Anneliese Michel

Paranormal Case: The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (Emily Rose)

By theinsidegeek on | From theinsidegeek.com

Can people really become possessed, or are all possessions merely extreme cases of psychosis? It’s no secret that our minds can make us believe things that aren’t true, and in turn, make our bodies behave accordingly. Is it possible that in extreme cases of psychosis our minds can become so warped that it could overpower a persons basic need to eat?

Anneliese Michel, made popular by the movie Exorcism of Emily Rose, happens to be one of these cases.

Anneliese Michel was born on September 21, 1952 in the town of Klingenberg, Germany. When she was 16 going on 17, she started suffering from convulsions and epileptic seizures. The exact diagnosis made at the time (1969) was Grand Mal epilepsy. Her and her family were fervent Catholics and it was not uncommon for Anneliese to perform penance for the sins of others.

When she was a teenager, Anneliese slept on a bare stone floor to atone for the sins of wayward priests and drug addicts, who could be observed sleeping on the hard ground at the local train station (washingtonpost.com)

So, when Annelise started to claim that she was hearing demonic voices and seeing devilish faces during the day, many people worried that she may be possessed. She was unofficially diagnosed during a pilgrimage where she was said to emit a hellish smell, and was observed avoiding images of Jesus as well as holy water.

Between 1973 and 1975 she was committed to a psychiatric hospital where drugs did nothing to help her condition. Finally, her parents gave up on hospital care, seeking only the help of Catholic exorcists Father Arnold Renz and Pastor Ernst Alt.

Over a 10 month period, Annelise had gone through sixty-seven exorcisms, as the exorcists tried to cast out the demons possessed her. When asked, Annelise claimed that she was possessed by Hitler, Nero, Cain, Judas Iscariot, and even Lucifer.

Whether the result of being possessed, or her psychosis, Annelise exhibited extremely bizarre behaviors during the 10 months of her exorcisms, including: Eating flies, coal, and spiders. Urinating on the floor and licking it up. Tearing off her clothes. Screaming for hours. And one time she even barked under the table for 2 whole days.

Despite the repeated attempts at exorcism, Anneliese eventually did die due to starvation by refusing to eat claiming that she had to do so in order to become rid of Satan’s influence.

In the months after her death, four people were charged with negligent homicide included her parents and both exorcists who were involved in the 10 month ordeal. They were each given 3 years probation.

So, the question remains. Was Anneliese Michel truly possessed or did her staunch Catholic beliefs mold her psychosis?

The following is a recording during one of the exorcisms. Warning, it is a bit disturbing.