ABSTRACT
Religions around the world, including Christianity, Islam and indigenous religions, have doctrines which support beliefs in possession by supernatural beings such as gods and spirits, as well as evil spirits. A variety of practices have been instituted in these religious traditions to deal with such possession, ranging from prayer to more invasive practices. The latter have, occasionally, resulted in physical or psychological harm, or even in death – which has propelled this issue into the headlines and, consequently, into a demand for new policies to safeguard children.
