The Case of Julia

In 2008, psychiatrist Dr. Richard Gallagher published an account of a woman he called Julia, whose case convinced him that demonic possession could be real. As a board-certified psychiatrist and professor at Columbia University, his professional endorsement of the case generated significant attention.

The Patient

Julia was an American woman who had involvement with Satanic groups before seeking help from the Catholic Church. She approached Dr. Gallagher herself, aware of the stigma her claims would face and wanting both medical and spiritual evaluation.

The Phenomena

During his evaluation, Dr. Gallagher witnessed phenomena he could not explain medically. Julia spoke in multiple voices and languages unknown to her. Objects in the room moved without visible cause. She demonstrated knowledge of events happening elsewhere and revealed personal information about team members she had no way of knowing.

During exorcism sessions, her body reportedly levitated above the bed, witnessed by multiple medical personnel and clergy.

Medical Evaluation

Dr. Gallagher conducted thorough psychiatric evaluation, ruling out dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, and other conditions. Julia was lucid and rational between episodes, aware of her situation, and genuinely distressed by it.

The Outcome

Julia ultimately refused to renounce her past associations fully, and the exorcism was never completed. Her case, however, convinced Dr. Gallagher to continue consulting on possession cases, becoming the leading psychiatric consultant to the American exorcism community.

Assessment

The Julia case is notable for the involvement of a credentialed psychiatrist willing to stake his professional reputation on its authenticity.