Dealing with demons in modern times - The Nation

In an age often criticised as being too materialistic, plenty of people still make room for the opposite end of the spectrum - belief in the supernatural. Now a "ghost story" emerging from the Northeast has demonstrated once again that such concepts can be just as harmful.

A particularly serious case some time ago involved a 12-year-old schoolgirl being forced to live alone for years in her family's home in an Ubon Ratchathani village after the neighbours cast her parents out of the community because they were deemed phi pob. In February in eastern Sa Kaeo, three people ostensibly possessed by phi pob forced seven neighbours and family members at knifepoint to strip off their clothes.

Not quite a ghost, in traditional folklore, a phi pob is a demon that takes possession of a person and feeds on his entrails. Once the spirit abandons the host body, the person dies. One type of phi pob passes its ghastly habit onto its children.
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Anthropologists and psychologists have suggested that belief in the phi pob represents a social mechanism designed to control individuals' behaviour within a community, especially the smaller communities found in rural areas. Displaying behaviour incompatible with that of others can bring accusations of being possessed and, as a result, ostracism by those fearful of becoming themselves "infected". It's not uncommon for people thus accused to move elsewhere rather than carry the stigma.

The scientists' cool assessment of the phenomenon as a means of preserving order and unity within a community does little to alleviate concern over such troubling situations arising in these supposedly enlightened times.

Dealing with demons in modern times - The Nation

Lancaster County man sentenced for burning down his family's home to rid it of aliens and demons | PennLive.com

A perfect example of religious ideation or belief in the "supernatural" manifesting in the delusions and hallucinations of mental illness. 

A Lancaster County man will spend five to 20 years in state prison for burning down his family's home in June 2014.

Joshua A. Witman, 34, told police he set fire to the home on East Mohler Church Road in Ephrata Township because aliens were living in the walls of the home and a basement was a portal for demons, according to a news release from the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office. Witman set fire to the home by igniting a box of wood in the basement, according to the news release.

Lancaster County man sentenced for burning down his family's home to rid it of aliens and demons | PennLive.com

Celebrity psychic Thomas John was scammer and drag queen - NY Daily News

A psychic to the stars with a shady past as a scammer — and as a drag queen — swears he’s a changed mystic.

Thomas John, the self-proclaimed Manhattan Medium, was once a well-known Chicago drag queen busted in 2009 for posting bogus apartment ads on Craigslist and stealing security deposits from unsuspecting renters.

The 31-year-old now works as a traveling spiritualist who has written two books and claims to receive messages from the dead. His celebrity clientele includes Jennifer Lopez and Courteney Cox and he has appeared on “Entertainment Tonight,” according to his website.

But John’s metaphysical talents weren’t always so strong.

Celebrity psychic Thomas John was scammer and drag queen - NY Daily News

Exorcism gone wrong - Palestinian man dies after being beaten by 'healers' - Middle East - Jerusalem Post

Physically assaulting a mentally ill man?  How is that going to help?

According to AFP, Ashraf Mashaal was suffering from various psychiatric deficiencies which prompted his parents to solicit the services of two "sorcerers."

Mashaal, a 19-year-old college student who was enrolled at Hebron University, was subjected to an "exorcism" performed by the two healers, a man and a woman.

During the ritual, the two healers began physically assaulting Mashaal as a way to supposedly exorcise demons within him, police sources told local media. The man's father and brother joined the healers in the assault.

Exorcism gone wrong - Palestinian man dies after being beaten by 'healers' - Middle East - Jerusalem Post

Vanuatu MP Willie Jimmy proposes death penalty for witchcraft - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Vanuatu MP and former finance minister Willie Jimmy is calling for witchcraft to be made a crime punishable by death.

The comment follows an incident last week on an island near Malekula in which a community, allegedly including chiefs and church pastors, hanged two men for suspected sorcery.

Police are treating the men's deaths as homicide.

Mr Jimmy said having the law framed this way puts those who "innocently" kill accused witches at risk of punishment.
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"Even to the extreme that there could be some death penalty, some capital punishment against those who practice [witchcraft], I will not hesitate having agreed to that type of law passed by parliament."
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"As an indigenous Melanesian person, I do believe very strongly that witchcraft does exist among the Melanesian people, they do practice this witchcraft," he said.

