EXORCISM - THE HIDDEN TRUTH

CHAPTER 8
"CASE STUDIES": PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

          So far we have looked at some notable cases of exorcism from the past and present; now we can look at some of the cases (or instances) of possession, real or imagined - you can draw your own conclusions - that I personally have been involved with. These will include instances of disturbance in people and places. One of the chief issues arising from these considerations is the question of "success" and "failure" of the ritual. Often an immediate "result" is not readily apparent: it may be that the ritual has to be repeated (several times) and not merely from day to day but over a period of time. There can be sudden successes just as there can be failures, partial or indeterminate conclusions. The next question is what is meant by success and failure; and how is one to judge.

          Naturally, personal names have been changed to preserve anonymity, as have locations and anything that might aid identification.

          The following accounts of cases which occurred in the course of more than a decade in the exorcism ministry are presented just as they happened; what I experienced MAY not be what the bystanders saw or experienced, but I suspect if it did differ it was only in minor detail - if anything can be called minor in this dire ceremony!

          I have made no effort to narrate events in chronological order or indeed in any order of any kind. All were of supreme significance to me. All were "victims" needing help, even places which were disturbed - because these affected people.

          There is one point I would like to emphasise however before I begin because I feel some of the instances reveal that involvement in a growing interest in occult matters lies at the heart of the problems encountered. I am talking about satanism, witchcraft and various diabolic rites. This interest appears to be increasing pari passu with a decline in observance of conventional religion and may be BECAUSE of this decline the human psyche seeks something which is "out there". In many cases belief that one is possessed is a symptom of a dangerous conviction in the rampant existence of The Devil where the intellect (or the emotions) are so disordered that concerns of satanism dominate. Of course, as an exorcist, one is always on the qui vive about this possibility.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

          Once a case has come to the ears of an exorcist, he is honour bound to investigate it, no matter what may be his (private) personal opinion of the validity of the case. One such that came my way had to do with the reporting of a "circumstance" via a communication sent to me by a middle-aged couple claiming that they felt they were under a witch's spell and could I do anything to "free" them. They said that for years they had suffered misfortunes such as ill health, economic problems, social difficulties and to top it all, experienced visions of a satanic nature such as seeing hideous demons. Their GP had been unable to help them - it seemed the origin of their malaise lay not in a physical source. When I contacted them they were resorting to a type of "white magic" in an effort to rid themselves of their incubus. Naturally I felt they were making matters worse. They were employing a variety of foul substances, sometimes heating them, in an effort to rid themselves of the "spell". (I am aware that the above sounds like something out of a medieval chapbook, but it happened quite recently!)

          Nothing however seemed to do any good in the sense of alleviating their misery; the couple themselves seemed beside themselves with misery and their facial expressions were contorted at times, so much so that they did appear "possessed". I was not completely convinced that I was dealing with genuine possession - or some other disorder, maybe imagined, or mental - or physical, although this had been ostensibly ruled out by the doctor. But there was no doubt they were suffering: they themselves were convinced they were "bewitched". Why this state of affairs had arisen in the first place was something of a mystery but the couple attributed it as far as they could to a quarrel they had had a long time before with a sinister stranger.

          I felt I had to do something to help them as I had been approached. I decided ( with the Bishop's consent) to try an exorcism in their house (not in church). Although more than one attempt was needed, the exorcism did work insofar as their troubles seemed to be lifted. Whether the couple were truly possessed I confess I will never know. The usual "signs" of possession, speaking in tongues, displaying arcane or secret knowledge, unnatural strength, were absent but there was plenty of grimacing, shouting and contortion before the invading spirit (if so it was) disappeared. Both persons were exorcised at the same time as both apparently suffered the same problems. A calm seemed to descend on them, their lives and circumstances. I must say it was one of my "easier" exorcisms and left me somewhat euphoric at what I considered at the time as a job well done. If only all could have been as simple!

          I have mentioned that often involvement in OCCULT PRACTICES induces an unnatural state whereby a person feels (eventually) totally dissatisfied with his or her manner of living - not always, but quite frequently. When this stage is reached,it is not unusual that the person comes to an exorcist for help. I recall clearly (although I always did take notes) one such instance when somebody who claimed to be a witch (black) wanted to renounce her occult allegiance. Accordingly I began an exorcism which involved the laying-on of hands (as it is known). I should make clear that the attempt was made in "my" church.

          Although I was used to physical reactions this woman's reaction was unusually violent, resembling an epileptic fit in which she fell on the ground. Before I had time to take any action (whatever this might have been!) she got up, clearly not fully conscious of her circumstances and surroundings and began to walk - rather unsteadily in the direction of the main door. Wondering (of course) what she was going to do next, I followed. Before reaching the door, she turned into one of the side chapels and seemingly went berserk throwing on the ground holy objects, statues and the like, breaking some. I hastened up to her and attempted to restrain her, saying prayers and blessings. Her immediate reaction was one of hysteria in which she burst into tears. I felt she was attempting to renounce something and I was conscious of some element leaving her, but I cannot elaborate further. There did seem to be a restitution of "normality" to the unhappy woman.

          Only a few moments ago she had pushed my hands away, had reacted violently, but now she formed her arms and hands into the shape of a cross while I blessed her. This proved to be the turning point. The woman lost her interest in "black magic" - seemingly from that moment - which had caused her so much distress, and led a devout life thereafter.

          This was ostensibly a successful exorcism at the first attempt. The point is that This woman WANTED to be exorcised (or cured). Not all who are disturbed do.

