The year is 1946 in America. A small town is the scene of what is an unbelievable event to many, but what is a reality for those who have witnessed it. A young boy has become possessed by a demonic or unclean spirit. He is being literally attacked from within and is gradually dying. No doctor can diagnose the bizarre behavior. As a last resort a Catholic priest is called in who had training in exorcism. He is accompanied by another man of the cloth who will be be a witness to the acts that will follow. This incident will serve as the inspiration for the movie "The Exorcist". According to Catholic Priest, Vincent Lampert, who underwent 4 months of training from the Vatican in Rome, the special effects used in the movie are not far from the truth.

Numerous reports

Lampert himself receives more than 1,800 calls for help every year by people who believe they are possessed or from family and friends of those trying to get help for the possessed. While in Rome, Father Lampert witnessed 40 exorcisms in the 4 months he visited there and attended these bizarre rituals. Lampert says that anyone who doubts such things and that Jesus in the Bible encountered the demonically possessed forcing the unclean spirits to leave the body of the victim, any skeptic would be immediately convinced.

Stringent process

According to Father Lampert the Catholic church has a protocol that must be followed before considering a victim for an exorcism. Only 1 in 5,000 qualify for exorcisms after evaluation and the exorcist himself must be the most skeptical of all before such a task is undertaken. Psychological evaluation, medical examination, drug addiction, witchcraft, background checks, whether or not that person has ever tried to contact the dead or Satan, are just a few of the questions asked. Has the person played board games like the Ouija, have they ever used a fortune teller and attempted to see into the future, most of these inquiries seemed poised toward the paranormal.

The cause

Once a person has satisfied all requirements for demonic possession only then will the church allow such a ceremony to be undertaken. Father Lampert states that only half of the requests he gets are from Catholics and that all denominations and even other religions aside from Christianity are afflicted. Vincent Lampert says that due to the declining faith in God and church attendance that demonic possession is on the rise along with crime and immoral behavior. The Devil is having his way, sadly Father Lampert concludes.

Frightening actions

What behavior has Father Vincent Lampert observed during these exorcisms? He says the rolling back of the eyes is common place, incredible contortions of the body that would seem to break bones, the eyes becoming completely black often occurs. Levitation also happens. Demonstration of incredible strength is also quite apparent. Father Lampert speaks of an incident during an exorcism when a small girl with thin arms lifted a heavy piece of furniture that it took two men to handle and she picked it up with one hand and threw it against a wall. Foaming at the mouth is another observed behavior as the demons fight to resist being cast out. The possessed person is able to speak forgotten foreign languages, can scream with an intensity and in voices that seem straight out of horror movies. They can speak of impossible knowledge of others they do not know at all as the demon demonstrates its prowess beyond normal flesh!

Paranormal powers

The demon or demons strive to create fear in order to remain in the body of the afflicted. Saying things like, " you are not strong enough and we have been here too long for you to succeed!" The victim will also have cuts, claw marks drawing blood, and writings in blood across their skin. These are real life manifestations that take place during an exorcism! Father Vincent Lampert talks about one tactic used which is called a breath prayer where one recites and blows the words into the face of the recipient. On one occasion he blew the breath prayer and the possessed person flew backwards as if hit by a hurricane force wind and then came forward and fell onto the floor! It is the force of the Lord that causes these powerful reactions, says Father Lampert. Says Vincent, "Exorcisms are not performed in deserted houses during storms in the middle of the night like Hollywood dramatizes."

It takes courage

When asked what can he do to protect himself during these violent demonstrations of strength and hatred for the victim and God? Father Lampert has only the Bible, the verses that he reads, a crucifix, holy water, and his faith in what he is doing. He will also have an accompanying witness for assistance. There are times when the victim must be restrained to protect themselves from injury. Father Lampert admitted the first time he ever watched a demon possessed person levitate off the ground his mouth hung open in utter shock. Yet, this is a path he has chosen with training he has been given from the Vatican to heal the sick and the possessed. One test used by another priest was to place the crucifix on the forehead of a possessed girl which immediately caused her to go into convulsions. When he withdrew the crucifix she stopped. This event was witnessed in a hospital by medical staff who could arrive at no other cause of such behavior such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, brain tumor, or other neurological disorder.

When truth is stranger than fiction

In one case of possession of two children in a family, one boy made growling noises like a wolf and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. The grandmother of the other son held the boy's hands and the child walked backwards up a wall and onto the ceiling upside down! He also threw his brother launching him headlong into a refrigerator! The home was considered to be a portal to hell and was eventually demolished. All events were well documented. This and other incidents have led to the formation of the International Association of Exorcists. In the words of Father Vincent Lampert, the role of the church is not to impose but to propose what it knows about demonic possession and to provide that help if requested by those afflicted.