The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (Part 1)

September 21, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Anneliese Michel was a bright, athletic 16-year-old from a devout Catholic family in Bavaria, West Germany, when she slumped forward at her desk one afternoon in October 1968. Her friend thought she had fallen asleep. That night, Anneliese woke up unable to move, felt a crushing pressure on her abdomen, and involuntarily urinated. She heard the church bells chime the quarter hour, and the pressure vanished. The next morning, she told her mother she must have been sick. This was the beginning of a decline that would lead to one of the most famous and controversial exorcism cases of the 20th century.

A Medical Mystery That Refused to Fit

For years, Anneliese saw an exhausting parade of specialists. A neurologist, Dr. Siegfried Luffy, ran standard tests and found nothing neurologically or psychologically wrong. He suspected nocturnal cerebral seizures resembling grand mal epilepsy and prescribed an anti-convulsant—though he later contradicted himself about when he had done so. A second specialist, Dr. Von Haller, found a slight EEG irregularity and also prescribed medication.

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What you'll learn

1 The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (Part 1)
2 (07:00) **Introduction to the Case** - The hosts announce they're covering the famous exorcism of Anneliese Michel, a two-part series about a "gnarly" case from 1970s Germany
3 (08:16) **Anneliese's Background and Upbringing** - The hosts describe Anneliese's childhood in Bavaria, her devoutly Catholic family, and the religious environment that shaped her worldview
4 (11:31) **Family Dynamics and Early Health** - The hosts explain the strict household Anneliese grew up in and her childhood health struggles
5 (14:35) **Adolescence and Social Restrictions** - Anneliese's teenage years brought complicated social dynamics and her mother's restrictive warnings
6 (16:39) **First Mysterious Episode** - Weeks after her 16th birthday, Anneliese experiences the first of many unexplained attacks
7 (18:53) **Second Episode and Medical Investigation** - A year later, the same experience returns, leading to neurological testing

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

When sixteen-year-old Anneliese Michel began having seizures and hallucinations in 1968, her parents took her to a doctor, who diagnosed Anneliese with temporal lobe epilepsy and depression and recommended psychiatric treatment. Two years later, however, her delusions and hallucinations returned, manifesting in the form of “devil faces” and voices that telling her she was evil and would be going to hell. Believing the treatment wasn’t working and fearing Anneliese was possessed by demons, Anneliese’s family arranged for her to be visited by a local Jesuit priest, who confirmed their fear: Anneliese was possessed and the only way to save her soul was an exorcism.

References

Associated Press. 1978. "Bizarre exorcism draws suspended prison terms." Press-Courier (Oxnard, CA), April 22: 3.

—. 1978. "Exorcists 'tried to save girl'." The Guardian, March 31: 6.

Buschschluter, Siegfried. 1977. "Charges after exorcism death." The Guardian, July 14: 6.

Day, Elizabeth. 2005. "'God told us to exorcise my daughter's demons. I don't regret her death.'." Sunday Telegraph (London, UK), November 27: 15.

Goodman, Felicitas D. 1981. The Exorcism of Annaliese Michel. New York, NY: Doubleday and Company.

Hansen, Eric T. 2005. "What in God's name?" Washington Post, September 4.

Sword, Autumn. 2021. "Seized By the Spirit: Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and the Exorcism of Anneliese Michel." Skeptical Inquirer, July 30.

Time. 1976. "Religion: A Phenomenon of Fear." Time, September 6.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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