          Not by any means all cases are as straightforward as the above; some involve speaking to the possessing spirit where one is CONVINCED of the reality of true possession - as opposed to pseudo, self-induced states or those resulting from some physical or clinical psychological disorder. Traditionally the Catholic Church has set great store by questioning the demon (if such it be) asking his name, and adjuring him to depart. I personally believe that this is not always necessary. But I certainly did in the following case.

          Once again a female was involved who came to me - more accurately, was referred to me because she was clearly troubled and felt herself to be tormented by misfortunes of one kind or another. Needless to say, her family and friends were very distressed. I relate the event as it happened, giving my words and those of the spirit as best as I can recall based on my notes of the case made immediately after.

Often, the first thing to be said is the asking of the spirit's name (or allied). Accordingly I began.

Who are you? What is your name?

Why do you want to know? (replied the spirit).

We wish to know with whom we are dealing.

I have been forced to be here by my Master.

Who is your Master?

You must know. I have a job to do and I must obey.

Are you therefore reluctantly taking possession of this woman?

In a sense, yes. But it is my task to demonstrate the power of my Master by taking possession.

Are you a dead spirit?

I am not dead in your sense.

Why do you chose this woman?

One person is as good as another - often!

You do not always speak for her - through her mouth?

Not always. The voice you hear now is not that of a woman - because you are speaking to me. Sometimes it suits my purpose to allow her to speak in a natural voice: the contrast is then all the more startling!

I repeat, who are you?

I am the spirit of someone related to our friend in the distant past. I was not what you would call a nice person.

So you once were living?

Very unhappily. I committed suicide.

You are a restless spirit clinging on to a better life than you had known?

No. I am directed by my Master, as I have said.

Who did you say is your Master?

My Master dwells eveywhere and is the enemy of your God.

We call him Satan.

A good word - he is the adversary of religion and religious people like you.

What benefit is there for you in possessing this woman?

Precisely because she is (or should I say, was) a normal, moral being, is our purpose more fulfilled.

Have you now fulfilled your purpose?

I am still doing it.

I adjure you to leave this body and return to the spirit world.

By whose order, may I ask?

Not by mine but by that of Our Lord who died on the cross to free mankind from sin and evil domination.

What rubbish!

We'll see!

After this (quite banal dialogue it seems looking at it now) I began the accepted ritual for exorcism. (See appendix)

          I show the above as an indication of the fact that it is quite common to be able to speak with an entity which is not characteristic of the victim in his or her normal state. Reading the dialogue, it appears that all is calm and measured. I hasten to assure readers this is certainly not the case! A great deal of tension, which of course must hopefully not be detected, is in the mind of the exorcist. If there is any justification for what now seems almost trivial expression, it lies in the desire on the exorcist's part, to impart as calm an ambience as possible under unnatural conditions.

          The invading spirit was expelled at the end of the ritual. I have to say, that this particular spirit was much easier to dislodge than many I had to deal with.

          One phenomena associated with exorcism, about which I have not said a great deal, but which I must mention now is that of DEMONIC TRANSFERENCE. The meaning of this expression is that a demon can be expelled from one person to inhabit another - usually the exorcist himself! This is attributed to a desire for a type of revenge on the part of the demon. Those who have seen the film THE EXORCIST will remember an instance of this phenomenon. There have been many similar instances down the years. Clearly, an exorcist has to keep this possibility very much in mind. It adds to the difficulty - as if there were not enough! Bystanders can be affected too, not so much by being possessed, but by being so overwhelmed by the events they are witnessing that they may vomit or pass out or be affected in some other way. This rarely happens to a member of a "team" (who are trained) but it may happen in the context of the exorcism of a place where there may be ordinary bystanders. Of course it SHOULD not happen to an experienced exorcist who will not be so susceptible.

          POLTERGEIST activity is not easy to deal with, though it is often regarded (by outsiders) as a somewhat comic episode akin to something seen in a slapstick film. I assure you this is not so.

          I relate an incident involving a family who were affected by what seemed to be poltergeist activity.

          From all reports, this family were being subjected to "conventional" poltergeist activity, that is to say, objects, even furniture being thrown around the rooms in the house. They claimed to witness strange dark shadows in the rooms which moved about mysteriously. Some of the objects thrown about, disappeared from view for a few days and then reappeared in a different location. What seemed like small spontaneous combustions appeared in several places which the family hastily extinguished in great fear. These unnatural events were reported to parish priests and to psychologists, but the disturbances continued. Finally I was approached and I visited the house to see for myself the commotion.

          I believed that full exorcism was warranted and, having got permission, I prepared myself. At the time I was criticised by other clergy for using the "solemn" version, who alleged that poltergeist phenomena can be banished by a simple blessing. But I knew this had been tried! Some modern clergy are of the opnion that exorcism in this day and age (excuse the hackneyed expression) is a mere relic of a more credulous era. Well, MY opinion is that it is not, and that some situations need serious rites to be applied to them. Present Catholic belief is that there is real evil in the world which often chooses embodiment the better to wreak its mischief.

          I must say however that my ministrations did not at first prove effective in removing the disturbances. It is often adduced that poltergeist activity is caused by the electrical (or emotional) energy emanating from a disturbed mind (to put it in a nutshell) and it may be that I WAS dealing with disturbed people, rather than malicious spirits. In any case, the disturbabces had to be got rid of, no matter how caused. As I have stated, my belief was that there were evil agencies at work. Of course, it must also be said that the "haunting" (for want of a better word) of places is often due to a bad association in the past - with pagan ritual, sacrifice, and murder. I could discover none of the latter, however. It may be, as is frequently the case, that demonic agencies occasion poltergeist activity against just this sort of family, because they were at least ostensibly "ordinary" and, it seems, devout. But naturally, I must confess I did not know the full story - if there was one!