"We try to combat those who practice it but the problem is the law does not recognise that, because civil and criminal procedures require we have proof or evidence beyond all reasonable doubt before we can punish anybody, that makes it very, very difficult.

"It does take place in Melanesia, it does. If you think it does not then the people, those who practice that, they will be happy ... that we don't see the problems they are causing the community, that they will stay free all the time."




Vanuatu MP Willie Jimmy proposes death penalty for witchcraft - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Put the genie back in the bottle, doctors say ahead of forum on supernatural healing | Malaysia | Malay Mail Online

“They can just wash their hands and call the witch doctors in to take over. It is the ‘god of the gaps’ equivalent of medical diagnoses. It can explain everything and thus, explain nothing,” Dr Kok Sen Wai
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A supernatural approach involving djinns and black magic has no place in the modern healthcare system, local doctors have said ahead of a regional forum that aims to reconcile paranormal beliefs with medicine this month.

The doctors explained that modern healthcare bases itself on evidence-based medicine, and there must be a way to measure whether the supernatural approach actually works before it can even be considered.

“I understand and appreciate the efforts to introduce the concept of djinn, which is part of religious belief. However, I do not think that it is possible to have an evidence-based approach to djinn and black magic,” Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, an associate professor with University of Malaya Medical Centre, told Malay Mail Online.

“By definition, these are things that cannot be seen and cannot be measured. Without measurements, you cannot have data. How to measure belief?” he asked.

As with Dr Helmy’s views, Dr Krishna Kumar, the president of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), said evidence-based medicine required demonstrable causality in order to be effective.

“There must be something to show what causes the diseases or something that can cure it. Based on that, we treat them,” Dr Krishna said.

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Dr Kok Sen Wai, a psychiatric medical officer based in Sarawak, said he has witnessed various illnesses — from seizures to schizophrenia — being treated as “djinn possession” or black magic by faith healers of different denominations, from Muslim imams, Taoist priests to Christian pastors.

“There are no codified and consistent signs and symptoms for possession or curses. The diagnosis seems to be made if the cleric ‘feels’ it is supernatural. Can you imagine if medicine is practised in the same way?” asked Dr Kok.

“Can an oncologist drop chemotherapy on you just because he has a ‘gut feeling’ it’s leukaemia? Or can a surgeon lop off half of your colon and have you defecate out of a colostomy bag for the rest of your life just because he ‘really, really thinks’ that you have colorectal carcinoma?”

Dr Kok insisted that should the rigorous standards that apply to conventional medicine be applied to the supernatural, the faith healings need to have documented, testable, and reproducible evidence that they do work.

Put the genie back in the bottle, doctors say ahead of forum on supernatural healing | Malaysia | Malay Mail Online

Iowa teen tells court he thought he was killing goblin, not his 5-year-old foster brother | Star Tribune

An Iowa teenager testified that when he killed his 5-year-old foster brother, he was in a fantasy world and thought he was killing a goblin.

Cody Metzker-Madsen told a western Iowa courtroom that he visits a world only he can reach whenever he plays with someone. He said he didn't realize until afterward that what he thought was a goblin was actually his foster brother, Dominic Elkins.

"I loved the little guy, I would never hurt him," Metzker-Madsen said during his testimony that lasted more than 40 minutes Wednesday.

His lawyer is using an insanity defense, The Des Moines Register (http://dmreg.co/1x9uY8R ) reported.

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Metzker-Madsen said the two were playing a game that involved Roman mythology in the backyard. He said he went to his own world, which has slightly different colors and smells than the real world, and saw an army of "green, ugly little creatures."

He said the goblins were fighting people he knew and that the scene was similar to a video game he played.

He said he didn't know it was Dominic when he pushed his head into the water at the bottom of the ravine while hitting him with a brick.

Iowa teen tells court he thought he was killing goblin, not his 5-year-old foster brother | Star Tribune

Dr. Kobus Jonker: God’s Detective | VICE | United States

Initially it was this short piece which sent me down the rabbit hole.

Being called on to investigate noises after dark is all part of a policeman's lot, but some officers are specially trained to look into things that really do go bump in the night, according to Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko.
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In a written parliamentary reply on Tuesday, Nhleko said there were 40 detectives within the SA Police Service who had "received additional training relating to occult-related crimes".

