Anneliese Michel

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Anneliese Michel was a German woman born in 1952 in Leiblfing, Bavaria. Raised in a devout Catholic family, she began experiencing strange symptoms in her late teens, including seizures, hallucinations, and hearing voices. Initially diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy, her condition worsened despite medical treatment.

The Exorcisms

Over time, Anneliese and her family became convinced that her suffering was not medical but demonic. She reportedly spoke in different voices, showed aversion to religious objects, and displayed unnatural physical strength. In 1975, two Catholic priests, Father Ernst Alt and Father Arnold Renz, were given permission to perform an exorcism following the Rituale Romanum, an old Catholic exorcism rite.

For 10 months, Anneliese underwent 67 exorcism sessions, some lasting hours. Her condition deteriorated severely—she refused to eat, suffered injuries, and ultimately died on July 1, 1976, from malnutrition and dehydration. She was just 23 years old.



Aftermath & Controversy

Her parents and the two priests were later charged with negligent homicide. In 1978, they were found guilty but received light sentences, as the court acknowledged that Anneliese had been mentally ill. The case remains one of the most controversial examples of religion vs. medicine, with some believing she was truly possessed, while others see it as a tragic case of misdiagnosed mental illness.