The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (Part 1)

Morbid

The episode delves into the tragic early life and deteriorating health of Anneliese Michel, a young German woman whose symptoms were interpr

Key takeaways

• Anneliese Michel was born in 1952 in Bavaria, West Germany, to a devoutly Catholic family led by Josef and Anna Michel.
• She experienced intense physical symptoms including sleep paralysis-like episodes, stiffness, and involuntary urination.
• Medical specialists like Dr. Luthi and Dr. Von Holler investigated potential epilepsy but found no neurological cause via EEG tests.
• Anneliese reported seeing a 'cruelly grimacing face' on the horizon while at a sanatorium.
• The hosts discuss the possibility that anticonvulsant medications may have contributed to her hallucinations.

Main topics

• Anneliese Michel's childhood and religious upbringing
• Neurological vs. supernatural explanations for seizures
• Medical investigations in 1970s Germany

Notable quotes

Hell must be monstrously horrible.

Conclusion

The episode provides a haunting look at how medical ambiguity and reli

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) For many of us, going further isn't a choice. It's a feeling we can't ignore. Because ambition has a way of outgrowing where it began. Turning dreams into direction. Every journey brings us closer to the life we imagine. So, where will your journey take you? Etihad. Beyond Borders. Speaker 1 (0:30) Hey weirdos, Speaker 3 (0:32) I'm Alayna, I'm Ash, and this is Morbid.com. Speaker 2 (0:52) Elfie, I want to talk about something important. What? Wendy's. Do you know how I always tell you guys that the faux-faux-faux is the way to go? Like I used to tell you guys that. It's been a while. I was going to Speaker 3 (1:04) say, it's been a while. What did I Speaker 2 (1:05) get today? I'm looking it up. It had a pretzel bun. Speaker 3 (1:10) I know that. Speaker 2 (1:11) It's the pretzel bun sandwich and it has like beer cheese on it. I'm sounding... real big right now, but it had beer cheese on it and pickles and fried onions. And it was the most beautiful thing I think I've ever eaten in my life. That Speaker 3 (1:25) sounds Speaker 2 (1:25) good. It was good. I didn't, I could only eat half of it, but. I get spicy nugs. I think Speaker 3 (1:30) you guys should go to Wendy's right now and get that sandwich. Get it. We're not sponsored by Wendy's. We're not sponsored by Wendy's. Never have been. You know who is? Lisa Speaker 2 (1:37) Barlow. And you can also get the baby gorgeous meal. I would like to talk about how I'm a little bit disappointed that the Baby Gorgeous meal is just a 10-piece chicken nugget. Speaker 3 (1:47) Yeah, I mean, I don't know anything about Lisa Barlow or why it's called the Baby Gorgeous meal or anything Speaker 2 (1:54) of that sort. Okay, Speaker 3 (1:54) I'm going to tell you so fast. Speaker 2 (1:56) Lisa Barlow is from Salt Lake City Housewives. She loves fast food. You would love her because she loves Taco Bell too. Love that. But she loves Wendy's. And one time her child, who she was picking up from school, got in her car and she said, Hi, baby gorgeous. And now she has the baby gorgeous meal at Wendy's, the end. Speaker 3 (2:13) Honestly, baby gorgeous is a great way to talk to your child. Yeah. And if you Speaker 2 (2:17) sound like her, it's even better. Hi, Speaker 1 (2:19) baby gorgeous. Speaker 2 (2:20) Oh, and she recently released a song called Baby Gorgeous. Oh, wow. Okay. Where she says, you're just baby Speaker 3 (2:27) gorgeous. Wow. Speaker 2 (2:29) It sounds just like that. I really missed Speaker 3 (2:31) out, I Speaker 2 (2:32) guess. You did. But I would say don't. Get that meal because it's kind of a boring order. Shit. I would say. Speaker 3 (2:38) Lisa Speaker 2 (2:38) Barlow's coming for you. No. Don't come for me, Lisa. Don't, Lisa. I don't know who you are, but don't. I was friends with Angie first, so. Oh, there you go. Period. But I would get the pretzel bun sandwich. I love a