# data[].attributes.body
This is the final write up for this project.

# data[].attributes.body
The image below shows a possessed woman being driven back by a cross. This furthers the stereotype that the church has the most information and knowledge in the subject allowing them to call themselves experts and announce things as they see fit. This image shows that through the church peoples fears can be avoided, serving an alternate motive behind the exorcism of "demons".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Less than one week away from the election, a terrifying new poll reveals that more than two-thirds of registered Republican voters believe that people can be possessed by demons.

The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling, touted by NPR as "one of the most prolific polling outfits in the country."

The survey was filled with enlightening gems about how the supernatural world may affect the upcoming presidential race. Women were slightly more likely than men to believe in demonic possession, although this gender gap is not nearly as wide as that of women's preference for Obama.

In a classic example of cognitive dissidence, only 37 percent of registered voters--both Democrat and Republican--believe in ghosts, although 57 percent believe in demonic possession. This raises the question, which was ignored in the presidential debates along with other essential issues like climate change and the educational system, about what the possessing force would actually be. (Perhaps Karl Rove?)

For registered Republicans who do believe in demonic possession (which is, again, the majority), there is at least one standout elected official who is taking this issue seriously and has educated himself about spiritual exorcism.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has written a first-hand account about witnessing an exorcism while he was in college.

"Kneeling on the ground, my friends were chanting, 'Satan, I command you to leave this woman.' Others exhorted all 'demons to leave in the name of Christ,'" Jindal wrote.

Jindal made presidential candidate Mitt Romney's short list for VP picks--but, according to the Associated Press, this story of exorcism was a strike against the governor. (The Public Policy Poll hadn't come out yet.)

Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell also has considerable knowledge of witchcraft, although this expertise didn't win her the race in 2010.

"I dabbled into witchcraft -- I never joined a coven," she said to ABC. "But I did, I did. I dabbled into witchcraft. I hung around people who were doing these things. I'm not making this stuff up. I know what they told me they do," she said.

"One of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar, and I didn't know it. I mean, there's little blood there and stuff like that," she said. "We went to a movie and then had a midnight picnic on a satanic altar."

The poll also revealed that zombies are considered to be the scariest monster, another issue that has not been raised at all on the campaign trail.

Whether the two candidates will address these issues within the last week of the race remains to be seen.

Laura Gottesdiener is a freelance journalist and the author of "A Dream Foreclosed: Black America and the Fight for a Place to Call Home," forthcoming from Zuccotti Park Press.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shocking Poll - More than Two-Thirds of Republican Voters Believe in Demonic Possession

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
And less than half think humans are responsible for climate change. Less than one week away from the election, a terrifying new poll reveals that more than two-thirds of registered Republican voters believe that people can be possessed by demons.

# data[].attributes.body
The following image is that of a normal house which was however used in a movie, with no demonic possession actually occurring in it. This image demonstrates that under the right circumstances even the average house or thing can be made to seem eerie, or out of place, even demon haunted.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Lineup Podcast conducted our own investigation into the strange case of Roland Doe and the psychological horrors of demonic possession. Listen below!
Near the end of the 1940s, a young boy, distraught over the death of a beloved aunt, attempted to contact her spirit via a talking board-what is most often referred to as an Ouija board. His attempts awoke dark forces. Soon, the family was plagued by strange phenomena. Not knowing what else to do, the boy's parents took him to Catholic priests, who performed a series of intense and at times violent exorcisms.

Sound familiar? That's because this real-life case inspired William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel The Exorcist, and the subsequent movie adaptation of the same name.

Related: 9 REAL-LIFE CASES OF EXORCISMS AND DEMONIC POSSESSION

The victim of the alleged possession remained anonymous so as to protect his family's privacy; he was called simply "Roland Doe" or "Robbie Mannheim." What we do know is that Roland was born in 1935, which would have made him around 14 years old at the time of the exorcisms.

Accounts of the events say that Roland was close to his Aunt Harriet, who was a spiritualist, and that she had taught him how to use a talking board. When she passed on, he attempted to contact her spirit with the board, and soon thereafter strange things began to happen. Roland's family heard the sound of marching feet within the house, household objects levitated or were flung across the room, furniture toppled over, and religious pictures vibrated on the walls. The occurrences were even said to have followed Roland to school, where his desk reportedly slid across the floor in front of many witnesses.

