S2 E17: Spooky Season Special: Talking To Demons

I hate it when my brother Charlie has to go away. My parents constantly try to explain to me how sick he is. That I am lucky for having a brain where all the chemicals flow properly to their destinations like undammed rivers. When I complain about how bored I am without a little brother to play with, they try to make me feel bad by pointing out that his boredom likely far surpasses mine, considering his confine to a dark room in an institution. I always beg for them to give him one last chance. Of course, they did at first. Charlie has been back home several times, each shorter in duration than the last. Every time without fail, it all starts again. The neighborhood cats with gouged out eyes showing up in his toy chest, my dad’s razors found dropped on the baby slide in the park across the street, mom’s vitamins replaced by bits of dishwasher tablets. My parents are hesitant now, using “last chances” sparingly. They say his disorder makes him charming, makes it easy for him to fake normalcy, and to trick the doctors who care for him into thinking he is ready for rehabilitation. That I will just have to put up with my boredom if it means staying safe from him. I hate when Charlie has to go away. I have to presented to be good until he's back.

 

 

Hi everyone and welcome back to the dark history podcast where we explore the darkest parts of human history. hope everyone is well I’m Rob your host as always. Welcome to the new episode, I hope you enjoy our short little ghost story to start, as Halloween is upon us over the next month we will be taking a more supernatural path, with an episode every week up to our Halloween special. This if the first installment of our spooky season specials and where better to start than demons and demonic possession? Whatever your beliefs are in demonic possession or demons as a whole you have to admit that  listening to accounts makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, because weather you believe or not nobody actually truly know what happens after we die. 

While demonic possession remains a belief held by some, it is important to note that in modern times, many cases that were once attributed to possession have been reinterpreted as mental or medical disorders. Regardless of one’s beliefs, the concept of demonic possession continues to be a captivating and unsettling aspect of human culture and mythology, evoking both fascination and fear .

            So without further ado please turn off those lights sit back and relax under the blanker for more dark history 

Transcript

Scary Season special: Talking To Demons

I hate it when my brother Charlie has to go away. My parents constantly try to explain to me how sick he is. That I am lucky for having a brain where all the chemicals flow properly to their destinations like undammed rivers. When I complain about how bored I am without a little brother to play with, they try to make me feel bad by pointing out that his boredom likely far surpasses mine, considering his confine to a dark room in an institution. I always beg for them to give him one last chance. Of course, they did at first. Charlie has been back home several times, each shorter in duration than the last. Every time without fail, it all starts again. The neighbourhood cats with gouged out eyes showing up in his toy chest, my dad’s razors found dropped on the baby slide in the park across the street, mom’s vitamins replaced by bits of dishwasher tablets. My parents are hesitant now, using “last chances” sparingly. They say his disorder makes him charming, makes it easy for him to fake normalcy, and to trick the doctors who care for him into thinking he is ready for rehabilitation. That I will just have to put up with my boredom if it means staying safe from him. I hate when Charlie has to go away. I have to presented to be good until he's back.

Hi everyone and welcome back to the dark history podcast where we explore the darkest parts of human history. hope everyone is well I’m Rob your host as always. Welcome to the new episode, I hope you enjoy our short little ghost story to start, as Halloween is upon us over the next month we will be taking a more supernatural path, with an episode every week up to our Halloween special. This if the first instalment of our spooky season specials and where better to start than demons and demonic possession? Whatever your beliefs are in demonic possession or demons as a whole you have to admit that  listening to accounts makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, because weather you believe or not nobody actually truly know what happens after we die. 

While demonic possession remains a belief held by some, it is important to note that in modern times, many cases that were once attributed to possession have been reinterpreted as mental or medical disorders. Regardless of one’s beliefs, the concept of demonic possession continues to be a captivating and unsettling aspect of human culture and mythology, evoking both fascination and fear .

            So without further ado please turn off those lights sit back and relax under the blanker for more dark history.

