The Ancient Fear of Possession and Why It Still Haunts Us

The horror that never diesPossession is one of humanity’s oldest fears. From ancient Sumeria to modern hospitals, people have claimed that unseen forces can invade the body and mind.Early texts describe priests driving out spirits. Medieval Europe turned exorcism into ritual warfare. Modern cases like Anneliese Michel and the Smurl family blur the line between faith and psychology.Science calls it disorder. Religion calls it evil. Either way, the idea of losing control of one’s own self remains as terrifying today as it was thousands of years ago.Some fears never fade. They evolve.