Over 70 years ago, the story of one of the world’s most horrifying exorcisms came to light. A Catholic girl, Emma Schmidt, more popularly known as Ann Ecklund was born on March 23, 1882, in the United States.
As she grew older, her family became bothered by the questionable behaviours she exhibited. They noted her blatant hatred for objects that had religious significance and refused to enter churches. The sight of a crucifix sent her into a fit.
Her relatives sought help from priests and they revealed that she was possessed by the demons of her father, her aunt, and Judas Iscariot though her father was alive during this period. They documented her experience under the pseudonym of Ann Ecklund.
When she turned 26, she had become fully possessed and started exhibiting strange desires. It was also reported that her aunt and her father cursed her food with herbs, and prayed to the Devil to “repossess” her.
In 1912, the first exorcism was performed on her but as a result of the influence of her dad and aunt, it wasn’t wholly effective. Following their deaths, another exorcism was performed in 1928 and was documented to be much more successful.
It was documented that during the exorcism, Ann was very violent and on numerous occasions, she levitated, howled, and hung from the frame of the doorway. This eight-day exorcism lasted from December 15 to December 23, 1928, and during that time, she wouldn’t eat and would vomit herbs.
It was also noted that Ann’s head, lips, and face were swollen, and she was able to speak in multiple languages previously unknown to her.
On the last day of the exorcism, after being prayed for by the priest, she fell on her bed and began to scream “Beelzebub, Judas, Jacob, Mina,” followed by “Hell! Hell! Hell!” She opened her eyes, and in her own voice, she said “My Jesus, Mercy! Praised be Jesus Christ!”
While it was deemed successful, she still had milder and more manageable possessions after it. Her identity was kept secret till her death on July 23, 1941, at the age of 59.
Her case is regarded by theology and paranormal scholars as one of the most well-documented cases of the 20th century.
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