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ok i was online in this science site and found this artical after reading it . i am now wondering are exorcisms more dangerous then they are helping .. here is the artical below with web site.

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/050830_emilyrose.html


Voice of Reason: Exorcisms, Fictional and Fatal
By Benjamin Radford, from the Skeptical Inquirer

posted: 30 August 2005 02:49 pm ET

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Email A new film about exorcism is set to be released on September 9. The Exorcism of Emily Rose, starring Laura Linney and Campbell Scott, is about a priest accused of negligence resulting in the death of a nineteen-year-old woman during an exorcism. While demons, devils, and exorcisms are obviously great grist for horror films, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is interesting because it shows (however fictionally) the potentially dangerous consequences of exorcisms.
As the film opens across the country, a Romanian priest stands accused of just such a crime in real-life. An exorcism at a convent in the small Romanian town of Tanacu resulted in the death of Maricica Irina Cornici, a twenty-three-year-old nun who said she heard the devil telling her she was sinful. With assistance from four nuns, priest Daniel Corogeanu bound Cornici to a cross, gagged her mouth with a towel, and left her for three days without food or water. The ritual, the priest explained, was an effort to drive devils out of the woman. Cornici was found dead on June 15; an autopsy found she had died of suffocation and dehydration. Cornici, who had a history of schizophrenia, reportedly had recently visited the convent and soon after joined the order. The Orthodox Church admitted that Corogeanu had been ordained as a priest without completing his theological studies, and condemned Cornici's death.
While many Americans likely think of exorcisms as relics of the Dark Ages, exorcisms continue to be performed, often on people who are emotionally and mentally disturbed. Whether those undergoing the exorcism are truly possessed by spirits or demons is another matter entirely. Most often, exorcisms are done on people of strong religious faith. To the extent that exorcisms "work," it is primarily due to the power of suggestion and the placebo effect. If you believe you are possessed, and that a given ritual will cleanse you, then it just might. (For more on exorcisms, see Joe Nickell's Investigative Files column in the January/February 2001 issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine.)
A 2001 book on the topic, Michael Cuneo's American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty found no reason to think that anything supernatural occurs during exorcisms. After attending fifty exorcisms, Cuneo is unequivocal about the fact that he saw nothing supernatural--and certainly nothing remotely resembling the events depicted in the 1974 blockbuster film The Exorcist. No spinning heads, levitation, or poltergeists were seen, though many involved some cursing, spitting, or vomiting. As far as science is concerned, possession is a mental health issue.
Maricica Cornici is not the first innocent victim of an exorcism. On August 22, 2003, an autistic eight-year-old boy in Milwaukee was bound in sheets and held down by church members during a prayer service held to exorcise the evil spirits they blamed for his condition. An autopsy found extensive bruising on the back of the child's neck and concluded that he died of asphyxiation. In the past ten years, there have been at least four other exorcism-related deaths in the United States alone, two of the victims children. Then there are several tragic cases like that of Texas mother Andrea Yates, who drowned three of her children in an effort to exorcise the devil from herself in 2001. More recently, a South African couple was arrested for keeping their fifteen-month-old daughter caged, unfed, and tied up because they believed the child was possessed.
Exorcisms in film and fiction can be entertaining, while exorcisms in real life can be fatal. The tragic irony is that in many cases the evil is committed not by the Devil, but by those who believe in him.
Benjamin Radford is an investigative writer and film critic. His article on the true story behind The Exorcist can be found at http://www.radfordreviews.com.

i inguired about thos one time and was told it can ery dangerous if its not done properly annd some say its impossible

before having read in its entirety your post or the article i will add this: its more dangerous to preform an exorcism because it justifies and encourages the behavior of being possessed. i mean if its a mental condition that is. never met a demon so cant speak for them but i know some crazies and fanatics.

after having read your post/article i conclude that making the "host body" too uncomfortable for a parasitic demon is dangerous. no thats an understatement. the mind if put under such stress will do any number of scary things. It offends me to no end that exorcism still is "practiced"

this is madness. thanks for posting this topic -- most fascinating.

and the mind is so powerful that you can make other people die if you continuously work on that...
besides, those who exorcize, most of the time are blind in their own faith, so they dont care about the "host body" but only the "resident demon or spirit" so in most of the practices, if you kill the demon, you'll kill the host too...
and it's very easy to mix fiction and reality...