After exhausting the usual channels of doctors and psychologists, Roland's parents are said to have approached their Lutheran pastor, who invited the boy to spend the night at his house for observation. During the course of the night, the pastor heard scratching sounds coming from inside the walls and saw a heavy armchair topple over on its own. The next morning, he advised Roland's parents to contact a Catholic priest.

What followed was the first of multiple exorcisms on Roland Doe. Edward Hughes, a Catholic priest, is said to have conducted the first exorcism at Georgetown University Hospital. It ended in disaster when the boy allegedly slipped free of his restraints and tore a bedspring from the mattress, slashing the priest's arm.

Related: NIGHTMARE ON CHASE STREET: THE SMURL FAMILY HAUNTING

After that, Roland's family traveled to St. Louis, where William S. Bowdern, an associate of College Church, was given permission by the archbishop to perform additional exorcisms. The archbishop authorized the rituals after Bowden and another priest visited the family at home and observed the boy's bed shaking and objects moving on their own, not to mention Roland speaking in a guttural voice unlike his own and exhibiting an aversion to sacred objects.

One exorcism was attended by at least three priests, including Walter Halloran, who would later report that various wounds appeared on Roland's body-some of these lacerations reportedly resembled words or demonic faces. At one point Roland attacked Halloran violently, breaking his nose.

Related: STRAIGHT OUT OF HELL: 7 SINISTER TALES OF HOLY HORROR

Other accounts attributed a frightening degree of strength to young Roland, and claimed that he spoke in perfect Latin, though the boy was unschooled in the language. Some sources state that at least one of these exorcisms was observed by no less than 48 people, nine of them Jesuits.

Roland Doe survived the sessions. What became of him afterward is anyone's guess, though most people involved in the case say that he lived a perfectly normal life from that point forward, and had no recollection of what had happened to him during his possession.

A 1949 Washington Post article about Roland Doe caught the attention of young William Blatty, who was then just a student at Georgetown University. His 1971 novel The Exorcist, and William Friedkin's film adaptation, shined a spotlight on the case. Several nonfiction books have since been written on the subject, including the 1993 book Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism, by Thomas B. Allen and the 2006 book The Real Story Behind the Exorcist, by Mark Opsasnick. The events also inspired the 2000 film , based on Thomas Allen's book, which is said to hew closer to the Roland Doe story than The Exorcist did.

Related: 9 UNHOLY DEMONIC POSSESSION AND EXORCISM MOVIES

Many of these researchers have come to the conclusion that the whole thing was an elaborate hoax, and have pointed out various logical and historical inconsistencies in the "official" version of events. Allen went so far as to say that "the consensus of today's experts" was that Roland Doe was simply "a deeply disturbed boy, nothing supernatural about him." Opsasnick, who claimed to have tracked down neighbors and childhood acquaintances of Roland Doe, said that he "had been a very clever trickster, who had pulled pranks to frighten his mother and fool children in the neighborhood."

While we may never know the complete facts of the alleged possession and exorcism of Roland Doe, thanks to the success of The Exorcist, the case has left an indelible mark on our imaginations, and on our notion of what a possession-and an exorcism-looks like.
[via Daily Mail; The Scary Story; Diabolical Confusions] Photos (in order): Handout / Getty; Handout / Getty; Cover of William Blatty's "The Exorcist" via Harper & Row / Wikimedia Commons; Movie poster for "The Exorcist" via Warner Bros.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Possessed: The Real-Life Exorcism of Roland Doe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Lineup Podcast conducted our own investigation into the strange case of Roland Doe and the psychological horrors of demonic possession. Listen below! Near the end of the 1940s, a young boy, distraught over the death of a beloved aunt, attempted to contact her spirit via a talking board-what is most often referred to as an Ouija board.

# data[].attributes.body
The image below is filled with many things that add to the eerie state in which we are left when looking at it. The photo is made in black and white which highlights objects adding a sinister effect to them. The time stamp attempts to show a recorded subject which would be linked to her instability and separation from society due to her possession for the greater good. All in all this could simply be someone looking at a security camera that has been installed in her bedroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Richard Gallagher, board-certified psychiatrist, and New York Medical College alum claims to have personally encountered victims of demonic possession, and that possession is more widespread than anyone else in the field would admit.

