Zachery Knowles - True Ghost Stories: Real Demonic Possessions and Exorcisms

What you are about to read is a collection of storiestrue storiesabout demon possession. The individuals in these stories come from all walks of life, various time periods, and several different countries. The details of their stories may differ greatly, but there are certain things they all have in common: loss of control, torment, and fear. In fact, fear is rampant in these stories: personal fear, fear of insanity, fear of the stigma of demon possession, fear of some diabolical creature only they can see, fear for their loved ones safety, and fear for their very soul.

Keep in mind, with demon possession nothing is as it seems. Consider the Italian exorcist who had a frail, elderly woman brought to him for exorcism. At first, she seemed like a sweet, grandmotherly-type woman more likely to be carrying a fresh-baked pie rather than having a demon cast out of her. When alone in the room with the elderly woman, the exorcist turned his back to put on his stole; when he turned back to her, the tiny, frail, little old lady rose from the wooden chair in which she sat and held it over her head by one leg, growling out blasphemies with her face twisted beyond recognition.

Demon possession doesnt always manifest itself as shown in the movies, either. For instance, take the case of a rather chubby twelve-year old boy, Tim, who showed few signs of demon possession. What attracted the attention of people wasnt so much what he did, but the effect he had on others: just Tims presence could cause a roomful of people to become angry and violent.

Many people are familiar with the infamous pea soup scene from The Exorcist , or a similar scene found in one of the old episodes of the X-Files . Believe it or not, it is not uncommon for individuals to vomit up strange substances during an exorcism, although projectile vomiting, as in the films, is more myth than truth. However, it is factual for people to vomit up far more than their physical body can hold including hair, teeth, nails, pins, feces, scarves, and even an occasional frog.

Another film favorite is strange voices and bestial sounds originating from the possessed. In this case, the truth is far more disturbing than fiction; the electronically-manipulated sounds in films do not hold a candle to the eerie, disturbing, unearthly sounds associated with real-life demon possession. As one nun put it, it often sounds like a choir of hellish animals, echoing from deep within the bowels of Hell, with Satan as their director. The voices heard are simply inhuman and to hear one in person will likely disturb you for the rest of your life.

Finally, there are some very dramatic exorcisms in this book that combine levitation, inhuman voices, clairvoyant knowledge, and much more. However, not all exorcisms are dramatic; case-in-point the story of Irish Presbyterian missionary Amy Carmichael. While serving in Japan, she noticed one of her neighbors had been possessed by several fox demons. The local Japanese exorcists had been working on the man for hours, but to no avail. Amy, and her translator Misaki-San, joined together in private prayer for several hours before visiting the man and his family. With his wifes permission, the two young women went in the room where he was restrained for the mans wife said Amy and Misaki-San couldnt hurt him anymore.

Securely restrained by several ropes, the man lie face-down on the floor with burn marks all over his back where the local exorcists had been burning incense to drive the demons away. His body was covered in sweat and every muscle was tense as he growled at the women. Amy and Misaki-San, both in their mid-twenties, stood before him and prayed a quiet, simple prayer of deliverance in the name of Jesus. As they turned to leave, Amy told the wife her husband would be fine. The next morning the women received word the man was once again well and wished to personally thank them for their prayers.

The villains in these stories are the demons that took possession of these individuals. While some of the possessed were promised advantages for cooperating with these dark powers, the horror they reaped in return outweighed any good that may have come. Physical pain, mental torment, a shortened life-span, separation from society, murderous urges, suicidal thoughts, and much, much more are among the house warming gifts demons transport when they take up residence in a human body.

In his book An Exorcist Tells His Story , Father Gabriele Amorth shares the experience of a young man who was demon possessed. This young, 16-year old man experienced deep depression, hopelessness, physical weakness, and a blackening of his soul. He described a sense of an unseen knife stabbing him, its goal not just to physically kill him, but to destroy him from the soul outward as well. He felt engulfed in darkness and completely helpless, his life circumducting out of control until he was finally delivered.

These stories are not only represented by villainous figures for there are heroes, too. Symbols such as a loved one refusing to give up on seeking help, a minister or priest who faces physical danger to emancipate the possessed, or teams of assistants who place their own physical and mental well-being at risk during exorcisms. Each of these heroes faced the demons knowing these spirits may reveal secret sins from their past, cause physical harm outside of the exorcism, and/or force them to see and hear things they would be hard pressed to forget.

Are you prepared to read some true stories about demon possession?