Buzz
Whether you want to act as a possessed character at a Halloween costume party or simply prank your friends or family, learning how to perform convincingly is easy. By following a few guidelines on personality and behavior, and combining them with effective costume tips, you'll be able to pull off a convincingly eerie possessed look in no time.
Steps
Display changes in personality
Be closed off, silent, and on edge. A noticeable sign of possession is a sudden shift in someone's personality. A typically cheerful and social person suddenly becomes quiet, withdrawn, and exhibits negative, cold behavior. You should act distant, speaking only when directly addressed.
- Respond in a monotone voice, showing no emotion, and appear defensive if anyone questions your behavior.
- You may mimic people's words with a sarcastic tone, repeating what they say in an eerie manner and abruptly walking away.
Show indifference to hobbies you normally enjoy. Act aloof and uninterested in anything. When someone asks for your opinion or your friends strike up a conversation, reply with a dull "I don't care" and gaze blankly into the distance with a lifeless expression.
Explode suddenly with words. Let out bursts of anger during normal conversations or peaceful dinners. React violently to harmless, random things. Act as if you have no control over your actions and words.
- Appear disoriented and confused after your outburst. This state should pass as quickly as it started, leaving everyone around you shocked and bewildered.
- Speak loudly, with a sharp tone, and at a faster pace than usual during the outburst.
- Feign some physical discomfort, as if you're cramping.
Maintain an empty and exhausted expression. Walk in a trance-like state, almost as if sleepwalking. Appear drained and completely out of energy, as if you’ve just gone through a period of sleep deprivation or malnutrition.
- If someone stops you and tries to get your attention, squint slightly and silently stare at them before returning to your empty, lifeless expression.
- Don’t overdo it. You need to look genuinely fatigued, even disheartened. If you exaggerate, it will seem artificial.
Leave suspicious books and images everywhere. Display strange symbolic images and mysterious objects in places where others can see them. Let people observe you repeatedly drawing a symbol on a piece of paper until the ink tears through it. Keep up the mysterious act.
- Limit the display – one or two times is enough. If your room suddenly fills with crystals, tarot cards, and other mystical objects, it will seem less realistic.
- This scene will plant the idea in the minds of your friends and family that something strange might be going on, but they won’t immediately figure out it’s just a prank.
Perform unsettling actions in public. Sit across from a wall and laugh wildly to yourself. Purposely let others see you whispering alone in a dark corner. Sway back and forth while muttering something under your breath. Suddenly shush those nearby as you pass by them.
- Don’t overact this scene to make it too obvious. Start with a single strange behavior, then gradually increase the frequency and intensity of your odd actions.
- Be cautious not to overdo it in these scenes, as it might get you into trouble at school or work. Remember, the purpose of your prank is to have fun.
Dress up as if possessed by a demon.
Apply a bright concealer on your face, neck, and lips. Choose a shade that is several tones lighter than your natural skin color. You can also apply a layer of white powder or makeup (typically sold in Halloween stores) on top of the concealer for an even whiter effect.
- For an unnaturally pale and even complexion, apply the concealer to your chest, hands, and other exposed skin areas.
- Set the makeup with a light dusting of translucent powder to ensure the makeup stays put and lasts longer.
Apply matte eyeshadow in brown, gray, or purple under your eyes. Use a brush to blend brown and purple eyeshadow under your eyes to create a hollowed look. Add a touch of gray underneath for more depth in the eye socket.
- For a more dramatic effect, apply eyeshadow in the inner corner of your eyes and on your eyelids.
- In addition to purple, brown, and gray, you can dab a small amount of black eyeshadow in the inner corners for a truly striking look.
Contouring your cheekbones. Sweep matte eyeshadow in brown or gray below your cheekbones in a straight line. This will give your face a gaunt, hollow appearance. Make sure to blend the contour well.
- The aim here is to look sickly without giving away the fact that you're wearing makeup.
- The contour line should start at your hairline on your cheekbones, follow the contour of the bone, and stop about 2.5 cm from the corner of your mouth on either side.
Use red makeup on your eyes, cheeks, and nose. Apply red, brownish-pink, or maroon eyeshadow to your eyelids, inner corners of your eyes, and under your eyes. Add a touch of red to the tip of your nose. Use a red lip liner to trace the lower eyelid (just above the lashes) to create a sickly, tired look.
- Blend the red makeup evenly to achieve a natural, subtle effect. Make sure it doesn't look too obvious that you're wearing makeup.
- After applying the lip liner to the lower eyelid, gently use a cotton swab to smudge it for a more natural, messy effect.
Define the features and add depth to your face. Use an angled small brush to apply matte eyeshadow in brown (or gray) to the creases and folds of your face. Focus on the two lines that run from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth, and the lines that appear from the corners of your mouth when you scrunch your face.
- Don't forget to darken the lines between your eyebrows when you frown, as well as the lines on your forehead when you raise your eyebrows high.
- The depth and definition of these wrinkles will make you look weary, tired, and grumpy.
- Ensure the makeup isn't too dark or too obvious.
Draw veins on your cheeks and forehead. Use a small angled brush and blue or green eyeshadow to sketch faint veins on your cheeks and forehead. For a more eerie effect, shake your hand slightly as you draw the veins.