pretzel bun. Speaker 3 (2:52) So I'm with you on that. Speaker 2 (2:54) You got a good looking Frosty over there. I swear this isn't sponsored. Speaker 3 (2:57) I do have a good looking Frosty. Speaker 2 (2:57) It really isn't. But if they'd like to. Yeah. I'd come up with a meal. This is our plea. Speaker 3 (3:02) Can Speaker 2 (3:02) you imagine if Wendy's... Oh my god! Wendy's. You could have a big thing going for you. I mean... And like, it doesn't even just have to be our listeners. Morbid is pretty... It's pretty like all encompassing. Speaker 3 (3:16) Yeah, Speaker 2 (3:16) anything can be morbid. And for the season of October, it's literally spooky season. Yeah. Wendy's. I think we should get on it. I'm making a plea. Personally. I've been talking about you guys. For years. It's true. She has. If you saw 4 for 4 sales go up in like 2019, baby, that was baby gorgeous. That was me. And Speaker 3 (3:37) if you heard people roll up on that speaker and say, I'll have a faux faux faux, then you know where it came from. Because I never called Speaker 2 (3:45) it a 4 for 4. A faux faux. A faux faux faux. So, yeah. So that's that. We didn't intend for that to go like that. What's up? Yeah, I'm Speaker 3 (3:57) re-watching Widow's Bay and it's just as good. It's even better. Are you noticing things that you didn't the first time? I Speaker 2 (4:03) am Speaker 3 (4:03) starting to. We just started, but like, I'm also just, it's the funniest fucking show. No, it's so good. Like, Speaker 2 (4:08) that Speaker 3 (4:08) show is brilliant. I will shout it from the rooftops. I love it. I Speaker 2 (4:11) love Speaker 3 (4:11) that show. What did she say? Speaker 2 (4:14) You had your qualms? You had your qualms? It's Speaker 3 (4:17) so fucking good. Like that episode of Sunset Cocktails with Patricia, Speaker 2 (4:22) well, that's the best episode. I'll never get over it. Have we talked about before? Was it Paul Tremblay's wife who told us that you can get... You can get the playlist. Oh, the playlist. Yeah, it's on Spotify. Oh, Speaker 3 (4:35) yeah, I listen to it. It's great. It is. Yeah, we listened Speaker 2 (4:37) to it recently. It's an awesome playlist. It's on Spotify. Remember, we were listening to it and the girls were like, what the fuck is this? They were like, what Speaker 3 (4:44) is going Speaker 2 (4:44) on? Like, what Speaker 3 (4:45) are Speaker 2 (4:45) you dancing to? It's just like 90s R &B. It's great. Speaker 3 (4:48) It's awesome. Speaker 2 (4:49) Patricia knew Speaker 3 (4:49) what she was doing. She did. Patricia for life. And you know. I don't know how to segue into what we're going to talk about. Speaker 2 (4:56) Unfortunately, it's not going to be nearly as fun as Wendy's Faux Faux Faux's pretzel buns or Patricia. Speaker 3 (5:01) No. And Roland, you can hit the hit the counter. Roland. I like it. Hit Speaker 2 (5:06) the Speaker 3 (5:06) counter, Speaker 2 (5:07) Roland. I will say somebody commented who does the time counts that I saw. And they were like, you guys are really funny. Starts at this time. And I was like, at least thank you for the compliment. Speaker 3 (5:17) Hey, I mean, I'm glad you're enjoying the beginning. I think Speaker 2 (5:20) they like being called out. Yeah. Speaker 3 (5:22) I Speaker 2 (5:22) mean, Speaker 3 (5:22) because we're just giving you your flowers. Yeah. You're doing a service. This one's for you. So, Roland, this one's for you. Pour one out for Roland. And today, because it's spooky Speaker 2 (5:32) season. It's Proctober. Speaker 3 (5:34) It's Proctober, Speaker 2 (5:35) everybody. Proctober. Speaker 3 (5:36) Which stands for pre-October, in case you didn't know. John Proctober. Yes. Speaker 2 (5:41) It's nasty. Exactly. Speaker 3 (5:44) So, today we're going to talk about an exorcism. Ooh. This is a pretty famous one. Yeah? It's a pretty gnarly one. They usually are. They always are, I feel. And this one is going to be two parts because there is just so much. A two-part exorcism. Speaker 2 (6:00) It's Speaker 3 (6:00) a