I also heard if not done correctly it can be very dangerous

I agree with that has been said in the article about that evil is not committed by Devil, but by the people who believe in evil.
Exorcism itself doesn't have to dangerous, I mean to result in that way. It is people` twisted mind that results in such actions that are described there, for example, mother who drowned her children.

I believe they can be very dangerous both to the one possessed and the one trying to do the exorcism as well

very good info and post .. I do feel that is is and can be very dangerous to do I mean first one has to beleive in what they are doing and not be trying to do it just because .. I feel that it is just something that should be done by a true professional/Priest/ preacher etc that has done it and has had success at it.

I have heard that performing an exorcism can be deadly to both parties.

i do belive they can be dangerous,, how do you know that the person who needs help real has some in side of them or is faking it for attion,, or it is a person who is preforiming it because they see evil every where

They can be dangerous if not done by someone who knows what they are doing and if its not done right

The Exocism of Emily Rose is a true story about a german girl and yes it killed her .You can look up the story on the net.

sachamoon

yes we know its true sweety but that was not the question at hand,,

I think it is a very dangerous thing to perform. Obviously many people have been misdiagnosed with being possessed when in fact they were inflicted with psychological issues or some other problem. The persons performing said exorcisms seem to be preoccupied with the demon rather than the person.

I have seen the movie The Exorcism Of Emily Rose. I think on one hand it is all what YOU believe in your mind. Exorcisms can very well be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. Being a witch and not a Christian, I can't say as I believe in what happened in the movie (It was supposedly a true story), although it was quite an interesting tale. I suppose it could happen, but in order to believe in the "demons" you would have to also believe in God and the Devil. I beleive in neither.

that movie was good but from watching that movie tell tell me that exoricism can be dangerous

Truly an interesting post indeed. Dangerous, perhaps, but what seems to make it dangerous is those who are attempting to perform it. I agree with most that experience and caution must be expressed if something is to truly be done as safe as possible. However at the same time if you think about it and believe in demons, you have to consider also the damage an angry demon may cause to a person during an exorcism. Tying a person down is dangerous, on their back, side, or stomach, can all cause asphyxiation. Another interesting ideal where as psychology has been an added subject; How does one truly know that some who have been diagnosed with psychological disorders truly are suffering from a mental disorder? Science explains all it can as best it can and if it can’t explain something then it does not exist, again it falls on the views of the community. Dangerous yes, more dangerous if left untreated most likely, however it is so rarely done, that no one truly would be an expert and able to practice it safely, It think that perhaps both parties should come to a common ground, if treating the mental side is not helping and the family would like to attempt the religious side of things both should be present to assure the most safety for the victim at hand. I any case, the life may be lost, but was the person truly living if running around raving and insane, truly, what kind of a life do some of these poor people truly have?

I find that most of the 'exorcisms' if not all of them are done for reasons of establishing power in a local clergy and to put fear into the minds and hearts of that congregation. What better way to insure that your 'flock' doesn't wander.

In parts of Africa, there is a huge money making sham being perpetrated where children are accused of witchcraft, the priest charges exhorbant rates for 'exorcism' and then the child (now hopeless marked as evil) is often killed or led out into the wilderness to die.

It's no surprise that in almost every case of exorcism, the victim is a youth. Because they are young, they don't know how to argue for their own rights or where to go for help. In many cases, their willingness to be 'exorcised' amounts to a child's desire to do right in their parents and elders eyes.

Dangerous, cruel, ignorant and often sociopathic.

i think it could be dangerous becase technically speaking if a person was possessed then there mind would have to be weaker than the "demons" or " possessor" then technically speaking if you killed what was "controlling" that mind on it's way out, it would take that host with it.

yeah many people has died during an exorcism and some died performing them but they have to be done unless the perspn wants the demon in them

yes it can be dangerous for both of you if you are not sure what you are doing

My personal opinion is that exorcisms do have an effect on (almost always) religious people with mental disorders ONLY.
Not having myself enough evidence to believe that a spirit actually possesses someone's body, my explanation to this phenomenon has a purely pshychiatric aspect.
I have never heard of a not-religious person being possessed.

