An exorcist is someone who is supposed to have the power or the ability to dispel the angry spirits or demons of a person. This practice is known as exorcism, or, more accurately in the church referred to as liberation.
Exorcisms are deeply rooted in religious tradition, often associated with Christianity, but also found in different forms in different cultures and religions around the world. An exorcism directly comprises rituals aimed at freeing a person of demonic property. When dealing with a place, the term “exorcism” can be used popularly, but technically this process is a “blessing” or “cleaning”.
Perceptions of exorcists are often skewed by the dramatic and sensational portraits of drifting ends that are seen in films and television shows, which often display the process as a violent and frightening ritual. Rotating heads and projectile vomits are not the norm. Real-life exorcisms are usually calmer, performed with respect for the affected individual in a way that will not worsen the problem. They are not executed lightly and there are strict guidelines and conditions under which they can be implemented, especially within organized religions.
In Christianity, an exorcist is typically a sacred priest or a specially trained liberation minister who has been given permission by senior clergy to perform exorcisms. The path to become an exorcist usually starts with an orderly as a priest, who continues with full training that focuses on understanding demonic property, distinguishing psychological disorders and learning the rites and responsibilities of the expulsion.
The Catholic Church in particular has created formal rituals and prayers for performing an exorcism. In some Christian communities, those who are assumed to have a special calling or gift can, but are not necessarily consecrated priests to perform exorcisms.
Exorcism requires approval from the church, which comes after a thorough investigation to exclude non-supernatural statements for the behavior of the individual. Approval is a crucial step, because many of the symptoms traditionally associated with possession are also signs of psychological problems, such as schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder or psychosis. Things such as changes in personality, mood swings, violent outbursts, speaking in unknown languages or showing unusual physical strength can easily apply to both. Before many religious groups continue with an exorcism, the person who claims to have been possessed undergo a psychiatric evaluation by medical professionals to exclude psychological or medical explanations for the person’s symptoms.
Only after such conditions are excluded do religious authorities permit permission that an actual exorcism is carried out, the process of which can vary greatly. There are many different beliefs about the nature of possession and demons that determine which methods are used to break appendices. The effectiveness of these methods depends strongly on individual beliefs and cultural contexts.
Exorcism often includes a series of steps that normally include the consideration of prayer and the use of holy water, intended to drive the evil spirit to leave the affected person. A typical exorcism can start with the exorcist who prepares himself spiritually and mentally for the task. The space where exorcism must take place can also be prepared with a blessing with holy water.
Exorcism starts with the use of prayers, hymns or psalms to request protection during ritual protection. In popular culture, exorcists are often seen who try to communicate with the possession of entity to identify it. In many exorcism practices, it is unlikely that the exorcist will participate directly with the entity in the possession of possession. The focus of exorcism is more on the prayers, rituals and power of religious faith to help the affected person than recognizing or empowering supernatural entities.
The core part of exorcism can physically and emotionally exhaust for all involved, especially for the person who is supposed to be possessed. It is about the exorcist who orders evil to leave the possessed person. This may relate to reciting specific prayers, such as the ritual of expulsion, making the sign of the cross or the use of holy water and other religious symbols. The tone can vary from something that is reminiscent of a Sunday mass to something much commander, depending on the situation and tradition.
Exorcism is not always immediately effective and does not necessarily work the first time. It may have to be performed several times, but as soon as the exorcist believes that the Spirit has been driven out, the ritual concludes, you guessed it, more prayers, this time thanks to the above powers and the search for continuous blessings for the affected individual.
Within the paranormal world there are also demonologists who work as part of teams or as individuals. The knowledge of a demonologist is based on some of the same teachings as those of exorcists, but focused more specifically on demonic tradition. Their role is more about the theoretical study of demons than actually performing exorcisms.
It may not always be suitable for ghost hunters and demonologists to enter the empire of exorcisms, because the role of an exorcist is not just about fighting against unseen powers. It is also about offering spiritual support and reassurance to those who believe that they are confronted with supernatural unrest.
Sometimes this support and reassurance can all be a affected person. If individuals strongly believe in the power of the ritual and in the exorcist’s authority, they can experience real improvements in their symptoms or behavior, even if the change is not directly caused by the removal of a real entity. This may be due to the psychological impact of undergoing a ritual that is considered powerful, the relief of sharing their experiences and being taken seriously, or the comfort of feeling supported by their religious community.
Skeptics often claim that the effectiveness of exorcism is due to the placebo effect, especially in cases where the symptoms of possession resemble those of psychological or physical diseases that respond to faith and suggestion. The placebo effect, in medical terms, occurs when a patient experiences an observed improvement in his condition after receiving a treatment that has no therapeutic effect on the intended disease. It is thought that this improvement is due to the beliefs and expectations of the individual about the treatment.
Although it is best understood as part of Christianity in the Western world, exorcism is often found in many other religions and cultures that have their own versions of exorcism rituals, each with its own unique approach to deal with malignant spirits. In Islam, for example, there is a similar practice that is known as Ruqyah, the reciting of verses of the Quran to protect individuals against damage and angry spirits.
