Buzz
Throughout history, countless tales of demonic possession have emerged, often concluding with either the tragic demise of the afflicted or an official exorcism—a ritual aimed at expelling the demon back to the underworld. Surprisingly, the ancient practice of exorcism experienced a significant resurgence in the 20th century, with a 50 percent increase in performed exorcisms during the 1960s and 1970s. Is this resurgence fueled by media sensationalism? Do malevolent entities truly exist, capable of invading and controlling human bodies, or is the concept of demonic possession merely a myth fueled by hoaxes and vivid imaginations?
10. The Perron Family
In 1971, the Perron family relocated to a sprawling 18th-century farmhouse in rural Burrillville, Rhode Island, hoping for a fresh start. However, their new life took an unexpected turn. Shortly after moving in, Carolyn Perron, the mother, awoke to the chilling sight of an elderly woman hanging from the ceiling. In the following weeks, eerie noises echoed from the crawlspaces and cellar, doors mysteriously opened and slammed shut, and food inexplicably oozed blood.
With assistance from paranormal investigators, the Perrons learned that an 18th-century witch had allegedly offered her child to Satan, invited evil into the home, and later took her own life. The family became convinced that the witch’s spirit, along with numerous demons and the ghosts of others who had died by suicide on the property, were tormenting them. Andrea Perron, one of the daughters now in her fifties, still insists the events were entirely real, claiming her mother was once possessed. She recalls, “The only moment I felt genuine fear in that house was when I believed my mother might die. She spoke in an unfamiliar voice, and an otherworldly force hurled her 20 feet into another room.”
The Perron family’s ordeal inspired the movie The Conjuring, though the film omits key details—after Mrs. Perron’s possession, the family remained in the house for nearly a decade, gradually adapting to coexist with the spirits.
9. George Lukins
Known as the “Yatton Demoniac” in British media, George Lukins asserted he was possessed by seven demons that required seven priests to expel. His exorcism remains one of the most notorious cases of the 18th century.
Lukins’ troubling state was first brought to light when Sarah Barber, a concerned friend, wrote to a local priest pleading for help. Her letter revealed that for 18 years, Lukins had been declining mentally and physically, suffering from seizures and growling at those around him. Over time, his episodes grew more severe and took on an otherworldly nature: “He roars that he is the devil, cursing violently and summoning minions to inflict torturous pain on him using every hellish method imaginable.”
On June 13, 1778, seven priests gathered at the Temple Church in Bristol, England, to perform an extensive exorcism. As the priests began with hymns, George Lukins erupted into a frenzied state, barking and hissing before declaring that his “torment would increase a thousandfold” for attempting such a futile act. He then cycled through seven demonic personas, culminating in a declaration that he was the devil himself. Ultimately, the account claims the demons were banished back to hell.
8. Robert The Doll
Robert the Doll embodies every child’s worst fear. Though it appears harmless—a handmade sailor-suited figure—it allegedly comes alive at night to terrorize children. As the tale goes, the doll was gifted to young Eugene Otto, whose artist parents had recently moved to Key West, Florida, in the late 19th century. The giver? A Jamaican nanny rumored to be a witch.
Before long, the Ottos overheard Eugene conversing with the doll in his room, with another voice responding. Weeks later, Eugene started screaming at night, claiming Robert was attempting to harm him. Neighbors swore they saw the doll moving in the windows, while household servants reported hearing eerie giggles and spotting shadows darting across rooms when the doll was supposedly alone.
As Eugene grew older, he inherited his parents’ home and kept Robert the Doll nearby. The doll continued to frighten guests, yet Eugene appeared to share an unusual bond with it. He would become furious if his wife hid the doll or stored it in the attic, insisting that Robert “required a view of the street.”
7. Bobby Jindal
Currently serving as Louisiana’s governor, Bobby Jindal’s political career is notable for one peculiar event: in 1990, while at Brown University, he performed an exorcism on a classmate. He later detailed the experience in an article published in the New Oxford Review.
During a campus prayer meeting, Jindal was present with Susan, a close friend who had recently been diagnosed with cancer and was grieving the suicide of another friend. Emotionally fragile, Susan suddenly collapsed into a seizure. As her sister claimed she was demon-possessed, Jindal and around a dozen students laid hands on her, demanding Satan to depart. After several minutes of convulsions, Susan awoke, seemingly unharmed.
6. The Dibbuk Box
The tale began when antiques dealer Kevin Mannis bought an aged wine cabinet at an estate sale in 2000. The box, shrouded in mystery, was said to have belonged to the estate owner’s grandmother, who kept it sealed to prevent anyone from opening it. She referred to it as a “dibbuk box.” In Jewish folklore, dibbuks (or dybbuks) are malevolent spirits that attach themselves to people or objects, spreading misfortune and death.
After placing the box in his office, Mannis received a frantic call from his secretary, reporting screams, crashes, and locked doors. Upon returning, he discovered shattered light bulbs and his secretary trembling in a corner. He later gifted the box to his mother, who suffered a stroke soon after, leaving her paralyzed. Unable to sell or give it away, Mannis eventually kept the box in his home.
Slowly, Mannis started to go crazy. He began seeing shadows out of the corners of his eyes, he would awake in the middle of the night feeling like someone was breathing on his neck, and his home became filled with the stench of cat urine and jasmine flowers. Finally, he posted the dibbuk box on eBay along with the story behind it asking for someone with experience in demonology to take it.