          I had to repeat the ritual several times before "success" attended my efforts. As far as I am aware the family has lived a trouble free existence from this date.

          Perhaps a comment should be made at this juncture about spirits or spiritual life. It is clear to anyone involved with exorcism that it seems comparatively easy to "enter" a body - if a spirit so is motivated or directed - but not so easy to leave. Hence the need for the exorcism ritual. Most entities seem to be "happy" with their semi-incarnate state, apart from the consternation and dismay they cause, which is their primary purpose. However, it follows that the ultimate offence against God, that is, suicide, is in many cases the final act to which a victim is pushed. Then of course the possessing entity departs. It is possible to regard some suicides as demon driven. In my experience, not all invading spirits are hostile or malicious. They may be simply "looking for a home", reluctant to leave the associations they once had in the living world. Such beings may not induce violent or egregious behaviour in the "victim" but nevertheless, they do distort the normal pattern of a host's behaviour. As such, they still have to be removed.

          We have mentioned that involvement with occult practices often results in undesirable behaviour. On more than one occasion I have been consulted by a medium (or spiritualist) or her (usually female) - friends or family. It may be that the medium feels afflicted in some way and wishes to discontinue her practices. Let us illustrate with the story of Elena, as we shall call her.

          There was no doubt that Elena was a natural "perceptive" and medium. She was what you might call a spiritualist and had been most of her adult life. She adopted a professional approach to her abilities so that she saw "clients" especially those who wished to get in touch with recently departed loved ones. These meetings were not interviews or dialogues in the conventional sense but more like monologues given by Elena purporting to be in touch with the departed spirit (of the loved one). The general attitude of the Catholic Church to this sort of activity is condemnatory, believing that communication with "the other side" can be done only through diabolic agency. Elena was not a Catholic; she appeared not to subscribe to any religious denomination. However, she did call on my services.

          In recent years she had became somewhat bothered by the spirits to which she had access, so much so that they had begun to dominate her thoughts, sleeping and waking. She got no respite from them. It seems the spirits were "talking" to her constantly and she felt obliged to talk back to them. She was fast approaching that state of being we have mentioned earlier, i.e. that of obsession - it was becoming a case of the biter bit. This state of affairs would, it seemed to me, lead to a nervous breakdown - and she was also conscious of this possibility. Whether or not she was truly (in the final stages) possessed I was not entirely convinced. That she needed help and that she was very disturbed was however transparent.

          I decided to try (seems a curious phrase) exorcism (on her) as I thought that it was possible she was possessed. After all, there were many "voices" in her head which were tormenting her. After an initial exorcism, Elena certainly improved and appeared to be suffering less from her spirits. I had to go on, therefore, and after a couple more exorcisms Elena it seems was cured.

          It has to be kept in mind that in this case she did WANT to be freed from her "voices". If she had not then the case may have (was quite likely) to have turned out very differently.

          I have to add an interesting footnote to Elena's case. It was this: that although she was no longer troubled by the strident and persistent spirits, she apparently retained one "still, small voice" (in Wordsworth's phrase) that occasionally spoke to her but in a friendly tone, very different from those she had previously experienced. So whether Elena was completely "cured" or imagining things, or really was still possessed this time by a harmless and amiable spirit who intended good, I must confess I am not still able to determine. The main thing however was that Elena had been freed from the spirits that were troubling her by means of the exorcism ritual.

          I could only hope (still do!) that even the friendly voice would disappear in time!

          Sometimes people see GHOSTS! The person who sees is not possessed but naturally is very perturbed especially if the vision is frequently seen. Clearly in such a case it is the place which is haunted (or possessed), not a person.

          An elderly lady's family approached me as they were worried about the apparent stress the elderly lady was showing. The lady was living in a fairly newly built bungalow (she had recently moved in) and after a few weeks there began to see a man dressed apparently in the sort of clothes a farm worker of the nineteenth century would have worn. She at first assumed the man to be an intruder and although terrified managed to speak to the man, asking him to go. To her astonishment, the man went away without demur and without a word.

          I went to see her and found no evidence of an over active imagination, no sign whatsoever of anything amiss with her, physically or mentally, and no involvement with the occult or anything remotely allied. On making inquiries, I learned that her bungalow had been built on farmland and that the bungalow itself was sited on an old footpath leading to the now demolished farm building. It was evident that the farm worker the elderly woman saw had used that path frequently in the past.

          Clearly the man had in some way become "attached" to the pathway and felt "secure" treading it - but of course the path went through (as it were) the bungalow. Why this was so is impossible to determine: parallel cases are numerous however. We have mentioned this before: a spirit attachment to a site which seems to hold pleasant, or intriguing memories for a dead person. (We know as well that evil associations draw some spirits to a site once famous - or infamous!)

          Equally intriguing is why the woman with whom the "ghost" had absolutely no connection (apart from the siting of the bungalow) saw so clearly the man who obviously intended no harm. In fact, she got absolutely no impression of anything being amiss, or of a sense of evil or tragedy. She was however naturally very fearful and something had I felt to be done. I did not feel the case called for an exorcism in the formal sense, so I administered a "watered down" version of the rite.

          I decided to say some appropriate prayers in the rooms of the bungalow and to bestow blessings throughout the home. The prayers were directed specifically for all who had worked on the farm and its environs years before. This appeared to be efficacious as the old lady did not see the man again.

          Another puzzling case. Where had the man (or his spirit) gone? Additional proof if such be needed that indeed there is another "dimension" of which humanity has no knowledge - and never will have.