Gallagher is a man of science and lover of history, who was contacted by a Catholic priest for his opinion on whether or not a subject was suffering from a mental disorder, during the height of the national "Satanic Panic." The Satanic hysterics had Mr. Gallagher skeptical, but the subject's behavior exceeded what could be explained with his training. The subject demonstrated an uncanny ability to read people, telling them their weaknesses, and a knowledge of things that she had no means of knowing, such as how strangers had died. Six people also involved with the subject reported her speaking some tongues outside of her grasp, including Latin. Mr. Gallagher concluded that this was not psychosis, but rather what could only be described as paranormal.

The priest who had asked Mr. Gallagher's opinion and Gallagher formed a partnership after this, leading to more encounters with various cases of demonic possessions, Gallagher being asked to rule out mental illness in these cases.

Many of Gallagher's colleagues in the scientific community would scoff at these tales and the belief that spirits may assail humans. And rightly so, considering the number of patients they encounter who hold delusions about demons, and other forms of the supernatural. But Gallagher holds strong in his belief that in a small number of cases, there is no other explanation but the supernatural.

The Vatican has no involvement in the tracking of exorcism, but according to priests that Gallagher has met, the demand is rising. The United States is host to a group of exorcists about 50 strong, all of whom have been designated by bishops to combat demonic elements on a semi-regular basis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Psychiatric Professional Admits Mental Illness Result Of Demonic Possession | Disclose.tv

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Richard Gallagher, board-certified psychiatrist, and New York Medical College alum claims to have personally encountered victims of demonic possession, and that possession is more widespread than anyone else in the field would admit. Gallagher is a man of science and lover of history, who was...

# data[].attributes.body
This video describes the events of 5 cases of demonic possession, going into detail about how they happened, including accounts from interviews regarding the events; including priests and those involved. This has the red flag of confirmation bias in only speaking of cases where demonic possession occurred and having no words on how it may not be true. There is also the reference to ancient wisdom in regards to the church and its knowledge of possession.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Extremely Creepy Cases Of Demonic Possession

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
5 Extremely Creepy Cases Of Demonic Possession From the real inspiration behind the Exorcist movie, to the.

# data[].attributes.body
This video is of a series which describes events that are unexplained, this video goes over the exorcist mystery of the dying elk. There are accounts from priests, demonologists, and even those that were there. This video has the red flag of ancient wisdom in that it looks to the church for answers from its past knowledge of events. It also breaks into the red flag of emotional connection in the recounts of those involved with the events which have been a part of their life for so long now believing in them. finally there is also an appeal to authority in going to "experts" on the topic of demons and demonic possession.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Unexplained Files S02E01 The Real Exorcist Mystery of the Dying Elk 480p

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Watch Next Episode: The Unexplained Files S02E02 Peruvian Alien Skull Baltic Sea UFO 480p https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Rn3qL_BC8 Help Support My Channel. PayPal Donations Welcome. Click here: http://goo.gl/PgTiJT

# data[].attributes.body
This documentary covers many life/personal accounts with victims, family members and psychologists talking about demonic possession and the harms it has had on people. This video displays a number of red flags, emotional connection through family members of those that were involved having been put under a great deal of strain as a result of the so called "possession". The appeal to authority by having the show air on BBC along with the use of psychologists within the video.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Demonic Possession and Exorcism BBC Documentary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Beyond The White Noise Paranormal ============================== presents an insight into the world of exorcism and Demonic Possession, btwnparanormal@yahoo.co.uk @BTWN_Paranormal

# data[].attributes.body
This website goes through 9 cases of "demonic possession" during which they use these to proof that these such things exist. In this there are a lot of unexplained circumstances which is the first red flag noticed. Finally there is a lot of confirmation bias in only showing that which agreed with their argument.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For most, the concept of possession comes from what we see in movies and books. But for those poor souls involved in the alleged cases below, the forces at work were frighteningly real. From super strength and speaking in tongues to levitation, here are nine real exorcism stories and cases of demonic possession.
Want more bone-chilling cases? Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and get our eeriest investigations delivered straight to your inbox.
Perhaps one of the most terrifying exorcism cases in history, Anneliese Michel's story went on to inspire the 2005 film The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Michel, a young German woman, had struggled from an early age with mental illness. Diagnosed with epileptic psychosis, she also experienced depression and visual and auditory hallucinations, for which she was hospitalized. With time, her symptoms intensified, growing to include an aversion towards religious iconography.

