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Exorcism

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Pozessed

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Have you had any experience at all with an exorcism?
 
Personally this is my favorite TV exorcism...


 
watched the Exorcist , those that count?:mrgreen:

Think the OP needs to be a bit more specific .
 
I apologize for my initial frivolous responses. It's a serious matter deserving serious replies.


The primary entity involved in formal exorcism is the Catholic Church, and they perform them but rarely.

My understanding is they have an exacting criteria.

1. It must be first determined that the individual's troubles are not a result of diagnosable mental illness alone.

2. Various signs of demonic influence must be demonstrated by the presumed possessed.

3. Rather high-ranking members of the clergy must review the case and give the go-ahead before a formal exorcism is attempted.


On the Protestant side, there's Ed and Lorraine Warren... Warrens Bio
 
In one of the last chapters of his People of the Lie, M. Scott Peck (psychiatrist and author of The Road Less Traveled) described an exorcism he had witnessed. I found what he had to say compelling.
 
mike2810 said:
watched the Exorcist , those that count?:mrgreen:

Think the OP needs to be a bit more specific .
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I agree, but aside from what I've read in books or seen on television, I lack much knowledge on the subject.
 
Books are probably just as close as you ever need to be to an exorcism.
 
nota bene said:
Books are probably just as close as you ever need to be to an exorcism.
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I don't want to be close to one. I wanted to read personal anecdotes about people who had been involved in an exorcism. Considering exorcism is supposed to be a wide spread service it should have many people with experience.
I understand objects, people, and pets can be possessed. I also understand that the devil is supposed to be able to possess those that lack faith, which is an abundance of people. There should be many responses to this post unless people are afraid of ridicule, which I assumed wasn't the case with people who openly discuss their faiths.
 
it's just me said:
You could say that.

Here are a couple of books you may find interesting:

An Exorcist Tells His Story: Fr. Gabriele Amorth: 9780898707106: Amazon.com: Books

Amazon.com: The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist eBook: Matt Baglio: Books

I never saw The Rite movie but from what I understand it's different from the book.
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Now I'm highly skeptical. Your resources need to be paid for. It makes it seem as if the authors saw the potential for financial gain by exploiting peoples superstition. Is that not a fair deduction?
 
Pozessed said:
Now I'm highly skeptical. Your resources need to be paid for. It makes it seem as if the authors saw the potential for financial gain by exploiting peoples superstition. Is that not a fair deduction?
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I don't know how you can say that if you haven't read them. But, hey, you brought it up. I'm just along for the ride.
 
How have you reached this conclusion? Writing a book presumes an audience and publication, not that the main motive is profit. Seems like a leap to assume that the intent is exploitation, and why would you assume that readers would be superstitious rather than simply curious to learn the facts, as you've said that you yourself are?

What, BTW, is the meaning of your screen name?
 
nota bene said:
How have you reached this conclusion? Writing a book presumes an audience and publication, not that the main motive is profit. Seems like a leap to assume that the intent is exploitation, and why would you assume that readers would be superstitious rather than simply curious to learn the facts, as you've said that you yourself are?

What, BTW, is the meaning of your screen name?
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Nota, these books are mainly instructive. What is often mistaken for demon possession is usually mental illness. But the times when it is possession/oppression, you need to know what you are seeing. I was struck by your reference to Scott Peck - he thought evil people blame their crimes on others, and who is Satan, after all?
 
it's just me said:
I don't know how you can say that if you haven't read them. But, hey, you brought it up. I'm just along for the ride.
Click to expand...

I was stating my immediate thoughts. I'm grateful you offered some resources, and I intend to read them. I have not reached any conclusion, that's why I asked if it was a fair deduction.
 
it's just me said:
Nota, these books are mainly instructive. What is often mistaken for demon possession is usually mental illness. But the times when it is possession/oppression, you need to know what you are seeing. I was struck by your reference to Scott Peck - he thought evil people blame their crimes on others, and who is Satan, after all?
Click to expand...

Have you read People of the Lie? It's not a "feel-good" book such as the book that made him famous, but when I read it in the '80's, it had a powerful and lasting effect on me. One of his points is that evil isn't extraordinary; it's very ordinary and begins with selfish choices that eventually narrow one's path.

Some of the case studies he shared from his practice are simply chilling--for example, the troubled young man whose parents "didn't understand" why gifting him at Christmas with the shotgun his brother had used to kill himself was a problem.
 
nota bene said:
How have you reached this conclusion? Writing a book presumes an audience and publication, not that the main motive is profit. Seems like a leap to assume that the intent is exploitation, and why would you assume that readers would be superstitious rather than simply curious to learn the facts, as you've said that you yourself are?

What, BTW, is the meaning of your screen name?
Click to expand...

I didn't reach a conclusion, I just relayed my immediate response which I thought was a reasonable possibility. You are right about my assumption of exploiting superstition though, curiosity would more than likely be the motivator for these books audience. Thank you for making me aware.

My screen name has been the same since 1997 when I was a young teenager. I intentionally spelled it wrong then as I do now, for the sake of originality. It was simply a unique name and has remained memorable and original for this long.
 
Thank you for explaining. Given the nature of your OPs, it's an interesting choice.
 
nota bene said:
Have you read People of the Lie? It's not a "feel-good" book such as the book that made him famous, but when I read it in the '80's, it had a powerful and lasting effect on me. One of his points is that evil isn't extraordinary; it's very ordinary and begins with selfish choices that eventually narrow one's path.

Some of the case studies he shared from his practice are simply chilling--for example, the troubled young man whose parents "didn't understand" why gifting him at Christmas with the shotgun his brother had used to kill himself was a problem.
Click to expand...

Mrs. It's Just Me is a Scott Peck fan, from the "Road Less Traveled" school of thought, so I know about him, that's it. I read the reviews of "People Of The Lie" on Amazon, and I will order it and read it. His thesis is on evil and how people get there, but demon possession and oppression always has a back story too, people don't just come down with it. It sounds very similar to me.
 
Pozessed said:
I was stating my immediate thoughts. I'm grateful you offered some resources, and I intend to read them. I have not reached any conclusion, that's why I asked if it was a fair deduction.
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Well, I would be interested in knowing what you think of them. We used them in a Clericus class I took on the subject. Is it for real? Hell, I have seen it and I still am not sure I believe it.
 
Pozessed said:
Now I'm highly skeptical. Your resources need to be paid for. It makes it seem as if the authors saw the potential for financial gain by exploiting peoples superstition. Is that not a fair deduction?
Click to expand...



Most books cost money. Most authors don't get rich. It takes money to edit, set-up, print, bind and publish books... I've rarely run across any free ones bigger than pamphlet.
 
Pozessed said:
I don't want to be close to one. I wanted to read personal anecdotes about people who had been involved in an exorcism. Considering exorcism is supposed to be a wide spread service it should have many people with experience.
I understand objects, people, and pets can be possessed. I also understand that the devil is supposed to be able to possess those that lack faith, which is an abundance of people. There should be many responses to this post unless people are afraid of ridicule, which I assumed wasn't the case with people who openly discuss their faiths.
Click to expand...

on the contrary in islam people believe teh devil imposes itself on the believers

and yes you are right ,some smarter atheist saints will mock the ones who attempt to share their experiences
 
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