Metaphor Essay

Supernatural and Paranormal Metaphors

Society has always had a need to create metaphors for “things” it does not fully understand, consequently transforming their meanings for better or worse. A metaphor is a form of comparison that consists of applying definite characterizations onto intangible concepts. Societies’ belief in the other-wordly has proven to be indispensable, as seen through metaphors that create relationships between cancer’s origin and aliens, and relate being possessed by demons to schizophrenia. When the metaphors “cosmic disease” in Sontag’s Illness as Metaphor, and demonic possession are applied to cancer and schizophrenia, respectively, they indicate how little was/is understood about these illnesses. Just as Sontag’s Illness as Metaphor presents “cosmic disease” as a metaphor for cancer, past and present societies have transformed demonic possession into a metaphor for schizophrenia. Both of these metaphors corroborate that the association of illness, with the paranormal or supernatural, ultimately obscures the understanding of the illnesses, thus increasing suffering.

In Illness as Metaphor Susan Sontag explains the varying metaphors ascribed to cancer along with their negative connotations. As an author who has been diagnosed with cancer, Sontag’s description of the metaphors used to portray the illness illuminates their destructive nature on cancer’s reputation. Sontag never fully condemns the use of metaphors in relation to sickness, even though she recommends caution on how they should be used. Although implicitly stated, it is clear that she is critical of the uses of the metaphors for cancer, since almost-all of the metaphors provided have negative undertones and effects. After reading the text, there is little doubt that several metaphors associated with cancer are detrimental to diagnosing, treating, and living with the disease.

“Cosmic disease” is a metaphor used in Sontag’s Illness as Metaphor, that implies a relationship between cancer and extra-terrestrial entities such as aliens. Aliens and other mutant creatures can be found in the cosmos, or outer-space, which is why the metaphor “cosmic disease” defines cancer as an illness of extra-terrestrial nature.  Cancer is the abstract entity since it was not well understood during this time period, which is why the metaphorical properties of the “cosmic” or celestial are applied to it. There is no doubt that cancer is regarded as a foreign entity when it is also called a disease of “the Other”(Sontag 68). Since aliens and mutants are not earthly creatures, and yet cancer is “alien powers to which the organism is host” an association with cancer and the paranormal is made. The purpose of this metaphor is to convey cancer patients as foreign entities who have “an invasion of alien or mutant cells, stronger than normal cells” (Sontag 68).This metaphor now creates the appearance that cancer patients are not normal, and that this disease is “the emblem of all the destructive” (Sontag 68). Sontag makes no effort to conceal the heavily negative attributes that this outer-worldly view of cancer as these “science-fiction images about cancer echo the collective nightmare” (Sontag 68). The words destructive and nightmare make it painfully obvious that the                                                                                                                                     metaphor does not enlighten the world on what cancer is, but conceals the true meaning of the disease with unfavorable language. Cancer is not the only illness which has obtained negative connotations through the use of metaphorical language that is related to the other-wordly.

Schizophrenia is another illness that was not well understood, this allowed the supernatural metaphor of demonic possession to be applied to it. In past times drawing relationships and conclusions between illness and disease was the norm, due to the lack of scientific advancements. One very obvious connection between religion and its supernatural side, is the metaphor of schizophrenia as demonic possession. It is understandable that due to a lack of scientific advancements, an extremely disabling disease which sometimes causes hallucinations and delusions, would not be simply considered a rare mental illness. The spiritualists of the Middle Ages would “diagnose” sufferers of schizophrenia which demonic possession. The body of an individual with schizophrenia was considered occupied with an evil spirit which explains their agitated behaviour (Hardy). Since a demonic possession was deemed the root of the cause of schizophrenia, the cure was an exorcism by a priest. The Catholic rite of exorcism would include a priest invoking the name of God, as he calls on the saints and Archangel Michael to cast out the demons (Holloway). Although this metaphor might seem as though it simply belongs in the Middle Ages, the metaphor of mental illness and demonic possession still persists to this day, in communities where such Judeo-Christian beliefs are valued.

