The Reality of Demonic Possession

By M.P. Pellicer | Stranger Than Fiction Stories
The belief in evil spirits and demons have been part of human history from time immemorial, however in recent times this phenomenon has spiked worldwide, and according to certain sources there is a reason for this increase. 

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There has always been controversy whether demonic possession is a spiritual or mental problem

Demonic possession is thought by many to be a holdover from when superstition held sway over the public. However there are those, not only clergy or religious figures, but medically trained persons who believe there is some validity to these claims. 

One of them is Dr. Richard Gallagher, a psychiatrist and professor at New York Medical College and Columbia University. However there is another side to his practice, which is to determine if a person is suffering from mental illness or a possible possession.

The Vatican has recognized that the demand for exorcisms has risen in recent years. They tied this into the decline of belief in Christian values, and the ease in which the public can find information about black magic, the occult and satanism via the internet.

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Dr. Richard Gallagher

In 2018, Dr. Gallagher wrote a book titled Demonic Foes, A Psychiatrist Investigates Demonic Possession in the Modern United States based on 25 years of his practice.

He stressed there is a strict criteria for determining what is wrong with a person who has been referred for an evaluation, and it's all based on a scientific point of view. He said that spirit possession is rare, but real. He cited that about 75% of Americans believe in the devil, and half of them believe in demonic possession.

Belief in dark beings varies from country to country. In Madagascar 100% of the population believes in spirit possession. Haiti is another country which believes in demons, and part of their religious practice called voudou incorporates spirit possession.

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A Haitian voodoo practitioner in a trance while participating in a ceremony in Souvenance, a suburb of Gonaives, 10 miles north of Port-au-Prince (Source-AFP)

Dr. Gallagher has always been a practicing Catholic, but at one time he was doubtful of the existence of demonic possession.

Early in his medical career two prominent exorcists referred cases to him that ultimately convinced him of the reality of this ancient belief system.

One of these cases involved a woman given the pseudonym of Julia. She was a priestess in a satanic cult. The crux of her problem was whether she would leave the group, so that the exorcism would be successful. Dr. Gallagher's role in the case was to speak to her about her anxieties, and lingering ties to the cult. She believed that after joining the cult she developed paranormal abilities, and that satan favored her with what she asked for.

On another occasion she demonstrated the ability to remote view. She told Dr. Gallagher, "we really hate Father_______ and I have to keep an eye on him". The priest was one who worked on the exorcism team. He lived in another part of the United States, and at that moment she said he's "walking along a beach in his blue windbreaker and khaki pants and he's saying prayers."

Dr. Gallagher call him immediately and confirmed everything Julia had described. The priest said normally he would be in the rectory, but on this day he had decided on a walk on the beach to say his breviary.

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There are certain signs to indicate a true possession

Going into trance is a hallmark of a person that has been possessed. They rarely remember what happened during the trance.

Several times Julia spoke to Dr. Gallagher in a demonic voice that said, "leave her alone you '---ing' priest! You monkey priest — she's ours!" The diatribe would continue for five minutes, and when she came out of it she couldn't remember anything.

Dr. Gallagher once heard the same strange voice break into a telephone conversation he was having with one of the priests on the exorcism team. This was at a time when Julia was thousands of miles away from his office. The nature of the conversation involved a scheduling conflict where he couldn't attend the next exorcism. The voice stated: "We told you, she’s ours, you leave her alone!" The priest also heard the voice.

Julia had several fears. She was afraid of the satanic cult if she left, but believed she was no longer the leader's favorite because she was aging. She was also afraid of being diagnosed as crazy and being institutionalized. 

Multiple exorcisms were performed, but they failed because she would not leave the cult.

A year later she called one of the priests, and said she was to resume the exorcisms because she had been diagnosed with cancer, and did not want to die possessed. Once the priest told her that Dr. Gallagher would have to evaluate her again including the report from her oncologist she told him she had to "think about it."  The team never heard from her again and it was presumed she died.

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St. George slaying a dragon, which is symbolic for a demon

Dr. Gallagher also specifies that a person could be suffering from seizure disorders, epilepsy, be psychotic or having auditory hallucinations. Others that are suffering from delusions claiming they are possessed could be bipolar, schizophrenic or be under the influence of drugs. Persons with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) might have an evil alter ego, which could be misconstrued by demonic fundamentalist people.

It takes several meetings between the person and Dr. Gallagher as he gathers information about them and their background. Were they involved in the occult or in dark rituals including satanism. There is other criteria used to evaluate for possession such as: the ability to speak in languages the person does not know, abnormal strength, paranormal ability and knowledge of secret things.

It's not only Catholic clergy who send people to Dr. Gallagher, but others from different faiths. In the case of Julia, she told Dr. Gallagher how his mother had died, something he knew she had not prior knowledge of.

During 25 years, Dr. Gallagher directly observed 100 full-blown possessions, and attended hundreds of other exorcisms that were not his patients. However he only attended exorcisms where the team knew what they were doing. In the United States a person must sign a legal form agreeing to the ritual. He's observed a comparison to his experiences when interviewing terrorists and criminals committed to evil. Asked if he's afraid, he says he has people praying for him when he's attending an exorcism, and that he knows he's on the winning side.

Dr. Gallagher described when during an exorcism a priest was reciting prayers in Latin, and the possessed woman was sarcastically commenting on it. The woman was not Catholic at that time, and had an education equivalent to a 14-year-old.

Dr. Gallagher believes that demons have been observing human beings since the beginning of time. He said:

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They’re very, very smart. The intelligence level of a fallen angel, which is what I call them, is far superior to human beings. Which is why they denigrate human beings. They sometimes call us ‘monkeys.