          The above is a comparatively innocuous case and seemingly farly simply solved. The following is more complex and unfortunately is more common (than the above). I have come across victims of abuse, satanic, physical, sexual all too frequently in my ministry. I am however wary of the current fascination (if this be the right word) for the "false memory syndrome" by which so-called memories of childhood abuse are recalled; one thing to be remembered though is that on occasion/frequently the memory IS valid!

          Teresa claimed to have suffered physical and sexual abuse as a child and as an adolescent. She was clearly very unhappy and wanted to rid herself of these memories - if possible. She exhibited disturbed behaviour so much so that she became anti-social towards all who came in contact with her. She was drawn to my attention.

          I cannot say I was entirely convinced by her claims and scrutiny of her background failed to corroborate these claims. But this did not prove her to be lying, nor that imagination was to blame. The troubles she felt were all too real. Teresa had been having psychiatric help for some time so she clearly wished to rid herself of her fears.

          Apparently she felt herself drawn to certain pagan festivals (when she got to know of them). So it was equally clear that she did have some knowledge of these events, or knew somebody who was in the know, as she claimed to visit these festivals where (she said) she suffered further abuse of a ritual nature. However, she was never able to give details regarding where and when these took place - which naturally give rise to misgivings on my part. It also seems that Teresa in some way felt unable to resist the lure of these "ceremonies".

          Before the ceremonies, she became quite agitated and panicky, so much so that she had to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. I endeavoured (after she had come to my attention) to visit her every day and bring what comfort I could to her, saying prayers and the like. On these occasions Teresa would tell of certain of the satanic rituals, black masses, sexual depravity, sacrifice of babies and so on. Some of it I could believe; some of it I could not. What could not be disbelieved however was her obvious deep distress. Details of the abuse she had suffered as a child were recounted. Some of them were quite fanciful (if the circumstance were not so heart-rending). For example, she claimed that she had experienced levitation, that she had been turned into a devil, had endured violent deep wounds (although there was no trace of scars on her body). Perhaps she had indeed experienced satanic abuse in her early years; on the other hand, perhaps it was all in her mind; I must say I was not sure. In former days she would have been regarded as "possessed" and therefore a suitable case for exorcism. I inclined to the belief that mental and/or emotional disturbance lay at the bottom of her malaise. Delusion I felt played a large part - BUT I could not be sure! Also the possibility of arousing a "false memory" could not be overlooked, in her psychiatric sessions.

          As in an above case I believed that a form of "deliverance" (to use an "in" term) was called for, and so I conducted several prayerful sessions with her attempting to wean her away from her distressing thoughts. Eventually (after a few months) she appeared to have lost her debilitating preoccupations and became quite "normal" - whatever this is! Conformity to society's norms?

          I felt that Teresa's case was that of memory playing tricks, most of it emanating from within herself but reinforced by external influence. She was not possessed in the usual sense, but some might have so diagnosed.

          Occasionally I ruled out the very possibility of exorcism as inappropriate, even when the patient on the surface apparently exhibited signs of possession. One such case was that of a middle-aged woman who started behaving very peculiarly, but in no sense could be described as mentally unbalanced: disturbed, yes.

          The family of the troubled woman approached me as they felt she was possessed in some way; i.e. that she was under the influence of evil spirits. She had been a normal, dutiful mother until recent years, when she gradually became more and more unstable, accompanied by feelings of agrophobia and insecurity. It became so bad that she felt she was unable to lead any sort of social life and became utterly withdrawn. She was clearly very unhappy and this feeling seemed to come from a deep-seated discontentment, but what was causing this feeling?

          About the same time, she became very interested in ouija games (or seances) and this activity started to take over her life. She heard voices via the ouija board and received messages of a fanciful nature. One such was a message to the effect that she would meet a tall, dark, handsome stranger who would fall in love with her and take her with him. She believed these mesages implicitly and on one occasion set out to meet the promised romantic stranger. Of course nothing materialised and she was discovered out on the open road in great distress by a member of the public.

          She however continued to believe in these absurd notions and persisted with them even when being seen by a psychiatrist. Her husband it seems had long ago given up trying to reason with her and trying to lead a normal life. They went their separate ways. In fact Mrs X (as we shall call her) refused to admit Mr X WAS her husband; she seemed to regard him as a stranger. Therapy did not appear to be doing any good but eventually in rational moments, she said she felt she had married the wrong man. There was obviously something very deep and very sad troubling her. This statement of hers was compounded by the fact which came out later that she also felt very dissatisfied with her lot, finding difficulty having a purpose in life, especially after her children had left home. Clearly there were basic conflicts in her life, but many people have to face similar problems. She was, I believed, ultra sensitive and possibly emotionally immature. I certainly did not think she was possessed. She was very disturbed: this only - but it is bad enough, I admit. She was suffering from a type of hysteria - long thought to be a "sign" of possession. Like many people Mrs X felt her problems to be overwhelming - she could not cope (in the time-honoured phrase) - and her behaviour was a sort of safety valve by which she could escape reality.

          Going on these lines, my approach was (after the psychiatry) to try to guide and inluence her by suitable ministrations and prayers. These eventually proved successful: she began to abandon her eccentric hehaviour, became reconciled with her husband, and began to lead an acceptable social and personal life once more.

          The case of a young man who had to be admitted to a psychiatric clinic was one in which I did believe the patient to be possessed. His condition was serious as he kept claiming he was possessed by evil spirits. Up till this time he had not shown any sign of being disturbed. He did exhibit some of the usual "signs" of being possessed: arcane and secret knowledge, ability to understand and converse in foreign languages in which he was unschooled. In the clinic he was naturally under the care of psychiatrists but they evidently found him a puzzling case. He was however clearly psychotic, if nothing else - but I believed there WAS something else. The doctors finding that little progress was being made, decided to involve me.

