Philippines Establishes Asia’s First ‘Exorcism’ Training Centre

MANILA: An exorcism training centre, the first of its kind in Asia, located in the Philippines, has become a focal point as it not only conducts exorcism rituals but also trains priests from several countries, including Malaysia, to differentiate between spiritual disturbances and mental health issues.

The centre, known as the Michael Center for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism, was opened five months ago following an increase in cases of individuals seeking help related to spiritual disturbances.

Its founder, Jose Francisco Syquia, said the centre was built to provide a safer and more suitable location for conducting rituals, while also serving as the first exorcism training centre of its kind.

He said priests from Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and India have already expressed interest in undergoing training at the centre.

According to Syquia, among the causes alleged to contribute to spiritual disturbances are trauma from bullying, sexual abuse and separation from family members working abroad.

He said every case would first be assessed by clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and neurologists to ensure that the individual is not suffering from mental health disorders.

However, he believes there are certain conditions that cannot be explained by science and require a spiritual approach.

At the same time, University of London psychologist Christopher French warned that belief in the supernatural could cause patients to delay seeking proper medical treatment.

He said several disorders, such as schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome, have been misinterpreted as possession in the past.

Meanwhile, a psychiatrist in Manila, Dr Kathryn Tan, said stigma against psychiatric treatment has led many Filipinos to feel more comfortable seeking help from ‘exorcists’ or traditional healers before seeing a doctor.

She said mental health treatment is not intended to reject religious beliefs, but rather to complement efforts to help patients through science-based and empathetic approaches.

Syquia also acknowledged that increased investment in mental health services could reduce the number of cases referred for exorcism rituals in the future.

AFP