Born in 1952 in the small town of Klingenberg, Germany, Anneliese Michel was raised as a strict Catholic and described as very bright and likable.
In September 1968, when Anneliese was 16 years old, she encountered her first attack of failing consciousness. And later that night, she felt as if something was pushing down on her chest, stapling her to her bed.
Eleven months later, in August 1969, a similar event occurred her mother took Anneliese to their family doctor, Dr Vogt and a neurologist, Dr Luthy, who examined her and even ran an EEG, and a brain scan but found nothing wrong. They hypothesized that it could be a state of stroke.
Over the next three years, Anneliese would have two more similar episodes and was prescribed two medications, an anticonvulsant and an anti-seizure medication called Dilantin.
In Spring 1973, Anneliese began to hear knocking sounds in her bedroom.
In September 1973, during a neurological visit with Dr Luthy, Anneliese described horrific visions of demon faces tormenting her and stated that she felt the devil was inside her. She also reported smelling something of the aroma of burnt feces, a stench that many around her reported smelling at later times. Around this time, Anneliese’s mother described these strange occurrences to Dr Luthy, who stated Mrs Michel advised them to consult a Jesuit, a claim that Dr Luthy would later deny. Whether or not that’s true, the family searched for a Priest and eventually found a priest named Father Alt.
In November 1973, Anneliese met with a Freudian psychiatrist who diagnosed her as a neurotic with possible epilepsy.
In July 1975, Anneliese’s extremely odd behavior worsened. She barely slept and prayed fervently all night. She ate spiders and flies and even licked her urine up from the floor. She destroyed rosaries, crucifixes, and holy pictures on the walls. A priest named Father Rodewyk, a man considered an expert on exorcisms by his peers, reported that he was convinced that Anneliese was possessed and after deliberation with the bishop, an exorcism on Anneliese was formally approved.
On September 24, 1975, the first exorcism rite was performed. Father Renz allowed some of the exorcism sessions to be recorded, and 42 audio recordings of the exorcisms were made in total.
Anneliese claimed possession of six demons named Cain, Judas, Lucifer, Nero, Fleischmann and Trivia. Anneliese also named Fleischmann as one of her demons and provided accurate details of the real Fleischmann, a priest in the 1500s kicked out of the church for bad behavior. These details came as an icy shock to Father Alt, who claims Anneliese would have no way of knowing Fleischmann.
By May 1976, Anneliese refused to eat, she described it as, quote, “Not being permitted to eat.”
By June, Anneliese’s entire face sunk in, also refused a doctor’s visit even though she had a very high fever. On June 30, she had another exorcism. The next morning her family went to her room and found her dead. Despite seeking medical attention early on, she refused to submit to medical attention in the end, as she and her family ultimately placed all faith in recovery into the exorcisms.
She died of malnutrition and dehydration at age 23 after 67 exorcisms. Weighed 68 pounds at the term of her extinction.
After her death, Anneliese’s parents and the two priests were accused of negligent homicide. And the case went to trial in 1978.
In the end, the court ruled in favor of the prosecution. Convicting the four defendants to six months in prison with suspension for three years and pay for all court costs. The court ruled that Anneliese could not make decisions for herself and should have forced her to submit to medical care.
In the movie Exorcism of Emily Rose, parents were highlighted, by their orthodox thinking, who chose religious methods instead of medical attention.
Regardless of the court ruling, many have debated what led to Anneliese’s death. Was it a case of mental illness, possibly epilepsy, or was this a legitimate case of demonic possession? Whatever the real reason may be the case of Anneliese Michel is a tragedy and will always remain unsolved.