Other than that, to come to an answer to your question, I believe that exorcisms can be dangerous some times, as I've heard of various horrific experiences about totally brutal methods used by "priests" in order to drive the ocassional demon out of the body of the supposed "victim".
Furthermore, I suppose that exorcisms can also have another negative effect as those "heroic soldiers of God" who practise them usually demand extremely high price for their "services".

Be well :-)

This is info on the children of Kinsasha in Africa that are being given terrible, violent and even murderous 'exorcisms' with hefty fees by the churches and usually followed by child abandonment.

Child Witches of Kinsasha

Disgusting it is what all those religious fanatics do to young children (and not omly). As Felix said, being quite young, in such cases under the specific circumstances, disables the childrens' ability to express their beliefs and oppositions without suffering all these tortures.
In addition, what really pisses me off is that not only those criminals do such cruelties the also get money to do them! Their proffession is to torture innocent people in the name of stupid fairy tales!!!

Very interesting. I believe it would be dangerous for all those involved.

Of course they can be dangerous, we are not on the same plane as whatever is being driven out.I realize that some of these folks are experts, but nobody really knows whats on the other side.Esp. where demons and what not reside.One is always taking a chance in this situation. Very unpredictable at best, there is no handbook that says how each specific entity will react or will not react.

Nice topic Cryingmoon.

I would say either way you look at it,crazy peeps or possessed,it could be a dangerous undertaking.

well i would say that is can be dangerous, as you may not know the power of what your dealing with. but then again, depending on the person doing it, the entity may not know what power you have either. in my opinion it is always dangerous to mess with things that are beyond your knowledge or control

I think it would be very dangerous, and anyone preforming one should be very educated in the matter.

It has been my expirincies that they are very very dangerous, like with anything , things can go wrong, while all precautions are taken things still happen, but again some people are just crazy others well thats what its for. thanks for the incite.

Given all the facts, I believe exorcisms aren't even necessary any more. And, yes, most definitely dangerous. Most likely, a person who exhibits strange behavior, has some type of mental illness which can usually be corrected with proper medication and therapy. The church is way too high on itself.

Yes they are dangerous.

To all parties involved.

Generally the soul is forfeit upon full possession. So thus the entity has right to claim the vessel. Its only those who fight against this possession that they war inside the body. Adding another soul to lay claim to the original soul, requires a pact of servitude. The Catholic church does this by claiming the soul for the church, and the christ.

Other priests do it for themselves if they have the power, or their patrons, etc.

You then get into a pissing match, and the human body can only take so much strain. So with Catholic exorcism it rends the spirit out of the body, in such a way that usually the host dies. Which is crap, because there are better ways to do it.

To date I have only done 4 full blown exorcisms. None of which have copied the roman rites, and all circumstances have worked out in the end, with none of the parties involved meeting unfortunate end as a result from pissy spirits, or the work itself. Though one is dead from other causes, the spirit was successfully removed.

Yes I believe they would be, however they are not as common as one would think they are.

"Their proffession is to torture innocent people in the name of stupid fairy tales!!!"

hmm...interesting quote...crusades anyone?

Anything to do with demons and possessions, in my opinion, is very dangerous.

Walking out your door is dangerous.

Dealings with the spirit world, is the same, you just have to understand that we are extensions of what they are based in. All coming from the same sources, it all has relationship to eachother. The degree is what differs.

I think it could very well be dangerous. The possessor is not going to want to leave the host and has no care for the host, so killing the host to survive might be the only option

Exorcisms do not kill the invading spirit, it banishes them from the host. Usually if that.

Its usually when the invading spirit rips into and devours the host for its energy and to gain control over the vessel, that the change in animating current is what kills them. Like rocking a fish tank, or dropping in water they aren't used to can kill a fish. A human or animal under the possession can be the same.

