Think exorcisms belong to the Middle Ages, all incense, Latin, and terrified peasants? Not quite.
The ritual of “casting out demons” never really left it just upgraded to the age of cell phones,
Netflix deals, and 24-hour news cycles. From courtrooms and movie sets to quiet cathedrals and
grainy TV specials, modern exorcism stories say as much about our fears and beliefs as they do
about anything supernatural.

Before we dive into ten chilling cases, a quick disclaimer: today, most major churches insist
that anyone claiming demonic possession should be evaluated by medical and mental health
professionals first. What some see as a demon, others see as epilepsy, psychosis, or extreme
stress. The line between spiritual crisis and psychiatric emergency can be blurry, which is why
real exorcists are supposed to work alongside doctors, not replace them.

What Exactly Is a “Modern-Day” Exorcism?

In simple terms, an exorcism is a religious ritual aimed at driving out an evil spirit or demonic
influence. In the Catholic tradition, there’s an official rite that can only be performed by a
priest who has explicit permission from a bishop. Other Christian groups, and some non-Christian
traditions, perform their own versions that may look more like intense prayer or “deliverance”
sessions than a Hollywood showdown.

Since the 1970s not coincidentally, right after The Exorcist terrified audiences
demand for exorcisms has risen sharply. Priests talk about being overwhelmed with requests,
Vatican-approved universities host training courses on exorcism, and news outlets report a
surprising “comeback” of the rite in the 21st century. Technology has joined the party too:
exorcisms via video chat and cellphone have actually happened.

With that in mind, let’s look at ten modern-day exorcism stories that continue to fascinate,
disturb, and inspire debate and what they might really tell us about fear, faith, and the
human mind.

10 Modern-Day Exorcisms That Still Haunt Us

1. The Boy Behind The Exorcist: Roland Doe / Robbie Mannheim

One of the most famous “modern” exorcism cases began in 1949 with a 13- or 14-year-old boy from
the American suburbs, known under the pseudonyms Roland Doe and Robbie Mannheim. After
strange scratching sounds, moving furniture, and words appearing on his skin were reported, the
boy was brought to Jesuit priests in St. Louis. Over weeks of nighttime rituals, witnesses
claimed the boy spoke in Latin, reacted violently to sacred objects, and went into trance-like
states. The final exorcism session reportedly ended with a shout about St. Michael and a sudden
calm.

Decades later, writers and journalists tracked down hospital records, priest diaries, and
eyewitness accounts. Some argued the boy was mentally ill or highly suggestible, while others
maintained something truly unexplained happened. Whatever the truth, the case inspired William
Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcist and the iconic 1973 film, which in turn helped
trigger a global wave of exorcism requests and a brand-new horror subgenre.

2. Anneliese Michel: When Exorcism Ends in Court

In 1970s Germany, a young woman named Anneliese Michel became the center of one of the most
controversial exorcism cases in European history. Diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy and later
with psychiatric disorders, she experienced seizures, depression, and disturbing hallucinations.
When medications didn’t seem to help, her deeply religious family turned to the Catholic Church,
convinced she was possessed.

Over about ten months, Anneliese underwent dozens of exorcism sessions. Recordings captured her
growling, speaking in different voices, and ranting about damned souls. She stopped eating, grew
dangerously weak, and died in 1976 weighing only around 70 pounds. Afterward, her parents and
two priests were charged with negligent homicide; a German court concluded that she should have
received medical care rather than continued exorcisms. Today, many theologians and psychiatrists
cite her case as a tragic example of what can happen when faith and mental health care clash
instead of cooperate.

3. The Smurl Family Haunting: Exorcism in a Pennsylvania Duplex

Between the mid-1970s and late 1980s, the Smurl family in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, claimed
their modest duplex was under siege by something dark and violent. They reported loud crashes,
foul odors, levitating objects, and even physical and sexual assaults by an unseen force.
Terrified and desperate, they reached out to demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, who believed
a particularly nasty demon was tormenting the family.

Several priests reportedly blessed the house, and at least one priest attempted a formal exorcism,
but the Smurls insisted the presence kept coming back. Skeptics pointed out that there was no
solid physical evidence of a haunting, and suggested psychological stress, neurological issues,
and media attention might have amplified everything. Believers argue that the Smurls’ consistent
testimony, combined with multiple clergy visits, points to a genuine case of oppression. Either
way, the story inspired a book, a TV movie, and most recently a loose adaptation in the
Conjuring film universe, ensuring this “80s exorcism” stays in the public imagination.

4. America’s “Demon House”: The Latoya Ammons Case

In 2011, Latoya Ammons and her family moved into a rental house in Gary, Indiana. They soon
reported swarms of black flies in winter, shadowy figures, wet footprints appearing from nowhere,
and strange behavior in the children. One child allegedly walked backward up a wall in front of
medical staff; others reportedly growled, spoke in deep voices, and described being choked by
invisible hands.

