We’ve all seen the movie with Linda Blair’s head spinning around like a top. The green vomit. And such. Oh. The good old Exorcist.
But they are more than just the movies.
Exorcisms are rituals performed to expel evil spirits from individuals believed to be possessed. The idea of exorcism has existed for centuries across various cultures and religions. And, notably, Christians are the big one. They have the most prominent traditions to practice this form of spiritual intervention. Catholics even have a “Head Exorcist” in Rome.
But the question remains: Are exorcisms real?
For many, the concept of possession and exorcism belongs in the realm of folklore or horror movies. However, there are numerous documented cases where exorcisms were carried out. The belief in demonic possession and the need for exorcism remains strong in certain religious communities today.
Two notable cases of real exorcisms stand out in history. One of the most famous is the case of Roland Doe. He was the inspiration for the book and film The Exorcist. The story goes like this. In the late 1940s, a young boy in Maryland began experiencing strange phenomena: objects moving around him, strange noises, and uncontrollable shaking. After seeking the help of Lutheran ministers and later Roman Catholic priests, a series of exorcisms took place over weeks. The boy reportedly showed signs of possession, including speaking in languages he had never learned. After numerous attempts, the boy was eventually “freed” from the possession.
While skeptics claim this was the result of a mental or medical condition, those involved in the exorcism believe it was an authentic case of demonic possession.
Another widely known case is that of Anneliese Michel. She was a German woman who underwent exorcisms in the 1970s. Anneliese had been diagnosed with severe mental health issues. But. She claimed to be possessed by demons. She experienced violent outbursts, self-harm, and a deepening sense of despair. So the whole deal of interventioni began.
Two priests performed 67 exorcisms over ten months. Tragically, Anneliese died from malnutrition and dehydration, and the priests, along with her parents, were later convicted of negligent homicide. This case raises ethical questions about the intersection of faith, mental illness, and exorcism, highlighting the dangers of such practices when medical help is ignored.
So, are exorcisms real? Well, I think we all have an opinion on that, one way or the other.
Many people swear by their authenticity. Others argue that the phenomena associated with possession can be explained by medical or psychological conditions.
Whether you believe in them or not, exorcisms continue to capture the public’s imagination and remain a topic of intense debate. There’s probably one happening right now somewhere in the world.
What do you think? Demonic possession? Or. Mental illness? And have you ever watched the “off the wall” show called EVIL?
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[Below are several more cases listed in the Reader’s Digest Article that sparked my interest for this blog. I only included them in case you want to read more accounts of exorcisms that have taken place over the years.]
2010: Kristy Bamu
On Christmas Day 2010, 15-year-old Kristy Bamu was beaten and drowned in a bathtub in London by his sister and her friend in an attempt to exorcise evil spirits from his body, according to the BBC. Originally from the Republic of Congo, the pair tortured the boy with knives, sticks, metal bars, a hammer and a chisel until he “begged to die.” The pair were convicted of the boy’s murder.
2005: Maricica Irina Cornici
This exorcism story might scare you: Romanian nun Maricica Irina Cornici was 23 when she began hearing voices. She thought it was the devil talking to her. Although she was treated for schizophrenia, she relapsed and was then subjected to an exorcism. Bound to a cross, gagged with a towel and left in a dank convent room for three days without food and water, Cornici died of suffocation and dehydration, according to CBS’s coverage of the case.
2003: Terrance Cottrell
In 2003, an autistic eight-year-old boy named Terrance Cottrell was killed during a prayer service that was “intended” to drive out the evil spirits supposedly causing his condition. “The official cause of death is mechanical asphyxia due to external chest compression,” CNN reported, “meaning Terrance was suffocated.” The Reverend Ray Hemphill, who had performed the exorcism, reportedly sat on the boy’s chest until he stopped breathing. The reverend was convicted of homicide.
1990: The exorcism of Gina
Add this exorcism story to your game of Halloween trivia: In 1990, Reverend James LeBar oversaw three exorcisms, all sanctioned by the archbishop of New York, Cardinal John O’Connor and the Vatican. One of them, the exorcism of a Florida teenager named Gina, was televised by on the ABC network in 1991. Newsweek described the ceremony, which was accompanied by medieval-style music, as “little more than the gratuitous torment of a deeply disturbed young girl.” Strapped to a chair, she screamed and barked unintelligibly while the reverend pressed a cross into her face and told her supposed demons that if they wanted pain, he’d give it to them—meaning, of course, the helpless Gina. Ultimately, it was antipsychotic drugs that gave Gina relief.
1974: Michael Taylor
Share this real exorcism story on Halloween: When Englishman Michael Taylor, a husband and father of five, met 21-year-old pastor Marie Robinson, his frequent bouts of depression seemed to ease. In part, Taylor believed it was due to Robinson’s ability to exorcize demons plaguing him. After Taylor’s wife confronted Taylor about a possible affair with Robinson, he physically attacked her; this led to an actual exorcism by two ministers that took place on October 5, 1974. Michael had seizures, spit at and bit the exorcists and screamed in tongues. The next day, he brutally murdered his wife. He wasn’t convicted, however, because of the defense’s argument that the exorcism had made him insane.
1906: Clara Germana Cele
In this real exorcism story, a 16-year-old from South Africa, Clara Cele, was heard making a pact with the devil and soon began behaving erratically, tearing at her clothes, growling, speaking in tongues, and demonstrating super-human strength. In 1906 and 1907, two priests performed exorcisms on Cele, during which her skin “burned” when touched by holy water, and her body levitated before 170 witnesses. But after a “noxious smell” was observed leaving her body, Cele was deemed free of evil.
1896: Anna Eklund
Anna Ecklund was not her real name, but she is the one people associate with this classic American case of demonic possession, thanks to the 2016 Halloween film: The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund. In the true exorcism story, Emma Schmidt reportedly started showing signs of possession at the age of 14. This led to a lengthy exorcism from August 18 to December 23, 1928, in Earling, Iowa. She was 46 by the time Roman Catholic priest Father Theophilus Riesinger performed her final exorcism.
1842: Gottliebin Dittus
In 1842, German villagers noticed strange goings-on at the home of a 28-year-old woman named Gottleibin Dittus. Dittus claimed her house was haunted and soon began slipping in and out of what others described as “trance-like” states, but it was only when a religious pastor commenced an exorcism that things went truly nuts: Dittus became violent, requiring physical restraints. For two torturous years during which the pastor performed various exorcism rights, Dittus vomited glass, nails—and blood, of course. Finally, Dittus informed everyone the demons were gone and stated that “Jesus is victor.”
1778: The exorcism of George Lukins
In 1778, English tailor George Lukins was behaving oddly—speaking in strange voices, making inhuman noises, and singing hymns backward (sounds like the start of a scary movie). In a ceremony held in Bristol’s Temple Church, seven priests commanded the demons who’d apparently taken over Lukins’ soul to leave, once and for all. When the ceremony was over, Lukins recited the Lord’s Prayer and thanked the priests. This was one of the few recorded exorcisms with a happy ending.
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“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” – W.B. Yeats
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“The only way to deal with this life meaningfully is to find one’s passion and immerse oneself in it. When you touch that space, you touch the divine.” – Rumi
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“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” – Charles Baudelaire
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“The spirit world is as real as the world we live in, only it operates on a different frequency.” – Thomas Mack
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