Richard Gallagher - Demonic Foes

I want to express my considerable gratitude to the individuals described in this book who have allowed me to share their compelling stories, albeit anonymously.

I thank my son Peter and many colleagues and friends, too numerous to mention, for their love and support during the whole time this work occupied so much of my attention.

Contents

As his past academic chairman for many years, I can attest that Dr. Richard Gallagher is a multitalented psychiatrist and a highly respected clinician who is also a valued teacher. He embarked on a serious scholarly study long ago concerning the fascinating, if controversial, subject of suspected demonic possession.

Contrary to a widespread belief, such phenomena not only continue to be reported in todays world, but they still defy easy explanation as simplistically conceived medical or psychiatric disorders. Dr. Gallagher brings his trained intellect and unimpeachable integrity to bear on the investigation of such states of possession and has undoubtedly directly encountered more of these hard-to-explain and intriguing cases than any other physician.

Hence, his book may well be unique in history: the serious treatment of a long-disputed topic by a superbly credentialed academic physiciana full professor of psychiatrywho can accurately offer personally informed accounts in painstaking detail of modern-day examples.

Joseph T. English, MD

Sidney E. Frank Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,

New York Medical College; Past President,

American Psychiatric Association

The devils greatest trick is to convince us he doesnt exist (la plus belle des ruses du Diable est de vous persuader quil nexiste pas!).

BAUDELAIRE, LE JOUEUR GNREUX

What is said in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered, shout from the housetops.

MATT. 10:27 (MY TRANSLATION)

In my experience, the idea of demonic possession is so controversial and so often misunderstood that I want at the outset to establish some scholarly plausibility to the notion along with my bona fides. Typical reactions to the topic reflect our nations polarization. Despite widespread belief in evil spirits in the United States and around the world, some people find the subject farfetched, even moronic. Yet others spot the devil everywhere. And so here I detail my personal story and highlight the credibility of possessions while simultaneously offering some sober reflections on various exaggerations and abuses.

Initial medical and religious reaction in many quarters to the draftfrom both well-informed academics and doctors as well as from experienced exorcistshas been gratifyingly positive. Readers may be surprised to learn that many physician colleagues of minearound the worldagree with my findings, though they may be reluctant to speak out so openlywith some notable exceptions. For instance, a Harvard faculty psychiatrist has called this book especially compelling... unquestionably by a world expert whose academic rigor is impeccable and whose personal integrity is above reproach. A prominent professor of neurology found the manuscript most striking... by a witness who is completely trustworthy and one of the smartest persons I have ever met. A leading American exorcist describes it as extremely helpful coming as the book does from Americas go-to medical expert on the subject of diabolic attacks.... Whenever I need help, I go to him. Hes so respected in the field.

Demonic Foes relates unmistakable cases of demonic possession and other diabolic attacks that I directly encountered over the past twenty-five years. I did not originally volunteer to consult upon these cases; rather, I responded to requests from religious leaders for my professional opinion. And I overcame my hesitation about writing this book only after securing the permission of the afflicted men and women I agreed to help.

In 2016 I published an essay solicited by The Washington Post. The editor asked me to give readers my professional perspective, as a psychiatrist, of demonic possessions. The piece attracted more than a million online hits. Thousands of comments called for fuller evidence, which at the time I was disinclined to divulge. A CNN online profile of mewith an accompanying television interviewelicited a similar response. At the same time, professional colleagues and scores of exorcists were also regularly urging me as a professor and physician to report my findings and methods. Finally, scholars of nonpathological theories of possessions have long called for the publication of well-documented, true reports.

And so, albeit with a bit of lingering ambivalence, I decided to write Demonic Foes.

I have often been told, Who better than a professor of psychiatry can sort out the true cases from the many unfortunate and far more common instances of people who only imagine they are under demonic attack? It is not unusual for people with mental illnesses and other medical conditions to misperceive their states of mind as induced by evil spirits. As we will see, this is especially true of patients who suffer from psychoses and severe personality and dissociative disorders, as well as people who are easily prone to suggestion. I realized I was in a unique position to shed light on these knotty issues.

I have run into skeptics and naysayers, of course. I have raised a few eyebrows, particularly from the online commentariat. Cloaked in anonymity, these armchair experts are not shy about expressing their often poorly informed views. A more acerbic supporter commented that I had disturbed the anthill by going so public.

Similarly, most health professionals, however bright and well-meaning, have no familiarity with this subject. Because they are more aware than lay audiences how memories can easily be distorted, they tend to assume that all such stories must be either delusions or inaccurate recollections. There have been plenty of dubious recovered memories of diabolic attacks and satanic abuse. We cover in depth the whole controversy, but the chief accounts in this book are not of those sorts. I either witnessed firsthand the reports I present in the following pages, or the findings were independently verified by multiple highly credible observers.

Some more spiritually inclined individuals also have their reservations. Many religious academics are committed to nave or wishful demythologizing in claiming that accounts of demonic activity are but myths or outdated cultural ideas and nothing else. They dismiss multiple references to evil spirits from classic texts and evidentiary documents over the centuries as anachronistic or merely symbolic. Such conclusions would have astonished the seminal figures of most faith traditions, who had no doubt of the reality of demonic attacks. Fearing ridicule or aware of excesses, many clerics today are tentative in discussing the topic at all; others, who may be a bit too smart for themselves, discount the impressive evidence base.

Finally, the doctrinaire debunkers inevitably demand more and more proof, to the point of making their demands impossible. They often appear a bit ludicrous in their facile dismissal of obviously credible testimonies.

Well, here is the detailed evidence aired openly. In reference to the murky world of demons, sunshine is the great disinfectant.

* * *

Different subjects call for different sorts of proofin the case of possessions, people often want videotapes or audiotapes. Videotapes, however, are a violation of a persons privacy, and it is misguided to suppose that an evil spirit would deign to parade before a camera. After hiding or disguising themselves for millennia, why would spirits suddenly agree to an amateur filmmakers direction? Authentic audiotapes, of which there have been many, never seem to persuade the committed skeptic. And again, such demands are nave in expecting compliant behavior from evil spirits.