The Exorcism of Anneliese MichelIn 1976 a young German girl named Anneliese Michel underwent a series of exorcisms. The rites were administered by two priests of the Catholic Church to free Anneliese of the six demons they believed possessed her. Seemingly as a result of the exorcisms the girl died. Worldwide publicity followed when the girl's parents and the two exorcists were brought to trial and convicted of negligent homicide. Here a noted anthropologist offers her own interpretation of the exorcisms of Anneliese Michel. Drawing on interviews with the two exorcists, the girl's parents and friends, transcripts of the trial, and tape recordings made during the exorcisms - as well as studies of religious experience in various cultures - Felicitas Goodman has written a fascinating, compelling book, one that finally tells what happened in this strange case as it delves into the age-old mystery of demonic possession. |
Contents
1 | |
CHAPTER TWO Enter the Ghastly Faces | 13 |
CHAPTER THREE Physicians and Priests | 25 |
CHAPTER FOUR The Dam Breaks | 49 |
CHAPTER FIVE Jousting with the Demons | 91 |
CHAPTER SIX The Exorcism Fails | 133 |
CHAPTER SEVEN The Final Months | 157 |
CHAPTER EIGHT The Trial | 177 |
CHAPTER NINE The Religious Altered | 201 |
CHAPTER TEN Why Did Anneliese Die? | 227 |
EPILOGUE Exit the Demons | 249 |
Common terms and phrases
Abitur Anna Lippert Anna Michel Anne Anneliese Michel Anneliese's answer anticonvulsant Arnold Renz Aschaffenburg attorney Barbara Weigand became Bishop Stangl brain called Catholic church consciousness continued conversation Court demonic possession demons devil Dilantin drug epilepsy epileptic Ettleben exorcism sessions exorcistic experience face Father Alt Father Renz Father Rodewyk Father Roth feel felt Ferdinandeum Fratzen friends German girl growls happened Holy Josef Michel Josef Stangl Judas Klingenberg Köhler later Latin prayer Lenner letter liese Lüthy Mary matter Mömbris Mother Mother of God once parish periciazine person Peter physician possession pray priests Professor Sattes psychiatrists psychosis RASC religious Renz's ritual rosary Roswitha San Damiano Satan Savior Schleip screams seizures sisters started stench suddenly suffering talk tapes Tegretol tell Thea Hein ther things thought tion told took trance tried Virgin voice week Würzburg Yucatán