So, sometimes an evil spirit or devil takes over in people. They are expelled from a person using a special method called exorcism. This ritual is performed by an exorcist. This position, the lowest in the church hierarchy, was introduced in 250.
In general, from ancient times in those cultures where people believe that the devil constantly invades their daily lives, exorcism rituals are widespread. They cast out the devil in case of illness, in case of business failures, in case of family discord.
Exorcism rituals are usually performed by people who are in contact with a different reality: priests, shamans, healers, mediums, etc. In rare cases, doctors also resort to exorcism.
The form in which the session of exorcism is carried out depends on the scientific explanation of those mental disorders that create in the patient the feeling that an alien personality has moved into him.
In Christianity, priests themselves cast out demons, recruiting as assistants junior clergy, folk healers and even someone from the family of the possessed. During the ritual, the patient experiences severe pain, serious mental changes occur in the structure of his consciousness, the victim spits, sweats, vomiting and diarrhea are frequent. In the room in which the ritual is performed, waves of heat and cold sometimes move alternately. Often furniture, clothing, carpets, etc. even move.
But since the bitterness of spirits can be different, then the degree of obsession in different people also has its own differences. And therefore, depending on the strength of the obsession, the exorcist applies either persuasive conversation or a well-developed ritual to a person in whom the devil has possessed.
In cases where a person feels only mild ailments attributed to the wiles of the devil, the exorcist is most often limited to the usual blessing, in which case the exorcism is almost analogous to the prayer for recovery. The ritual of exorcism in its generally accepted understanding is resorted to only when the devil completely subjugates the flesh and mind of a person, including his speech. In this case, the exorcist, when talking with the possessed, believes that he is talking to the demon himself.
The text of the prayer to drive out the devil is not always pronounced aloud and is not always accompanied by appropriate rituals. It is assumed that it is also possible to drive out evil spirits from a person with the help of prayers, which are written on paper. In this case, they are placed in a medallion and cling to the possessed person's neck. However, this method, most likely, does not have the required strength and therefore is rarely used.
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The exorcism ritual includes several stages. First, it turns out how the devil got into the person, and then - the name of the evil spirit. After that, the reading of prayers begins, then - sprinkling with holy water and, finally, a physical impact on the possessed, or simply flogging. This procedure assumes that a person, in contrast to the one within his essence, does not feel pain, therefore corporal punishment is intended for the devil.
However, during the expulsion of the devil, the exorcist, in addition to prayers and beatings, uses other means: curses, hunger, incense smells, as well as products with an unpleasant taste and smell, which he feeds the victim. Salt and wine, which symbolizes the blood of Christ, are also widely used in the ritual of casting out demons.
The duration of the exorcism ritual can be different: sometimes the demon leaves the human body immediately, occasionally - after a few days or weeks, but there is a known case when the devil had to be expelled within two years …
The word "exorcism" is of Greek origin and means "oath". It translates into Russian as "taking the oath". That is, in other words, "exorcising" is, first of all, giving the devil an oath, or calling for help from those higher powers that would force the demonic entity to act contrary to its desires.
Therefore, in the Catholic Church, the procedure for driving out the devil begins with the words: "Adjure te, spiritus nequissime, per Deum omnipotentem", which translated from Latin means: "I bring you, the most evil spirit, to an oath to Almighty God."
It should be borne in mind that the official ritual of exorcism is only found in the Roman Catholic Church. It is also used by Protestant priests, albeit without excessive observance of all ritual subtleties.
In addition to Catholicism, exorcism was also used in Judaism. Thus, the Book of Kings tells about King Saul, who was possessed by a demon. David expelled the demon by playing the lyre. The rituals of casting out demons are also mentioned in Talmudic literature dating back to the 1st century AD.
In other religions - Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam - there are a huge number of spirits who are responsible for diseases and other troubles in life and which can also be got rid of with the help of exorcism.
Shamans drive out evil spirits by going into a trance. In this state, they first conquer the human soul from the demon, and then expel the evil spirit itself from the body.
In China, the priest is also involved in expelling spirits from the dwelling. First, in the place where the demon settled, an altar is erected, then incense sticks are lit, which are laid out on it.
Before performing the ritual, the priest wears a red dress, blue socks and a black hat. Then he enters the house with a cup in his left hand and a sword in his right. Then he takes seven steps to the left, eight to the right and begins to sing: “God of heaven and earth, clothe me with many powers so that I can expel all kinds of evil spirits from this dwelling. If any of them do not obey me, give me the power to order the demon lords for safe protection."
After that, the priest with the following words addresses the demon: "Disappear quickly, like light."
Then the Chinese exorcist takes a sip of water from a cup and spits at each corner of the dwelling in turn, accompanying his actions with the words: "Kill the green spirits caused by unlucky stars, or let them go." True, each corner has its own color: in addition to green, red, white and yellow.
When the expulsion procedure comes to an end, the priest's assistants hit the drums, and he himself goes to the exit and announces that the house has been cleared of the evil spirit.
Modern mediums use mostly persuasion to drive out the devil. But the medium and exorcist Donald Page first takes the evil spirit into himself, and then sends him away. In this case, the possessed sees how the spirit changes Page himself, giving him his own features: anger, hostility or aggressiveness.
Bernatsky Anatoly