- If you want the color to stand out more, dampen the brush before dipping it into the eyeshadow.
- Gel eyeliner or cream eyeshadow in blue/green also works well for creating the vein effect.
Dust a thin layer of translucent or white powder over your face. This layer will make the newly drawn "veins" appear to be beneath your skin. The powder will also help other makeup layers adhere better and reduce shine.
- Use a large puff or a blush brush to apply the powder evenly and lightly.
Make your lips look dry and cracked. Pucker your lips and use eyeshadow or eyeliner to draw lines on your lips, creating the appearance of wrinkles. Dab a bit of pink/red/brown eyeshadow at the corners of your lips. This will give your lips a dry, cracked, and bloodstained look.
Make your hair look greasy and matted. Spray water/hairspray and/or gel onto your hair, then use your hands to separate it into sections, creating a messy, draping look. The longer and messier your hair, the better.
- If you're able to go a few days without washing your hair, it will add even more impact to your appearance.
Darken your nails and fingertips to create a grimy appearance. Dab black eyeshadow beneath your nails and around the nail edges, blending it down onto your fingers so the "dirt" is most concentrated around the nails and fades as it reaches your fingers.
- Apply a little brown-red liquid lipstick around the cuticle of a few nails to make them look bloodstained.
Exhibit physical disorders.
Wake up screaming. Nightmares are often a sign of possession, so occasionally pretend to experience a nightmare. Scream involuntarily and thrash around to create a disheveled look, drenched in sweat, when someone rushes to check on you. Open your eyes wide and show an expression of fear.
- If asked what you were dreaming, sit up and shake your head as if unable to describe what you just saw.
- The best time to perform this act is from midnight until around 2 AM. During this period, people in the house are not deeply asleep and will be more likely to wake up and feel anxious.
Practice yoga to build strength and flexibility. Those depicted as possessed in films often have the ability to twist their bodies in unnatural ways. It's also common for them to show supernatural strength. You can enhance your strength and flexibility through yoga, stretching exercises, and weight training.
- After your "nightmare," perform a twisting pose. Keep your face expressionless.
- To avoid injury, make sure to stretch properly before attempting the twist.
- Keep the twist simple. You don't need to overdo it—just the right amount will terrify anyone watching.
Act as if you're hypnotized and maintain it for a long period without blinking. When others try to speak to or wake you up, remain silent, your body stiff, and your gaze vacant. Don't come to when "hypnotized," even if others try to shake you out of it. Pretend to be unconscious.
- When you wake up, act as if you have no memory of what happened. Argue with anyone who tries to discuss it.
- Show signs of memory loss and confusion about the passage of time.
Practice rolling your eyes so that only the whites are visible. Face forward, tilt your head back, and look as far away as possible – without moving your head. Raise your eyes as high as you can, then lower your eyelids slightly to cover any remaining black part of your eyes.
- Remember not to close your eyes completely while doing this. You can practice in front of your phone's camera. Record videos and take photos of your performance.
- Some people find it easier to close their eyes first. You can close your eyes, look up at the ceiling (eyes still closed), and then open them while still looking up.
Practice scrunching your face intensely and showing a pained expression. According to exorcists, people who are possessed often have horrifying and terrifying facial expressions. Their faces reveal clear signs of pain. Sit in front of a mirror and practice making such an expression.
- Once you’ve mastered a few facial expressions, perform them as if you’ve just encountered a “nightmare” or experienced a strange and eerie incident.
- If possible, use props to enhance your expression and actions.
- A well-known scene from the movie 'The Exorcist' can inspire your performance, and it could be fun to use some thick bean soup in one of your scenes.
Learn a new language or some Latin phrases. In horror films, the possessed often speak in Latin, but any foreign language will surely confuse your friends and family if you suddenly start speaking in a strange tongue. If you don't have time to learn a new language, just focus on a few Latin phrases.
- A common phrase used by the possessed in horror films is "Legio mihi nomen est, quia multi sumus," which means "I am Legion, for we are many." Even in your native language, this phrase is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
- Be careful when speaking a foreign language if any of your family members know it. You wouldn't want your sister to point out that you’re mispronouncing Latin or making grammar mistakes.
- Alternatively, you can mumble a few incoherent phrases. If you choose this method, try to mimic speaking in a foreign language by occasionally changing tone or accent on certain words.
Practice speaking in a creepy voice. In films, the voice of the demon possessing a person is often deep, raspy, and sinister. Try speaking in different voices to see what strange and terrifying sounds you can create. Look for online videos to help you expand your vocal range – especially focusing on reaching deeper tones.
- Record your eerie voice using your phone, and then use an app to make your voice even deeper, scarier, and play it back late at night or when others are around.
- Mix in other sounds like gurgling, growling, hissing, and screaming. Use these sounds between sentences or words.
Warning
- People may think you have a mental illness, such as depression (losing interest in things you once enjoyed, feeling emotionally empty), or a condition like autism (which could be expressed through repetitive behaviors such as rocking or repeating words or phrases). You might be taken to a doctor for a mental health evaluation.
- Anyone with a clear mind knows when to stop acting after a certain period. Honestly, if you don't have the common sense to step out of a role, that’s on you.
