a b c d e The Wonders of Nature and Providence, Displayed: Compiled from Authentic Sources, both Ancient and Modern, giving an Account of Various and Strange Phenomena existing in Nature of Travels, Adventures, Singular Providences, &c. E. and H. Hosford, Printers. 1825 . Retrieved 31 December 2007. On Saturday May 31, 1788, Mrs. Sarah Barber called on me acquainting me that she had just returned from a visit to Yatton, in the county of Somerset, where she had found a poor man afflicted with an extraordinary malady. She said his name was George Lukins; that he had fits daily during her stay at Yatton, in which he sang and screamed in various sounds, some of which did not resemble a human voice; and declared, doctors could do him no service. Some time ago she resided at Yatton several years altogether, well knew George Lukins and his relations, and was thoroughly acquainted with the opinion of the neighbourhood concerning them: and could with confidence declare, that he bore an extraordinary good character from his childhood, and had constantly attended the church and sacrament. Of her own knowledge she said, that she could affirm, that he had been subject to first of a very uncommon nature, for the last eighteen years: for the cure of which he had been placed for a considerable time under the care of Mr. Smith, an eminent surgeon of Wrington, who administered all the assistance in his power without effect: many other medical gentlemen she said had in like manner tried to help him, but in vain. Many of the people about Yatton conceived him to be bewitched; but he himself declared that he was possessed of seven devils, and that nothing could avail but the united prayers of seven clergymen, who could ask deliverance for him in faith. The case was detailed in a 1935 German pamphlet called Begone, Satan! A Soul-Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession, and profiled in a 1936 issue of Time magazine. Some of the more spectacular allegations will be familiar to anyone who’s seen The Exorcist: Schmidt supposedly levitated, was tied to a bed, and, according to one of Riesinger’s associates, vomited “quantities that were humanly speaking impossible to lodge in a normal being.” The popular account gets increasingly far-fetched—when the exorcism began, Schmidt reportedly flew off the bed, “landed high above the door of the room and clung to the wall with catlike grips.” In 1842 Germany, a 28-year-old woman became the center of attention in her neighborhood when strange things happened in her home. Gottleibin Dittus would soon slide in and out of trances, but her possession wouldn’t become so patent until Lutheran pastor Johann Christoph Blumhart began a rite of exorcism. Dittus turned extremely violent and vomited all kinds of matter, from nails to blood. Her ber body convulsed, levitated, and disappeared behind shadows while she screamed about hell and its occupants.

Reverend Easterbrook met with Lukins several times in the church to determine if he was indeed possessed. Once such a determination was made, under the 1604 canons of the Church of England episcopal authority was required to perform an exorcism.

Knapp’s symptoms eventually subsided and she lived out her life quietly as a Puritan wife and mother. 2. ‘Gina’ Lorenzi, Rossella. “Satan’s Enigma: ‘Possessed’ Nun’s 17th-Century Letter Deciphered”, Live Science, September 18 th 2017.

An account of the exorcism was published in the Bristol Gazette. [16] The newspaper reported that George Lukins, during his alleged possession, claimed that he was the devil, made barking noises, sung an inverted Te Deum, and was very violent. [17] In light of these claims, on Friday, 13 June 1778, seven clergymen, including Rev. Joseph Easterbrook, accompanied George Lukins to the vestry at Temple Church, where they performed an exorcism on the man, which included hymn singing and prayer. [18] The deliverance concluded when the demons were allegedly cast out using the Trinitarian formula; the clergymen commanded the demons to return to hell and George Lukins then exclaimed "Blessed Jesus!", praised God, recited the Lord's prayer, and then thanked the Methodist and Anglican clergymen. [19] Rev. Easterbrook, when recording the events under the patronage of Rev. John Wesley, stated that the account would be doubted in this modern era of skepticism, but pointed to "the scriptures, and other authentic history, of ancient as well as modern times" to buttress what he felt was a valid case of demonic possession. [19] An article in The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle criticized the account, stating that Lukins actually suffered from " epilepsy and St. Vitus's dance." [20] Dr. Feriar, a medical demonologist, criticized George Lukins as an impostor masquerading as a demoniac. [12] Nevertheless, after the exorcism, George Lukins was described as calm and happy. [7] Following this case, several pieces of literature were printed on George Lukins, thus popularising his alleged case of diabolical possession and deliverance, [21] [22] [23] despite the original design to keep the case a secret. [6] See also [ edit ] At first, as CBS News reported, Cornici appeared to be suffering from schizophrenia. As psychiatrist Gheorghe Silvestrovici told the outlet, she first sought help in April 2005 after she began hearing voices. Doctors told her that this was a schizophrenic hallucination, but it was difficult for Cornici to shake the idea that it was actually the Devil telling her that she was full of sin. She was sent to the Holy Trinity convent in Tanacu, with the plan that she would soon be under medical supervision again. She would never return. Despite that, the doctors were happy to declare that George Lukins was suffering from chronic and repeated throat infections, which repeatedly caused rheumatic fever, which repeatedly caused Sydenham’s chorea… about once a week. As a result Lukins was admitted to St George’s Hospital in London. In America, the practice is as popular as it’s ever been, maybe because a rise in exorcisms is often linked to social or political upheaval. In 2020, priests in Oregon and California performed mass exorcisms after racial justice protests. Ironically, the growing popularity of exorcism has also been linked to the decline in church attendance, which, as an American priest told the BBC in 2018, might be driving a rise in superstitious beliefs and practices.On May 31, 1778, a woman named Mrs. Sarah Barber traveled to the Yatton Village in Mendip, Somerset, and summoned Rev. Joseph Easterbrook of Temple Church. She said she knew a man she felt was afflicted with an odd infirmity, a tailor named George Lukins who would sing and scream with different voices that barely sounded human. Because of his bizarre behavior, Lukins eventually ended up at St. George’s Hospital, where he was confined for over five months. He was pronounced incurable by the doctors. In the Reverend’s notes, he described how George made the most horrible noises as his body convulsed. Experiencing as many as nine fits a day, the man was weak and emaciated. He was also unable to hear religious expressions without writhing in pain.