Just like anything in life, it has its risks. I guess it would all depend on how strong of a hold the entity has over its host, and how much it would be willing to release itself from the current host. I've read some cases where the host did not survive, and other cases where the exorcism was very brief and the entity was dispelled with a very little fight if at all.

i belive that anytime you re dealing with demons you need to be extremly careful . Some of them are very powerful

exorcism's can be dangerous for both the host and the one performing it if not done correctly, because asinfernal has said the demon is ripping the soul from the vessel and devouring it, so extreme care must be taken to protect the vessel and to ensure the soul's release.

exorcism's are not to be taken lightly and should be the last resort after everything else has failed and everything else has been tried to help the person ailing.

It is always nice to know if it is a possession who you are dealing with also and then you will know how to proceed, but study up on them first and know your enemy and what u r dealing with first and i would not advise anyone to take on this undertaking unless trained to do so or experienced enough to do so.

I agree with some of the other posts that it could be dangerous. Not just to the person that decides they want to play along and try the exorcism but also to the person that is possessed. If the person the is supposedly possessed is acting then by trying an exorcism you would just be feeding into that. The person could get physically hurt or even mentally hurt.

I believe if the exorcism is not done properly, it would result in psichological trauma, and brain damage, to the person being exorcised.

It should b done carefully, with the highest expert at hand, to achive the positive results, and less as possible consequences to the possesed person.

Exorcism is a left over remenent of the dark ages. That such things still take place is proof that superstition and religious hysteria have found their way to the 21st century. As long as we still believe in demons there will be exorcisms to force them to depart their unfortunate human host. That being said, whenever you have a demon in possession of a human being, and one who believes that a ritual of exorcism will remove said demon from their host, there is extreme danger.

can they be dangerous? perhaps, but that is not the only reason why Dr. hottubmolly wouldn't prescribe it.

The most dangerous aspect of any exorcism is the fact that the entity may travel from host to host. Thus making it that much harder for it to be exorcised.

i really think they could be If people don't know what they are doing

I am sure that if not done correctly it can be extremely dangerous. But in some cases I am sure that there as been success. In an actual exorcism permission of the exorcised has to be given. A forced exorcism can end in failure..

Yes, In my opinion...if not properly trained to do so, the person performing the exorcism, could then become the one possessed. I feel it could be quite dangerous, and should only be done, by someone with the teaching and experience to do so safely.

Through some twist of fate, western society has come to regard dogmatic faith as a virtue. To hold an idea as true despite all evidence to the contrary is an abdication of reason. Convictions are the end of knowledge, not the beginning; they are the enemy of truth more than lies.

So yes they are dangerous, they are being performed by dogmatic individuals, religious zealots that have a belief and peform these acts on helpless people in the name of their God. An autistic boy is not possesed, he's autistic.

Of coarse . Thanks soulshroud . I forgot to mention that if not carefull to protect your self you may become the new host for the demon . I would never attempt to do one myself

They can be dangerous and deadly if not performed by professionals and even then, things can always go wrong...not taking proper medical preparations, amongst other items of note.

i do believe that it can be dangerous but so is driving. so the question at hand should be is it so dangerous that it should not happen

anytime you pull something out of the body by force you can damage not only the mind and the body but in this case the soul as whele

Well of course it would be danergious to both the person trying to perform the exorcism and the person being possessed. You have to have complete faith and be well cenetered and protected so that it doesn't backfire. Also you really need to look at the whole picture, as in is this person really inhabited by a demom or is there psychological issues going on

Does anyone actually read the posts before commenting anymore? Sheesh...

Some could be more dangerous .. But most are more along the lines of being helpful.

tego i read the posts and you made a really nice point

very dangerious if not proformed right.

slightly off point but related.....I wonder if the branch of religion has something to do with the "possession" numbers. The reason I ask is that, personally, none of the churches I have ever attended talked about possession. However, in the movies, all the possessions seem to be in the Catholic faith with a Catholic priest performing the exorcism. What are your thoughts?

Thanks Skittles ;)

I'm no expert on demons having only come across discarnates, but my best friend at school was the son of a priest (Church of England) and Canterbury Cathedral and the dioses still employ an exorcist. At first my friend thought it was just to keep those who still believed in exorcism sweet and to put on a show for those who wanted it.

