The intriguing case of Christina the Astonishing

Abstract

Spiritual explanations for epilepsy have existed since antiquity and continue to be prevalent in some communities today. While the vast majority of the unfortunate recipients of this understanding are thought to be possessed by evil forces, a few are deemed to be special vessels for divine communication. Here we present the intriguing case of Christina the Astonishing (1150–1224). Christina appears to be unique in the archives of the religious interpretation of epilepsy in that her seizures were understood to represent her willing submission to demonic torments to provide much needed respite for those in purgatory. Thus she provides an ingenious link between the demonic and divine explanations of the disorder. From a medical perspective, the analysis of contemporary accounts of her afflictions provide compelling evidence of status epilepticus, olfactory auras, and probable frontal lobe epilepsy, with frequent secondary generalization. Even more remarkably, the 13th century accounts of Christina’s shame and embarrassment and the social stigma associated with her seizures strike a startling contemporary chord.