A few weeks ago, I binged the series Evil on Netflix. The show is about a Catholic priest-in-training who hires a skeptical clinical psychologist, and a blue-collar contractor who investigated paranormal happenings to see if their is a logical explanation or if it is something spiritual instead. Usually, the happenings turn out to be someone who is possessed. The show made me wonder how often people really think they are possessed and what are the steps to an exorcism? Continue reading if you’d like to know!

What is Demonic Possession?

Whitney Hoffman and Stephanie Bortis describe demonic possession as the following;

“When a person is demonically possessed, he or she suffers from a complete seizure of their personality by a diabolical being. This allows the demon to dominate their person allowing them to become, even somewhat physically, that demonic being.”

Hoffman & Bortis

Possession is when the Devil will directly influence you to do more evil because of you previous sins that lead you to him. Catholic exorcisms are gaining popularity in the U.S. which seems insane since it is such an old practice. So what happens next once you’re possessed?

Exorcism Procedures

Every possession is different than the next, and not every Catholic priest will do one. So you will have to find one that is willing to help. Here is an overview of what might happen;

  • The Presence; the exorcist and assistants become aware of the demonic entity by a strong feeling that something is wrong.
  • Pretense; the demon tries to appear as the victim so it appears as one person. The exorcist tries to find out the demon’s real name to break this.
  • Breakpoint; once the demon’s pretense is broken, there is a scene of extreme panic, abusive words, horrible sights, smells, and noises. The demon speaks of the victim in third person.
  • The Voice; this is also part of the Breakpoint. It is the unordinary and unhuman noises that are emitted from the victim, but the demon’s voice must be silenced.
  • The Clash; as the Voice dies down, there is both spiritual and physical pressure. The exorcist is in battle with the demon and has to give it a place to be. The victim is not the place anymore and is sent to Hell.
  • Expulsion; because the triumph of God’s will, the spirit leaves, and the victim is reclaimed. The victim may have little to no memory of the event.

I am skeptical of demonic possession. I am not Catholic, so I haven’t learned much about demons or Hell. I think the rising number of exorcisms could be because of the climate in the U.S. as a desperate time with much uncertainty. While it could be a real demon, or some sort of psychological event, it is terrifying and if an exorcism helps the victim, I don’t see much harm.

Edit: I want to say thank you for all who have read my posts over the semester! I will most likely not be making more posts on this blog in the future, but really enjoyed making this content. If there would be more demand for more blogs, leave a topic in the comments and I’ll take a look into it!