          I visited the young man in the presence of the psychiatrists initially to get a general picture and then later I interviewed the patient myself. This meeting was extraordinary. The young man appeared to know my name nd other details about me which he could not possibly have known. (My visit had been kept secret.) I was convinced by his show of knowledge that he was truly being dominated by some supernatural agency. How else could it be?

          The young man was conscious of being "taken over" and wanted to be released. We agreed exorcism was appropriate. I began the rite and as so often happens the victim showed symptoms of distress, convulsing and speaking incoherently. The voices that came from within the victim were clearly of different people/beings and seemed to reflect certain aspects of major sins.

          My efforts at exorcism seemed to be limited to banishing one "spirit" at a time; it necessitated several exorcisms before all the spirits were removed (there seemed to be about four.) It was quite a lengthy process, at the end of which I felt exhausted. The victim afterwards appeared to lose consciousness and remained motionless for a time. He gradually recovered and seemed restored to normality. He called for something to eat and drink and in every way behaved normally.

          I kept in touch with his progress (covertly mainly) and he appeared to have made a complete recovery. What had caused the malaise? Did I come to the right "diagnosis"? Whatever may be the answer, I had succeeded in liberating the young man from a very troublesome condition which had every symptom of true possession.

          These days an exorcist is aware of psychological conditions which can present the "signs" of possession: schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder and the like. In past centuries these cases would undoubtedly have been treated as instances of demonic possession. Hence, as we have emphasised, correct diagnosis initially is of paramount importance. Often, however, the dividing line is very difficult to determine.

          When Ann (as we shall call her) was referred to me she was clearly deeply disturbed. She led ostensibly a devout Christian life. I believed she was genuinely possessed. She exhibited the "signs"; when questions were put to her an unnatural voice (seemingly male) replied. During the exorcism I thought necessary, this voice gave as its reason for inhabiting Ann, that since she was so devout it (the spirit) was trying to destroy her and her life devoted to Christianity.

          Naturally, I wanted to speak with Ann herself. if possible, but every time I asked a question the gruff, male voice replied, that it was no use addressing Ann, as it was not Ann who was talking (was allowed to talk). The spirit reiterated that it wanted to kill Ann by demonic power and in turn asked me if I believed in the Devil (or Satan). I replied that I did, upon which the evil spirit immediately rejoined that it was a good thing too!

          The voice then began to demonstrate its powers (so I interpreted the purpose) by speaking of things which no-body could possibly have known about me and my life. It spoke also in Latin, knowledge of which I knew Ann did not possess.

          It seemed to me that this spirit would have accomplished its aim of destroying its victim given time. She appeared quite helpless in the power of the possessing entity. I knew that my exorcisms had to succeed in order to save her. I assembled my "team" of devout laypersons and began my redoubled round of exorcism rituals. I administered a "solemn" version of the rite which appeared to have some calming effect. After many imprecations and threats (on both sides!) the demon left her. The ritual HAD succeeeded.

          The full version of the exorcism ritual with all it entails is an exhausting business and I felt drained by this particular encounter. But there is euphoria (later) when one is satisfied that success has attended one's efforts. Saving a body and soul is no mean feat, and I felt I had achieved precisely that.

          I mentioned earlier that many of the people I have had to deal with are victims of (satanic) abuse and/or have been initiated in occult and depraved practices by their own families who are adherents of satanism.

          It was at a Healing Mission (as we shall call it) that I first met Doris (as we shall call her). Although having a family background of satanism, Doris in adulthood wished to free herself from the diabolical chains. She wanted deliverance. By dint of relaxed questioning and friendly conversation with her, I learned of her truely horrific history.

          She was introduced into a satanic group by her own parents while still a very young girl. There she had to endure all manner of obscenities, including rape. She was tied upsidedown to a satanic altar.

          Not surprisingly Doris was completely devasted and demoralised by this treatment by the devil worshipping cult. She was subjected to such violations of her nature that she became incapable of differentiating right from wrong, true from false. She developed several personalities (MPD) so that sometimes she spoke like the young girl she was, and at others, spoke in the same vein as her tormentors - her own family.

          In attempts at deliverance, she repeated expressions directed at her, usually of a scurrilous nature. It was clear that Doris had been repeatedly told she was an "ungrateful bitch", and "filthy". I blessed her, prayed over her and poured holy water on her as if washing her. She at once seemed to improve. At least, she obviously liked the holy water as if it were some new cleansing substance. She uttered words of pleasure on feeling the water and appeared as if washing herself in it.

          It was clear to me that Doris was not possessed but was in turmoil because of the diabolical treatment to which she had been subjected. This was enough to derange anyone. Accordingly, I felt exorcism was certainly not called for. What was needed was TLC, prayer and the inculcation of a christian attitude to the world and humanity. This entailed several sessions and Doris maintained her progress towards normality. Towards the end of the series of "deliverance sessions" she appeared to see visions (or mirages) of angels and devils. From what she said, I gathered she saw the image of Jesus Christ himself as she remarked upon the sight. Then it seems she saw what appeared (to her) to be a dark shadow in a corner of the room. This I took to be the devil or some such.

          Although, as I said above, I did not believe she was really possessed, I thought action was called for and in the name of the Lord I ordered the dark spirit to be gone. It seemed this worked as Doris appeared as if a load had been taken from her and her tortured face became clear and untroubled.

