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Nikole Lachance & Shannon Howard

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Summary: This video clip is about the Exorcism of Anneliese Michel. Anneliese started having spells of different situations and at first they were labelled as seizures. However, when she started doing stranger things and was then told by a specialist that she was  having possessions, and a Priest was to give her an exorcism.
Belief: I believe that a reason for belief would be, Simplicity . The reason for this is because the science involving exorcisms is something that is really hard to be explained. There isn’t really much scientific evidence regarding exorcisms, which makes it difficult to know what is scientifically proven.

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The Chilling Exorcism Of Anneliese Michel

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Summary: This is a link to a website that talks about different stories of "real life" exorcisms and possessions. These are some of the most well-known cases. In some of the stories, it talks about not only human possession but the possession of ones home or belongings after inviting a bad spirit into their lives. The symptoms experienced in some of the cases are very similar, such as strange noises, objects moving or disappearing, violence, and extreme changes in behavior.
Belief: I think the reason for belief in most of these cases is Agenticity. There could be a number of different reasons why some of the things being experienced in these stories where happening but the people involved for varying reasons, conclude that its because of a demon or bad spirit taking possession.

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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 frightening reports of real-life demonic possession.
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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.

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.

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.
Related: 6 Modern-Day Cases of Demonic Hauntings Want more bone-chilling cases? Sign up for The Lineup's 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.
Related: Son of Sam's Reign of Terror: 40 Years Later
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.

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.

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.

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.
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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.

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9 Disturbing and Deadly Cases of Real-Life Exorcisms and Possessions

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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 frightening reports of real-life demonic possession.

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Summary: In this photo, you can clearly see that a woman is being held down by people, and has a cross being held to her forehead by who you would assume is a faith healer or priest. The woman is screaming or crying and looks to be in distress which they have labelled as being possessed.
Belief: This is a perfect example of a couple different pseudoscience red flags. The first one would be Ideological Support. Faith healing has zero scientific evidence backing it up but people believe it to dangerous extremes, causing harm to themselves or others. The other pseudoscience red flag in this case would be Appeal to Authority. In this case, religious people looking for help go to someone of faith and power who claims to be able to rid them of their problems, so they believe them blindly because of who they are.

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Summary: This website dives in and talks a bit about what exorcisms are, how they wok and the different types that can be performed. It explains the belief behind it and how the way pop culture has influenced our view of exorcisms. The website states that despite all of the claims and cases of exorcisms and possessions, the Roman Catholic Church believes that only 1 in every 5,000 reported cases are true.
Belief: I think that pop culture and society has influenced a lot of the beliefs and claims connected to exorcisms and possession. The website even says, that if you google exorcism, the search results will show advertisements to hire an exorcist and their success rates. People are making money off of taking advantage of peoples beliefs, just like they would if they were a psychic. For this reason, I would say that the reason for belief is Emotional Connection.

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If you've seen the 1973 movie "The Exorcist," you at least have some idea of what exorcism is about. It has to do with ridding a human being of diabolic possession, it's typically associated with Roman Catholic beliefs, and if the movie is any indication, it's very, very scary. You may remember with a shudder the teenage girl whose head spun around, her body in convulsions, her voice that of a demon spewing curses and obscenities while the battered priest of "The Exorcist" fought the devil to save her soul.

This Hollywood version of an exorcism is supposedly based on a real-life exorcism performed on a Maryland boy in 1949. Priests are still performing exorcisms today.

Is exorcism real, or are the subject and the exorcist unconsciously acting out roles from a popular movie? Are there other explanations for what some people call "possession"? In this article, we'll focus on the Roman Catholic exorcism rite because of its tremendous presence in popular culture thanks to "The Exorcist" and its successors. We'll learn why a priest might perform an exorcism, find out what the ritual involves, take a look at a real-life exorcism and discuss the controversy surrounding the practice.

What is Exorcism?

The Catholic Encyclopedia defines exorcism as "the act of driving out, or warding off, demons, or evil spirits, from persons, places, or things, which are believed to be possessed or infested by them, or are liable to become victims or instruments of their malice." In short, it is a ritual performed by a Catholic priest to expel the devil from a person, place or thing.

