William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist was released in 1973. Audiences all over were shocked, some even had visceral responses to it. Reports of people fleeing mid-film, fainting, or vomiting in the theaters were shared widely.
The Exorcist book and subsequent film aren't just the products of a creative imagination though. They're based on the case of Roland Doe, which has become one of the most famous alleged instances of demonic possession in the United States.
Among many cultures, dabbling in the occult is taboo. A 'no-no' that can lead to some serious bad juju, if you will. The Exorcist shows us exactly why that is-- play with the occult and you're gonna catch a case of the demons. And the only cure for a case of the demons is an exorcism. We already know from our past story on Annelise Michele, that tragically-- exorcisms don't always cure the posessed-- but sometimes, it appears as though they do. So now, we're going to see if we can sort out just what is going on when the possessed recover through religious intervention.. on today's episode of Idiopathic!
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Additional Resources
Stuff You Missed in History Class The Possession Case of Roland Doe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pt4B3K__Tc
Episode28 | Strange & Unexplained Podcast: https://www.strangeandunexplainedpod.com/episodes/page/8
ATWWD E32 Father Beelzebub and 4000 Salutes: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5evWB8XWIDDzklYY2z9Oqu
