Obsession

A neurotic rather than a psychotic symptom, a person is said to be suffering from an obsession when a persistent uncontrollable idea leads to the performing of unreasoned acts - such as rechecking locked doors, counting steps and so on – which, if not performed, would promote a dominant feeling of guilt, anxiety and frustration. Such actions tend to be ritualistic and, although accepted by the person as unreasonable, appear to be compelled by some force outside. The original meaning of the term is to haunt and is contrasted in religious terms with possession, when the evil entity dominates the mind from within.

The obsessional thought, idea or whatever is unwanted. It is intrusive and, although it is seen to originate within the individual himself, he sees it as neither natural nor desirable. He knows it to be senseless and actively resists it, at least in the early stages.

A particular kind of obsession is obsessional rumination, where the individual is unable to desist from internally debating some abstruse, metaphysical topic, or one not amenable to rational debate. This impairs normal mental effectiveness.