There are several types of exorcism in the Roman Catholic Church:

Baptismal exorcism - blessing an infant prior to baptism to cleanse it of evil resulting from original sin

Simple exorcism - blessing a place or thing to rid it of evil influence

Real exorcism - performing the Rite of Exorcism to rid a human being of diabolical possession

A "real exorcism" is what most of us think of when we think of exorcism. In this case, the priest-exorcist is dealing with a human being who is possessed by the devil -- the devil is inhabiting this person's body. The Hollywood version of a real exorcism looks something like this:

According to the Church, telltale signs of demonic possession include [ ref]:

Speaking or understanding languages which the person has never learned (different from "speaking in tongues," which is considered a sign of religious ecstasy, not possession)

Knowing (and revealing) things the person has no earthly way of knowing

Physical strength beyond the person's natural physical makeup

A violent aversion to God, the Virgin Mary, the cross and other images of Catholic faith

If you do a Google search for the word "exorcism," you'll find ads for exorcists -- Wanda Pratnicka, for example, has "30 years experience with 25,000 successfully performed exorcisms." This makes demonic possession seem like a pretty common occurrence. But to the Roman Catholic Church, it's rare: It only finds true demonic possession in about one out of every 5,000 reported cases [ ref]. So what does it take for the Church to send in an exorcist?

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If you've seen the movie "The Exorcist," you have some idea of what exorcism is. But is it real, or are there other explanations for what some people call "possession"? Learn why a priest might perform an exorcism and more.

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Summary: This photo appears to be showing a young male being attacked by demons and a priest doing an exorcism to try and evict the demons from the man's body.
Belief: I would say that in this image a red flag would be Red Herring . The reason for this would be because because this photo is just an image, there is no evidence proving that this person was actually being possessed by demons, we can only make assumptions of what is going on.

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Summary: In this video clip Eric, a young boy who lives in the Philippines is said to having his soul controlled by the "devil." Because of his actions in the community. In the town there are many Catholics who believe that any source of "evil" is promoted by the underworld, and evil demons. Often Eric acts out, especially if his mother reads parts of the bible to pray over him to hopefully make his soul "pure", during the video clip , Eric has a exorcism done by a Priest because they believe that only a Priest can stop such thing.
Belief:  I personally would say that this video clip's Red Flag would be Proof of Verbosity. The reason why I would claim this as this particular Red Flag is because, the people believe in this evidence of their past beliefs. The past beliefs before Christianity being evil spirits. In this perspective this is what the people believe in, they have the evidence they need in order to find out what is wrong with younger children, when they seem like "evil" things are happening to them.

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A Filipina mother believes her young son is possessed, and seeks an exorcism.

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Summary: In this photo, you can see a woman with her arms raised and seems as though she is yelling. There are three religious men in the picture with the woman and it seems like two of the men are praying for her and the other is trying to restrain her with a rope around her neck. The setting of the picture looks as if they are in a church because of the painting of what looks to me to be of Jesus in the background shining towards the woman.
Belief: I would say that this picture is an Unexplained reason for belief. Because it is a picture and there is no story that goes with it, you are left with your imagination to figure out what is going on. If I hadn't known that this image was depicting a woman being possessed and exorcised, I personally wouldn't have come to that conclusion, but I can see how one would.

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Summary: This is a trailer for a movie that was based on Anneliese Michel. The film shows what potentially had happened to Annelise but because it's a movie many things were most likely exaggerating a lot of the situations to make them more scary for the audience.
Belief: Te belief I would personally give this movie trailer would be Confirmation Bias. The reason for this answer is because the events that happened are indicated as true events, this movie does show true facts from the real events regarding the exorcism of Annelise Michel.

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The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005) Official Trailer 1 - Laura Linney Movie

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Summary: This is an article posted by the Catholic News Service that answered frequently asked questions people had about exorcisms to clarify misconceptions people have made from the media.
Belief: I think that the pseudoscience red flag for this article would be Appeal to Authority. It is posted on a website that is targeted to a religious audience and contains information provided by the bishops' Committee on Divine Worship, a presumably trusted source for a religious person.

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Exorcism is one of the most misunderstood rituals in the Catholic Church

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the English translation of "Exorcisms and Related Supplications" in 2014. The Vatican approved the translation in spring 2017.

Because much of the public perception of the nature and application of exorcism is shaped by mass media, the bishops' Committee on Divine Worship approved basic questions and answers with the hope of providing clear information on the topic.

What follows is that online resource edited for brevity, clarity and style. The full set of questions and answers can be found here.

Q: What is an exorcism?

