What do you do for someone who may be possessed?

[robertmidwest]

Hi, I know this thread is a bit older, but since its fairly recent and its the exact same question I was going to ask, I decided to post here. I really hope I too can get some good advice for this… I’m very concerned.

This person that I met also had the same utter look of hatred that the OP speaks of, plus very black eyes (the pupils were very enlarged) I was so scared and grossed out I had to look away. I just got this scary dark unnatural feeling about it - This person seemed friendly on the surface (this person was smiling at me) but within the expression on this person’s face, everything within me was reading and “seeing” dirty lust and an intention to hurt me in a very underhanded secretive way- with hatred. This person was also underhandedly cruel to me by what they said to me, and there seemed to be some sort of glee in doing so behind it. (There was a slight wry smile on this persons face when doing so.)

**I honestly do not know a single reason why this person would be that way towards me at all. ** I don’t have any animosity or ill will towards this person at all. We don’t know each other and have only met a few brief times. Its not my personality to ***not ***be cautious about saying things that might hurt someone. I am typically always actively trying to bring the Light of Christ to others that I meet through being very cordial and kind and respectful. I have no idea why someone would be like this to me.

This person works a job too difficult for this person to have mental illness, which is why I dismiss that possibility. I also don’t think they are just letting off steam or ‘just not wanting to be kind to people anymore’. The whole thing is just really odd. Nothing else seems to fit. I also remember feeling a sense of anger and disgust coming from this person when I mentioned to this person that I went to church daily- almost like a look-down-on-you laugh and a huff. Of course that is just my own personal feeling that could be mistaken, but I had no reason to think this person would feel that way- those senses just came to me, which at the time I was thinking it was odd to have those thoughts about someone I don’t know. I had dismissed it.

What should I do? Talk to a priest? Will a priest go and investigate? Would they help someone who is not from their parish? Even though I do not know this person well at all, I do know this person came from a Catholic family and was most likely baptized, but know nothing else. I don’t know how to help this person. I don’t plan on seeing this person again if I can help it, but just walking away seems cruel and uncaring. I don’t get the sense that this person is a ‘bad’ person- but that something dark is influencing controlling them. I’d like to see this person helped, but it can’t be me.

You don’t know this person that well, but you want a priest to go investigate if they might be demon possessed because you had a bad feeling about them?

 

[AnneElizabeth]

Not sure where you think what I’m concerned about is so excessive, if I gather what you are saying correctly. Are people spiritual beings or not? Are priests supposed to help souls or not? Should I just say to myself “aw well, thank God its not me” and then go on my merry way, forgetting and thinking 'its not my problem!" ?.. Are those the attributes of a Christian?

^ those are real questions by the way.

As I said, there were enough things combined that concerned me. Of course I could be wrong, but I’m not someone that goes around thinking everyone whose a bit weird, odd or strange or mean is ‘possessed’, if that is what you are hinting at. The very reason why I’m asking this question is because I’ve not dealt with anything like this before. It creeped me out and as I said I’m concerned.

 

[Lookingforjoy]

When you described the smiling/hatred look with enlarged pupils the first thing I thought of was drugs, not possession.

Also, don’t discount mental illness. People can have very stressful or high-powered jobs and still struggle with mental illness. In fact, some mental illnesses (such as sociopath) wouldn’t be a hindrance at all.

I’m just saying, perhaps there are other explanations besides possession. If you’re really concerned, though, talk to your priest.