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To the extent that exorcisms "work," it is due to the power of suggestion
and psychology: If you believe you're possessed (and that an exorcism will cure you), then it just might. |
Exorcism
Facts and Fiction About Demonic Possession
While most people enjoy a scary movie, belief in the literal reality of
demons and of the efficacy of exorcism can have deadly consequences
By Benjamin Radford
Live Science Contributor
The
belief that demons exist and can possess people is of course the stuff of
fiction and horror films — but it is also one of the most widely-held religious
beliefs in the world.
Most
religions claim that humans can be possessed by demonic spirits (the Bible, for
example, recounts six instances of Jesus casting out demons), and offer
exorcisms to remedy this threat..
The idea that invading spirits are inherently evil is largely a Judeo-Christian concept; many religions and belief systems accept possession by both beneficent and malevolent entities for short periods of time as uncommon — and not especially alarming — aspects of spiritual life.
Spiritualism,
a religion that flourished across America in the 1800s and is still practiced
in a few places today, teaches that death is an illusion and that spirits can
possess humans.
New
Agers have also long embraced a form of possession called channeling, in which
spirits of the dead are said to inhabit a medium's body and communicate through
them.
Hundreds
of books, and even some symphonies, have been allegedly composed by spirits.
.
Fictional exorcisms
.
Fictional exorcisms
Hollywood,
of course, has been eager to capitalize on the public's continued fascination
with exorcism and demonic possession with films often dubbed "based on a
true story."
There
are countless exorcism-inspired films, including "The Last Exorcism,"
"The Exorcism of Emily Rose," "The Devil Inside" and
"The Rite" — wildly varying in quality, originality, and scariness.
The
greatest cultural influence, of course, came from the classic "The
Exorcist."
In
the weeks after the film came out in 1974, a Boston Catholic center received
daily requests for exorcisms. The script was written by William Peter Blatty,
adapted from his best-selling 1971 novel of the same name.
Blatty
described the inspiration for the film as a Washington Post article he’d read
in 1949 about a Maryland boy who had been exorcised.
Blatty
believed (or claimed to believe) it was an accurate account, though later
research revealed the story had been sensationalized was far from credible.
Michael
Cuneo, in his book "American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of
Plenty," credits Blatty and "The Exorcist" with much of the
modern-day interest in exorcism.
As
for historical accuracy, though, Cuneo characterizes Blatty's work as a massive
structure of fantasy resting on a flimsy foundation of one priest's diary.
There
really was a boy who underwent an exorcism, but virtually all of the gory and
sensational details appearing in the book and film were wildly exaggerated or
completely made up.
Real
exorcisms
While
many Americans think of real exorcisms as relics of the Dark Ages, exorcisms
continue to be performed, often on people who are emotionally and mentally
disturbed.
Whether
those undergoing the exorcism are truly possessed by spirits or demons is
another matter entirely.
Exorcisms
are done on people of strong religious faith. To the extent that exorcisms
"work," it is due to the power of suggestion and psychology: If you
believe you're possessed (and that an exorcism will cure you), then it just
might.
The
word exorcism derives from the Greek word for oath, "exousia."
As religious studies scholar James R. Lewis explains
in his book "Satanism Today: An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore, and
Popular Culture," "To exorcise thus means something along the
lines of placing the possessing spirit under oath — invoking a higher authority
to compel the spirit — rather than an actual 'casting out.'"
This becomes clear when the demonic entity is
commanded to leave the person, not by the authority of a priest but instead,
for example, "in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit."
The
Vatican first issued official guidelines on exorcism in 1614, and revised them
in 1999.
According
to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, signs of demonic possession include
superhuman strength, aversion to holy water, and the ability to speak in
unknown languages.
Other
potential signs of demonic possession include spitting, cursing, and
"excessive masturbation."
Along
with a handful of Vatican-sanctioned exorcists, there are hundreds of
self-styled exorcists around the world.
After
attending 50 exorcisms during research for his book, Michael Cuneo states that
he never saw anything supernatural or unexplainable: No levitation or spinning
heads or demonic scratch marks suddenly appearing on anyone's faces, but many
emotionally troubled people on both sides of the ritual.
While
most people enjoy a scary movie, belief in the literal reality of demons and of
the efficacy of exorcism can have deadly consequences.
In
2003, an autistic 8-year-old boy in Milwaukee, Wis., was killed during an
exorcism by church members who blamed an invading demon for his disability; in
2005 a young nun in Romania died at the hands of a priest during an exorcism
after being bound to a cross, gagged, and left for days without food or water
in an effort to expel demons.
And
on Christmas Day 2010 in London, England, a 14-year-old boy named Kristy Bamu
was beaten and drowned to death by relatives trying to exorcise an evil spirit
from the boy.
Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer science
magazine and author of six books including "Scientific Paranormal
Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries." His website is www.BenjaminRadford.com.
Benjamin Radford is the Bad Science columnist for Live Science. He
covers pseudoscience, psychology, urban legends and the science behind
"unexplained" or mysterious phenomenon. Ben has a master's degree in
education and a bachelor's degree in psychology. He is deputy editor of
Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and has written, edited or contributed to
more than 20 books, including "Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to
Solve Unexplained Mysteries," "Tracking the Chupacabra: The
Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore" and “Investigating Ghosts:
The Scientific Search for Spirits,” out in fall 2017. His website is www.BenjaminRadford.com.
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