Demonic possession is a topic that has captured the human imagination for centuries, often depicted in folklore, literature, and film. It is a belief that an individual’s body and mind can be taken over by malevolent supernatural entities, typically referred to as demons or evil spirits. Describing a demonic possession involves delving into the realms of the supernatural and the macabre.

                           In the popular perception of demonic possession, the processed is typically characterized by several eerie and unsettling signs and symptoms. These may include drastic personality changes, speaking in tongues or unfamiliar languages, superhuman strength, aversion to religious symbols or holy objects, and the ability to predict future events or possess knowledge beyond the possessed person’s normal capabilities. 

            Physical manifestations often accompany these psychological and behavioral changes, such as contorted body positions, unnatural movements, and inhuman growls or screams.

          The onset of possession is often shrouded in mystery, with victims usually experiencing a period of vulnerability or susceptibility due to emotional or psychological distress. This can make them more susceptible to the influence of malevolent forces. Demonic possession is typically believed to occur as a result of a pact with the devil, an invitation through occult practices, or simply as a random and unfortunate encounter with malevolent spirit.

                   Exorcism, a religious or spiritual ritual performed by a trained individual known as an exorcist, is often depicted as the means to rid a possessed person of the demonic entity. Exorcisms are intense, dramatic, and emotionally charged events, involving the use of holy water, prayers, and the commanding of the demon to leave the victim’s body.

Throughout history, tales of demonic possession have been used to explain unusual and disturbing behaviors that could not be easily understood or treated through medical or psychological means. These stories often serve as cautionary tales, emphasizing the battle between good and evil and the importance of faith and spirituality in confronting dark forces.

Our first creepy tale takes us to Somerset England and to a man named George lukins.

The possession of George Lukins, also known as the “Yatton Demoniac,” is a historical case of alleged demonic possession that took place in Yatton, England, in the late 18th century. This case is often cited as one of the most well-documented instances of possession during that era.

                       George Lukins, a Taylor, began exhibiting strange and alarming behaviors in 1788. His symptoms included speaking in languages he had never learned, experiencing violent convulsions, and displaying an aversion to religious symbols and prayers. One of the foremost features of his fits was that he  sang and screamed loudly in different sounds. 

Some of the sounds he made during the state of trace did not resemble any type of modulation of the human voice. Lukins claimed to be possessed by multiple demons, including ones he named as “Cripple” and “Blue Flame.” These entities allegedly tormented him both physically and psychologically.

                        The local community became deeply concerned about Lukins’ condition, and word of his possession spread, attracting the attention of clergymen, physicians, and curious onlookers. The case garnered significant notoriety and became a subject of intense public interest.  

           There are many conflicting accounts regarding the reasons for the demonic possession of George Lukins. His family had taken him to several doctors, only to meet with disappointment when they could not figure out the reason behind his erratic behavior, despite their best efforts. 

It was even recommended that Lukins be observed over an 18-month long stay at St. George’s Hospital, London. However, the fits did not go away, and gossip in his local community soon branded him as cursed,  bewitched, or possessed by a demon.  

Just like everyone else, George Lukins himself was completely dumbfounded about the reasons for his fits. According to the testimony of Lukins, the possession started when he was performing a part in a mummer’s play one  Christmas. At that time a young George Lukins was making his way through the streets when he experienced someone slapping him so hard that he fell unconscious on the road. The slap, as many also referred to as “the divine slap”, has also been attributed to him consuming alcohol at that time, according to people who knew him. Shortly after the incident of the slap, Lukins started showing abnormal behavior such as seizures with strange barking sounds. The most distinctive highlight of Lukins’ behavior was the unexplainable and vigorous twitching of his right hand.  

Reverend Joseph Easterbrook was an Anglican vicar at the Temple Church in  Bristol, England, when he came across one of the most controversial cases in his clerical career. On May 31, 1778, a member of his parish came to him with quite an unnatural request. Sarah Baber, his parishioner, had recently paid a visit to the nearby town of Yatton, in Somerset, and witnessed a man inflicted with an unexplained condition.

