Next, they're tasked with determining which of the four stages the paranormal event is in: according to Ouellette, the first is demonic interference (a relatively normal temptation), then demonic obsession (where the event becomes visible and problematic for the person), then demonic oppression (wherein you begin to see physical signs) and, lastly, demonic possession (which exhibits through severe signs of aggression, changes in voice and other unexplainable symptoms).
Then comes the praying, which sometimes involves using oils, incense and holy water. A lot of the time, that's all it takes. "Sometimes, I think it's placebo effect," Ouellette adds, "but in a lot of cases, I think it really does have a way of changing the environment spiritually, so that if there was anything there, it kind of just goes away." If that doesn't do the trick, the next step is to heal the property, which entails sealing the property itself, similar to the process of consecrating a building into a church, making it a holy ground.
Ouellette has seen things that give him no doubt demonic possession is real – books flying off the shelves, or a person with no visible injuries beginning to bleed profusely right in front of him, seemingly from their pores. If he and his team investigate a property two or three times and is unable to vanquish the demonic presence, the recordings and videos taken are sent back to headquarters, where its head, Archbishop Ron Feyl, Chief Exorcist of the Order of Exorcists, and his team of trained psychiatrists assess the situation themselves to determine next steps by reviewing the house call footage. "Exorcism's not something that is one time and it's done – it's not like in the movies," he says. "Sometimes, exorcisms can take months or even years with the strongest of demonic attachment. There's a process to it. It can get very complicated."
Bishop James Long on the set of Destination America's 'Exorcism: LIVE!' in October 2015. Destination America
Bishop James Long knows plenty about these more complicated cases. In his 15 years of exorcising, he's performed more than 25 Solemn Rite exorcisms, along with hundreds of more minor ones. The Louisville, Kentucky-based bishop was brought up in a Roman Catholic family and felt called to study demonology when he was just nine years old. "I just had a desire to learn about demons," he explains. "I wanted to learn why anyone would turn against God." Now, he’s a member of the United States Old Catholic Church, which he explains as being more inclusive than traditional Roman Catholic churches, with the same sovereign sacraments and lineages. Bishop Long is best known for performing the first-ever live televised exorcism in 2015 (on Halloween, no less), which took place in Bel-Nor, Missouri at the residential home that inspired The Exorcist book and movie. It was dubbed, fittingly, Exorcism: LIVE! and aired on Destination America. (Variety dismissed the two-hour special as “harmless, pre-Halloween fluff.”)
As with Turner and Ouellette, Long, too, found himself being pulled away from the faith of his upbringing, feeling in opposition to certain Roman Catholic beliefs, like women being banned from the priesthood. "I could not in good faith be a Roman Catholic Priest and preach against women ordinations," he says. "That would be hypocritical – I just couldn't do it. I believe that priests should be allowed to be married. I believe in gay marriage." These beliefs led him to the USOCC, which was founded in the 1870s, and which he describes as a more inclusive group that doesn't discriminate based on gender or sexual orientation.
Long is also the founder of Paranormal Clergy, purportedly the world's largest paranormal organization. He started it to bridge the gap he saw between clergy and the paranormal community – the organization serves as a funnel that connects cases with investigative groups across the country. He's since stepped away from his active role within the clergy, but still receives the emails. (When we spoke on a Wednesday, he'd received approximately 1,800 related emails since the previous Saturday.) He makes a point to emphasize the disparity between those thousands of requests every few days and the fact that he's performed just over two dozen actual major exorcisms. What was performed during the televised exorcism was a minor rite on the house itself, which Long says was "a phenomenal experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it."
With exorcisms as popular as ever, it's not surprising that popular culture has hopped on the paranormal bandwagon with more movies and shows that feature demonic possession – under varying degrees of legitimacy, of course. Turner implores those who feel afflicted to seek out knowledgeable, authentic exorcists. He also says it's crucial for those with the power to exorcise don't jump the gun – rather, that they remain steadfast about working with mental health professionals to ensure that the person gets the help they need, whether it's through science or the church. "There's a lot of hype," he adds. "It's very easy, I think, for even a priest to get caught up in the hype."
Long agrees, adding that what he finds most egregious is the insurgence of "paranormal celebrities" who charge for this service. In 2014, the Daily Beast published a first-person account of a Skype exorcism that cost nearly $300 – and many, Long says, charge more. "That really is becoming a problem – as someone who has devoted my entire life to this ministry, I've never charged," he says. "I have driven to almost every state in this country, but I've never charged a penny. This ritual is incredibly sacred, and for someone to take advantage of someone who is going through extreme spiritual distress to make a dollar, it's an abomination." He pauses. "I would really hate to be them when they meet God face-to-face."
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