INTRODUCTION
Exorcism, particularly the Catholic rite, has long been a controversial and misunderstood practice, often positioned as a solution for possession by malevolent spirits. However, a critical examination reveals significant concerns about its efficacy, ethics, and potential harm. Central to the issue is the lack of scientific validation for possession itself, as well as the psychological and physical toll that exorcisms may impose on individuals. Practices rooted in fear and superstition, such as those seen in the film Prey for the Devil, reinforce these concerns, highlighting not only the dangers of mistaking mental illness for demonic influence, but also the risks posed by institutional control over vulnerable individuals. According to a study published in Psychiatric Times (2019), the link between psychological disorders and alleged possession is often ignored, with exorcism potentially exacerbating trauma and leading to long-term psychological damage rather than offering any real therapeutic benefit (Huguelet et al., 2019). This growing body of evidence calls for a reevaluation of exorcism practices in modern society, emphasizing the need for compassionate, evidence-based approaches to mental health and spiritual well-being.
Reference:
Huguelet, P., & Koenig, H. G. (2019). Exorcism and mental illness: The
intersection of psychiatry, religion, and culture. Psychiatric Times.
THE ARGUMENT
In medicine, you try to define what is causing the problem. In exorcism, the Church just looks for indications that something paranormal or from another world is hurting the victim and living in their body. What if it is a part of their own soul or personality that is doing it? What if it is both that and a demon? To what extent is a demon involved? And what is a demon? Is it a psychic creation, a pile of energy from the hidden powers of your mind or somebody else’s mind that acts like a person? Is it a dead person’s soul? Is it an angel that left God? And what if the demon, if left alone, would leave anyway? What if it would see the light, repent, and become good? The negative messages from the Church and everyone else would not inspire it to reform. What if the demon you target is itself possessed, and you are badgering the wrong personage? These questions are ignored, and this shows that whatever exorcism is about, it must be about halo-shining. By saying that a being, even a demon, is evil, you are saying that you are morally superior to it.
And what if the entity is somehow fused with the person, so that the only answer is to murder the person to eradicate the evil?
It is not truly about compassion for the victim. There can be no confidence that unnatural causes are involved at all.
If God is love, you have to help the victim overcome the possession themselves by helping them see that. Why is there no system where the person self-exorcises with the guidance of the priest? The person knows best. No priest can be as sure as you are that you are possessed. If faith in divine love is potent or truly believed in by the exorcist, they would not treat the possessed person as a mere pawn or victim. The exorcist must feel so high and mighty.
Exorcism is all about the exorcist giving orders. Something that does not have any form of counseling, not even helping the victim to free themselves by finding how much God loves them, is not therapy. It is superstition. No psychologist or psychiatrist, no one in the police, should tolerate this.
Are we to ignore the needs of the person for support and therapy? Does possession do permanent harm? Does an exorcism have to inflict something damaging on you to get the demon out? Is the end result going to be that great if, when the demon is gone, the person is left somehow impaired and perhaps in pain? Why is there no concern for helping the person with the brainwashing and psychological damage the demon, or whatever may be inflicting?
The answer is that this is about fanaticism and the exorcist’s hunger for drama. It is inconsistent with his claim that he really thinks there is a demon there. Does he?
Mostly, it is females who are supposedly subjected to exorcism, which makes you ask if there is an incentive for priests to get a cover for abusing the alleged victim. Often the person is a child. Exorcism is always repeated, perhaps for years. It is very effective then if a predator wants the woman or girl alone. Exorcism is cloaked under "confidentiality." She dares not complain, for she feels she will be disbelieved and thought to have been given false memories by the devil. She will think that herself.
Jesus’ own methods of exorcism show that the practice is primarily about stirring up fear so that innocents will be captured by a toxic and intellectually vacant strand of religious fervor.
The Church does not tell us about people subjected to exorcism, which is too slow to show results, and who give up in despair and kill themselves.
If a person is possessed, their mind will be able to trick them into thinking that a demon is doing more than it is doing. People who are not possessed but think they are show the power of the mind to lie. Such a person could murder somebody and think a demon made them do it. It removes the obstacle, "I cannot be a murderer!" The fear of knowing what evil you have done makes you is a powerful deterrent. Many evil people manage to tune it down. Many even say that it was like somebody else in their body that committed the crime.
Somebody murdered over belief in exorcism shows the belief has to go. It does happen too often. Belief in possession and exorcism is useful if you are the devil and a lazy devil at that! It does the devilry for you. You don't need to go to the trouble of possessing anybody. Or, if you do, a low level of control would do fine, and the person's belief would do the rest with the help of the exorcist and the devout preachers.
The cross at times fails to eject or hinder the demon, which is interesting. As a symbol of necessary evil, this is no wonder. Evil always hides itself in the guise of necessary evil.
It is alarming that there is not enough done to stop exorcism. What is wrong with society? Why are victims so quiet? Is the real power of exorcism its power to lull people into silence while new victims are made? Why do people see exorcism as more horrific than it is, for they are misinformed by gory, insane, and exaggerated horror movies and do nothing about it? Surely, if you believed the Church was carrying out such dark magic and causing such pain, you would walk away from it and get it removed from the public sphere? Surely, you would remove children from extremist parents?
Catholic exorcism is quackery, as shown by the 2022 movie Prey for the Devil. This film makes us see:
There is something wrong when, as it says, only priests can exorcise. Jesus was not a serving priest, and his disciples were able to supposedly exorcise without being ordained. This is about enhancing the clerical profile.
The sexism of the Catholic Church in having no female exorcists.
I would add that Jesus only commissioned men to exorcise.
Finally, the film, like many of its genre, should make us see what faith in exorcism can lead to. Let them be as parables and warnings. Faiths that practice exorcism should be dismantled immediately, no matter what the cost.