          Doris was about thirty when this all took place. I presume the "visions" she had were all in her imagination, fevered and warped as it certainly was, which though not visible to me, were to her, all too vivid and real. Whether all she wanted was some touch of kindness and affection or whether she had indeed become a child of satan because of her childhood experiences, I do not to this day really know. All I do know is that care and prayer did appear to have been effective.

          On occasion I have been faced with what may be regarded as a medieval scenario; that is to say a situation which is not common today but was common in past centuries. I present just such a case.

          A few years ago the following was brought to my attention. I had already heard something of it, as it was fast becoming a famous (or more aptly, infamous) case. It concerned a young man (he was still a teenager) who was believed by his neighbours to be possessed. They had good reason for this: very strange behaviour and when under psychiatric care, given to speak in several different voices, some shrill, some harsh and grating. He had had to be hospitalised several times. Because of these different voices, Terry was adjudged to be possessed by five demons. Conventional medicine wrought no improvement nor did it seem did the psychiatric sessions.

          When Terry began to speak in what later transpired to be an ancient language naturally everone was amazed, including myself and his parents. Apparently the language was being used grammatically correctly.

          I felt that Terry was indeed possessed and largely on the evidence of the differing tongues emanating from the young man I was convinced that he was "inhabited" by five demons/evil spirits. I did not give them names, as I would have done a century or so earlier, feeling that ascertaining their names was not part of the issue. Some of the "demons" were more vociferous than others, more confrontational, so I decided to try to get rid of these first.

          I do not want to try to make the episode more dramatic than it was in reality, but it may seem especially to sceptics, that I am exaggerating the details. I assure you I am not.

          In the course of the exorcism, I was conscious that one or two of the possessing entities had "come out". A somewhat dramatic reaction (on Terry's part) was accompanied by a type of swooning fit leaving him unconscious on the floor. After a short time, Terry regained his senses only to be heard speaking in one of the strange voices. Clearly all the spirits had not left him. Following the rules laid down by the Church, I called upon the demons to leave Terry's body and return whence they came. The young man seemed to be experiencing a period of calm but it was only temporary. The unnatural behaviour started again.

          I did indeed feel that my work was unfinished and recommenced the exorcisms. The sessions were arduous and lengthy, punctuated by fainting fits on the part of the victim. I felt that I had managed to remove two more of the spirits but the one remaining was obstinate. At least this is my belief. My own words were repeated in mockery and from time to time I heard diabolic laughter. These efforts of mine lasted several days; towards the end I was exhausted.

          A priest believes that in an exorcism session a type of CONTEST OF WILLS is taking place between Satan and God. Of course it must be believed that God will triumph in the end but in the interim it is a struggle, involving the victim, the exorcist, as well as supernatural forces. Sometimes my words were anticipated, issuing from the mouth of my "patient"; as can be imagined this was to say the least, very disconcerting!

          The culmination was dramatic. Terry yelled aloud, and managed to overturn the heavy chair to which he was now strapped. He writhed for a short time on the floor and somehow escaped from his bonds. Then he got to his feet and appeared fully recovered. He spoke in his normal voice.

          Later inquiries revealed that "Terry" had not regressed, but had maintained progress. He was never troubled again. I felt this was indeed a positive success and vindication of the power of exorcism correctly applied.

          In some ways, exorcism of places is an "easier" task though not so convincing (and sometimes not so permanent) in the sense that an exorcism has to be repeated some time later when the "dust has settled". Often, exorcism of places is called for as a result of what may be understood as "hauntings" and/or poltergeist activity. It is sometimes adduced that the strange happenings are all in the mind - but what if a priest himself experiences the noises and movements?

          Places that call for exorcism are usually houses where (it is alleged) illicit activities, including murder, have gone on in the past. Often, I have to say, strange activities are witnessed by young people, usually children - but by no means exclusively, as some of the above cases testify. Seeing ghosts is however much more likely in the case of young children and often the places that seem to be in need of benediction are distinguished this way.

          This story involves no children. A haunted house had been brought to my attention. This house was lived in by a middle-aged professional man who claimed to have frequently seen what he believed was a ghost. Naturally the man was on the verge of moving house (if he could sell it).

          On visiting the house the first thing that I noticed was a feeling of cold, unnaturally so. I and my colleagues (who also noticed the cold) continued through the house. If anything, the feeling of cold intensified. (The occupant of the house had not mentioned this phenomena: either he did not wish to or had got used to it, or it was a special "reception" for us.) Whatever the reason, the unnaturalness of it all did engender apprehension in our party. There were noises but they were minor and could be attributable to the age of the house, or the wind. Nothing on this occasion was moved by unknown agency. However, we did get the impression that something was distinctly amiss about the house - perhaps at that stage, indefinable.

          I felt that a minor exorcism was called for and approached my bishop. On gaining permission to exorcise, I went over every room blessing them and sprinkling holy water. I or my colleagues tapped the walls more out of curiosity than anything else. In fact a hollow sound did indicate a space behind a wall in one of the rooms, but nothing of any significance was discovered.

          The occupant managed to sell the house (clearly by keeping stum about the mysteries) and a new owner took up residence. It was not long before he also experienced strange occurrences. It seems, according to his testimony, that he had seen a large but deformed figure of darkish hue appear. This figure made as if to move towards the new occupier who by now was naturally terrified. However in the event the mysterious figure disappeared without coming any closer.

          Further exorcism of the house was, I believed, clearly needed and concentrating on the place in the house where the figure had been seen, I applied the ritual anew. This attempt appeared to be successful as the cold, the noises, the moving of furniture (though this aspect was never very obtrusive) and above all, the strange form, never manifested again.

