In 1975, Anneliese Michel was exhibiting some undeniably bizarre and frightening behavior, and her mother was at her wits' end. So, Mrs. Michel contacted the Catholic Church to exorcise her daughter. Anneliese had been hearing voices and exhibiting violent reactions to religious objects – hallmarks of demonic possession – and her parents were convinced she was possessed. The tale of the exorcism of Anneliese Michel was the basis for the 2005 movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose, but the real story behind her behavior and her ultimate death is much more terrifying than anything Hollywood could have imagined.

Anneliese Grew Up In Germany With A Staunchly Catholic Mother

Born in 1952, Anneliese Michel was brought up by Bavarian parents alongside her brother and sister. Anneliese's mother had a daughter prior to Anneliese's birth, but the child, Martha, died at the age of 8. The death of Martha prompted Anneliese's mother to put a lot of pressure on the young Anneliese, particularly when it came to prayer and religious devotion. Anneliese was a good student, especially when it came to language study, and she was described as happy and playful but was under the constant watch of her parents. The family attended Mass twice a week and, according to doctors Anneliese met with later, she developed neuroses related to religious iconography as a result of punishments inflicted upon her as a young girl.

She Began To Demonstrate Symptoms Of Epilepsy And Experience Social Stigma At Age 16


While at school one day in 1968, Anneliese blacked out for a few minutes and, according to her friends, was in a trance-like state. Anneliese didn't remember the event and said that she was fine afterwards, but the same night, she woke up to a heavy feeling on her body and then wet the bed. She was kept home from school the next day, but there were no recurrences, and the family thought she was fine.

Over a year later, in August 1969, Anneliese had a similar event and was taken to a doctor to determine the cause. Her local doctor, Dr. Vogt, referred her to a neurologist, Dr. Siegmund Luthy. He did not diagnose her with anything, but shortly after visiting him, she was hospitalized for tuberculosis in February 1970. While in the hospital, she had a third event and, in addition to being depressed and lonely, was ridiculed and excluded by the other patients after wetting the bed.

Soon after this third experience, Anneliese said she saw colors, heard sounds, and experienced feelings of euphoria while saying a rosary. She was taken for more tests with another neurologist, Dr. von Haller, who diagnosed her with epilepsy and prescribed her medication.

Medicine Didn't Help Anneliese, And She Began To Think She Was Cursed


Anneliese eventually returned to school in 1970 but was withdrawn and depressed. She continued to have seizures, visit doctors, and experience frustration with her situation. She threw herself into Catholic books and practices, graduated from high school, and started college to become a teacher. Despite these efforts and continued medications, her condition worsened. By 1973, she experienced hallucinations while praying and believed she was damned. She was obsessed with the idea that the Devil was inside of her and began to see a priest as well as her doctors.

Her Behavior Became Erratic And, Frankly, Kind Of Gross – She Once Licked Her Own Urine Off The Floor

Anneliese's behavior became more extreme from 1973 onrward. She was said to have licked her own urine off the floor, eaten coal, ripped her clothes off, and even eaten bugs. She began to avoid religious items like crucifixes and holy water, and she displayed symptoms of what the Church considered demonic possession. Her family became desperate and asked several priests for an exorcism, but they declined and encouraged continued medical treatment. Eventually, the Church relented and granted Anneliese an exorcism to drive out any evil spirits within her.

Her Exorcism Was To Be Done In Absolute Secrecy


The priests that met with Anneliese didn't think she was epileptic and supported the idea of an exorcism. This factored into the Church's decision to allow one, although Bishop Stangl indicated it was supposed to be "small" and done under a shroud of secrecy. Fathers Arnold Renz and Ernst Alt, two priests from the local diocese, were given the task of exorcising Anneliese. Father Alt had met with the family prior to this order and had more or less told them that medical treatment was not enough to help Anneliese. She stopped taking her medication, and the family focused on religious intervention.

Anneliese Underwent 67 Different Exorcism Sessions


Over a 10-month period, Fathers Renz and Alt carried out 67 one-hour exorcism sessions with Anneliese. Audio recordings from the sessions reveal their efforts as well as how Anneliese's voice was distorted, the sounds she made, and the growls and other utterances that she made in response to the religious ritual. Anneliese herself was supportive of the exorcism, but as it proceeded, she became weaker and thinner, and no medical intervention was sought.

There Were Supposedly Six Demons That Possessed Anneliese


During the exorcism, Fathers Renz and Alt talked to no fewer than six demons possessing Anneliese. Lucifer, Judas Iscariot, Nero, Cain, Hitler, and Fleischmann, a disgraced Frankish Priest from the 16th century, all made appearances. Given Anneliese's background in school and obsession with Christian teachings, there were later theories that Anneliese chose these men intentionally.

Anneliese Had To Be Restrained During The Exorcism


Despite her slight frame, Anneliese had to be held down and even chained while the exorcism was taking place. This abuse took a toll on her body and she died at home in 1976. She weighed no more than 70 pounds at the time of her death, and her autopsy revealed she had fractured teeth, bruises on her hands, arms, and wrists, black eyes, and was suffering from extreme malnutrition and dehydration. She had bruises and damaged knees from all the kneeling she had done as well.

Life.

Before Anneliese's Death, The Stigmata Allegedly Appeared On Her Body


https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=5xsX0FlZ4Cg



During the last moments before Anneliese's death on July 1, 1976, Father Alt and her mother both claimed to see the stigmata on Anneliese's body. The stigmata are the wounds endured by Jesus Christ prior to his death, including on the hands and feet. There was no real evidence of the stigmata on her body, but Father Alt also tried to ascribe some of the other wounds on Anneliese's body to the religious phenomenon.

Fathers Alt and Renz, as well as Annaliese's parents, were put on trial for negligent homicide in 1978. The priests maintained that the exorcism was successful and liberated Anneliese from the demons possessing her. All parties were found guilty and sentenced to jail time and fines.