When sixteen-year-old Anneliese Michel began having seizures and hallucinations in 1968, her parents took her to a doctor, who diagnosed Anneliese with temporal lobe epilepsy and depression and recommended psychiatric treatment. Two years later, however, her delusions and hallucinations returned, manifesting in the form of “devil faces” and voices that telling her she was evil and would be going to hell. Believing the treatment wasn’t working and fearing Anneliese was possessed by demons, Anneliese’s family arranged for her to be visited by a local Jesuit priest, who confirmed their fear: Anneliese was possessed and the only way to save her soul was an exorcism. After nearly fifty years, the exorcism of Anneliese Michel still stands as one of the most shocking and harrowing stories of supposed demonic possession and exorcism in history—not only because it resulted in a woman’s death, but because it also resulted in the prosecution of her exorcists. Yet with all the information that has been released about the case, no one seems to know what really happened to Anneliese Michel.
When sixteen-year-old Anneliese Michel began having seizures and hallucinations in 1968, her parents took her to a doctor, who diagnosed Anneliese with temporal lobe epilepsy and depression and recommended psychiatric treatment. Two years later, however, her delusions and hallucinations returned, manifesting in the form of “devil faces” and voices that telling her she was evil and would be going to hell. Believing the treatment wasn’t working and fearing Anneliese was possessed by demons, Anneliese’s family arranged for her to be visited by a local Jesuit priest, who confirmed their fear: Anneliese was possessed and the only way to save her soul was an exorcism.
After nearly fifty years, the exorcism of Anneliese Michel still stands as one of the most shocking and harrowing stories of supposed demonic possession and exorcism in history—not only because it resulted in a woman’s death, but because it also resulted in the prosecution of her exorcists. Yet with all the information that has been released about the case, no one seems to know what really happened to Anneliese Michel.
Associated Press. 1978. "Bizarre exorcism draws suspended prison terms." Press-Courier (Oxnard, CA), April 22: 3.
—. 1978. "Exorcists 'tried to save girl'." The Guardian, March 31: 6.
Buschschluter, Siegfried. 1977. "Charges after exorcism death." The Guardian, July 14: 6.
Day, Elizabeth. 2005. "'God told us to exorcise my daughter's demons. I don't regret her death.'." Sunday Telegraph (London, UK), November 27: 15.
Goodman, Felicitas D. 1981. The Exorcism of Annaliese Michel. New York, NY: Doubleday and Company.
Hansen, Eric T. 2005. "What in God's name?" Washington Post, September 4.
Sword, Autumn. 2021. "Seized By the Spirit: Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and the Exorcism of Anneliese Michel." Skeptical Inquirer, July 30.
Time. 1976. "Religion: A Phenomenon of Fear." Time, September 6.