Basically the system goes that if a person believes they are posessed or haunted they see a priest, the priest will then do a rite to lay the spirit to rest or cast out the demon. This will usually work for those who just think it's something. If it carries on the priest will speak to the bishop about getting the exorcist to do something.

This man is a trained priest, but his faith is like a physical force from what I've heard from my friend and his father. My friend was allowed to be assistant on one or two occasions and he believed ever since. It can be dangerous, but mostly to those who don't know what they're doing, there is almost certainly precautions for most eventualities.

I think it that exorcism has the potential to be dangerous if not done properly. There are many religious rites in many different religions that are the same way.

i believe that it can be very dangerous,maybe even deadly for some,to the one being posessed,and the one performing the exorcism on the posessed person....the age dont matter,its all how strong the demon or spirit in the person is :D

i believe it can be and has been to ppl who have been. i do believe it is now written that when a exorcism is to be performed that a dr has to be present.

I don't believe a body can be 'possessed' - I also belive its an infringement on human rights when conducting these antiquated experiments. I also believe that society owes it to the mentally disturbed and people with such conditions to be cared for and loved.

I come from a Greek Orthodox background. Born and raised into it. I've long since strayed away from the church for various reasons. There is a book of prayers and "services" they use often.
There actually is a chapter for exorcism. I'm not certain that they still do this sort of thing at least in America, it may happen in Greece, especially in the villages where some still incorporate "pagan" rites. (Some villages still sacrifice a lamb or goat on Easter)

However, from what I have been told this is a simple prayer service for the "possesed" just like a prayer service for the sick or dying. No physical interaction.

First off let us be clear on one thing, most of the christian world has no concept of how to perform an excercism. If he had bruising on him that was a result of what those performing it did to him they were clueless. In reality there should be no harmful physical contact between the people doing it and the one having it done to him. This is why so many excercisms are unsuccessful. They are performed by people who apperantly have no concept of what Christ did even though it it is in black and white in the new testament. this being the case it brings me to my second point.

In order to do something like this right, there must be real study into the subject and a learning must take place. Too many people want to take shortcuts and that costs lives. When it is done right, it is successful.

one more thing. when an exorcism is performed the first thing that should have been done was binding the spirit from causing the person to harm themselves or anyone else. Most are done by people in the church that have no idea what they are doing. If you read in the new testament, Christ sent his disciples to perform and exorcism and they couldn't do it. He did it easily. When they asked why they had problems and He didn't he told them because that kind come out only thru fasting and praying. There are no shortcuts that are safe.

Very good point, I never really thought about it like that, on that point of veiw, it would be the persons faith that draws out the spirit? Not some ritual right?

Yes, exorcisms can be very dangerous. From what I've read over the years, it's not uncommon for anyone in the room at the time to become seriously injured.

In cases like those I say the Pudding is seeping out of the proof that it is indeed dangerous.Retardation was though of as possession at one time and the Demon Marked child was tossed out.My friends dad stripped him and strapped him to a cross to drive a demon out of him
later the father commited suicide.Blamed in his note the demon that was in his son.

Never gave the church that power over the whole issue really...who said only they could whack demons any way?

How do other religions deal with things dubbed demon like or corruptions in would be followers?

They can be dangerous to the soul.

Belief in demon possession is not limited to those of any faith. It is a universal belief, with some exceptions. Regardless, it is a dangerous practice to try to chase demons out of people.

well i believe that they can be very dangrous if they aren't preformed properly. i have heard alot of stories of exorcisms going totally wrong, and ended up hurting both the priest, and the person that was possessed

brandylynn -

Interweb link?

Of course exorcisms are dangerous! Your trying to oust a dangerous entity from a place where it wants to be. And not to mention the doors your opening to yourself inviting in other dangerous entities.

It is not a job for the feint hearted or the naive.

yes it can

I think they can be very dangerous for not only the possessed but also the depossessor. It is tricky business. and the person preforming the exorcism needs to be very well versed in how to handle it.

yes they both parties can get injured if not careful. In India exorcisms are harmful. They actually beat the spirits out. I saw it on Ripleys Believe It Or Not

A friend of mine was exorcised because he burnt a church down. I don't think it made any difference to him...

