The Exorcism of Roland Doe

The case of Roland Doe (a pseudonym to protect the individual’s identity) remains one of the most documented and influential possession cases in American history. It directly inspired William Peter Blatty’s novel “The Exorcist” and the subsequent 1973 film.

Background

In January 1949, a 13-year-old boy from Cottage City, Maryland began experiencing strange phenomena shortly after the death of his Aunt Harriet, who had introduced him to the Ouija board. The disturbances began with scratching sounds in the walls and escalated to furniture moving on its own.

The Phenomena

Witnesses, including family members, priests, and medical professionals, reported:

• Physical manifestations: Scratches and welts appearing spontaneously on the boy’s body, sometimes forming words or symbols
• Levitation: The boy’s mattress reportedly shook violently, and objects moved across the room
• Superhuman strength: During episodes, the slight teenager could overpower multiple adults
• Speaking in tongues: The boy spoke in Latin and other languages he had never learned
• Aversion to sacred objects: Violent reactions to holy water, crucifixes, and prayers
• Temperature anomalies: Rooms becoming inexplicably cold during episodes

The Exorcisms

After local Lutheran ministers were unable to help, the family turned to the Catholic Church. Father Raymond Bishop began documenting the case, keeping a detailed diary of events. The family relocated to St. Louis, where Jesuit priests Father William Bowdern and Father Walter Halloran performed a series of approximately 30 exorcism sessions over several weeks.

The final exorcism reportedly occurred on April 18, 1949, when witnesses claimed to hear a loud noise throughout the hospital and the boy declared, “He’s gone.” The phenomena ceased entirely after this session.

Documentation and Legacy

Father Bishop’s diary, containing detailed accounts of each session, has been preserved and studied by researchers. The case was investigated by both religious authorities and psychiatric professionals, with no definitive medical explanation found for all phenomena.

The boy, whose true identity was protected for decades, reportedly lived a normal life afterward, married, and had children. He apparently retained no memory of the possession events.

Skeptical Analysis

Skeptics have suggested the boy may have suffered from mental illness, possibly Tourette syndrome or a dissociative disorder. Some researchers point to the heightened religious atmosphere of the time as contributing to confirmation bias among witnesses.

However, the sheer number of credible witnesses, including doctors, priests, and family members, combined with the physical phenomena that left visible marks, makes this case difficult to dismiss entirely.

The Roland Doe case remains a cornerstone of possession literature and continues to be studied by both believers and skeptics as one of the most thoroughly documented possession cases in modern history.