The belief in demonic possession—the control of a person by an evil supernatural being—has been in existence since ancient times. Many religions hold the belief in the possibility of possession. From the founding days of America to modern times, there have been claims of possessed individuals. Many of these claims have been recorded by firsthand observers. Some claims have been debunked and others seem to have no explanation other than that of actual possession. Modern times have witnessed the sensationalizing of past cases as well as the popularization of the belief in books and in movies. Despite the fact that many skeptics doubt the existence of evil supernatural beings, the ancient beliefs in demonic possession have become ingrained in American culture.
The oldest reference to demonic possession is from ancient Sumeria; Sumerians believed that all illnesses were due to the presence of a malevolent spirit. Other religions throughout history have maintained the same beliefs; Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism all have practices dealing with the exorcism of evil spirits. Christianity sees the root of all cases of possession stemming from Satan or one of his subservient demons, and the Bible cites numerous instances when Jesus drove out vengeful spirits from afflicted people.
In a poll taken in 2012, more than half of the Americans who responded said they believed in possession. In a survey taken by the Pew Center in Washington, D.C., one in ten respondents claimed to have witnessed an exorcism. In the religious literature on demonic possession, great care is taken to distinguish between simple temptation, with a person voluntarily choosing to follow an evil course of action, and possession. Temptation is considered to be an ordinary occurrence of demonic activity, while Catholicism considers possession to be an extraordinary instance of demonic activity. There are other instances of extraordinary influence, such as demonic influence on thoughts, general torment through misfortune, external pain caused by demons, the infestation of animals or objects by a demon, and cases of a person voluntarily submitting to a demon or Satan. Only in possession does Satan or a demon take control of a person’s body without his or her consent.
In a possession, Satan or the evil being possesses the human subject coercively. In most religions, acceptance of the notion of demonic possession does not imply human culpability—an inciting sin or otherwise—for becoming possessed. There are, however, things that make people more susceptible to possession like emotional trauma, drugs, or dabbling in the occult. Christians believe that people that are possessed are to be considered blameless for their actions. Moreover, religions teach that more than one demon can inhabit a person at a time.
Rites and rituals to expel these spirits from their hosts have been developed and codified over time. The most well known of these in America is the Catholic rite for a formal exorcism, which is defined in the church’s “Roman Ritual.” The rite of exorcism sometimes needs to be administered multiple times before a person is freed from possession.
In America, the media attention and popularization of demonic possession and exorcism through movies and books has made it seem as though all cases are horrifying and rife with the paranormal. Rarely can demonic possession be mentioned without associating it with exorcism. Father Gary Thomas is considered to be America’s top exorcist, as well as the most famous. He says that for the most part, exorcisms last from forty-five minutes to two hours and are far less dramatic than is portrayed on the movie screen. The 2011 movie The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins, is based on his life. Thomas also states that he has received many requests for exorcisms, and not only from Catholics.
Thomas says that he follows the strict guidelines set forth by the church to assess if someone is possessed. There are an estimated fifty exorcists in the United States, and Protestants also engage in exorcisms. They are not as private as their Catholic counterparts, and sometimes even perform them in public. It is noted that not all cases of demonic possession call for exorcism; they can instead be handled by being worshipful and devout.
Cases of demonic possession in America date back to the days of the Puritans. Elizabeth Knapp was determined to be possessed in October 1671. Her possession was well documented and confirmed by various tests, which was rare for the time period. At first, Knapp complained about pains throughout her body, and she would also have extreme emotional outbursts and hallucinations. She also showed surprising strength, and it would take four people to hold her down during violent episodes. The observer of the possession, Samuel Willard, also claimed that she could speak with her mouth closed and that her throat would swell up like a balloon. Knapp did confess that she met with the devil, which is what led to her possession. Although there is no recorded exorcism, Willard states in his last entry that he would leave her care to those more learned than he.
Father Gary Thomas in Los Angeles, California, in 2011. Father Thomas is widely considered to be a leading authority on demonic possession and exorcism in the United States, and his life was the subject of the film The Rite (2011), in which Anthony Hopkins portrayed Thomas. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
The documentation of the case of Elizabeth Knapp mentions many of the common afflictions associated with demonic possession. The Catholic Church has four typical signs of possession that date back to the Middle Ages, including the victim’s knowledge of things that cannot be known by normal means by the victim, speaking foreign languages that are unknown to the victim, superhuman strength, and an aversion to holy symbols. Odd changes in the body such as scratches or injuries appearing from nowhere have been recorded. Many cases also report paranormal abilities such as levitation and telekinesis. Changes in the victim’s voice and appearance occur as well. Twenty years after the events concerning Elizabeth Knapp, a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the devil in Salem, Massachusetts. Their symptoms were similar to the ones documented in Knapp’s case, but the girls claimed that witchcraft was the cause of their possession and they accused several local women. The accusation in the context of devout Puritanism in the community led to the executions of twenty people in the Salem Witch Trials. Possibly another thirteen people died in prison.
Until the 1949 case of Roland Doe (a name assigned by the Catholic Church to protect his identity), exorcism was mostly kept out of the public eye. Doe’s case is partly the basis for the book The Exorcist, as well as the movie of the same name. The Catholic Church’s second rule of exorcism is that it should never be broadcast in the media, and must be treated with the utmost discretion. It is speculated that Doe’s possession was triggered through the use of a Ouija board. It began with sounds that no one could identify, and soon religious symbols that were placed in the house began to tremble and fly off the wall. Scratches, occasionally forming words, would form on the victim’s body. His voice changed and he also spoke Latin phrases that he had no way of knowing. The Catholic Church determined that he met all the requisites for possession and authorized an exorcism with the understanding that a detailed diary of the events should be kept. He had over thirty exorcisms, in many of which the priest was injured, before the final one that cured him. Witnesses claim that at the last exorcism, the scent of brimstone was heavy in the air and Doe’s cries could be heard throughout the hospital.
