A narrative of the extraordinary case of George Lukins, of Yatton, Somersetshire. Who was possessed of evil spirits, for near eighteen years: also an account of his remarkable deliverance

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History of Wesleyan Methodism: Wesley And His Times. Kessinger Publishing. January 2005. ISBN 9781417974252 . Retrieved 31 December 2007. 'Some time ago I had a letter requesting me to make one of the seven ministers to pray over George Lukins. I cried out before God, "Lord, I am not fit for such a work; I have not faith to encounter a demoniac." It was powerfully applied, "God in this thy might." The day before we were to meet, I went to see Lukins, and found such faith, that I could then encounter the seven devils which he said toremented him. I did not doubt but deliverance would come. Suffice to say, when we met, the Lord heard prayer, and delivered the poor man.' As the session reached its climax, one of the clergymen commanded, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the evil spirit to depart from the man. Prayers for his deliverance were offered, and the clergyman’s command repeated. George’s convulsions and agonies grew stronger. He was, by now, crying out and howling in miserable pain.

Sarah Baber had been living in Yatton many years before the incident and had formed a different impression of George Lukins. She affirmed that Lukins was a religious man who went to the church regularly and was perceived as a good man in society. However, all of this goodness in George Lukins was apparently put to the test when his fits started almost 18 years ago.On 7 June 1787, Lukins was staying at a home on Redclift Street own by a man named Westcote. While there, Lukins experienced an event which was described by witnesses as having left them in a state of "horror and amazement at the sounds and expressions" that they heard. Demons and possessions are fears shared by many, especially among the religious world. Most experts nowadays agree that “ demonic possessions” are simply treatable mental illnesses. After all, it’s not the Middle Ages anymore. Though exorcisms are rarely practiced now, they used to be much more commonplace and could be violent, dangerous, and downright creepy. 10 Clara Germana Cele South Africa’s most famous case of exorcism was that of orphaned school girl Clara Germana Cele. It is said that one day in 1906 the St. Michael’s Mission pupil approached her confessor, Father Hërner Erasmus, and admitted to ‘making a pact with Satan.’

The exorcism began with Lukins singing in an uncharacteristically high voice — one that was most definitely not his own. His voice began alternating between low, gruff, masculine voices and high-pitched, feminine ones, which were incidentally spewing malicious, blasphemous rants and physically threatening the religious men present. Lukins would bark, scream, groan, sing and babble utter Other religious writers such as Reverend John Wesley, asserted that the Lukins case was a miracle and proof of Divine providence. In defense of the exorcism, Easterbrook wrote that the possession was authentic and to deny its reality would be to claim that the power of the Lord had diminished since Biblical times. The case was detailed in a 1935 German pamphlet called Begone, Satan! A Soul-Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession, and profiled in a 1936 issue of Time magazine. Some of the more spectacular allegations will be familiar to anyone who’s seen The Exorcist: Schmidt supposedly levitated, was tied to a bed, and, according to one of Riesinger’s associates, vomited “quantities that were humanly speaking impossible to lodge in a normal being.” The popular account gets increasingly far-fetched—when the exorcism began, Schmidt reportedly flew off the bed, “landed high above the door of the room and clung to the wall with catlike grips.” Regardless of whether you view exorcism as a spiritual service or exploitation, the practice has a fascinating, unsettling history, and it’s left an indelible mark on pop culture. Here are six historical exorcisms that are every bit as chilling as anything Hollywood can produce. 1. The New Mexico Colony Exorcisms // 1764 The concept of the existence of paranormal activity is an intriguing thought for many people. With so many unnatural incidents being reported which are directly associated with demonic possession, it is important to uncover the truth.Reverend Easterbrook met with Lukins several times in the church to determine if he was indeed possessed. Once such a determination was made, under the 1604 canons of the Church of England episcopal authority was required to perform an exorcism.

Mrs. Barber, the entire community, and Lukins himself believed he was bewitched. He even declared he had 7 demons in his body that required 7 clergymen to expel. On Friday, the 13th of June 1778, seven clergymen led by Rev. Easternbrook, cast out seven demons in a strenuous ritual where Lukins sang Te Deum (an important Christian hymn) in reverse, became increasingly violent, and claimed he was the devil. Once delivered, his mood immediately changed as he praised God and recited the Lord’s prayer before thanking the priests who saved him. 7 Gottliebin Dittus

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Stories of exorcisms have long captured the fear of the public. While generally associated with the Catholic Church, such accounts have existed since Mesopotamian times. From movies like The Exorcist and countless horror novels on the subject, it is clear that these demonic stories still hold sway over the general public’s imagination.

George Lukins was 44 years old when his possession began. He lived in Yatton, a village located outside of Bristol. It’s said that he had been to several doctors seeking a remedy for his condition but they had all failed him. After months of trying different treatments with no success, George decided to turn to religion in search of a cure. The Exorcism is Performed Did you know that Salvador Dali, the famous artist, also underwent an exorcism in 1947? Friar Gabriele Maria Berardi received an original piece from the artist to signify his thanks. [7] Beginning in 1769 , he had suffered from "fits of an alarming nature," which most likely was epilepsy. Lukins claimed that he had been fine until he was performing an old mummer's play at Christmas time when he had felt a "Divine slap" which felled him to the ground and left him possessed by demons. According to witness, Lukins was performing late one night at the house of a Mr. Love and after a number of strong beers became inebriated. In fact, he was so drunk, he was escorted home by two neighbors named Avery and Read.

The Exorcism of George Lukins

During the ritual, ‘Gina’ was restrained by nurses and other members of the exorcism team as she writhed around shouting and speaking in different voices. This exorcism reportedly took place while Dali was having frequent episodes and had broken from the Surrealist movement due to ideological differences—perhaps a sign of the demonic possession he was suffering from. 3 Gottliebin Dittus During the colonial era in the New World, right in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, an indentured servant known as Elizabeth Knapp became possessed by demons. She was lured in by promises of riches and an easy life; such promises easily turned this 16-year-old girl to the dark side of Christianity.