Both she and her Catholic family attributed her condition to demonic possession, and beginning at 22, she underwent an intense 10 months of Catholic exorcism rites. Nearly 70 exorcisms were performed in secrecy under the order of the church. In July of 1976, Michel passed away. An autopsy declared her death was the result of emaciation, malnutrition and starvation at the hands of her priests and her family, who had, during the exorcisms, discontinued consultations with doctors. The family and priests involved were investigated, charged with negligent homicide, and found guilty of manslaughter, serving six months in jail and three years probation.

Often said to include speaking in tongues and strange guttural voices, levitating and clinging to bedroom walls, disturbed thoughts and revulsion of holy objects and sacred spaces, Ecklund's possession spanned several decades beginning in 1912 when she was just 14 years old. Her case was so well known that it served as the basis for a Time profile of the priest in charge of her exorcism, Father Theophilus Riesinger.

Anna's demonic possession was reportedly the result of a curse, put on the devout Catholic in 1908 by her caretakers: her father and her aunt, Mina. Mina was widely believed to be the lover of Anna's father, as well as a witch who used spelled herbs in Ecklund's food to put her under the demon's spell. Father Carl Vogl penned an account of Anna's possession in a pamphlet, published in 1936, called Begone Satan: A Soul Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession in Iowa.

The first exorcism performed on Ecklund in 1912 was successful for a time, but Ecklund would be possessed again by even more demons in 1928. Her second exorcism, which lasted three sessions, was held at a convent in Earling, Iowa and was so grueling it resulted in the deterioration of Ecklund's body. The demons were eventually exorcised, and Ecklund went on to live her life, with only milder possessions after.

Unlike many other well-known cases of demonic possession, the Smurl family claimed it was not a person who was possessed. Instead, they claimed their West Pittston, Pennsylvania double-block home had been taken over by a poltergeist. The Smurl family's case was both highly publicized and heavily scrutinized, discredited by paranormal professionals and clergy who claimed on several occasions that nothing unusual was happening at the residence.

Related: 6 Paranormal Cases Investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren That We Can't Stop Talking About

However, paranormal investigators and demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren claimed the house was occupied by a "very powerful" demon, performing several exorcisms on the home to rid it of the dark shadow they saw there. The unsuccessful exorcism was done in an attempt to stop the demon's alleged attacks on the family, which included loud banging, foul-smelling odors, shaken mattresses, physical and sexual assaults on one member of the family, others being pushed down stairs, and even their dog being thrown into the wall. In 1986, after publishing a book about their experiences, the family claimed intense prayer had helped return things to normal-although the family matriarch said there were still odd occurrences in 1987.
Related: 6 Modern-Day Cases of Demonic Hauntings Want more bone-chilling cases? Sign up for The Lineup's Related: Son of Sam's Reign of Terror: 40 Years Later newsletter, and get our eeriest investigations delivered straight to your inbox.
In many ways, Ecklund and Roland Doe (also known by another alias, "Robbie Mannheim") had similar experiences with possession, including the fact that both were cataloged and published by priests. Doe's case became so notorious that it, too, was adapted into a film: His case was the inspiration for the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist.

After the passing of his aunt, the 13-year-old turned to a spirit board to commune with his beloved family member. Instead of inviting his aunt, Roland apparently invited something much more sinister. After the family became overwhelmed by weird occurrences, including odd noises, furniture moving by itself, and objects levitating when Roland was around, they reached out to their Lutheran pastor who, after monitoring Roland's behavior, declared that he should see a Catholic priest. He did; during the resulting exorcism the boy slashed the Catholic priest's arm with a bedspring, temporarily putting an end to any further action.