These included activities, spiritual practises, or rituals "which draw on forces hidden from normal human senses, beyond the obvious physical realm" and which led to criminal activities that broke the country's laws.,,

Investigations in this category included muti-related offences, the illegal initiation industry, dangerous cult movements, and protecting people persecuted due to their alternative belief systems.

Attempting to find more information, I discovered this,,,

On the southern tip of the Dark Continent traditional healers have always been a part of black African culture. As a consequence we are balls deep in medicine men, or sangomas. For the most part these sangomas are legit herbalists who prepare their muti from herbs, roots and animal parts. There are however a number of bad sangomas, known as baloyi, which are more like dark wizards. The baloyi’s muti requires more bang; the kind of bang that only human flesh can provide. In addition to the baloyi chopping off penises and hands like Ed Gein on speed, there are a number of Satanic cults who are always on the lookout for virgins or cats or babies to sacrifice. Let’s face facts: South Africa needs a hero who can save our nation’s private parts"me from being ground up into health shakes, and our pets from being violated in the most grueseome manner imaginable.

Enter Dr. Kobus Jonker, a relatively short man with a 70s dad beard and a calm, friendly demeanor. His office is covered with collectibles, books and stuffed animals, calling to mind the office of Dr. Mureau. Dr. Jonker headed the South African Police Force’s ‘Occult-Related Crime Unit’ until 2001 when he retired from the force after suffering a heart attack. It would appear that busting the devil’s chops takes its toll eventually. The unit has since been disbanded. Dr. Jonker is certain that it will be reinstated soon due to the large number of occult crimes that occur on a daily basis in South Africa. He now practices homeopathy and acts as a consultant to the police force on all things demon-related. I went to speak with Dr. Jonker about some of the cases he has been involved with and some of the crazy shit he has seen in his battle against the dark forces of evil.

Dr. Kobus Jonker: God’s Detective | VICE | United States

Paraguay: woman accused of witchcraft burned alive

An indigenous woman was burned alive in Paraguay after being accused of witchcraft, a local prosecutor confirmed Wednesday.

Prosecutor Fany Aguilera said that members of the Mbya Guarani ethnic group tied 45-year-old Adolfina Ocampos to a wooden pole and shot arrows at her before they burned her alive. Ocampos was sentenced to death last week by the community's chief in Tahehyi, a village some 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of the capital, Asuncion. The date of the killing was unclear.

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"I've been working in Paraguay for 40 years and I can't remember a similar episode of an execution for alleged sorcery," said Jose Zanardini, an Italian anthropologist and Catholic priest. "The tragic death of this woman is isolated and out of the ordinary within the coexistence of Paraguay's 20 ethnic indigenous groups. In general, the Indians are very peaceful and tolerant."

Paraguay: woman accused of witchcraft burned alive

SA cops on the trail of zombies and witches

This is another article that appears to follow a re-current theme of late and may be likened or reminiscent of the "satanic panic" experienced here in the US.  As with other articles there seems to be a tendency to lump the occult with Paganism and Witchcraft calling it satanism and then throw in local religious beliefs and mythologies.  I think it is troublesome that in the 21st century we are still fighting against supernatural beliefs whether it be as a victim or perpetrator.
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Some call them the Ghost Busters. Other call them the X-Files. They’ve even been dubbed the Vampire Cops.

But for the Harmful Occult Related Crimes unit, their cases are every bit as real - and the victims every bit as violated - as any other.

Colonel Dr Attie Lamprecht’s job is to see beyond the tokoloshes, zombies, curses, muti and witchcraft to gather evidence that will stand up in court.

It’s also his job to know about new trends such as “more and more young people drinking each other’s blood”.

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“Satanism is not a crime,” he emphasised. It’s only if religious or spiritual beliefs result in a legally defined crime that his officers will make an arrest.

But every supernatural report has to be taken seriously.

“In certain parts of South Africa, if a person is identified as a witch… they will be killed, and sometimes their family too. In the northern parts of the country women seek shelter in police stations because they have been pointed out as a witch.”

SA cops on the trail of zombies and witches