A few years ago I read a book by David St. Clair entitled "The Devil Rocked her Cradle", it was based upon the possession and exorcism of Emma Schmidt, the following link may be of interest to some people.

It is said that Emma Schmidt had been possessed most her life, according to "Begone Satan." Born in 1882, Schmidt's Aunt Mina was reputedly a witch "who had placed a spell on some herbs which she placed among the girl's food." A Capuchin priest, Father Theophilus Riesigner, performed the rites of exorcism on her the first time in 1912, but she became possessed again "due to the curses hurled against her by her wicked father." The Earling exorcism was performed in three stages between Aug. 18 and Dec. 22, 1928...

Emma Schmidt

Thanks for the link. I don't believe I've ever read about that one. I've book marked it for later.

No problem

I forgot to mention to anyone reading this Thread, in the David St Clair book, the name of the girl featured was called Mary Lawrence, but it is based on Emma Schmidt (just in case someone gets confused)

Interesting - thanks for the link

Never heard of it either but a good read!

This is the first time I heard of her...I would love to find the book and read the whole story...thanks for the link Oh good, Amazon has it...

The voices with the compulsions just from that short read make me think of OCD.

Interesting little read!

I've never heard of this either, but that is no surprise.
Thank you for posting it! I will have to buy the book by St Clair. Thanks goalienan, I was wondering and then read your post. Amazon it is. This sounds a lot like what went on in "The Exorcist". I thought William Blatty based his book on the exorcism of a young boy.

Like Coldethyl said, the compulsions to do completely irrational things also remind me of OCD, and people suffering from those type of thoughts should not think that they are possessed. Just thought I'd throw that in there, in case someone reading here was having those types of thoughts.

No, you were correct the first time Cyqe, The Exorcist was based upon a boy, this is a different case - albeit interesting

That's what I thought too. I was referring to this part of the article:

The third is a novel inspired at least partly by this exorcism and one other in Washington, D.C. The book is called "The Exorcist" by William Peter Blatty and it inspired a film of the same title, which is considered to be one of the most frightening horror films ever made.

So I guess he based it on both of them.

You're right it is very interesting.


edited: because apparently my reading comprehension needs some work.

Thanks for the link, that was a great read.

Hey, you are welcome

I am just glad everyone is enjoying the account

Heres another link about the "Begone Satan" book.

EMMA SCHMIDT

Thelma, that was a most excellent link, thank you for posting it!

How did you find it?

The things it was stating, regarding what happened during the Exorcism were frightening to say the least. I don't think that anyone who had witnessed an Exorcism of this magnitude would be the same, ever again.

MP I'm actually going to look for the book so I can buy it. It's a very interesting case.

I have to agree with both you and Coldethyl on OCD..my granddaughter has it and until we had it diagnosed it was very frightening.

Thanks Thelma! That was a great read and now I have to buy the book!
I wonder how much of a role the father's unwanted attentions played.
So, was she posessed for the entire 26 years? That makes me wonder what her everyday life was like.

(goalienan, I have the feeling that your granddaughter is in very good hands. My 14 year old son has OCD, and you are right, before he was diagnosed it was really scary.)

Thanks for the compliment...As with our family, yours and many others, when the love comes from the heart, it makes it all a little easier...Hope your son is doing o.k....goalie

Hiya Goalienan, I am being very nosey so tell me to mind my own business if you want.

This OCD your granddaughter has, what sort of things was she doing?

I had that up until the age of 24, I guess all cases of OCD are different though, I am just curious

Hi Lotus, no you are not being nosey at all...My granddaughter started at the toddler age, so we didnt think to much of it..Before she went to daycare she had to be dressed exactly the same way every day, starting with her underwear and so on...Her shoes had to be tied exactly the same way or we wound up doing them over and over..If I put her hair in pigtails they had to be perfectly even or taken out, the same with pony tails...As she got a little older, she actually started moving my furniture, such as end tables, light articles to a certain place in the room and we didn't dare move them. It would set her off to what we thought were tantrums...In her miind everything had to be perfect..She would count over and over, such as crayons, put them exactly the same way with colors and so on...Everything had to be in order in her room...This went on and on, and when she was about ten or so, it got to the point where she would wake up and start to put everything back to where it belonged...She has two younger siblings, so this would be toys, etc..After school it was exactly the same thing..The little ones didn;t stand a chance...Washing her hands constantly and so on. She is now 13, a good student, she is a cheerleader, bad attitude (try to say it's the teen years), and if anything is mentioned about the ocd she gets terrible defensive...Insists that it is us, and not her who has this problem..She heard me talking to her mom about it one day and wouldn't talk to me for a few days...I felt terrible...Hopefully it won't get any worse..I hate when I hear of any child or adult having this...You said you had this till the age of 24, did it slow down at that point...And now if I'm being nosy, you can let me know...what were your symptons...Are we OT...If so feel free to PM me....thanks...goalie

No, it's ok, I will put it on public view, mainly in case my own case can help someone else.

Something bad happened to me at six years old, it caused me to start hearing a voice that would tell me to do this and to do that, if I didn't my mum would die.

It was traumatic, I started to bunk off school at seven and take small things from market stalls without paying, it was only when my mum found these things that I stopped, luckily it only happened about three times. The school secretary arrived at home and told my mum about my school absence at which I started attending again.

However, this bloody OCD which involved continually touching things multiple times was a thorn in my side. I couldn't just touch something once, it had to be more than once, if I didn't do it, my mum would die.

I never told a soul, one day when ten, I was a hair's width away from blurting it all out to my mum, but I just couldn't.

When I got married, the threat switched from my mum to my husband.

This carried on until I was sitting indoors alone at aged 24, I was drinking a cup of tea and as I reached out to get the cup, my hand accidentally brushed against the mantlepiece. As I went to touch it multiple times, I stopped.

Reflecting back on my life at that moment, it was as if I was seeing the torment for what it really was, I became indignant and then very angry and I remember saying in a loud voice

"I will NOT do this anymore, if I touch something, it will be just the once unless I choose to do differently, I will no longer take any notice of threats to any member of my family should I not do something!"

It took tremendous will but it worked and stopped from that day. I do not know if the bad experience at 6 years old had anything to do with it but I am 99.9% sure it did.

You see, by finally admitting I had a problem, it enabled me to fight it and win instead of being passive and suffering.

My heart goes out to your Granddaughter and to you and your family, if she could just see that it is not normal to do the things she is doing, she will be well on the way to being cured or the torment she is going through and it really is torment . She could be embarrassed or just in denial, but whatever the case she can sort this.

The one thing she is fortunate with, is that you and your family are aware of OCD, support is needed and it is good that she has you all.

huh this is very interesting, thanks. I shall check out the link later on today
thanks...

Thank you for sharing that Lotus...I can only imagine what was going through your mind at such a young age , thinking if you didn't do this your mom would come to harm...I'm so glad that you had the strength to get through your problem. You sound like a wonderful person. Yes, my granddaughter is both embarrassed and also in denial that she has this problem. But the awareness is there and hopefully as she gets stronger her ocd will be limited. We can only pray for the best...prayers to you...goalie

I've had OCD since childhood as well.

Helpful site.

♥

Thanks for the Link!

It's a great link Lotus Flower...Much to be said...