very intense case. Fuck. We're talking about the exorcism of Annalise Michel. Oh, I don't think I know this one. This one is wild. Okay. It's a wild one. Speaker 2 (6:13) How'd she get Speaker 3 (6:13) possessed? Tell me everything. This one's wild because, as I will state several times, every single religious person around her, like priests, anybody like that, were like, yeah, I don't think Speaker 2 (6:25) you're possessed. No way. And then they were like, no, we are. Speaker 3 (6:28) Like the family was like, Speaker 2 (6:29) absolutely, this is what's going on. I feel like that doesn't always go that way. Speaker 3 (6:33) No, it doesn't. Usually the priests come and they're like, daemons. But this one was like, no, I think you should see a doctor. Did Ed and Lorraine Warren find her? No, because this is in Germany. Ed and Speaker 2 (6:42) Lorraine Speaker 3 (6:42) didn't Speaker 2 (6:42) even find Speaker 3 (6:43) her? They didn't get into Speaker 2 (6:43) this one. This is a different kind of exorcism. This one's Speaker 3 (6:46) from the 70s. Okay. So it's in Germany. So I think Ed and Lorraine didn't get their gnarly little claws into this one. All right. That's shocking. Let's talk about who Annalise was because this one's also really tragic because when you hear about Annalise, you're like, wow, you had like a lot going for you. Like you were. Like a pretty good childhood, like was really on a good path. And then it just kind of something happened. That's interesting, too, because I feel Speaker 2 (7:14) like a lot of times, like it's Speaker 3 (7:16) usually a more Speaker 2 (7:17) tragic case even beforehand. Yeah, because you feel Speaker 3 (7:19) like it maybe like thrives on a little chaos or tragedy. Speaker 2 (7:22) Yeah. Yeah. Like Speaker 3 (7:23) the demon or whatever it is. So Annalise Elizabeth Michel, which. She liked to be called Annalise, not Annalise Elizabeth. Okay. She was born September 21st, 1952, in Bavaria, West Germany. She was the second of five children to Josef and Anna Michel. According to anthropologist Felice Toskog-Goodman, the Michels were a stable, frugal, industrious, slow-moving German middle-class family, more peasant than urban. Speaker 2 (7:52) He used the most amount of adjectives you could possibly use to describe a family. He Speaker 3 (7:57) would have probably been accused of using AI there. It Speaker 2 (8:01) was like just a lot of comparison. Not one of them was super kind. No, not at all. Wow. Slow moving. Imagine if somebody described your entire family as slow moving. Like, okay, fuck you. Speaker 3 (8:14) They were also deeply, devoutly Catholic. In fact, it was only because of poor grades in Latin class that Yosef did not Speaker 2 (8:22) become a priest himself. Speaker 3 (8:24) You gotta know Speaker 2 (8:25) the Latin to be a priest. You gotta know the Speaker 3 (8:26) Latin to become a priest. You need to don't read the Latin, but know the Latin. Now, despite the pretty, like, idyllic environment in which Annalise was raised, her childhood was dominated by her parents' rigid... adherence to Catholicism. And much of Speaker 2 (8:42) their social lives were built around the church, Speaker 3 (8:44) which is Speaker 2 (8:44) not necessarily a bad thing. I'm just saying that was part of it. Speaker 3 (8:47) In both school and home, educational and religious lessons focused heavily on biblical tales of battles between good and evil, in which the children were raised to know the names of various demonic entities. And there was an emphasis on the role that humans play in the ongoing struggle. It was put in there pretty early. Yeah, planted the seed. Seed was planted. In the only recorded discussion between a young Annalise and a local priest, Arnold Renz, the two can be heard talking about the terrible fate that awaits those who align themselves with the forces of evil. Speaker 2 (9:23) They don't do that. Speaker 3 (9:24) Yeah, and you can hear Annalise say, hell must be monstrously horrible. And then they just kind of moved