Possessed

It was difficult for me to get into the book. It was a terribly slow read losing my attention so much so, I never finished it.

For background, I'm a Catholic, 55 yrs old, and an attorney who has seen about everything one can see after 27 years of practice. I'm no one to believe what people tell me without some skepticism and research into whatever is brought before me. But I've also been exposed to some things I can't explain readily without admitting the possibility of the unseen world being present, good or evil. For example, I once spent an hour in a County Jail Interview Cell, interviewing a self-admitted murderer, accused of stabbing a person 47 times with an icepick. We'd had murder and other serious felony cases before. We were to see if we wanted to take his case. (We didn't.) When my partner and I went into this cell, I felt an unspoken, non-vocal, non-"voice in my head" warning inside me that I should get away from the prisoner. Now, mind you, that guy was just sitting in a chair, in lockup, shackled, was physically smaller and older than I, and indicated that he wanted me to represent him. Sheriff's Deputies were available, had I needed them. So, I felt no fear that he would or could hurt me, but by just coming into the cell, I felt a bit unnerved. During the interview, the prisoner proudly told me that after the stabbing, he stood over his victim, and said "that's number 23". That unspoken warning, and a perceptible chill inside that cell, (it was in July, and the temperature on the thermostat a few feet away from the cell read 72 fahrenheit), was the first time I felt I was exposed to something I could not explain by my senses. Before, I had simply believed that what my Church instructed me about the Occult was true; but after, I had evidence as to the practical possibility that the existence of demons and things we cannot perceive in the sensory world is true, after all. So, call me a believer, but don't call me a patsy either. I give all books I read the "smell test". This one passed the test, for reasons I give below. I first picked this book up two years ago, after having read Malachi Martin's book Hostage to the Devil, and having seen many of Hollywood's movies, which never come close to the truth, except for the movie version of this book, and a recent movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose. This book was possible only because the author was able to obtain a transcript of the actual rite of exorcism performed by the priests upon a child in St. Louis. The Catholic Church, for understandable reasons, does not enter into this sacrament easily, and does its best to keep the proceedings secret, not for arcane purposes, but to protect the privacy of the possessed person. The book follows the steps of investigation which followed before the rite was approved. It then examines the three stages of diabolic possession of a person, and follows the attempts and finally the successful ritual which followed. I found the author's writing and presentation not sensational(he has a sensational subject matter anyway) and well suited to the general p

I could not put this book down. It was scary and exciting. It really makes you think of what is out there, and why you should never mess with the Ouija board (or other portholes to the other side). The Exorcist movie was based on this book, but the victim was a boy and not a girl, and it began with the Ouija board, like many cases of this kind of possession. Detailed account of what took place, and well written. Also a SHOtime movie now. 5 stars!

If you saw the movie you definitely have to read the book. Mr. Allen objectively gives us a recount of the only documented exorcism performed in modern American. This particular edition includes a copy of the notes taken by the assistant to the exorcist. Whether or not the victim "Robbie" was truly possessed is something that the reader has to decide for him/her self. The author does not lead you towards any one of these alternatives; he just states the facts as they were according to the research he had done on the notes of the exorcism, witnesses' interviews, and interviews to people who were involved directly or indirectly. What can be asserted is that Robbie's environment opened the door for darkness to set in his naive mind and soul; and someone had to do something about it. He was an innocent child. This innocent child had people around him who loved him enough to DO something about it. His family sought help from pschiatrists, pastors, a Catholic priest who was not prepared for what he was facing. Although not being Catholics, his parents knew that the Catholic Church "knew about these things" they "had to help Robbie". It was their only chance to save their boy from dementia or most certainly death (to himself or others). The struggle of a fine Catholic priest who although was convinced of the possession was not completely willing to confront this terrible task in 1949 -- when the Catholic Church "was being brought to the 20th Century" and an exorcism had to be kept secret -- to save a boy's soul as well as the mental health of his family was his priority. Father William Bowdern did not work alone, this child's family, other priests, the Alexian brothers, all were involved in the exorcism, but it was Fr. Bowdern's deep faith and his training as a Jesuit that kept him and the others together as one against the greatest of all evils.

I became curious about the 1949 exorcism after viewing the re-release of "The Exorcist" on Halloween. After a little research online, I discovered this book by Allen, and purchased it (though it was difficult to find a bookstore that had it in stock). After receiving the book, I literally disappeared from my routine life for a few days. The best thing about Allen (who is a self-declared agnostic) is that he's honest, and he provides numerous references for every event that occurs. Why this is crucial is because diabolical possession is a subject that faces heavy criticism. I take it as blind faith - you either believe in it, or you don't (although it was the book that convinced me of that). Others, as I am known to be a skeptic as well, need more - and thus why it is critical that this report comes from someone who neither believes or disbelieves. Most other books on diabolical possession are written either by the exorcists themselves, or by people who have had hands-on experiences with demons or spirits, or by priests who have known exorcists. While several of them I have read are incredibly well-written and are testaments to the belief that Satan and his legions are real, I can see how they can be more susceptible to criticism under the skeptic's eye. The intention behind those books and this one also differ - they are written for the people who already believe and are curious about investigating further into diabolical possession. Allen wrote the book for the same reason the reader chose to read it - to satiate the curiosity of a mystical phenomenon and to either be convinced by the evidence provided, or to be convinced that it is all a hoax. The book presents more than an account of diabolical possession. I found it to be a very personal and surprising story about faith, and the need for its strength during a time of hostile adversity. Throughout the read, I acquired a deep respect for the Jesuits, and the people involved with the exorcism. It is no doubt that the family and friends involved suffered wounds that quite possibly never healed due to the demon's wrath. Although the possession of the boy was a tragedy, the story is a triumph as well; celebrating the compassions of men who are willing to sacrifice their physical and spiritual wellness to save the life of a young boy.Quite simply, this story is also an admonition for those of us who are curious about the occult, witchcraft, psychic phenomena, and spiritualism. It warns the non-secular and secular population of today - think twice before playing with a Ouija board, think twice before attempting to raise spirits in a seance. On second thought, it also prompts readers to think again about their own spirituality, and to perhaps look again at restoring their once-lost faith. Rest in peace, Father Bowdern.

Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, I had always heard that the movie "The Exorcist" was based on a true story that happened to a boy in the Washington area. I recall as a young teenager being blown away by an article I read in The Washington Post, about a Mount Rainier exorcism many years ago, and the spooky series of unfortunate events that befell the Mount Rainer neighbors. That article was on the front page of The Washington Post, May 6, 1985, at the bottom. I was amazed, I had never read anything like it before. In the May 1985 article there was a reference to the original article back in 1949. I went to the University of Maryland, got out the microfilm from 1949, and proceeded to look up this original WP story. There on the top of the August 20, 1949 issue was the story: "Boy Reported Held in Devil's Grip." I read it, printed it out, read it again a few times. This was the article that the author of "The Exorcist", William Blatty read while an undergraduate at Georgetown University, and was the basis of his fictional account. This story really stuck with with me for a number of years. Then in 1993, out-of-the-blue, appears this full-length book on the subject. While the articles I had read back in 1985 made quite an impression on me, the whole story came alive in Thomas Allen's book. The impressive research combined with the descriptive writing really made this book an experience. There are a number of events that still haunt me to this day, as well as theological questions related to certain facts in the book (e.g., what was the connection between the Ouija board and demonic possession? why didn't the Lutheran baptism take?). This was an absolutely fascinating book and I and other readers are in Mr. Allen's debt for writing it.