Hollywood may have desensitized the masses to the concept of demonic possession–who now dismiss it as fiction–but there are actually many true exorcisms stories out there. In fact, quite a few real cases inspired many of those popular horror films in the first place. “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” was based on the tragic case of Anneliese Michel and “The Exorcist” was based on the successful case of Robbie Mannheim.
Most cultures and religions have their own belief-system surrounding the best way to expel a demon. The Catholic Church, for example, believes the Lord’s Prayer can cast a demon from a possessed person if said by a priest who is “of a blameless life, intelligent, courageous, and humble.” They must then perform special acts of devotion, such as fasting and prayer. In the case of Robbie Mannheim in certainly worked.
Mainstream society tends to chalk possession cases up to the manifestation of mental illness – and often that’s exactly what they are. Whether it was the power of the mind or the power for persuading demons to take their asses back to hell, these real-life exorcists stepped in and saved the day.
The Ronald Doe Case
Ronald Doe, or Robbie Mannheim, was the real-life inspiration for the film “The Exorcist.”
Robbie was 14-years-old when he suffered from demonic possession that was believed to have been brought on by playing with a spirit board. Sometime in the 1940s, Robbie’s aunt bought the Ouija board for him and after her death, he attempted to contact her but something else answered.
It began with a haunting inside the home, strange noises, footsteps, and religious icons were thrown around. Soon the attacks became directed at Ronald and scratches appeared all over his body. At some point, the creature gained access to Ronald’s body and fully possessed him. Ronald began levitating and speaking in languages he didn’t actually know. The Roman Catholic Church was contacted and a priest was granted permission to perform an exorcism– but one wasn’t enough. It took over 30 rituals and multiple priests to expel the demon from Robbie’s body but it eventually worked. Witnesses reported a strong smell of sulfur permeating the air at the completion of the final ritual.
Emma Schmidt aka Anna Ecklund
Anna Ecklund was a pseudonym for Emma Schmidt.
While Anna Eckland was raised Catholic, her father and aunt practiced witchcraft and it’s believed they were the source of her curse. It was in Iowa, 1912 when 14-year-old Anna began acting possessed. She refused to step foot in a church and seemed genuinely terrified of holy objects. She had her first exorcism that year and it seemed to work but multiple entities made their way back into her– quite a few of which, claimed to be the same demons who also possessed Annaliese Michel.
Years went by and multiple exorcisms were performed but the girl still housed demons. She was put in a convent as a last-ditch effort to cure her. Anna continued to speak in tongues, demonstrate knowledge of things she couldn’t have known, and she allegedly vomited strange herbs and tobacco. She reportedly levitated and clung to the walls of the convent while continuing to undergo multiple exorcism rituals until finally at 30 years old, Anna was cured. She left the convent and never displayed any symptoms after 16-years of possession.
Clara Germana Cele
It was at St. Michael’s Mission in Natal, South Africa, 1906, when 16-year-old Clara Germana Cele’s behavior became unsettling. She was suddenly able to understand German, French, and Polish, although she hadn’t been exposed to those languages. She also began demonstrating clairvoyance, somehow she knew intimate secrets and the transgressions of people she didn’t even know. Then unnerving grew into terrifying as Clara’s behavior became violent, especially in the presence of holy objects (and holy people). She allegedly beat and hurled nuns across the room of the convent.
At one point, Clara actually confessed to Father Hörner Erasmus, that she made a pact with Satan, which allowed him to take over her body. Father Hörner Erasmus wasn’t going to let that slide, he and another Catholic priest, Rev. Mansueti (Director of the St. Michael’s Mission) began performing exorcism rites on Clara immediately. Initially, Clara, or more accurately, the demon inside her, knocked the Holy Bible from the priest’s hands and tried to choke him to death. The exorcism went on for two days and the girl was healed.
George Lukins
A man named George Lukins claimed he was possessed by seven demons and that it would take seven priests to remove them. Lukins spent 18-years growling and howling at people while his body physically deteriorated. He often had seizures and kept insisting he was the devil in a tone of voice that didn’t belong to him.
Lukins’ long-time friend, Sarah Barber sent a letter begging a local priest to help.
Finally, on June 13, 1778, seven priests gathered to perform an exorcism at the Temple Church in Bristol, England. As the priests sang hymns, Lukins lashed violently. One of the entities barked and hissed at the priests, shouting that the torment would only get worse. Seven demonic personalities made their presences known to the priests, with the last one screaming that he was the devil himself. In the end, all seven of the demons were banished back to hell.
Salvador Dali
Apparently, the famous artist Salvador Dali believed himself to be possessed and had an exorcism performed in 1947 by a friar and close friend by the name of Gabriele Maria Berardi. The time period in which Dali underwent this religious crisis was when his work left the surreal and took on heavy religious influences. The friar successfully cleared out Dali’s demons and the artist sculpted him a crucifix as a token of his appreciation.
The friar told friends of Dali’s gift for the exorcism and the cross was found in his belongings after his death in 1984. While there is no official documentation proving the exorcism took place, experts have confirmed the crucifix the friar was gifted with, was in fact, the work of Dali.
About Author
