Exorcism: Not Just for Linda Blair

Exorcism was made famous by Linda Blair's role as a possessed teenager in the 1973 film The Exorcist, but the practice was made prominent when early Christians used it to cast demons out of people. Exorcism, the act of evicting a spiritual entity or demon from a possessed person by making the entity swear an oath to leave, is an ancient practice found in many cultures and religions.

Christian Exorcism

Christian exorcisms consist of the exorcist using prayer, religious icons, and gestures to make the demon agree to leave the body. The exorcist is usually a priest or someone believed to have special skills or powers.

The possessed person being exorcised is not usually thought to be evil in Christian exorcism. The exorcism is seen as a cure for punishment, rather than a punishment of the possessed.

Christians use the name of Jesus to evict spiritual entities. The Bible states that Jesus told his followers to expel demons in his name, which led to his name's use in exorcism, and it has carried over to modern exorcisms.

Before an exorcism is performed in Christian religions, the subject is checked out my medical and psychological professionals. This is done to rule out the subject's symptoms being caused by mental or physical illness.

Hinduism

Exorcism practices exist in the Hindu religion, and are linked to the ancient Dravidians from the southern part of India.

Hindus believe that possession is a side effect of chastity or austerity. In the Hindu holy books, Milarepa entered his disciple Gampoba, a particularly devout worshipper.

Exorcism in Hinduism, as in Christianity, is centered on reciting phrases from holy books. The 3^rd, 7^th, and 8^th chapters of the Bhagavad Gita are considered particularly good for getting ghosts to leave the physical world.

Buddhism

Exorcism in Buddhism differs greatly depending on what sect is performing the ritual. Some sects view the ritual as a literal eviction of spiritual entities, while others see it as a metaphor for letting go of negative thoughts.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcism Wikipedia: Exorcism