          Although church is the desired place to perform an exorcism, it can be a place desired by possessed or satanically dominated people to express (if this be the correct word) their devasting behaviour. Not often, but on occasion. One such I remember vividly. I was conducting Mass in my church one Sunday morning when suddenly an ear-splitting scream rent the air. It emanated from a woman in the congregation who had caught my eye previously because of her agitated movements and persistent moaning soumds. Of course everyone present was transfixed, staring at the woman. Some were so shocked that they hurried out of the church.

          Hearing the commotion, one of my fellow clerics came out of the vestry and we both rushed towards the woman, attempting to restrain her. She struggled violently, and it took the two of us all our strength to subdue the woman who was of slight build. At this time she had her eyes closed, but suddenly opened them; the look was diabolic. Almost simultaneously she uttered a crazy laugh, unlike anything I had heard before. That laugh was indeed frightening.

          Her strength was unnatural. She was restrained in the sense that we both held on to her arms but we were unable to keep her in one place: she dragged us about the church as though possessing the strength of ten men. In some agitation I managed to speak some words of the exorcism rite, ordering the demon (as I believed it was) to come out of the woman in Jesus' name.

          The woman suddenly subsided. The diabolic look, the unnatural strength were no longer on display. She moaned anew and the weird laugh was transmuted into a type of wail. Her face developed a softness and composure as she began to cry softly. By this time, most of the congregation had left but a handfull remained, too shaken to move.

          After a moment or two, she began to apologise for her behaviour, although I felt she knew very little about it. She knew enough though to realise she had to say the least, been very disruptive. She confessed to having taken an interest in psychic and occult affairs which had become obsessive. She felt as if some preternatural power was forcing her to delve ever more deeply into these arcane mysteries. She believed that it was Satan or one of his minions that had forced her to come into the church. (It may indeed have been so as the consternation caused in the church of a well-known exorcist (me!) would serve Satan's purpose well.) She was unable to explain further or to comprehend the morning's events. All she could say was that she felt a new inner peace. A burden had been lifted from her.

          We (my colleague and I) called the service to a halt or to a rapid conclusion more like, and took the woman into the vestry. The altar boys were sent home so that we could talk with the erstwhile possessed woman. We endeavoured to comfort her and prayed for her. She now appeared perfectly normal. The consolations of religion seemed to have been effective. Although the banishment of the evil spirit was a much shorter process than usually obtains, I felt it was the power of exorcism (from God) that had brought about the dispossession. I really was convinced the woman had been possessed.

          This was a good instance of someone dominated against her will and knowing very little about it or rather the presentations the possession caused. She did not consciously WANT to be "freed" as a consequence, but was clearly a very different person when she was.

          On occasion one encounters a type of SELF INDUCED POSSESSION. This occurs when a member of a group which has been "experimenting" with the occult or more specifically trying to "raise" spirits seems to become dominated by one of the spirits the group has been trying to "summon".

          It seemed to me to be precisely this scenario when I first met a youngish man who formed part of just such a group and whose behaviour was causing concern. It was certainly hard to believe otherwise than that this man was indeed possessed by one of the "raised" spirits. His character was radically altered at all events.

          Acts of vandalism ensued, proved to be perpetrated by this person. He usually freely confessed to his outrages and appeared as non-plussed about them as did everybody else. He did not know why he did them and said only that he felt compelled by some inner prompting to commit the acts of vandalism. Some of his crimes involved sexual assault.

          I "interviewed" the man with a colleague and we were both struck by the unpleasant atmosphere which seemed to emanate from him. This atmosphere was accompanied by the not unusual feeling of cold which seems to occur in the presence of some malevolent force. We (my colleague and I) were shaken by the experience and we both felt we were in the presence of someone possessed. We believed that exorcism was necessary and so the first step was to take the demoniac (as we believed him to be ) to the church. Unaccountably our journey (on foot) was strangely laboured.

          I started to perform the rite and came to the part where sprinkling, if it is to be done at all, should be instituted. I sprinked holy water on the possessed man and endeavoured to place my hands on his head. I have to say a mysterious force actually prevented me from doing this - like the force experienced when opposite poles of a magnet are confronted. The effect of the holy water was sudden. The man had been passive but the contact with the holy water galvanised him into incoherent voice and unnatural movement. This seemed to me to herald the moment when the demon left the young man. After a minute or so of this demented activity, he suddenly became calm and appeared as if "normal". It appeared to me (and the bystanders) that an evil spirit had been ejected by the power of the exorcism ritual.

          Of course sceptics will say that one can be mistaken or even confused by (spurious) phenomena, by a display of pseudo-possession. All I can say is that to me (and others) the whole experience was very real and that we believed the man was truly possessed.

          A few times I have been called in to "exorcise" a location which has in various ways appeared to be mysteriously troublesome. I am not talking now about buildings but about areas. Even stretches of road notorious for unaccountable accidents. With these I freely confess I have had mixed fortunes but it may be that repetition of the exorcism rite was called for. At all events it must be acknowledged that even one or two "successes" in this strange field of endeavour is significant. Or so I claim!

          Sometimes I have been "called in" by the police to aid them in an investigation where it was believed something very mysterious was at work. One such involved seeing "apparitions" (by motorists) which were always similar on a particular stretch of road. These sightings were of course reported to the police as they always involved the sighting of what appeared to be a dead body by the road side. On investigation, it transpired that a brutal murder had occurred there about a hundred years earlier. Clearly the "apparition" was no temporary personal hallucination since several people had experienced it. Perhaps it was a "ghost" (of the long dead person); perhaps it was simply the bodily manifestation of a departed soul unable to leave its last scene on earth and "revisting" the place of her (it was a female) brutal murder. Whatever may be the truth, I felt exorcism could be beneficial. I tried it one cold and dismal evening.