The story exploded after a detailed 2014 investigation by a local newspaper. A Catholic priest,
Father Michael Maginot, said he believed the family was under demonic attack and performed several
rites from house blessings to major exorcisms on Latoya herself. Social workers, police, and
hospital staff filed reports describing some of the bizarre events, though skeptics argued that
stress, suggestion, and misinterpretation could explain much of it. The house was later bought by
a paranormal TV host and eventually demolished, but the case continues to feed documentaries,
podcasts, and horror scripts and to spark debates about where spiritual belief ends and social
services begin.

5. The Tanacu Exorcism: A Nun, a Cross, and a Tragic Outcome

Not all modern exorcism stories end with relief. In 2005 at a small Orthodox monastery in Tanacu,
Romania, a young nun named Maricica Irina Cornici began showing disturbing behavior: voices,
aggression, and intense mood swings. The local priest believed she was possessed rather than
mentally ill. The “treatment” they chose would become infamous.

The nun was reportedly tied to a makeshift cross, gagged, and kept without adequate food or water
during an exorcism ritual. She died soon afterward. Medical examiners pointed to dehydration and
abuse, not demons, as the cause of death. The priest and several nuns were convicted and sent to
prison, while the case ignited fierce arguments in Romania and abroad about religious freedom,
mental health care, and the limits of spiritual authority. It’s one of the clearest modern
examples of why most churches now insist on medical evaluation before any exorcism is allowed.

6. Emma Schmidt: A 1928 Exorcism with a 2025 Movie Deal

Technically, the Emma Schmidt (also known by the pseudonym Anna Ecklund) exorcism took place in
1928 but its aftershocks are very much modern. In rural Iowa, a woman in her 40s was said to be
tormented by blasphemous thoughts, aversion to sacred objects, and violent physical reactions
during religious rites. A priest named Theophilus Riesinger led a grueling series of exorcism
sessions over several months.

Witnesses later described classic “possession” tropes: guttural voices, contorted postures, and
eerie knowledge of hidden sins. The case was published in a pamphlet titled Begone Satan!
and circulated widely. Nearly a century later, Hollywood is still fascinated. A 2025 horror film,
The Ritual, dramatizes Schmidt’s story, proving that even pre-Depression-era exorcisms
can function as “modern” cultural touchstones when streaming platforms and social media get
involved.

7. The First Televised Exorcism: Reality TV Meets Ritual

By the early 1990s, the exorcism boom and the TV ratings race finally collided. In 1991, ABC’s
news magazine 20/20 aired what was billed as America’s first televised exorcism. Cameras
followed a minister as he prayed over a woman said to be possessed, complete with writhing,
shouting, and dramatic close-ups.

Critics accused the program of exploiting a vulnerable person for entertainment and blurring the
line between journalism and sensationalism. Supporters claimed it raised awareness of spiritual
warfare. Mental health experts, meanwhile, pointed out that public exorcisms can intensify
symptoms in suggestible individuals and may interfere with proper medical care. Whether viewers
saw a miracle, a desperate therapy session, or a prime-time stunt, the episode cemented exorcism
as a fixture in modern media culture.

8. Exorcisms Go Online: Skype, Webcams, and PayPal

If you can order groceries online, why not spiritual deliverance? In the 2010s, an American
evangelical pastor named Bob Larson attracted international headlines for offering exorcism
sessions via Skype. For a few hundred dollars, people could book a video call in which Larson
would pray, shout, and “cast out” demons through their laptop screens.

Supporters described feeling lighter or freer afterward; critics called it theatrical
role-playing dressed up as spiritual warfare. Psychologists suggested that the sessions might act
as a kind of intense, symbolic therapy for people already primed to believe in demons. More
broadly, the phenomenon shows how exorcism has adapted to the digital age: what was once a hidden
ritual in a back room can now be livestreamed, screen-recorded, and shared as viral content in a
matter of minutes.

9. When a Whole Country Is Exorcised: Mexico’s “Exorcismo Magno”

In 2015, the Catholic Church in Mexico did something unprecedented: a group of bishops, priests,
and a well-known exorcist gathered in the cathedral of San Luis Potosí to perform a closed-door
“Exorcismo Magno” a great exorcism over the entire nation. The stated goal was not to free a
single person, but to pray against the violence, organized crime, and cultural changes that some
church leaders described as signs of demonic influence.

The ritual wasn’t public, but word leaked out through Catholic news agencies and religious media,
prompting curiosity and controversy. To supporters, it was a creative spiritual response to
cartel violence and widespread fear. To skeptics, it looked like a symbolic gesture at best and a
distraction from more practical solutions at worst. Around the same time, an Italian priest made
headlines for blessing and exorcising a town from a helicopter, sprinkling holy water from the
air. Modern exorcism has discovered aerial coverage literally.

10. Exorcism by Cellphone: The Return of the “Modern Exorcist”

You know the smartphone has taken over your life when it becomes part of exorcism stories. In the
late 2010s, Catholic experts noted that some priests were praying over the phone or using
messaging apps to offer deliverance prayers. One Vatican-approved course on exorcism and
“liberation prayers” even discussed how to handle remote requests and distinguish between mental
illness and alleged possession in a world where desperate people can reach a priest from anywhere
in seconds.

