Page 30 - Pastiche Vol 1 Edition 1 January 2019

Was she enslaved by the demons or Santa
changed the perception of Satan &
slaughtered her at every step of life, or
should we say she was running on the
wheel to grab her destined death…

Anneliese Michel (21 September 1952 – 1 July 1976)

The real-life heroine of the 2005 film The Christian holy spring:
Exorcism of Emily Rose, Anna Elisabeth “Anneliese told me—and Frau Hein confirmed
Michel or “Anneliese Michel” as we know her this—that she was unable to enter the shrine.
was born on 21 September 1952 She approached it with the greatest
in Leiblfing, Bavaria, West Germany, to a hesitation, then said that the soil burned like
Roman Catholic family, along with three fire and she simply could not stand it. She
sisters by her parents, Josef and Anna. Being then walked around the shrine in a wide arc
religious by nature she used to attend and tried to approach it from the back. She
the Mass twice a week. She suffered a looked at the people who were kneeling in the
severe convulsion and was diagnosed with area surrounding the little garden, and it
temporal lobe epilepsy at the age of 16. seemed to her that while praying they were
Michel graduated and joined the University gnashing their teeth. She got as far as the
of Würzburg in 1973. edge of the little garden, then she had to turn
back. Coming from the front again, she had to
Michel suffered a third seizure in June 1970, avert her glance from the picture of Christ [in
at the psychiatric hospital where she had the chapel of the house]. She made it several
been staying. She was prescribed anti- times to the garden, but could not get past it.
convulsion drugs for the first time but that She also noted that she could no longer look
did not help the problem. She started at medals or pictures of saints; they sparkled
describing seeing "devil faces" at various so immensely that she could not stand it”. —
times of the day. Even introduction of drugs Father Alt
used in the treatment of
various psychoses went in vain. By 1973, Her family felt convinced and consulted
depression took over her and she several priests asking for an exorcism. But
started hallucinating while praying, and the priests declined, recommending the
complained about hearing voices telling her continuation of medical treatment instead.
that she was "damned" and would "rot in Bishop's approval for an exorcism is given
hell". Long term treatment in a psychiatric only when a set criteria is strictly meet that
hospital worsened her depression and she determines a person is possessed and is
grew increasingly frustrated with the under demonic control. Intense dislike for
medical intervention. She even became religious objects and "supernatural powers"
intolerant of Christian sacred places and are some of the first indications. Michel’s
objects, such as the crucifix and began to condition deteriorated and she started
attribute her case to some demonic displaying aggression, self-injury, drank her
possession. own urine and ate insects. In November
1973, she was treated with anti-seizure drug
Michel went with a family friend on a and mood stabilizer and was
Christian pilgrimage at San Damiano, where prescribed anti-psychotic drugs during the
her suffering from demonic possession was course of the religious rites and took them
concluded as she was unable to walk past a frequently until some time before her death.
crucifix and refused to drink the water of a contd…

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