Preface:
Demonic Possession

The study of demonic possession never has been, is not now, and very likely never will be, a science.

There are, however, many who have devoted their lives to that study, who have tried to determine the point at which possession begins so that it might be avoided.

Possession goes back to the time of Christ, who cast demons from a number of people, according to the New Testament. Today, it is little more than a subject for Hollywood horror films. But many Christian churches and sects still practice the rite of exorcism, fore-most among them being the Catholic church.

There are two different kinds of possession: that of a person and that of a place, such as a house or other kind of building. It is believed by many in the Catholic church, however, that both come about in much the same way.

First there is the point at which the demon(s) enters the person or the occupied building or house. There are a number of different theories as to what brings about the initial entry. In one well-documented case of demon possession, the demon claimed to have chosen its victim before the victim's own birth. Some believe that even a passing interest in the occult can be an invitation to possession. Still others think it will remain a mystery, that it is not for us to know until we face our Creator and hear the explanation first-hand.

One thing is almost unanimously agreed upon, however: The initial entry is only made after the victim, or the resident of the targeted building, has made a choice—however subconscious, however tenuous—to allow it.

For example, the Snedekers did nothing to bring on the possession of their house—that had begun long before. As Lorraine was able to sense clairvoyantly, something awful had taken place in that house sometime during its years as a funeral home. Someone had been using the dead bodies for their own sick pleasure, and it was that person's acts of necrophilia that opened the door to possession; it was that person who made a choice—by indulging in such perverse activities—to give the forces of evil entry to that house long before the Snedekers ever moved in.

Once the initial entry has taken place, the possessing entity gradually begins to break down its host or the occupants of the building it has entered. This is usually accomplished with fear. Not only does the possessing entity feed on fear, but it knows that fear will weaken its victim, thus bringing the entity closer to total control, closer to complete possession.

In the case of the Snedekers, the forces in the house, determined to gain entry to the Snedekers themselves, used fear to weaken them, to try to turn them against one another, all the while waiting for the third stage of demonic possession: Weakened and vulnerable, confused and terrified, the victim inevitably reaches a turning point and surrenders voluntarily to the forces of darkness.

An official exorcism cannot be held without proper investigation to determine whether or not the reported demonic activity is real. Sometimes, a person with mental problems or a substance addiction, or even a whole family suffering through domestic crises, can take the smallest of coincidences and turn them into a series of frightening events that lead to the conclusion that the house is possessed by demons. Mental illnesses have been mistaken for possession throughout history—illnesses such as schizophrenia, Tourette's syndrome, Huntington's chorea, Parkinson's disease, and even dyslexia— and even though medicine has advanced considerably over the years, such conditions must be ruled out by a priest before an exorcism is considered.

A priest with a medical or psychiatric background— sometimes both—begins the investigation by first trying to rule out all other possibilities; then, when satisfied, continues by testing the possibility of a demonic presence. Once he is able to prove demonic activity to his satisfaction, the priest then approaches the church. After the case has been reviewed and found to be thorough, the decision is made to go through with an exorcism.

According to those who have witnessed them, no two exorcisms are alike, although they all have two things in common, one of which is unforgettable to all those involved, whether it is an exorcism of a person or a building: the presence.

It is invisible, ethereal, and yet felt so deeply by everyone involved that it seems almost tangible. It is a presence neither male nor female...neither human being nor animal...neither a single entity nor a crowd of them...but it is distinct and, as the exorcism continues, usually becomes stronger. If and when it speaks, it sometimes refers to itself as "I," sometimes as "we." It moves around those present like an ice-cold breeze, a draft from the depths of the deepest cave in the earth, until the exorcism is over...until the possessing entity has been cast out in the name of God.

The second thing all exorcisms have in common is the most threatening: danger.

Those participating in an exorcism are in constant danger, and must anticipate hearing the foulest insults and seeing the most frightening things they are likely to experience in their lives. Their faith must remain rock solid in the face of horrible, supernatural abuse. Demons will not uproot themselves without a powerful fight, and their chief weapon, as always, is fear. They feed on it, and will do anything they can to wring it out of those involved in the attempt to cast them out.

Not all such attempts are successful.

Demons wait for an invitation before their entry, but they don't always leave when told....