The family then moved to St. Louis and saw three more priests, who - with the permission of an Archbishop - carried out around 30 exorcisms on Roland in the psychiatric wing of a city hospital. Messages written on his skin, guttural voices, and extreme strength were noted in one priest's diary before the young boy was eventually freed of the malicious spirit with no memory of the incident.

One of America's most notorious serial killers claimed to have been possessed during his spree, blaming the demons for the murder of six New York City residents. In the year between 1976 and 1977, Berkowitz would terrorize the residents of the city's five boroughs murdering six and wounding seven, a violent spree he attributed to "Papa Sam," a mysterious, evil figure Berkowitz referenced in the letters he left at his crime scenes.

After his capture, it was revealed that "Sam" was the dog of his neighbor Sam Carr. Berkowitz claimed in his prison diaries that the animal was possessed by a 6,000-year-old man named Sam, an alcoholic who consumed human blood. Berkowitz also claimed that the spirit locked him in the attic and commanded him to kill through the dog. "He told me [to kill] through his dog, as he usually does," David wrote in his diaries, before revealing concern that he "may, one day, evolve into a humanoid or demon in a more complete state."

Although Berkowitz has gone back and forth, sometimes sticking with the possession story, sometimes recanting it, he, to this day, believes that his crimes were part of an epic struggle between God and the Devil.

Unlike several other well-known cases of exorcism, Michael Taylor's did not end in a return to normalcy. After Christine Taylor accused her increasingly erratic and socially distant husband of adultery with their church group leader during a meeting, Taylor lashed out at both his wife and his alleged mistress.

In a short time, his terrifying behavior increased in frequency and intensity, and it was decided that Michael would be seen by priests. Following a full night of exhaustive exorcism sessions, the priests claimed they had pulled upwards of 40 demons from Taylor but that several remained inside him when they sent him home. Upon his return, he violently murdered his wife and strangled the family poodle to death. He was picked up by police after wandering the neighborhood streets, soaked in blood.

The case of Clara Germana Cele takes us all the way to a mission school in Umzinto, South Africa. The 16-year-old student was allegedly possessed in the late summer of 1906 after making a pact with the Devil. As word about the pact reached one of the school's priests, Clara's behavior began to become erratic and intensified rapidly, with witnesses claiming that the young girl developed a strong aversion to holy objects, tore at her clothes, talked to things that weren't visible and growled like an animal. She also gained knowledge of other languages, supposedly levitated up to five feet off the ground, exhibited superhuman strength, and relayed personal information about others she shouldn't have been able to know - all trademarks of possession.

Two priests performed an exorcism that lasted more than a day, but another became necessary in January of 1907 after the girl admitted she had made yet another pact with the Devil. Another exorcism was allegedly performed, this time lasting two days, before she was freed of the demon.
Want more bone-chilling cases? Sign up for The Featured photo: Wikimedia Commons; Additional photos: Deadline Paranormal; North Bank Entertainment; Real Unexplained Mysteries; HorrorGalore.com Lineup's newsletter, and get our eeriest investigations delivered straight to your inbox.
This possession case is the most recent on the list, occurring less than 10 years ago in 2008. A board-certified psychiatrist and teacher at both Columbia University and New York Medical College, Richard E. Gallagher declared that his patient, known only as "Julia," had experienced possession. Described as a "charming and engaging" woman, Julia was the queen of a satanic cult. After feeling convinced she was being attacked by a demon, Julia reached out to a local priest who, in turn, reached out to Gallagher to put the woman through psychiatric treatment.

Related: 6 Demonic Possession Movies and Shows You Can Stream Now

But Gallagher ruled out mental illness after seeing his patient enter trance-like states and finding items flying off the shelves in his office, Julia speaking in tongues and sharing details about his life that she couldn't know.

One event that sealed the deal for the Yale-educated medical professional was when, during a phone call with Julia's priest, he heard one of the demonic voices that had come from her mouth - except she was nowhere near a phone. Julia was eventually exorcised, a process during which she allegedly spewed threats, levitated, exhibited super strength, and changed the temperature of the room.

Adapted for the big screen into the hugely successful Hollywood horror hit The Conjuring, this possession is the epitome of a real-life horror story. Soon after the Perron family moved into their dream house in a quaint Rhode Island neighborhood in 1970, the haunting began. The large family immediately began to experience odd and terrifying happenings, from some things as small as odd sounds to those as terrifying as family members being pulled from their beds.