At the same time, reports from Europe and the United States describe a steady rise in people
asking for exorcisms. Some dioceses have appointed official exorcists or set up special
ministries to handle the influx of emails and calls. Psychiatrists warn that many of these cases
are better treated as depression, trauma, or psychosis. Churches, for their part, now emphasize
careful screening, collaboration with healthcare professionals, and a strong preference for
ordinary counseling and prayer before any dramatic ritual is considered. The “modern exorcist,”
at least on paper, is supposed to be part priest, part skeptic, and part crisis-manager.

What These Exorcisms Really Tell Us

Take all ten of these stories together, and a pattern emerges. Most of the alleged possessions
occur in people already under enormous pressure medical problems, family stress, trauma, or
intense religious anxiety. The exorcism itself often acts as a kind of dramatic climax where
everyone involved family, clergy, sometimes even the media pours their fear and hope into one
symbolic event. Sometimes the person improves afterward. Sometimes nothing changes. Sometimes,
tragically, things get worse.

Modern church guidelines reflect this messy reality. Official Catholic documents, for example,
explicitly state that anyone claiming possession must first be evaluated by doctors and
psychiatrists to rule out physical or psychological illness. Many exorcists today talk about
working hand-in-hand with therapists, neurologists, and social workers. A surprising number of
people who contact them asking for exorcism are ultimately referred to mental health treatment
instead. In other words, the pop-culture version of exorcism (one ritual, instant cure) almost
never matches what happens in real life.

Whether you see these tales as evidence of the supernatural, as cautionary stories about untreated
mental illness, or as gripping folklore for the digital age, they undeniably reveal something
profound: humans are still trying to make sense of suffering, evil, and chaos. Sometimes we do
that in a therapist’s office; sometimes in a church; sometimes, apparently, over Skype.

Experiences and Encounters Around Modern Exorcism Stories

Even if you never set foot in a church during an exorcism, it’s surprisingly easy to “experience”
this world from the outside. You might stream a documentary about the Ammons “Demon House” case,
binge a podcast breaking down the Smurl haunting, or watch a priest give a cautious interview
about his work as an official exorcist. Each of these encounters shapes how we imagine possession
and deliverance and they can feel strangely personal, even through a screen.

Talk to people who believe strongly in spiritual warfare, and you’ll often hear stories that don’t
look like movie exorcisms at all. They might describe a night of prayer where a family member
finally calmed down after months of panic attacks; a small deliverance prayer whispered over
someone overwhelmed with guilt; or a house blessing performed after a traumatic event. To them,
these moments are quieter exorcisms not a priest shouting Latin over a writhing body, but a
community pushing back against fear in the only language it knows.

On the other side, mental health professionals sometimes see the fallout when exorcism expectations
collide with real psychiatric conditions. A person with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia might
interpret hallucinations or mood swings as proof of possession, especially in highly religious
environments. If their community doubles down on the demon explanation while avoiding medical
help, the illness can spiral. Some psychiatrists who work with religious patients say that part
of their job is to respect spiritual beliefs while gently reframing symptoms in medical terms
and, in some cases, coordinating with pastors or priests so that everyone is rowing in the same
direction instead of competing for the “correct” explanation.

There’s also the experience of visiting the places connected to these stories. Tour companies now
offer ghost walks past old hospitals in St. Louis, haunted houses in Pennsylvania, and alleged
possession sites in Indiana. Travelers snap photos, listen to guides describe exorcisms and
hauntings, and then head back to well-lit hotels. For many people, this is a safe way to flirt
with the idea of evil close enough to feel a chill, far enough to sleep at night.

Finally, there’s a more personal and very modern layer: social media. People share TikToks claiming
to show live exorcisms, post threads about “real possession stories,” or debate whether someone
needs a therapist, a priest, or both. These conversations can be messy and misinformed, but they
also reveal a generational shift: instead of quietly asking a local priest for help, many people’s
first move is to ask the internet. In that sense, the “experience” of exorcism today is as much
about scrolling, commenting, and doom-watching as it is about holy water and ritual prayers.

If there’s a takeaway from all these layers of experience movies, podcasts, ghost tours, online
debates, real-world tragedies, and small private rituals it’s this: whenever a situation involves
extreme behavior, suffering, or talk of demons, it’s wise to think in plural, not singular. Maybe
it’s trauma and religious fear. Maybe it’s neurological illness and a need for
spiritual comfort. In the 21st century, the smartest approach isn’t “all demons” or “all brain
chemistry” but an honest, collaborative look at both.

Final Thoughts

Modern-day exorcisms are less about spinning heads and more about the very human need to explain
what feels unexplainable. The ten cases above range from tragic courtroom dramas to strange media
events and digital-age rituals. Some may be misunderstood illness. Some may be fraud or panic.
Some will remain genuine mysteries no matter how many experts weigh in.

Whatever you believe, one thing is clear: exorcism is not a relic. It’s alive, adapting to
streaming platforms, smartphones, and 24/7 news cycles just like everything else. And as long as
people wrestle with questions of evil, suffering, and meaning, stories of modern-day exorcisms
will keep haunting us on our screens, in our headlines, and maybe, just maybe, in the dark
corners of our imagination.

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