Epilepsy is characterized by seizure prompting those not familiar with the illness to mistake it for demonic possession. It comes from the Greek word “to hold or seize.”

In Fact, Almost one million Filipinos suffer from epilepsy, a neurological condition still associated to evil possession especially in far-flung areas of the country, the Philippine league Against Epilepsy (PLAE) said.

According to PLAE director Dr. Marilyn Hebron-Ortiz, an epileptic seizure is caused by the “brief and sudden” surge of electrical current in the brain that leads to changes in the function of a person.

Ortiz said in a forum organized by the Philippine College of Physicians that while epilepsy could be hereditary it could be “acquired” through head trauma or meningitis. It is not curable but attacks can be managed through proper care.

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Tags: Charles Dickens, Epilepsy, Marion Clignet, seizure, Vincent van Gogh

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