It was purchased by a student named Iosif Nietzke, who ended up posting it on eBay again after he began experiencing the same inexplicable occurrences as Mannis—strange smells, moving shadows, and a sudden invasion of cockroaches in his house. The dibbuk box is currently owned by Jason Haxton, a museum curator who collects paranormal curiosities. So far, his only curse is too many emails asking about the box.
5. Gay Demons
Bob Larson is a fairly popular television evangelist who claims to have exorcised more than 15,000 demons, many of them live on his TV show. In 2006, he performed what might have been his most controversial exorcism to date—he drove the “homosexual demon” out of a gay man. The short video above shows Larson shouting at a “self-proclaimed homosexual,” and evicting the demon that brought about the “curse of homosexuality.”
Unfortunately, the idea of a “gay exorcism” isn’t confined to one church. A similar story took place in Connecticut in 2009, in which a 16-year-old boy was filmed thrashing about on the floor while members of the church congregation shouted commands to “rip it from his throat” and other members held him to the ground. Larson himself has performed multiple gay exorcisms in addition to the one in the video above, as well as exorcisms for “bastard demons” in women who have illegitimate children. On top of exorcisms, Bob Larson is also the author of several books on the influence of Satan in modern rock music.
4. Son Of Sam
David Berkowitz, who called himself the Son of Sam, stands as one of America's most merciless serial killers. Starting in 1976, he carried out a series of murders over the course of a year until his capture. His method was consistent: he would target victims at night, shoot them with a .44 caliber revolver, and vanish silently. At one crime scene, he left a chilling message for authorities, referencing “Father Sam,” a figure who “consumes blood” and orders him to “go out and kill.”
Berkowitz’s actual father was named Tony, so who was Sam? Berkowitz claimed Sam was a demon that had taken control of his neighbor’s dog. Upon his arrest in 1977, he confessed fully, stating that the dog communicated with him, instructing him on when to kill. He alternately described Sam as a demon or the spirit of a malevolent man from 6,000 years ago, who had channeled himself through the Labrador retriever next door. Whether this tale was concocted to support an insanity defense or not, the eerie note and the notion of a demonic dog are undeniably spine-chilling.
3. Arne Cheyenne Johnson
The 1981 trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson marked a historic moment in US legal history, as it was the first case where a defense attorney argued that the defendant was innocent due to demonic possession. The events leading to the trial began a year prior, when Johnson’s fiancée’s younger brother started experiencing terrifying visions of a horned, hoofed figure with black eyes and jagged teeth. These apparitions were accompanied by unexplained noises like footsteps, slamming doors, and disembodied voices. The boy described the entity as a monstrous man with animalistic features, horns, and hooves.
The situation worsened as the younger brother, David, began exhibiting signs of possession. He suffered convulsions, developed unexplained bruises, and spoke in Latin, hissing and shouting at his family. Arne Johnson, who was staying with his fiancée to support David, grew increasingly exhausted and defiant. He challenged the demons, daring them to possess him instead. Days later, Johnson claimed he had fallen under the demon’s influence after staring into its dark, menacing eyes.
Johnson’s behavior grew more unstable, culminating in a violent outburst during a gathering at their home. Witnesses reported that Johnson entered a trance-like state, growling softly before attacking the landlord with a pocketknife, stabbing him repeatedly in the chest.
2. Julia
In 2008, Dr. Richard Gallagher, a psychiatrist affiliated with the Columbia University Psychoanalytic Institute, was presented with an extraordinary case. A bishop requested his expertise to evaluate a woman who alleged she was being assaulted by demons. Dr. Gallagher documented his findings in the New Oxford Review, revealing startling details about the encounter.
During his assessment, the woman, referred to as “Julia” to safeguard her identity, appeared entirely normal at times. However, she would unpredictably enter trance-like states, followed by fits of rage. In these episodes, she would yell at Dr. Gallagher and the accompanying priest, demanding, “Go away, you idiots! Leave her alone!” Objects in the room would inexplicably fall, and Julia would convulse violently. Moments later, she would return to her normal state, with no recollection of the events.
Following the evaluation, an exorcism was deemed necessary, and Dr. Gallagher observed the ritual. As the ceremony commenced, Julia erupted into screams and curses, alternating between Latin and Spanish. Three men restrained her as she thrashed in her chair, and she cried out in agony when holy water was sprinkled on her. Witnesses claimed she even levitated approximately 15 centimeters (6 inches) off the ground for 30 minutes.
1. Haitian Voodoo
For many, the concept of demonic possession conjures images tied to Catholicism—priests in robes, crucifixes, and invocations of Christ. Indeed, much of this list focuses on Catholic exorcism rituals. These possessions are typically harrowing experiences, as no one desires to be inhabited by demons or spirits. However, in Haiti and other cultures, being possessed by supernatural entities is often seen as a positive and anticipated event.
Voodoo, or Vodou, is Haiti’s official religion and is sometimes practiced alongside Catholicism. The religion features a pantheon of approximately 80 spirits, known as “loa” or “lwa.” During Voodoo ceremonies, participants open themselves mentally and spiritually to allow these loa to inhabit their bodies. If the spirits are not regularly nourished, they weaken. While possessed, individuals may deliver prophecies or offer guidance, believed to come directly from the loa. Rituals are performed to “feed” the spirits with energy, often drawn from the possessed individual or generated through drumming, ritual dances, or animal sacrifices.
