Fair warning: this was to be a brief overview of possession novels and films that I find engrossing. Good to my word, there are some to choose from at the end of this article.
To be honest, many lists of great possession novels are an internet search away, and their existence is not surprising. My love of possession lore and stories isn’t unique. What was unexpected, at least to me, was the number of “Am I possessed?” quizzes that are also available.
Until recently, I didn’t know possession quizzes existed. (THANK YOU, Sara Gran!)
Some of them are for fun, some are created to take your money under the guise of organized religion, and, well, deep down the rabbit hole of supernatural takeovers of the human form and the very quizzes that might determine if you are possessed, I will tell you that more than one of the surveys hit me too close to home. Left me wondering if I had been possessed at some point in my life and questioning if that entity was only dormant within me now.
Let’s assume most people are taking these possession quizzes for funsies—because clearly people are taking them. There wouldn’t be that many if there were no demand. That’s Capitalism 101, a possession of its own I don’t mind teasing at here. Yes, funsies, that’s the comfortable thought to have so we may put our heads peacefully on the pillow later this evening.
Like zombie stories, maybe many horror fans just can’t get enough of possession. And you have to wonder: What is it about the possession narrative that keeps readers coming back? We know roughly what’s going to come of it, even when there is a clever twist: Either through demons, ghosts, or otherworldly forces, a person or persons will come under the influence of someone or something that will wreak havoc upon the world, using their body as a vessel.
At best, the human will fight it off. At worst, they will succumb to the dark entities’ bidding. Often, we only think the “hero” has won.
No matter how they end, I’m a fan and always have been. It was only recently that I put any intelligent thought into why I love them so. What came to me was a mixed bag of answers, a few of which I believe may resonate with you and other possession fans:
I’m nearly seventeen years sober now, but during my darkest days as an alcoholic and drug addict, a friend (also a chaotic drunk at the time) and I used to refer to the inebriated, bender-taking version of ourselves as “The Demon.” More accurately, we tried to satiate the demon (or my demons, as is sometimes said) with booze and drugs. I wanted it to leave me alone.
Even so, I awoke plenty of times knowing I’d have to apologize for what The Demon had said or done or didn’t do. That version of me never felt like the real me. And many of the possession quizzes I recently took—even the ones with questions about knowing foreign languages spontaneously—would have pointed to me being demonically possessed more than being an incurable drunk.
Beyond that very personal reason, there is this: On the whole, no matter how live-and-let-live we believe ourselves to be, current affairs are pushing the envelope of what everyone is capable of. Or, at a minimum, what atrocities we are willing to let slide from others.
There are a lot of psychological and biological theories around the idea that any good person can become bad or at least misbehave. The right set of circumstances can turn anyone into something horrible, or maybe even open them up to being “possessed.”
The best of us often feel the very worst when we misbehave. We want excuses for our behavior because having acted out (in ways that pale in comparison to true baddies) leaves us disappointed in ourselves.
I am left to speculate that reading possession stories—especially the recent ones on the list below—offer some sort of comfort. A collection of it’s-not-just-mes that gives us community around behaviors that we don’t feel are authentic to who we really are or want to be. The stories are fiction, but the circumstances around the possessions are too relatable.
“What are you trying to say, exactly, Peter?” You may be asking yourself.
Well, I’m saying I think that while most of us are aiming to be amazing people, neighbors, and beacons of hope and light in a world that feels increasingly dark, we are also, on occasion, nonplussed by our actions. We are seeking justification for the bad behavior of others, too—possibilities that go beyond the notion that some folks are just born bad.
I also believe that we can be possessed by an idea or a relationship (with another human, with a substance, with a home, or even with religion and spirituality itself) that can lead us to act out in a demonic-possession way as well. So, there are titles below that may not fit the industry genre description of possession stories by the letter.
Rest assured, though, that reading any of the following amazing possession stories below will help illuminate the crude ruminations I’ve made here.
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Sara Gran, Come Closer
Warning, this is where I learned about possession quizzes! Of course, I’ve already put that notion in your head. Good luck with them. And it.
Paul Tremblay, A Head Full of Ghosts
Isn’t it surprising that we don’t already have a real-life version of the exorcism show from this book? At least not to my knowledge (go easy on me, I don’t believe in network TV anymore).
Jac Jemc, The Grip of It
Having recently moved out of a house that had possessed me and my time and my thoughts to some great degree, I think Jemc’s story and its descent into darkness was a warning I ignored.
William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist
I mean, THE BOOK, not the movie, you have to read the book. At a minimum, this is a fantastic podcast episode on THE BOOK. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-your-face-there-is-a-place/id1697748917?i=1000658141628 but read it still, too!
Justin Evans, A Good and Happy Child
Again, what does it even really mean to be possessed? Aren’t we all at some point or another?
Herman Koch, The Dinner
By my own admission, I am possessed by my son. I’d do anything he told me to do, probably. I count myself lucky that he is the very best human I know and hasn’t yet asked me to kill.
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