The Exorcist may have taken some details from a famous case of possession in Earling, Iowa, in 1928. In this case, a devout woman suddenly felt as though she were being prevented from going to church. She had received the rite of exorcism as a young girl, after her aunt had reportedly placed a curse on her. During her second episode, she was hounded by inner voices attempting to get her to destroy holy objects. It was said that if food was blessed out of her sight and brought to her, she would sense that it was blessed and refuse it. She also could converse in Latin even though she had not received any instruction in the language. She levitated in front of witnesses and at other times her body became so heavy that it bent the iron frame of her bed. Her body went through numerous changes; it bloated to the point that nuns feared her skin would rupture, and a pea-sized lump moved about under her skin. Voices from inside her chest claimed to be various demons that had been encountered at exorcisms in another part of the world. She also would vomit buckets of foul liquid, even though she hadn’t eaten in days. The exorcism was abnormally long, totaling twenty-three days and lasting from August 18 to December 22. At the end of the ordeal, she gave the names of the demons that inhabited her as they left her body. After the exorcism, the woman was once again able to attend church.
Demonic possession is the source of much controversy. The results of the Salem Witch Trials are often one example cited by those who disbelieve in the possibility of demonic possession. There are a great many skeptics that do not even believe in the existence of a spiritual world. They discount possession as a form of mental illness or hysteria. Catholicism believes that demonic possession is not only a possibility but they hold the tenet that demons exist. Even with this belief, they have a strict battery of tests that a person must pass to be diagnosed as possessed. They estimate that 80 percent of people claiming to be possessed are actually in need of mental and physical assistance. Skeptics claim that anyone cured by an exorcism is merely doing so via the power of suggestion. However, many disbelievers will admit that if an afflicted person’s mental state is helped by an exorcism, there is more benefit than harm. There have been cases, however, where there has been physical harm done, and even death has occurred.
In 1981, Arne Cheyenne Johnson killed his landlord. In what was dubbed the “Demon Murder Trial,” his defense team used the argument that their client was not guilty by reason of possession. Demonologists were brought in as expert witnesses for the defense, and argued that Johnson had been plagued by malicious entities for most of his life. The judge ruled against the unorthodox defense, and Johnson was convicted. Likewise, the “Son of Sam” killer, David Berkowitz, claimed that his neighbor’s dog was the victim of possession in his case, and that the dog ordered him to kill. Berkowitz was also convicted.
There are instances where the experience of witnessing an exorcism has made believers out of people. Demonic possession, however, is not listed as a mental disorder in either of the diagnostic manuals used by psychiatrists. M. Scott Peck was an American psychiatrist who started believing in the devil after having been involved in two exorcisms. He lobbied to have the definition of evil added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but never succeeded. He did consider possession to be an exceedingly rare occurrence.
The case of “Julia” is a rare case in which a psychiatrist came to the conclusion that his patient was possessed. Psychiatrists almost always diagnose mental illness as the case for the symptoms of demonic possession. Julia was the one who requested the exorcism. The woman had some involvement with satanic groups, which has been suggested as the reason for her possession. The doctor observed behaviors that gave overwhelming evidence for possession; the patient spoke foreign languages with no former knowledge of them, levitated (once for thirty minutes straight), and showed paranormal powers by making things fly off shelves. The patient would also give information about the families of the attending staff that she had no means of knowing, since they didn’t speak of their family lives in front of the patient. The room grew intensely cold when the exorcism first started, and the patient displayed superhuman strength during the ritual.
Despite the seriousness of demonic possession and the debate about its authenticity, it has become a big business in the entertainment industry. Since The Exorcist, America’s fascination with demonic possession has grown over the past forty years. Possession has experienced mythologizing through fiction, and there is a tendency to focus only on the more spectacular cases.
The modern popularization of demonic possession began with the publication of The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. It is a story about a priest who questions his faith and is asked to assist in a young girl’s arduous exorcism. It was on multiple bestseller lists and soon after was adapted to the movie screen. The movie grossed more than $165 million, won two Oscars, and is considered one of the most horrifying movies ever made. Blatty wrote a sequel to the book, and the movie was followed by three sequels and one prequel.
There are a number of other notable movies that have brought demonic possession to the forefront of American pop culture. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) is a courtroom drama based on the German exorcism case of Anneliese Michel. Michel had more than sixty exorcisms performed on her over a period of ten months. She refused to eat and eventually died of starvation, leading to charges of negligent homicide against her parents and the participating priests. Additionally, the Paranormal Activity series of movies features an evil spirit that possesses characters. The series has grossed nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars at the box office.
James J. Heiney
See also Exorcism; Ouija; Salem Witch Trials
Further Reading
Brittle, Gerald. 1980. The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Cuneo, Michael W. 2001. American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty. New York: Doubleday.
Martin, Malachi. 1976. Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Living Americans. New York: Reader’s Digest Press.
Peck, M. Scott. 2005. Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist’s Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption. New York: Free Press.
Scott, Bill. 2011. The Day Satan Called: A True Encounter with Demon Possession and Exorcism. New York: FaithWords.