Demonic possession is a metaphor for schizophrenia, since demonic possession is the concrete concept that is readily understood, and it is applied to the mystery that is schizophrenia. As evident in Figure 1,

the possessed individual is to be feared since the priest is standing at a distance with the Crucifix. The depiction of the demons as gory creatures standing in hell-fire also invokes terror. This metaphor for mental illness patients as possessed individuals reinforces the stigma that people with mental illness are somehow evil. The video of a recent exorcism, proves that exorcisms are still practiced in modern times, and   thus the metaphor continues. A negative effect of

the metaphor of demonic possession on schizophrenia is that it keeps those affected by it from professional help. Since a large number of exorcisms have been on people with mental disorders, this contributes to the population of schizophrenia patients who go untreated with the illness (Tajima-Pozo).

 

Both metaphors involve either the supernatural or paranormal and have similar approaches with which they obscure the understanding of their respective illnesses. Firstly, since the metaphors are not based on earth, they automatically create detrimental misconceptions of the illnesses. Cancer being related to aliens and the cosmos, and schizophrenia being related to demons, suggests that these diseases and their cures are outside the scope of science. When humans struggle to understand certain concepts, they turn to the unearthly, be it the extra-terrestrial or the mystical. When UFOs were sighted at Area 51 instead of realistic theories such as the UFOs being military jet or airplane, since Area 51 is a military base, people conjectured that it was aliens (History.com Editors). In the 12th century when the bubonic plague occurred instead of predicting that it was caused by infections that spread through creatures such as rats, society thought that it was a punishment from God (History.com Editors). The lack of clarity concerning the origin of cancer distracts from the actual causes of cancer, which are known as carcinogens, as well as the real forms of treatments. The association with the “cosmic” in a negative fashion can only discourage a patient afflicted by the disease and possibly delaying their recovery. Regarding schizophrenia, the increased mystery created by the metaphor, discredits the fact that schizophrenia is in fact a real mental illness and that it is based on neurological systems and genetics. A similarity between the effects of these metaphors is that they conceal the true causes of the illnesses.

The metaphors of cancer as a “cosmic disease” and schizophrenia as demonic possession, both increase the ambiguity of the illnesses. Since they grasp beyond earth’s reach into the supernatural and paranormal and have negative connotations, they prevent people suffering from illnesses from seeking information and cures through science. While it is acceptable for people to have their own opinions, especially concerning what cannot be seen by the human eye, it is important to have a basis in science, so that the real issues are not mislabelled and confused. I find it especially interesting that the abstract entities in the metaphors being cancer and schizophrenia, have now become more concrete due to the societal advancement in science. There seems to be a possible role reversal as the paranormal and supernatural are currently abstract ideas to modern society.

 

 

Works Cited

 

Aprilholloway. “Demonic Possession and the Ancient Practice of Exorcism.” Ancient

 

Origins, Ancient Origins, https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-mysterious-phenomena-unexplained-phenomena/ancient-practice-exorcism-rise-again-001211.

 

Emmanuel TV. “SPIRITUAL WARFARE!!! Demon Vs Pastor.” Youtube, 15

 

January 2013,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbpp4vyfTZM

 

Hardy, James, and Charlie Jones. “Divine Madness: A History of Schizophrenia.”

History Cooperative, 22 Aug. 2019, https://historycooperative.org/divine-madness-a-history-of-schizophrenia/.

 

History.com Editors. “Black Death.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 17

 

Sept. 2010, https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/black-death.

 

History.com Editors. “UFO Sightings: Area 51.” History.com, A&E Television

 

Networks, 30 May 2012, https://www.history.com/topics/paranormal/ufo-sightings-area-51-video.

 

Irmak, M.K. “Journal of Religion and Health” June 2014, Volume 53, Issue 3, pp 773–777.

 

Accessed 7 December 2016. http://link.springer.com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/article/10.1007/s10943-012-9673-y

 

Sontag, Susan. Illness as Metaphor. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1978.

 

Tajima-Pozo, Kazuhiro, et al. “Practicing Exorcism in Schizophrenia.” BMJ Case

 

Reports, BMJ Publishing Group, 15 Feb. 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062860/.