On a number of occasions the ghost of a woman who hanged herself on the property appeared. She particularly abhorred the Perron matriarch, harassing and eventually possessing her. The paranormal investigative duo Ed and Lorraine Warren were brought in and after evaluating the Perrons' situation, declared that there had been quite a few insidious things that occurred in the home and around the property that cast a dark cloud over the entire place. Attempts to exorcise the malevolent spirit from the home failed, and the family endured its torment until 1980, when they fled to Georgia.

KEEP SCROLLING FOR MORE CREEPY STORIES

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
9 Real Exorcism Stories That Will Disturb You

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For most, the concept of possession comes from what we see in movies and books. But for those poor souls involved in the alleged cases below, the forces at work were frighteningly real. From super strength and speaking in tongues to levitation, here are nine real exorcism stories and cases of demonic possession.

# data[].attributes.body
This website goes through various interviews, with many people of faith and supporters of the idea of demonic possession as a reality giving the reader an inside scoop of the religious mindset towards it. This page displays a red flag of confirmation bias in only looking for those to interview which would agree with the idea that demonic possession exists. Also by referring to the bible as a source of knowledge about these things they are using "ancient wisdom" to further the case. http://www.theblaze.com/news/2016/06/16/is-demonic-possession-real-are-the-events-of-the-conjuring-2-possibly-true-a-catholic-priest-and-an-evangelical-face-off/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Over the past few decades, Hollywood has brought demonic possession into the mainstream, solidifying the theological concept as a horrifying fixture in both pop culture and entertainment. Countless movies have invoked the theme in an effort to terrorize audiences, with "The Conjuring 2" serving as the latest project to hit theaters.

The sequel to 2013's "The Conjuring," much like the first film, focuses on a paranormal case involving demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, who traveled to Enfield, England, in the late 1970s to investigate a situation that terrified both authorities and supernatural experts, alike.

The official website for "The Conjuring 2″ describes the case as "one of [the Warren's] most terrifying paranormal investigations" as they worked to "help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits."

Listen to "The Conjuring 2" screenwriters Chad and Carey Hayes dive deep into the film's plot below at the 23:00-mark:

With the movie-makers claiming that the "Conjuring" films are based on true stories, there are clearly some questions worth asking: Are demons and ghosts real? Is it really possible for one or both of these entities to "possess" human beings or infest homes?

While many faithful will definitively answer "yes" to these inquiries, skeptics will certainly scoff. That's why, in the wake of the first "Conjuring" film, TheBlaze decided to reach out to some faith leaders to better understand, theologically, how these questions should be grappled with. The answers we received certainly differed.

Considering the Catholic Church's view in support of exorcisms, TheBlaze spoke with Fr. Claude Burns, a Roman Catholic priest based in Indiana. On the demonic front, he was candid, telling us that "possession is a reality." Pointing to the Bible, he described the historical context that demon possession played in the Christian texts.

"To deny the reality of demonic influence would be to deny the truthfulness of Jesus and the Gospel writers. In the 9th chapter of the Gospel of Mark we have a story of Jesus casting out a demon and his disciples asking why they were unable to do it," he explained.

"The reply of Jesus in verse 29 was, 'This kind can only come out by prayer.' Not only does Jesus confront the demonic but [He] acknowledges a varying degree of struggle and a real battle that goes in in the spiritual realm, a battle that is won by prayer," Burns added.

Rather than metaphorical stories, Burns explained that these are very real scripture lessons that played a central role in Jesus Christ's ministry. This existence of demons and the potential for possession, the priest said, is not something that the church takes lightly.

"In Canon Law of the Catholic Church it states (Canon 1172) - only those priests who get permission from their bishops can perform an exorcism after proper training," Burns said of the process.

And for those who believe that the church's activities in this realm are fleeting, consider that exorcists aren't as rare as one might assume. The priest contended that most dioceses in the Catholic Church have an exorcist that they appoint to deal with these troubling scenarios.

"That priest is then trained to assess each case based upon a careful examination, which includes extensive psychological evaluation," Burns added. "Many cases are found to be psychological problems or struggles but there are many cases of real demonic possession that are then approached by the exorcist using the Rite of Exorcism."

