Possédé

Possédé is the French term that functions as the past participle of the verb posséder (to possess) and as an adjective meaning "possessed." The masculine form is possédé and the feminine possédée. In ordinary French, the word is used most often to describe a person allegedly inhabited by a spirit or demon, as in "un homme possédé" or "une femme possédée." It can also appear in religious, folkloric, or sensational contexts to signify supernatural possession.

In cultural and religious traditions, possession denotes the belief that a non-corporeal entity temporarily takes control of a living body. Exorcism or liberation rites are then performed to expel the entity. Possession beliefs occur in many traditions, including Christian, African diasporic, and some Asian or Indigenous practices.

Historically and in modern discourse, possession has been interpreted in multiple ways: as a literal intrusion of a spirit, as a metaphor for loss of autonomy, or as a symptom framed by culture and religion. Contemporary psychiatry tends to distinguish between culturally framed experiences of possession and medical conditions, emphasizing that such experiences are best understood within their social and cultural context.

In literature and film, the concept of possession is a recurring motif that enables exploration of power, control, and the boundary between self and other. The term possédé may appear in titles or descriptions to denote this state. See also: exorcism, possession (religion), demonology, mental health.