          Lukins was summoned to Bristol and Reverent Easterbrook examined George Lukins directly. Several exorcisms were performed on George Lukins in an attempt to rid him of the supposed demons. These exorcisms were often dramatic and highly ritualistic, involving prayers, holy water, and the recitation of religious texts. Witnesses claimed that Lukins would react violently during these rituals, sometimes requiring multiple people to restrain him.

                    After the clergymen commanded the demon to leave George’s body and return to hell, he appeared to return to normalcy. The accounts of Reverend Easterbrook state that he exclaimed praise for the  Lord Jesus and recited the Lord’s Prayer. He further expressed his gratitude to the clergymen for their efforts. 

What’s more interesting about the case is that this recounting offered by Reverend Easterbrook appears to be of a successful exorcism. He stated that people in his modern era would find it hard to believe that the exorcism of George Lukins was indeed true. Eventually, Lukins recovered fully and returned to a relatively normal life.

The next unfortunate tale is a rather famous one thanks to the 2016 horror film the exorcism of Anna ecklund.

      Anna Ecklund was a pseudonym Emma Schmidt. Emma Schmidt was born in Milwaukee on March 23, 1882 and raised in a Catholic household in Marathon, Wisconsin. 

           Very little is known about her parents but it is estimated that her mother died in approximately 1890 leaving Emma in the clutches of her abusive and alcoholic father. She was a very devout Catholic but suddenly, beginning at the age of fourteen, she found herself unable to enter a church without violent thoughts entering her mind. She was consumed with ideas of smashing the holy water fonts and harming the priests, she could not bring herself to receive communion, and all consecrated items caused revulsion. Soon she simply could not enter a church at all, she was being held back by “interior hidden power.” When a local church got involved in helping the tormented woman, they contacted Father Theophilus Riesinger.

               On June 18, 1912, Ecklund underwent an exorcism by Father Riesinger, a Capuchin priest originally from Bavaria, Germany, entrusted by Bishop Thomas Dunn of Des Moines, Iowa. Riesinger had been a monk at the community of St. Anthony's in Marathon, Wisconsin. Little was documented concerning this initial exorcism as Ecklund was not consulted for over two decades after the 1912 exorcism.

          In the summer of 1928, Riesinger was again consulted to perform a second exorcism on Ecklund. Father Joseph Stieger of Earling, Iowa, a friend of Riesinger, suggested the exorcism be undertaken at a convent owned by the Franciscan Sisters in Earling. 

      Ecklund was taken to the convent on August 17, 1928, and reportedly exhibited numerous symptoms, including falling into fits of rage over food that had been sprinkled with holy water, and hissing like a cat. With the help of the Franciscan sisters of the convent, the exorcism began on August 18. The exorcism was reportedly violent, with Ecklund levitating, howling, and hanging from the frame of the doorway. The first session lasted until August 26; a second session occurred between September 13 and September 20, followed by a final eight-day session that lasted from December 15 to December 23, 1928.

        The extensive exorcism resulted in deterioration of Ecklund's body, as she refused to consume food, also vomiting foul debris and what appeared to be tobacco leaves. Her head, lips, and face reportedly swelled, and she also was able to speak in multiple languages unknown to her. The exorcism was reportedly so grueling, and Ecklund's behavior so violent, that several nuns in the Franciscan order asked to be relocated to a different convent. Ecklund was believed to be possessed by Judas Iscariot, as well as Jacob, her own father, who had cursed her with the help of his lover, her aunt Mina, for refusing his incestuous sexual advances during her adolescence. During the exorcisms, Ecklund also spoke in a high falsetto voice, which Riesinger interpreted as the voice of her aunt Mina.

On December 23, the final day of the exorcism, Father Riesinger commanded the demons in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary to depart to Hell. Ecklund collapsed on her bed and began to shriek "Beelzebub, Judas, Jacob, Mina," followed by "Hell! Hell! Hell!" She opened her eyes, and then spoke in her own voice, saying "My Jesus, Mercy! Praised be Jesus Christ!"Riesinger's exorcism was reportedly successful, and Ecklund only exhibited "milder" and "quite manageable" possessions after it. Her true identity was kept protected from the public in written accounts and she died in in 1942 aged 59.