You can also hear below from journalist Michael Hellicar, who investigated the real-life house in England that inspired "The Conjuring 2." He told The Church Boys what he purportedly experienced inside of the home - and it might give you chills:

As for ghosts, Burns said that there are three possibilities under Catholic theology for where a spirit could be present after death: heaven, hell or purgatory.

"There have been instances of people receiving messages from God through the Holy Angels or loved ones who have appeared after death to assure and comfort family and friends," he said. "The souls in purgatory are on the way to Heaven but are in the process of being purified to be able to see God in all of his glory and have been known to be present to family and friends as well."

Burns warns, though, that hellish spirits are also a possibility and that many people open the door to this sort of activity by using a Ouija board, Tarot Cards, or engaging in Seances. The priest said that people sometimes call him and ask for help after experiencing odd activity in their homes. When he asks if they have used these elements, they, many times, admit that they have.

Taking these elements into consideration, some of the events shown in "The Conjuring 2" would be deemed entirely plausible according to Catholic theology.

But might a Catholic stance on the paranormal differ from, say, a Protestant's? TheBlaze also spoke with Hank Hanegraaff, one of the nation's most well-known evangelical and cultural experts. His book, "AfterLife: What You Need to Know About Heaven, the Hereafter & Near-Death Experiences," tackled some of the key questions many people have surrounding life after death.

Interestingly, Hanegraaff has written in the past about Ed and Lorraine Warren, the paranormal investigators who are depicted in "The Conjuring" films. He called the two "sensationalists who hardly represent a biblical world view." He noted that they began jumping on the exorcism bandwagon shortly after pop culture themes began to emerge.

"There's no way whatsoever to give any validity to medieval folklore," he said of the Warrens' work. "This is just nonsense. This is an interjection of pagan superstition."

Hanegraaff called many of the beliefs espoused by the Warrens "bad hermeneutics" and dismissed these tactics and ideals as "a really bad way of reading the Bible."

As for demonic possession, he disagreed with some of the views that Burns espoused, though the notion of these spirits throwing objects and physically tormenting people would seem an impossibility under his theology.

In Hanegraaff's view, demons cannot take form, despite their spiritual presence. Angels, however, have been able to take physical form, but Hanegraaff said that this accomplishment can only be reached through God's allowance.

"Souls can't do anything in the physical realm, because they are by definition non-physical," he said.

As for demons, Hanegraaff believes that demons do, indeed, exist and that they can communicate with human beings.

"We're told that in scripture - but only through mind to mind communication," he explained. "In other words, you can't see them, touch them. They can communicate through mind to mind communication"

Stories like those told in "The Conjuring," the evangelical leader insisted, are fables and are not rooted in reality. Demons clapping, slamming doors and turning out lights, in his view, are figments in the imaginations of the Warrens, Hollywood and others who buy into the hype.

On the possession front, Hanegraaff's view is that it such a notion is entirely possible, but he described it a bit differently than Burns. He believes that people are either possessed by Jesus and God or that they "live in darkness." As for those individuals in the latter situation, he believes that they "have given their lives over to the ways of the kingdom of darkness."

Instead of casting out demons with great fanfare or specific rites, he cited a different approach - one that is found, he believes, in Ephesians 6:10-20.

"What does the Bible say about all of this - does it say we should stick a cross out into space?," he rhetorically asked. "It says we should exercise practices that overcome layers of sin embedded in the human psyche. You exercise human disciplines - it's not done through such superstitions."

As for the Catholic tradition, he noted that there are some who embrace beliefs that he holds to be medieval in nature.

Watch "The Conjuring 2" trailer below:

"I think, unfortunately, there are a lot of Catholics who go back to pagan medieval folklore or think that it has something that is in concert with a Christian worldview," Hanegraaff said. "It is the imposition of a pagan worldview or it's a confusion between those worldviews."

As for why the Bible documents supposed exorcisms, the evangelical leader explained that Jesus and the apostles possessed abilities that were "utterly other" and that their ability to dispel and contend with demons was above and beyond what others would be able to do today.

"They demonstrated who they were through the supernatural," he said, noting that "their powers were not consistent with what we can do." While it's possible for miracles to happen today, he said that these elements are not normative.

