaced and may block a therapeutic avenue for anomalous experiences like hearing voices or sensing the presence of the dead. The argument rests on the claim that such experiences are not inherently pathological but can become so depending on how they are interpreted and reacted to. The paper provides a philosophical foundation for this claim by defending a 'contextualist' view of pathology against 'inherentist' alternatives that hold some or all anomalous experiences are inherently pathological.