The horror film’s inspiration became legendary for Emily Rose’s sad battle with demons – and her terrifying death. Though many people may not realize it, the terrifying events shown in the 2005 film; The Exorcism of Emily Rose may have been based on true events.
The gruesome ordeal depicted in The Exorcism of Emily Rose is based on a true story. Anneliese Michel suffered from a severe illness that was assumed to be caused by several demons possessing her. Both girls perished as a result of exorcisms that failed.
When Did Anneliese Michel Start Experiencing Unusual Symptoms?
Anneliese Michel began having convulsions in 1968 when she was only 17 years old and still in high school. According to court documents, she had her first seizure in 1969. At the time, she was diagnosed with Grand Mal epilepsy by a neurologist at the Psychiatric Clinic Wurzburg. Michel began to have diabolical hallucinations when praying. She then started to hear voices telling her that she was cursed.
By 1973, the court found that Michel was depressed and was contemplating suicide. Her parents gave up on the psychiatric clinic doctors in 1975, thinking she was merely possessed. Because of this, they chose to heal themselves solely through exorcisms. Michel’s symptoms have been compared to those of schizophrenia. A proper diagnosis and medication may have helped her.
An older woman who joined Michel on a pilgrimage gave the first unofficial diagnosis. She avoided walking by a particular figure of Jesus and hesitated to drink water from a holy spring. Michel allegedly reeked horribly, according to the said woman. This led to her being inspected by an exorcist from a nearby town, who concluded that she was demonically possessed. The Bishop ultimately allowed the exorcism rite to continue after two failed requests. (Source: Scream Horror Magazine)
What Possessed Anneliese Michel?
Michel believed she had been possessed by a number of demons, including Lucifer, Judas Iscariot, Nero, Cain, Hitler, and even Fleischmann, a disgraced Frankish Priest from the sixteenth century. She also referenced a couple of other damned souls who had shown up through her.
Michel engaged in a lot of troubling behaviors. She licked the urine off the floor with her tongue. Flies, spiders, and coal were among her favorite things to eat and she chewed off the head of a dead bird. She would also climb under a table and barked like a dog for two days at one time.
For about ten months, Anneliese was subjected to 67 exorcism ceremonies. The 600 genuflections she performed incessantly during each exorcism session caused her knee ligaments to burst over time. (Source: Scream Horror Magazine)
What were Anneliese Michel’s Last Words?
She spoke her last known words on the day before she died, weak and on the point of death; Mother I am afraid.
According to the autopsy, Anneliese Michel died on July 1, 1976, from the effects of severe dehydration and malnourishment. She was also suffering from Pneumonia and a high temperature at the time of her death.
On the outskirts of the cemetery, she was buried next to her illegitimate sister Martha. Commonly, this place is used for illegitimate children and suicides. (Source: Scream Horror Magazine)