Possession

Possession is a particular psychophysical condition in which an individual's body is partially or totally occupied by one or more entities capable of governing the individual's thoughts and actions. When it comes to the world of dramatic film, various types of possession have appeared on the silver screen:

1. Diabolical possession: events envisaged by the Abrahamic religions (among others), in which a demon or evil spirit is seen as the principal cause, and is usually subjected to an exorcism if the phenomenon is determined to be authentic (in regard to diabolical possession, the 'Possession' Tag will frequently be accompanied by the 'Demon' Tag or, in the case of films connected to Islamic culture, the 'Djinn' Tag).
   For example, in the classic novel "The Exorcist" (1971), William Peter Blatty compiles a list of signs that the Catholic Church would be inclined to consider as proof of possession: "Speaking in a language that the subject has never known before [...] clairvoyance [...] powers beyond her ability and age [...] anything inexplicably paranormal or occult". In numerous films of this genre, the entity responsible for the possession falls within the category of demons recognized by Christian tradition. "Exotic" choices are frequent however, such as the Mesopotamian Pazuzu from the above-mentioned work, or the supposed Babylonian "Bagul" (aka "Bughuul") demon from the "Sinister" films.
2. "Divine" possession: the belief that a living individual has been infiltrated by divinity itself. Regarded as "chosen ones" to some degree, such possessed individuals are often treated with respect and devotion.
3. Psychic possession: necromancers, mediums, or particularly receptive individuals can be invaded by incorporeal presences, generally those of the deceased. These entities are generally restless spirits, well-known figures from the past, or prior incarnations of the possessed individual (e.g., "Blood from the Mummy's Tomb", 1971). Hypnosis and seances represent the preferred scenarios in this case. For further details, please see the "Parapsychology" and "Seance" Tags.
4. Alien possession: hackneyed sci-fi sub-genre in which extraterrestrial organisms assume control of our minds by use of futuristic gadgets or abilities innate to their species. In this category, we would cite the William Cameron Menzies cult classic "Invaders from Mars" (1953).

 
Note: "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956) doesn't fit the category since the victims' bodies aren't possessed, but rather replaced by identical replicas.

5. In the event that a living, breathing human being is responsible for the possession, we can identify three possibilities:
   • Magical/esoteric context: employing arcane knowledge, wizards (and their magical "colleagues") are able to transfer their essences into another body and use it as they please (e.g., "Child's Play" , 1988).
   • Sci-fi context: either involving sophisticated technology that allow the user to migrate into another "shell" (e.g., "The Sorcerers", 1967) or "cybernetic" possessions, typically seen in high-tech computer scenarios (e.g., "The Thirteenth Floor", 1999).
   • Mind control: the possessed individual falls victim to mental commands employed by someone with certain extrasensory abilities (e.g., "Ænigma", 1987).

 
Additional possibilities...

6. Delusions of possession: a psychiatric disorder that can affect certain schizophrenic individuals. Being a form of psychosis, it relates to the "Madness" Tag, except when doubt lingers over the true nature of the events (such as in the surreal "Possession" from 1981, or in the legal-horror film "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" from 2005).
7. Possession of unknown origin: finally, we'd cite the existence of a wide range of films featuring people, animals, and even objects that are simply possessed, although we don't know how or why it happened or who or what is responsible (e.g., "Christine", 1983).