As for the presence of ghosts, Hanegraaff believes that people go to heaven or hell and that there is no Biblical basis for the ability to return to haunt people or to remain on Earth after death.

Certainly, Burns and Hanegraaff provide interesting perspective, although they differ on these intriguing theological issues. What do you think about their take and about the allegation that "The Conjuring 2" is a true story? Let us know in the comments section and read more about the film here.
A version of this story first appeared on TheBlaze in 2013.
-
Follow the author of this story on Twitter and Facebook and check out his new book "The Armageddon Code: One Journalist's Quest for End-Times Answers":
Follow @BillyHallowell

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Is Demonic Possession Real? A Catholic Priest and an Evangelical Face-Off on the Biblical Battle.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Over the past few decades, Hollywood has brought demonic possession into the mainstream, solidifying the theological concept as a horrifying fixture in both pop culture and entertainment. Countless movies have invoked the theme in an effort to terrorize audiences, with "The Conjuring 2" serving as the latest project to hit theaters.

# data[].attributes.body
This website goes on to describe how demonic possession is very real according to one psychologist who believes in the concept. This website is fairly obvious in its red flag of appealing to authority. This is also the first link people receive in google after typing in demon possession real, making it an easy mark of confirmation bias. http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2016/july/top-psychiatrist-demonic-possession-is-very-real-and-on-the-rise

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Although many scientists say demonic possession is a myth, one psychiatrist says it is very real and may be on the rise.

Dr. Richard Gallagher is a leading psychiatrists and professor of clinical psychiatry at New York Medical College. Unlike most of his colleagues in the scientific arena, he believes there is a spiritual world with a very dark side that goes beyond just our physical world.

Gallagher's work with the demonic world began decades ago when he had one client who was a self-proclaimed witch.

"She called herself a witch and dressed the part, with flowing dark clothes and black eye shadow around to her temples," Gallagher describes in an article in The Washington Post.

As a man of science, he was skeptical about her claims until he experienced the unexplainable.

"My subject's behavior exceeded what I could explain with my training," he recalls. "She could tell some people their secret weaknesses, such as undue pride. She knew how individuals she'd never known had died, including my mother and her fatal case of ovarian cancer."

But that was not the only thing that convinced Gallagher this was more than just a hoax.

"Six people later vouched to me that, during her exorcisms, they heard her speaking multiple languages, including Latin, completely unfamiliar to her outside of her trances," he said. "This was not psychosis; it was what I can only describe as paranormal ability. I concluded that she was possessed."

From then on Gallagher began working with priests to help distinguish which clients were possessed from those who suffered from serious mental illness.

"For the past two-and-a-half decades and over several hundred consultations, I've helped clergy from multiple denominations and faiths to filter episodes of mental illness - which represent the overwhelming majority of cases - from, literally, the devil's work," he explained.

Looking back on more than 20 years of experience in identifying demonic possession, Gallagher suggests demonic possession is more frequent than what many believe.

"The Vatican does not track global or countrywide exorcism, but in my experience and according to the priests I meet, the demand is rising," he said.

"The United States is home to about 50 'stable' exorcists - those who have been designated by bishops to combat demonic activity on a semi-regular basis - up from just 12 a decade ago," Gallagher added.

Still, many in Gallagher's field do not believe doctors can reconcile their work with belief in the spiritual world. But Gallagher says he has a simple answer to that objection.

"I've been asked, have a simple answer. I honestly weigh the evidence," he said. "As I see it, the evidence for possession is like the evidence for George Washington's crossing of the Delaware. In both cases, written historical accounts with numerous sound witnesses testify to their accuracy."

Gallagher also says it is more illogical to outright reject the existence of a spiritual world.

"As a psychoanalyst, a blanket rejection of the possibility of demonic attacks seems less logical, and often wishful in nature, than a careful appraisal of the facts."

Source: The Washington Post

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top Psychiatrist: Demonic Possession Is Very Real and On the Rise

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Although many scientists say demonic possession is a myth, one psychiatrist says it is very real and may be on the rise. Dr. Richard Gallagher is a leading psychiatrists and professor of clinical psychiatry at New York Medical College.

# data[].attributes.body
By: Zackery Brandon