The Exorcism Of Anneliese Michel

Are exorcisms real? Most certainly they are, as many have been performed by the Catholic church throughout countless generations. Let it be said that for those who participate in an exorcism it’s a very real event, and not some smoke and mirrors event aimed at gaining fame or notoriety. In fact, in many cases the families go into hiding, for fear of having their shame broadcast throughout the world.

The real question is … are exorcisms really needed? Better yet, are they only performed when all other routes have been exhausted?

To understand how parents and family can be pushed to this point, we’ll look into one of the most famous exorcisms. Her real name was Anneliese Michel, but you might know her as Emily Rose, which was the name given to her in a recent movie.

From Normal To Abnormal

For the first seventeen years of Anneliese’s life, nothing occurred out of the ordinary. Raised in a strictly Catholic family, she regularly prayed the Rosary and atoned for the sins of others. In every sense of the word she was the perfect Catholic girl, but then something changed.

Several bouts of convulsions led to Anneliese being diagnosed with Grand Mal epilepsy, and for those who have never before witnessed such seizures (I have) then can be quite frightening. The person loses consciousness and the muscles of the body violently contract, looking much like something has taken over the body and is fighting for control. However, Grand Mal epilepsy is a medical condition, which is treatable with medication. So, how could this be mistaken for demonic possession?

Alone, it couldn’t, but when you throw schizophrenia into the mix it becomes more like an actual demonic possession. You see, schizophrenia is a detachment from reality where a person believes they exist in another world. Locked inside their own imagination, they believe whatever their mind presents to them, as they have no means to snap back to reality. Granted, there are medications that help submerge the symptoms, but none that work consistently for all patients.

Anneliese was most certainly one of the damned, but not by means of possession.

Her Condition Worsens

It takes time to find a medicinal balance in a person suffering from a severe mental illness, and many parents – much like those of Anneliese – lose patience and try to take over treatment themselves. Convinced that the doctors had it all wrong, they turned to what they knew – their Catholic upbringing – which told them such a curse could only be the work of the Devil. Thus, the only solution was to perform an exorcism.

Regardless of what one believes, for the Catholic church to sanction an exorcism it must be proven that a person is actually possessed. An exorcist is called upon to examine the person or place in question, and if the case is proven to his satisfaction then an exorcism is sanctioned. In the case of Anneliese Michel, the request was denied twice before finally being approved.

No longer on her full regimen of psychiatric meds, her condition deteriorated to the point where reality seemed more like a dream, leaving Anneliese trapped in a world she didn’t belong in. By this time proof of possession was easy to come by, as she seemed more like an otherworldly being than the human she once was.

The Bishop of Wurzburg sent two priests to carry out the exorcism, Father Arnold Renz and Pastor Ernst Alt. For ten months they would attempt to rid Anneliese of her demons, and they would finally pass upon her death – a direct result of the 67 exorcisms performed upon her.

Damned To Die

From the onset, Anneliese believed she was possessed. No doubt, her Catholic upbringing, coupled with her parents insistence that she was being devoured by demons, led her to this conclusion. Trapped by her own faith, the idle pathways of her mind rolled over the possibilities until they pushed them to become reality, making poor Annaliese and everyone around her certain that her body had become a demonic playground.

With no other reality to cling onto Anneliese fell to her Catholic beliefs, seeing the repeated exorcisms as a pain she must endure if she was ever to atone for the sins that imprisoned her. However, as reality totally left her mind, she became the very demon she was said to be, and it’s that mental determination to remain ill that led to her final demise.

In the end, Anneliese refused to eat. Given to her fate, she just wanted to die. What little medication she did receive for her seizures wasn’t nearly enough, and it has been stated (in at least one book) that these medications might have been the cause for her hallucinations. More than likely, it was the irregular administration of these meds which were an attributing cause.

July 1st, 1976, Anneliese Mitchel finally passed away. On the autopsy report it was noted she died of severe dehydration and malnourishment, and those involved in the exorcism were brought before a court, to answer for her death.

Was Anneliese truly possessed? By mental illness, yes. By demons … well the medical record doesn’t back up that claim, nor can we say with absolute certainty this was the case. What we can say is that many people, proven to be mentally ill, have shown the same signs of possession – and through the correct regimen of medication they have been freed of their inner demons. Is this to say that modern medicine is more powerful than an exorcism? Perhaps it states the obvious … that the human mind can manifest demons of its own, which can only be cured with the proper attention.