Exorcism is a specific form of prayer that the church uses against the power of the devil.

Q: What is the difference between an exorcism and the sacrament of penance?

Exorcism is a prayer that falls in the category of sacramentals, one of a number of sacred signs instituted by the church "to sanctify different circumstances of life" ("Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church," no. 351), thus varying from the seven sacraments of the church instituted by Christ. The sacrament of penance forgives sins and reconciles the faithful to the church, renewing baptism and bestowing grace to fight evil and grow in virtue. As a sacramental, exorcism prepares a person for the grace of the sacrament.

Q: Why does the church need exorcisms?

There are instances when a person needs to be protected against the power of the devil or to be withdrawn from the devil's spiritual dominion. At such times, the church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus for this protection or liberation through the use of exorcism.

Q: Is there a scriptural basis for exorcism?

While the basis for exorcism is grounded in the ministry of Jesus, there is no scriptural basis for a formal rite of exorcism apart from the use of the psalms and Gospel excerpt that were included in the rite of exorcism as it evolved.

What is clear, however, is that Jesus involved the disciples in his mission and through their commissioning continued the exorcistic work begun by Jesus himself (Matthew 10:8; Mark 3:14-15; 6:13; 16:17; Luke 9:1; 10:17). It was not a work they did in their own names, but in the name of Jesus, who had bestowed it upon them. Thus the ministry of exorcism continues in the life of the church as part of the regular pastoral care of souls.

Q: Are there different kinds of exorcisms?

There are two kinds, or forms, of exorcisms. Simple or minor forms are found in two places: first, for those preparing for baptism, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and baptism for children both call for minor exorcisms; secondly, the appendix of "Exorcisms and Related Supplications" includes a series of prayers which may be used by the faithful.

The second is the solemn, or major exorcism, which is a rite that only can be performed by a bishop or priest, with the special and express permission of the local ordinary. This form is directed "at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation (of a person) from demonic possession." ("Catechism of the Catholic Church," no. 1673)

Q: When and how is an afflicted member of the faithful referred to an exorcist?

It is advisable that every diocese establish a protocol to respond to inquiries from the someone who claims to be demonically afflicted. As part of the protocol, an assessment should occur to determine the true state of the person. Only after a thorough examination including medical, psychological, and psychiatric testing might a person be referred to the exorcist for a final determination regarding demonic possession. To be clear, the actual determination of whether a member of the faithful is genuinely possessed by the devil is made by the church, even if individuals claim to be possessed through their own self-diagnosis or psychosis.

Q: How frequently is a major exorcism performed?

The frequency of major exorcisms is determined by the credible need for the rite. That is why establishing a diocesan protocol is important. Through the centuries the church has moved cautiously when evaluating alleged cases of demonic possession. The reason for this is not to deny access to the rite for those who are in genuine need. However, the church is equally concerned that individuals not get caught up in a sensationalist mentality and thus create a kind of sideshow affair. Although rare, genuine cases of demonic possession should be addressed in a balanced manner with the utmost care being extended to the afflicted person.

Q: Who may perform the various kinds of exorcisms?

The minister of a minor exorcism is the designated authorized minister of the sacrament (RCIA or baptism for children) or blessing being celebrated. The prayers in Appendix II of the translation may be offered by any member of the clergy or the lay faithful. However, the Rite of Major Exorcism is to be celebrated only by a bishop or a priest who has obtained the special and express permission of the diocesan bishop.

Q: How does a priest become an exorcist?

A priest may be appointed to the office of exorcist either on a stable basis or for a particular occasion by the diocesan bishop. In either case, the exorcist should work closely with, and under the direction of, the bishop.

Q: Should other members of the faithful be present when an exorcism is performed?

This text strongly recommends against the exorcist working in isolation. Even though in rare instances this may be unavoidable, the practice of performing an exorcism in solitude should be discouraged at all costs.

Q: Where should an exorcism be performed?

The norm is to celebrate the rite of exorcism in an oratory or other appropriate place such as a small chapel discreetly hidden from plain view. It is to the advantage of the exorcist whenever possible to utilize a place that is dedicated to God's honor and not the home of the afflicted person, for instance.

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FAQs: What is an exorcism? | CatholicHerald.co.uk

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Exorcism is one of the most misunderstood rituals in the Catholic Church The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the English translation of "Exorcisms and Related Supplications" in 2014. The Vatican approved the translation in spring 2017.