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What is Exorcism?

by Guest9725  |  12 years, 8 month(s) ago

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What is Exorcism? -If you've seen the 1973 movie "The Exorcist," you at least have some idea of what exorcism is about. It has to do with ridding a human being of diabolic possession, it's typically associated with Roman Catholic beliefs, and if the movie is any indication, it's very, very scary. You may remember with a shudder the teenage girl whose head spun around, her body in convulsions, her voice that of a demon spewing curses and obscenities while the battered priest of "The Exorcist" fought the devil to save her soul.

This Hollywood version of an exorcism is supposedly based on a real-life exorcism performed on a Maryland boy in 1949. Priests are still performing exorcisms today.

Is exorcism real, or are the subject and the exorcist unconsciously acting out roles from a popular movie? Are there other explanations for what some people call "possession"?

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  1. Maravarman
    The Catholic Encyclopedia defines exorcism as "the act of driving out, or warding off, demons, or evil spirits, from persons, places, or things, which are believed to be possessed or infested by them, or are liable to become victims or instruments of their malice." In short, it is a ritual performed by a Catholic priest to expel the devil from a person, place or thing.

    There are several types of exorcism in the Roman Catholic Church:

        * Baptismal exorcism - blessing an infant prior to baptism to cleanse it of evil resulting from original sin
        * Simple exorcism - blessing a place or thing to rid it of evil influence
        * Real exorcism - performing the Rite of Exorcism to rid a human being of diabolical possession

    A "real exorcism" is what most of us think of when we think of exorcism. In this case, the priest-exorcist is dealing with a human being who is possessed by the devil -- the devil is inhabiting this person's body.

  2. Merlyn
    Exorcism is not unique to Roman Catholicism. Other Christian sects, other religions and cultures around the world all have their own way of "casting out the devil." Here are just a few examples:

        * Judaism: Jewish folklore and Kabbalah teachings tell of a malevolent spirit called a dybbuk. This spirit is the soul of a dead person that has come back to address unfinished business, and it inhabits the body of a living person in order to carry out its goals. The dybbuk can be expelled through a rite of exorcism and leaves the body through the toe.

        * Islam: Islamic belief tells of a jinn -- an evil spirit and servant of Satan -- that can invade the human body and cause illness, pain, torment and evil thoughts. This jinn can be expelled by the possessed person by reciting particular passages of the Qur'an.

        * Hinduism: In Hinduism, the Vedas scriptures tell of an evil spirit that can not only harm humans, but can also stand in the way of the will of the gods. A traditional Hindu exorcism includes such rituals as burning pig excrement, reciting prayers and offering sweets to the Gods
  3. Guest2173
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