After the exorcism had been performed on George Lukins, reports indicated that he had recovered from his demonic possession and returned home seemingly cured of his affliction. However, some sources suggest that this was not the end of his ordeal and that he would be plagued by supernatural occurrences for many years afterward – perhaps indicating that whatever had been inside him still lingered in some form or another… TL;DR Barry J. (2012) Methodism and Mummery: The Case of George Lukins. In: Witchcraft and Demonology in South-West England, 1640–1789. Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic. Palgrave Macmillan, London a b Encyclopædia Britannica; or A dictionary of arts, sciences, and... Encyclopædia Britannica. 1823 . Retrieved 31 December 2007. He asserts that Lukins's first seizure was nothing more than a fit of drunkenness that he always foretold his fits, and remained sensible during their continuance; that he frequently saw Lukins in his fits, 'in every one of which, except in singing, he performed not more than most active young people easily do; that he was detected in an imposture with respect to the clenching of his hands; that after money had been collected for him, he got suddenly well; that he never had any fits while he was at St George's Hospital in London; nor when visitors were excluded from his lodgings, by desire of the author of the Narrative; and that he was particularly careful never to hurt himself by his exertions during the paroxysm. Two decades later, Anna’s demons returned. At the age of 46, Anna turned to Father Riesinger once more to help rid her of this desperate, evil presence. The second exorcism was a well-documented and terrifying affair. During the procedure, Anna remained repulsed by holy water and would refuse to eat “blessed” food, although unaware that it was blessed. She would curl up in a corner and emit inhuman noises, like a cat’s hissing, and climb walls until she was forcefully restrained to a bed. Being restrained seemed to be the catalyst for the evil spirits to come out in full force. Her unconscious body began to forcefully rise to the ceiling, and the only thing stopping it were the restraints. Demons and possessions are fears shared by many, especially among the religious world. Most experts nowadays agree that “ demonic possessions” are simply treatable mental illnesses. After all, it’s not the Middle Ages anymore. Though exorcisms are rarely practiced now, they used to be much more commonplace and could be violent, dangerous, and downright creepy. 10 Clara Germana Cele

One of the Doctors that examined Lukins was Samuel Norman. According to Norman, "To prove himself bewitched, he gave me and others many relations of the power of witches, their iniquitous practices and punishments for them." During the ritual, Hoerner was assisted by another priest, several nuns, and “eight large, strong girls” who were tasked with restraining Tele. Hoerner claims all eight were lifted into the air with Tele as she levitated. The priest decided to handcuff the girl, but he says it took them three hours to accomplish the task as Tele choked, punched, and bit anyone who came close enough. The exorcism was finally declared a success around 9:30 on the morning of September 13, 1906. Just to be sure it took, Hoerner exorcised her again that evening. She happily cooperated, though another exorcism was performed the following year when her symptoms seemed to return. That exorcism was considered successful, but Tele’s recovery was short-lived. She died of consumption just six years later. 4. The Exorcism of Emma Schmidt // 1928 Deciding Lukins was indeed in need of an exorcism, Easterbrook asked for a meeting to discuss the remedy to the possession. In addition to Easterbrook, three other priest attended:

Grose, F. (1790) A Provincial Glossary With A Collection Of Local Proverbs And Popular Superstitions, S. Hooper, London Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1984.

Satan visits Manchester

On 13th June, Rev. Easterbrook and several of his friends and colleagues met with George in the vestry-room of the church. They began by singing hymns, which immediately caused George to convulse in agitation. His fit became more violent, until he spoke in deep, hoarse, hollow voice. The voice declared that it would never quit its hold of George, and that any attempt to help the man would cause him to suffer torment a thousand times worse. The voice then starting singing in its usual manner, boasting of its power, blaspheming and vowing vengeance on both the unfortunate George and all those who dared to oppose him. Our next story begins in 1974. A previously unassuming family man, Michael Taylor lived in England with his wife and five children. By all accounts, this was a happy 1970s nuclear family. All of that changed when Mr. Taylor joined a mysterious church known as the “Christian Fellowship Group,” led by a charming and beautiful 21-year-old named Marie Robinson. Marie and Michael soon began spending inordinate amounts of time together, and even leading church services where they would speak in tongues and “exorcise” congregation members. Christine Taylor accused her husband of having an affair with Marie, due to his absences. After this night of drinking, Lukins began experiencing seizures where he could not speak. Stories about Lukins also asserted that he would make strange animal sounds, including barking like a dog. He would also argue with himself and act violently. The fits always began and ended with "a strong agitation of the right hand." Witnesses also reported that Lukins "cannot hear any virtuous or expression used without pain or horror." Lukins is also described as being an "emaciated and exhausted figure." This all culminated in a 24-hour exorcism after which the priests, exhausted and terrified, claimed to have removed all but the demons of “insanity, anger, and murder” from the man’s body. [2] Not two hours later, possibly overtaken by these demons, possibly not, he violently and brutally murdered his wife and their dog. Christine’s eyes and tongue were ripped out. Michael was found on the street naked and covered in blood. He was eventually sent to Broadmoor Hospital and has since spent time in and out of psychiatric wards and the court system. The psychological phenomena of Christianity. Charles Scribner's Sons. 1908 . Retrieved 31 December 2007. The last case of demoniacal possession of note in England was that of George Lukins of Yattan.