My take on exorcism, is that it is just plain dangerous and deadly, period.

I would postulate that possesed people are actually psychotics or mentally ill folk who are manifesting the sickness in a way that less educated or alternatively educated (priests) people would mistaken the behavior as possesion.

And since the process involves restraining and restricting a person (no food or drink, no bathroom, bound to a bed or locked in a room) you are adding fuel to the fire.

That is why violent mental patients are placed in a "padded cell" so that they don't bash in their own brains.

But not believing in demonic possesion may have an affect on my belief. Until I experience possesion, I will continue to not be as ammiable to the idea.

The exorcisms are dangerous indifferent of the religion of the participants.
It can and should be performed only by initiates.

Don`t try this at home! :P

I think exorcisms are very dangerous because they encourage religious zealots to look for a 'other' cause for something that could be down to a medical condition

i believe that exorcisms can be very dangerous and even lethal in the wrong hands

DarkKali -


It can also be lethal in the right hands, can't it? Were something to go wrong, that is.

Most often, exorcisms are done on people of strong religious faith. To the extent that exorcisms "work," it is primarily due to the power of suggestion and the placebo effect. If you believe you are possessed, and that a given ritual will cleanse you, then it just might. But yeah too they can be dangerouse sometimes....

I get the drift that a majority of people do not feel that one can be "Possessed" and that Exorcisms are not relevant or valid. That Freud will take care of it.
People are possessed and consumed all the time by evils that we do not acknowledge for what they are any more. Back in the day they were the Seven Deadly Sins. Today they are just a part of life. I believe there are much bigger demons afoot that can and will take possession of a body. Just look at the movie "the Exorcist" How many people got hurt there? Sure it wasn't the possessed, but it goes both ways, anyone can take damage. I feel that yes this is a dangerous ritual, but there are real needs for it also, but it should only be performed by sure and competent clergy. lol

if not done right, they can go very bad. but if they're done right, they shouldn't be dangerous

I certainly think they could be very dangerous, if not performed right, or by the person or people, but even then things can still go bad.

Of course its dangerous. They starve them, don't give them any water, they aren't allowed to move around, because they're tied up.

Even if you don't die from it I can see it leaving lasting effects on your body, like chronic weakness.

as i said before,i do believe that they can be very dangerous....i made a thread lastnight with an article simmilar to this one and it got closed down....i see this one is still open,but mine got closed down....i guess ppl dont like my threads on here,oh well,ill make another thread about something else then,see how long that one stays open.

me123

The big question is whether or not you believe that most exorcisms are in fact trying to remove actual demons from people. The more you believe in possession, the more your'e likely to believe in the necessity for a quality exorcism. The less you believe in demonic possession or the less you believe in its frequency, the more most cases appear to be some kind of child abuse or religious fraud.

I might of missed this however,
There are some beliefs that angels do majority of possessions.They have no defined sex male or female.They have none pending on the area of belief some believe angels would possess men and women so they knew what smiling felt like.And later this lead to the creation of mortals born of mortal and angel. i think the term is nephilim,
Adding it also was believed that once an angel possessed a person since angels normally have no emotion they would get over whelmed and lose control.Just some little known fact on angel myths for those that did not know.

I think that exorcisms are always dangerous. I think sometimes, maybe the damage that is done or could be done is because of the demon, or bad spirit, or whatever, but I think sometimes its just overzealous religious fanatics getting out of hand.

I think that Exorcisms can be very dangerous. That is why the church will not approve of one unless they are sure that some one is really possessed. For the most part the "church" would rather not have an exorcism done.

I believe it can be dangerous. The priest is trying to get rid of the demon or whatever it is, so what would keep it from attacking?

Of course they can get very dangerous if not done correctly. You are going up against the supernatual which will strike out at you at the slightest weakness. That is why usually the preist perform them, who know most the risks and power to protect themselves otherwise. If you don't know what you are doing, or even if you do the slightest thing wrong they can become very dangerous. Its in the nature of anything when dealing with spirits or demons.

This thread has been automatically closed for length.