Our final tale is very modern, surprisingly, but unlike the others ends in tragedy.

      In January 2005, 23-year-old Maricica Irina Cornici moved to the Tanacu monastery. She was born into a broken family, and, following her father's suicide, she and her brother grew up in an orphanage. When she was 19, she worked as a nanny in Germany, and then for a family in Banat. A friend of hers from the orphanage became a nun at the Tanacu monastery and she encouraged her to also become a nun.

Soon after, she began giggling during Mass and, by April, her mental state deteriorated and the doctors at the local psychiatric hospital diagnosed her as schizophrenia. After a two-week treatment, they released her into the care of the monastery. Cornici's friends also stated that she never exhibited any signs of mental illness. Her brother testified that he was with her when he saw Satan go "into her" and also maintained that she suffered from demonic possession.

       Father Corogeanu, a priest at the convent. thought that it was not just a mental illness, but rather that Cornici was possessed by Satan.He would later claim that "you can't take the Devil out of people with pills" and that an exorcism was necessary.

In order to restrain her from violent movements including those causing her to hit herself, the nuns bound her hands and feet and locked her in her room as they participated in the liturgy commemorating the Ascension of Jesus. A few days later, they chained her to a cross with her arms stretched and carried her into the church so that they could anoint her. According to Sister Nicoleta Arcalianu, Cornici had been restrained in the same manner that others who were demonically possessed were; Sister Arcalianu stated that had Cornici not been restrained, she "could have either killed herself or killed someone else". With regard to Cornici, Sister Arcalianu stated that "Irina knew that she was possessed by evil spirits because she was begging us to tie her up and help her."

Her wrists and forehead were then anointed with holy oil and she was kept in the church for three days. They put a towel into her mouth to stop her from cursing and prayed to cast out the Devil as they wet her lips with holy water.

        Cornici was then moved to her room, She was later given bread and tea, and fainted after eating. The nuns could not awaken her, and feeling that her pulse was weak, they called an ambulance. While in the ambulance, she was administered six doses of adrenaline.By the time she reached the hospital, she was dead.

   Father Corogeanu and the four nuns who helped him were charged with murder and depriving a person of liberty. Prosecutors sought a life sentence for Corogeanu, but he was sentenced in 2007 to 14 years in prison, while the nuns Nicoleta Arcalianu, Adina Cepraga, Elena Otel, and Simona Bardanas were sentenced to between 5 and 8 years.

  Thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to this dark episode. My self I’m

Not really a believer in god or the devil don’t judge that’s just my belief, I believe in ghosts, just not two entities that are fighting a spiritual war. I believe your spirit goes on, on another plain and sometimes these cross over.  So with possession myself I believe it could be a dark spirit entering a persons body. I really am sceptical that it’s a malevolent spirit from hell.

      The case of George Lukins remains a historical curiosity and a subject of debate. Some viewed it as a genuine case of demonic possession, while others attributed his symptoms to psychological or medical factors. Regardless of the cause, it serves as a reminder of the deep-seated beliefs in demonic possession and the often dramatic and complex ways in which such cases were handled in the past. Today, it continues to be studied by scholars interested in the history of the paranormal and the supernatural.

   Anna Ecklunds case continues to be cited in discussions about the intersection of faith, the supernatural, and the human psyche. To me it sounds like the people who instrgated the exorcism, mainly Risinger, took advantage of a mentally ill woman and tortured her . I mean her identity was changed and the whole story of her refusing to consume food, just sounds like abuse to me. Also him saying well its more manageable now she only possessed a little bit, really? Are there levels to this shit? I though it was all or nothing? It's either your mortal soul or nothing? 

As for the last one they just straight up killed her and claimed she was possessed and deserve to rot in prison. 

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