Case

The main case I am using for my research on mental illness and possession is the case of Anneliese Michel, a young religious German woman. After Michel “blacked out at school and began walking around dazed”(Paoletti), she was taken to a doctor who diagnosed her with temporal lobe epilepsy. After her diagnosis, Michel was given medication to treat her epilepsy; however, the medication did not help, and as time went on, her condition continued to worsen. Michel then began to believe she was possessed by a demon. She then went on to seek help from priests in the form of an exorcism. She was at first denied and was told to continue medical treatment, but as her health continued to worsen, the priests decided to accept and perform the exorcisms. Michel then went on to undergo 67 exorcisms over the course of a year. The young woman, unfortunately, died after a year due to dehydration and malnutrition. This case is beneficial to my research as it shows how a victim of "possession" had undergone both medical and spiritual help; however, neither form helped her in the end. Many people believe that it was the result of Michel's mother who had raised her daughter to atone for her sins and the sins of others. It is also believed that Michel's parents and the priests were responsible for her death because they stopped Michel's medical treatment and forced her to undergo these intense exorcisms. However, it is unknown whether Michel was truly possessed or whether it was just due to mental illness. Linked below are two articles that talk about the case, the second link talks about more specifics in the case as well as Michel's upbringing.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/anneliese-michel-exorcism

https://rtd.rt.com/stories/anneliese-michel-girl-possessed-67-exorcisms/