Model of Mind in The New Testament: Possession (Multiple Personality), Not only by demons, but by the Spirit of God

In the last post—after noting that what psychiatry refers to as multiple personality is considered possession in some cultures—I discussed a case of demon possession found in three gospels.

But demon possession puts possession in a bad light. To be fair, I must emphasize that possession (multiple personality) is just a model of how the mind works. Whether it is good or bad depends on what the mind is possessed by: Demons bad. God good.

Good possession is discussed in The Letter of Paul to the Romans (7:22-8:9). It is the solution to this problem: One of a person’s selves may “delight in the law of God,” but that self may be at war with another self who serves “the law of sin.” The way to shift the balance of power and win the war is to become possessed by the “Spirit of God” (1).

Note: I am not referencing The New Testament for any religious reasons, but only to indicate that multiple personality has been a model of the mind for literally thousands of years.

1. Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger (Editors). The Oxford Annotated Bible: Revised Standard Version Containing the Old and New Testaments. New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.