Spirit possession is a broad folk category used in many cultures to explain a variety of problems, including: anaccepted aggressive or sexual impulses, conflictics associated with attachment or trauma-related symptoms. Members of different religious groups also explain incomprehensible behaviour, somatic symptoms, difficulties in spiritual practice or even problems in relationships in terms of possession. Even delusions of possession in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders can be ascribed by some priests and community members to demonic possession, subsequently encouraging these people to use exorcism rituals. Engaging in such religious coping strategies can sometimes substitute or delay seeking clinical assessment and treatment. Igor Pietkiewicz has explored help-seeking pathways and clinical presentations of people labelled as ‘possessed’ in Christian, Hindu and Buddhist communities. He carried out his studies in Poland, Mauritius, India and Bhutan. During the webinar he will share some videos, talk about these diverse symptoms and the complexity of possession-form presentations. He will also share his doubts about diagnosing people with Possession Trance Disorder.

We are excited to invite clinicians and researchers to this free educational webinar.

Friday January 27th 2023, 6-7.30 pm (GMT+1, Brussels / Berlin / Warsaw / Madrid time)

REGISTRATION FORM

The recording of this webinar will be available later as video-on-demand only for ESTD members.

BIO:

Igor Pietkiewicz PhD – psychodynamic psychotherapist and supervisor of the Polish Psychiatric Association, EMDR Practitioner and Consultant, worked as Associate Professor at the SWPS University of Social Sciences & Humanities where he established the Research Centre for Trauma & Dissociation. See more: E-psyche.eu or ResearchGate