Interesting thread and some interesting and fascinating posts from Palasheea and Paul_Richard. Thank you ! Stars for both
I've recounted this experience in previous ATS threads, but a re-post here may elicit answers or explanations from Palasheea and Paul_Richard.
Twenty years and more ago, I was very reluctantly coerced into assisting at what was described as an exoricism.
I knew basically nothing about exorcism, apart from a hurried reading of 'Hostage to the Devil' (I think) by a Malachi Martin. Knew nothing about
Malachi Martin either, apart from the description of him on the dust-cover: ' Exorcist for the Vatican !' or something along those lines.
The book scared me. It warned that those who failed to adhere scrupulously to the Roman Catholic exorcism ritual would severely endanger not only
themselves, but all involved. The book went on to cite Roman Catholic priests who
had faithfully followed the RC exorcism ritual .. yet even
so, their minds and physical health had suffered to great degree and rendered them prey to that from which they'd striven to deliver others who were,
according to the book, 'possessed').
That was the total of my knowledge about exorcism/exorcists. I was given no preparation at all other than the self-described exorcist's assurances
that he and his group conducted exorcisms frequently, on old buildings, certain blocks of vacant land which had once contained old buildings, and
individuals, etc. I continued to voice my concerns and stated I did not feel, given my history (an assortment of often disturbing paranormal
experiences since childhood) that I was suitable to attend. I was frightened, I said. I didn't like it. Didn't want to be involved. Had children
who depended on me. Exorcisms sounded very dark to me, I said. I avoided such darkness. Wore white a lot .. always kept the doors and windows open
to let in the sun. I preferred to focus on God ... the Light, I said. I wasn't attracted to this 'dark stuff' .. didn't want to participate.
But he insisted my assistance was crucial, seeing that I knew the person to be exorcised. My 'help' was needed, I was told. It was time to put
myself to the back and concentrate on helping this person. I was made to feel guilty, selfish and ignorant.
Two weeks before the scheduled exorcism ceremony, I was instructed by the exorcist to write down anything at all that I may feel was relevant to the
person's condition.
I specifically chose a very sunny, pleasant afternoon, after work. I'd collected my children from school and made their afternoon tea, etc. Shooed
them outside in the back-yard to play in the sun. Then I sat down with pencil and paper, determined to get this over with. I began to write about an
experience which was relevant yet so ghastly that I had 'forgotten' it for many years. Had only remembered it as an adult, out of the blue one day.
Yet it had occurred when I was only about 12 or so. It had been so powerful (I now believe) and so malign, that my mind had blocked it from me for
the sake of my sanity, perhaps. I believe I must have fainted when the incident occurred.
In order to factually describe the incident to the exorcists, I made the mistake of 'going back' into the memory of it. Almost immediately, I was
hit very powerfully by a massive and foul presence. It was very fast. I could feel it trying very powerfully to 'take me over'. No doubt in my
mind about that, then or now. I knew I had very limited time in which to fight it. It began pushing me out of the chair .. or that's how it felt.
I could feel myself being pushed sidewards. I grabbed the seat of the chair with both hands and braced myself .. tried to keep myself upright. At
the time I was quite strong physically, and fit.
What scared me the most was that my children had come back into the house and were not far away, chatting and eating ice-cream bars. If the thing
(and it felt very much like an amalgamation of 'things') succeeded in pushing me out of myself and taking me over .. then I knew I would look like
'me' and sound like 'me' .. but would not BE 'me'. My children would be at the mercy of this foul force and they (my children) would believe it
to be me. This made me fight desperately: I could not let this collection of presences have my children while I was dispossessed and powerless to
help them.
I was terrified my children would 'sense' that all was not right with me as I struggled to retain possession of myself against this overwhelming and
foul enemy. If my children saw the fear and desperation on my face, they would become alarmed and would rush to me. If this occurred, I would lose
the intense concentration I needed to stay 'within' myself. So I tried to close down the part of my mind that was connected to my children, to
avoid them sensing something bad was happening. At the same time, I fought desperately for ownership of my body and mind.
I continued to be pushed sideways and continued to grip the seat of the chair with all my strength. It would have looked ridiculous and maybe
terrifying to an observer. In desperation, I silently screamed out for help .. prayed in what must have been high-alert emergency code. And then, it
ended. The thing/s were gone. The house went back to normal. I could hear my children again, still chattering away. 'It' had gone. Immediately
I gathered the children and took them out into the sunshine.
The memory I'd 'gone back into' in order to better describe it for the exorcist had consisted of someone I'd known lifelong. Ordinary day,
everything fine. I'd entered the room to find the person with their back to me, engaged in a mundane task. I'd gone closer for I had information
they wanted .. ordinary stuff. They hadn't turned to greet me .. instead had remained with head tilted downwards, continuing the task, their hair
obscuring their face.
I'd gone even closer, talking to them cheerfully. Then, when I was right next to them .. very close ... they'd suddenly turned their face right
into mine ... but their face wasn't theirs. Instead, superimposed upon .. or perhaps leering out from within their face ... was a horrifying visage
with huge leering mouth and huge dark eyes. It was demonic ... devouring. It knew very well the horrifying impact it had. It enjoyed it. The face
was multi-dimensional .. 'came out of' the actual person's ordinary face. The demonic face was able to magnify it's size, or at least it 'came
out' of the other person's face and was huge .. obliterated the other person's actual head .. then swung from side to side, still leering and
glaring and devouring. It was a very powerful 'thing' .. made me feel tiny and powerless. It wanted me to know how powerful it was -- wanted me to
see it. Enjoyed my shock and fear. Impossible to describe, so I won't go further.
Then I must have collapsed. Although I have always had an excellent memory, I had absolutely no recollection of the event from that age (approx. 12
years) until one night .. completely out of the blue .. I remembered it suddenly when I was 25 or 26. It immediately reduced me to terror, nausea and
shock ... very similar to the actual event all those years earlier. Where had this memory come from? Had I dreamed it, or imagined it, or had it
really happened ? I wasn't to learn the truth for another decade when again, out of the blue, another family member who as a rule
never
discussed this type of thing, recounted his own experience with the same entity ... and in relation to the same real-life individual. He didn't know
of my similar experience. We swapped accounts .. he told me a bit .. I told him a bit. Then we sat there, staring at each other. We'd confirmed
each other's experience. Both incidents had taken place in the same house, same time period .. within the same square metre of floor space, in fact.
Continued next post ...