          No reports of mysterious sightings were ever again reported. Readers can make of this what they like - but I know what I believe

          Apropos the above, I also firmly believe (of course) that many cases of psychiatric disturbance necessitating seeing a specialist are the result of a plurality of factors, among which demonic influence could be one. Where exorcism is thought to be worth trying, in my experience, the rite is not always wholly efficacious but an improvement in the condition is achieved. I must hasten to add that now I am talking about people who are disturbed by a variety of troubles - among which could be a form of possession.

          Married couples with problems feature quite often in the exorcists' ministry. Usually it seems to me the basis of the trouble they are experiencing is sexual in nature, although the couple involved are not truly conscious of the fact. The lack of harmony, shall we call it, shows itself in a variety of ways, especially in what appears to be akin to poltergeist activity, and is not infrequently centered round the marital bed! (Sometimes one feels more like a marriage counsellor than a priest!) It appears that an unrealised, unconscious feeling on the part of one (or both) partners gives rise to these otherwise unaccountable phenomena.

          I have recounted above that strange things can and do occur even in church. I recall one particularly vivid incident where the only explanation of the phenomena could have been a ghostly apparition. This did not occur in my own church but in one some distance away, and as I had a good "track" record (although I say it myself) I was consulted. I visited the church at the time when the "person" was seen, who always stood exactly on the same spot, immobile, and who vanished on being approached. The apparition had been seen by the clergy of the church, luckily at a time when no services were on.

          We clergy said prayers for him (it appeared to be a middle-aged man) but the "ghost" continued to haunt the spot. I must say there was an aura of evil about the place - at least around the spot the apparition appeared. The prayers were continued, a sacrament of absolution administered and a minor version of the exorcism ritual performed. The spectre disappeared at this; never, as far as I know, to return. Our interpretation of this nerve-wracking experience was that this was a case of yet another restless spirit, probably malevolent, who for some unknown reason took human form and chose a corner of this particular church to haunt - or to reveal itself. Certainly it seemed so to me as the sacred ministrations did have the desired effect.

          In the above case we have place and personal phenomena. Mysteries of place, as I have said, tend to outnumber (these days) those of person but not overwhelming so. What does seem to be maintaining its foremost place in the league table (of strange events) is poltergeist activity, mainly I venture to suggest, because it may be due to some sort of supernatural agency but may be in most cases due to a type of disturbed brain activity, or ESP, or paranormal powers exhibited by the focus of attention, the "victim" or sufferer.

          The manifestations occur in all milieu to all ages, though there is a predominance of incident among the old, I have found. The immediate conclusion to be jumped to is that old people often tend to be forgetful and imaginative, but I have always found the phenomena can not be explained by this factor alone. For example, if one is assured that objects laid down disappeared very soon afterwards (not the next day or even hour) it is very mysterious. Especially if the objects turned up in another room! Clearly such happenings are very worrying to the inhabitants of the house, but strangely the happenings are often ignored as due to forgetfulness, old age and the like. In this case the phenomena were brought to my attention by a friend of a married couple.

          The two employed a cleaner cum general factotum who was very much into spiritualism and the occult generally. Meeting her for the first time I felt there was something not quite right about her; I felt ill at ease. Later I came to the realisation that she it was who was the focus of the poltergeist activity (if so it was) and that she was the motivating force behind the disturbances. She was the classic case of the occult adherent being obsessed, taken over if you like, by the forces/spirits she was trying to raise and use. So much so that if "familiars" exist, (ever did exist), she was accompanied by them. Her motivation, it appeared, was the enjoyment derived from creating consternation among those around her. Whether she was truly malicious or made so by the evil spirit that seemed to possess her, cannot be divined. Suffice it to say that I was convinced it was her presence that was causing so much distress.

          I eventually managed to convince the elderly couple of the truth of my diagnosis which led to her dismissal. From that moment the disturbing movements ceased. In this case exorcism or any form of deliverance was not tried: I felt I knew the answer. Subsequent events appeared to vindicate my belief.

          These are only some of my "cases". There are many more, but I believe I have given a cross-section of my activities in the exorcism ministry. Sometimes I have been euphoric, elated; sometimes disappointed and flat; always apprehensive, but regarding each "case" as a challenge. Ultimately, trust in the power of God is the supreme factor: without this faith it is impossible to succeed.

          This chapter has seen us recount some experiences of exorcism personal to the writer. We have read of possessed (or disturbed) people and places and seen the outcomes, some conclusive, some indeterminate, some repetitive, but of which, most I venture to suggest, have been successful. This latter is a relative term. What is "success" and what is "failure" - in our context? Success is maybe subjective, as is failure, no doubt. Failure is perceived when there is no apparent change, or change is very limited, or even if repeated attempts at exorcising are made in order to restore the person or place to normality. Success is more apparent: a restoration to physical and/or emotional "normality" almost instantaneously, is an undoubted sign that the ministrations have worked. No handbook tells us when the stage of recovery is achieved. We do not need one. Perception is all.

          The final chapter is concerned with some reflections on the rite of exorcism, and the paramount importance of belief and trust: Satan in the modern age; demons and devils; good and evil. Is there a continuing need for the ritual in the light of medical advance, psychiatric knowledge? Are there still things of which we have little or no knowledge? Above all is there still a need to discover explanations for strange human behaviour when conventional medicine has been tried - and failed? The priesthood is difficult enough to live up to; is exorcism a call too far?

© A.B. Finlay Ph.D