When one hears the word exorcism, perhaps what immediately pops to mind is one of the scariest books of all time. Maybe it’s the movie version where a demonic creature possessed a child or a priest who cast a demon out. While Holywood capitalizes on the scare factor of exorcism to bloat coffers during Halloween, there are real-life exorcism stories. The exorcisms we have heard of are primarily about the battle between good and evil in the form of demons or other entities. The act of exorcism aims to combat, expel, and protect a victim— the possessed—from whatever evil forces are at play. Here are some real exorcism stories and demonic possession cases that are pretty scary and at the same time, fascinating.
1. The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (Emily Rose)
Anneliese Michel’s story inspired the Hollywood film in the early 2000s, The Exorcism of Emily Rose. She was a German born in 1952. When Anneliese Michel turned 16, she started having blackouts. When she blacked out at school one time, she also started behaving differently. These incidents also involved convulsions and wetting her bed. Initially diagnosed with epileptic psychosis, she started aversing from religious icons and anything religious. She claimed to see the devil and hear spirits.
Her family asked for the help of the church, with priests performing various exorcisms to no avail. She stopped eating and eventually succumbed to malnutrition in 1976.
2. The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund
The 2016 movie The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund was based on another true story of exorcism that happened during the early 20th century. When she was 14, Ecklund began showing strange behaviors. She fell ill every time she went to church. Ecklund also vomited when she received the Holy Communion. And just like in other real-life exorcism stories, the girl started speaking Latin, Polish, Hebrew, and Italian— languages she never knew.
Her family also approached the local church for help. The priests who administered the exorcism ritual noticed the girl was afraid of the holy water, religious icons, and prayers. To test if the possessed girl was faking it, the exorcist sprayed fake holy water on Ecklund, but she did not react violently to it. After the exorcism in 1912, she seemed normal but after several years, she again complained that spirits were tormenting her. At one point, she showed common signs of demonic possessions like how Ecklund floated from her bed, vomited violently, and hissed. The priest was able to free her after a third session and Ecklund was able to live a quiet life until her death in 1941.
3. Patient “Julia” and Dr. Richard Gallagher
One of the most recent real-life exorcism stories happened in 2008. Dr. Richard Gallagher of the New York Medical College and Columbia University declared that one of his patients, hidden under the name Julia, was possessed. The patient was a self-declared cult leader and often dressed in black robes. Through a local priest, she asked for the help of Gallagher, claiming that demons had been attacking her. The board-certified Gallagher ruled out any mental illness after hearing the patient speak in tongues. Julia even knew of details about Gallagher’s life that were not known by the public. Some of the supernatural encounters involved Julia in trance-like states and throwing objects with her mind. Julia also knew the deepest secrets of the people present in the room with the doctor.
During several exorcism rituals, Julia demonstrated super strength, levitated, and even made the room cold or hot. She screamed at Gallagher and his team in voices that were not hers. However, at one point, Julia called off the investigation and rituals. So, Gallagher was not able to fully help her.
4. The Case of Clara Germana Cale
The true story of the exorcism of the South African girl Clara Germana Cale started when she was 16. The nuns at their orphanage school reported the girl’s behavior turning violent. Clara was growling and repeatedly tore her clothes. She also demanded to speak to the priest of the school. According to Fr. Erasmus Horner, the possessed girl claimed she had a pact with the devil.
Just like in other real-life exorcism stories or what you see in horror movies, Clara demonstrated unexplained physical strength. Her skin also burned when nuns sprinkled holy water on her. Clara convulsed in the presence of religious icons. During an exorcism ritual, Clara strangled a priest and even bit one of the staff helping him. During the session, when she was freed, there were 170 witnesses. She reportedly levitated before the demon left her body.
5. Michael Taylor and the 40 Demons
Michael Taylor accused his wife of having an affair in 1974. It was no ordinary case of adultery, as Taylor said their church leader was involved with Christine Taylor, his wife. The husband physically attacked the wife during one of their confrontations. His behavior became more and more erratic. Michael’s attacks were also becoming more violent. His wife decided that they needed the help of the priest and suggested an exorcism.
One night, several clergymen from different churches assembled to perform the exorcism ritual. During the night-long session, Michale screamed in tongues, had seizures, and attacked the exorcists. The priests claimed they were able to free him from 40 demons, yet several evil spirits still remained in him. Michael eventually killed his wife and family pet. The guy was never convicted after his lawyer argued that the exorcism pushed Michael to the edge and caused his insanity.
6. Roland Doe of Maryland
Another interesting true story of exorcism occurred in 1949 in Maryland. His life was the true inspiration for the novel by Peter Blatty and the classic horror film The Exorcist. According to several accounts, Roland started showing unexplainable behavior when he turned 14. Aside from speaking in different tongues and voices, he was able to move objects without touching them. His family also heard scratching noises around the house. They asked for the help of their church after medical treatments failed to resolve his condition. They eventually turned to a Catholic church for help.
The boy went through several exorcism rituals led by several priests. This lasted several weeks, during which they witnessed the display of demonic possession and violence. The sessions were getting worse, with Roland cursing at priests, throwing things in the room, and getting enraged by religious items. During the final session, when he was freed, the priest said it only took several minutes of prayer, and Roland just said, “He is gone.” According to Roland, after the exorcism, he saw a vision of the archangel Michael defeating the devil. From that day on, he was never bothered by evil spirits again.
Real-Life Exorcism: True or Pure Imagination?
A lot of people believe in these true stories of exorcism. Others push back and say they are just products of the human imagination. Whatever your belief is, one thing is true. It’s a clash between faith and fear. It’s a blur between reality and the supernatural. These are fascinating stories in their own rights. They raise questions about our existence and those we do not see. These mysteries are good reminders of the complexities of the mind and our never-ending fascination with the paranormal. And, of course, the battle between good and evil.