Religious Glossary - common terms used related to Religion
Exorcism - Exorcism is the religiously based act of
forcing the Devil or a demon from the body of a possessed
person. This act is usually performed by a religious figure,
such as a priest or shaman, and involves the performing of
rituals. Various cultures including the Greeks, Babylonians
and Egyptians all had forms of what we term today as exorcism.
For instance, the Babylonian exorcism consisted of the formation
and eventual destruction of a clay doll fashioned in the shape
of the demon.
The act of exorcising; the driving out of evil spirits from
persons or places by conjuration; also, the form of conjuration
used. For more information on this subject see also: ghosts
and ghost hunting.
The expulsion of Demons or Spirits from a person or place.
The duration and nature of an exorcism depends on both the
severity of the possession and the religious practices being
employed. In Christianity, exorcism usually involves demonic
possession, in that a person is possessed by an evil Demon.
The helpless victim may go through any one of a large range
of phenomena, from Levitation to crude swearing, vomiting,
superhuman strength and the sudden ability to speak in different
languages.
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