Theoretical Frame

 The theoretical frame for my research paper is religious indoctrination. Religion played a major role in the perceptions of possession as well as the demonization of the mentally ill throughout history. Due to its massive influence on a large majority of the population, it comes as no surprise that religion could create a disillusioned perception towards others, in this case, the mentally ill. Religious indoctrination refers to the process of imparting doctrine in an authoritative way. For people who are religious, the vast majority also teach their children their faith and have them grow up with religion as a large aspect of their lives. However, in some cases, parents have their child's life revolve around religion in extreme ways. With these children being raised in such an authoritative way, there is a large possibility that these extreme teachings could result in mental illness. Mental illness stemming from religion is not a rare thing, therefore, it could be possible that people who believe they are possessed are actually just disillusioned into believing that they are. In the case of Anneliese Michel, her mother had raised in a way that had the young woman atone for her mother's sins as well as the sins of others. Being raised in a way that had her believe she must suffer in order to repent for others could have possibly been the trigger that had led her to believe she was possessed. Childhoods are the roots of many mental illnesses and with religion being a large part of many, I believe it could possibly be one of the reasons behind the phenomena of possession.