Recap

Exorcisms & Demonic Possession

Expert on cults, the occult, and supernatural phenomena, Rev. Bob Larson discussed his work with exorcisms and the demonically possessed. Over the last 10 years, he said he's conducted around 10,000 exorcisms at his ministry events.

The possessed have performed superhuman feats such as a 100-lb. woman tossing much larger men around, and in rare cases, levitation has been seen, he detailed. In one incident, a woman ripped a wooden door in half using her bare hands, he added.

Demons, who are incorporeal, seek a physical way to bring about evil in the world, and use human instruments to carry this out, he explained. During the program, a number of short clips were played featuring audio from various exorcisms. Larson is heard confronting the demon to name themselves-- their names, he said, are often related to a function such as the demon of greed, anger or murder. Some exorcisms are not successful because the possessed person has formed a codependent relationship with the demon, he noted.

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Australian media provocateur John Safran was exorcised by Bob Larson, while being filmed for his 2004 TV series John Safran vs. God. During the intense ritual, Safran behaves as if he was possessed, and no commentary is provided afterwards to explain whether he was faking or not. Later, he reportedly told ABC Radio that he had little memory of the incident. View the 24-minute episode, hosted by MySpaceTV.