on to a new subject. So she already had that, like, fear of hell. She had that fear of... demons. She knew a lot about demons. Like Speaker 2 (9:37) when I was little, I was so scared of hell. Speaker 3 (9:40) That's wild. Yeah. Speaker 2 (9:41) Which is funny because I didn't grow up super religious. Yeah. But I like went to church sometimes like on my dad's side every now and again. And it's usually like a pretty hot topic at church. Oh, they loved. Yeah. They love talking about hell. We went to like a church that started with a P. Like the religion was a P. I don't remember which one it was. Presbyterian? Probably. Protestant? Probably Presbyterian. Puritan? I didn't see Ann Putnam there. I didn't go to that one. I didn't see Ann Putnam there, but I was scared of hell. Speaker 3 (10:09) There was also the very real and recent specter that hung over post-war Germany at the time of Annalise's birth. Speaker 2 (10:16) Oh, yeah. Clearly. Speaker 3 (10:17) Her father was in the army and spent time in a prisoner of war camp. So whether it was his experience in the war or just the era in which he was raised, Josef took his role as a father and a provider in his eyes. Very seriously. Yeah. Speaker 2 (10:33) He Speaker 3 (10:33) ran his household like he ran his business with an emphasis on tradition, obedience, not a ton of like, Speaker 2 (10:41) you know, just like fuzzy, warm feelings. Speaker 3 (10:45) That's not to suggest that he didn't care for his children. In fact, according to Goodman, Annalise and her sister, quote, sensed his passionate love for them. Speaker 2 (10:53) But Speaker 3 (10:53) he was very stern and he had very high expectations. And again, he demanded obedience, especially Speaker 2 (10:59) from his children. Okay. Now, obedience is a wild word for children. Yeah, that's Speaker 3 (11:05) more for an animal. Even Speaker 2 (11:06) animals Speaker 3 (11:07) are always like, Speaker 2 (11:07) that's crazy. I'm like, my dog is reckless. Speaker 3 (11:10) I know, I was going to say, my dog's not so much, but maybe someone else's. Now, the family was pretty close. There was three younger siblings, three younger sisters. Annalise had ready access, and I think she had one sibling who had passed away. Oh, okay. Annalise had ready access to playmates whenever. She wanted them. Like, it's not like she was, like, isolated in the house or anything, like reading a Bible. Speaker 2 (11:34) That's good. Speaker 3 (11:35) But she also struggled with, like, kind of poor health in her early years, and she was prone to getting infections. After the death of their first daughter to illness, Annalise's parents became understandably hypervigilant when it came to her health. Yeah, sure. I get that. Her mother would often tell people to explain her daughter's poor health. She would say, I was still weak when I carried her. Speaker 2 (11:58) Oh. Speaker 3 (11:59) Now, fortunately, by the time she reached her early teens, Annalise seemed to be growing out of those health problems that she'd experienced. In 1965, she started participating in sports. She started making new friends. Nice. Was really growing and developing how they expected her to. Hell Speaker 2 (12:14) yeah. Speaker 3 (12:15) Her friend Maria said she was just like the rest of us. She was a jolly girl participating in the schoolgirl pranks and jokes. Fun. And when she wasn't with friends, she was at home helping her parents keep up with the younger girls. Her father told Felicitas Goodman, Annalise had a way of just glowing with joy. Speaker 2 (12:34) Oh. So like. So he clearly loved her. Like that's a loving statement. Like a loving parent would. Speaker 3 (12:40) Yeah. Now, by the time she reached high school, Annalise's health problems seemed to be entirely gone. She really was really adept at academics. She was really good at sports. And her mother used to brag about her. She would say she's so good. She will very likely become a school teacher one day. And that Speaker 2 (12:57) was what she wanted to do. Speaker 3 (12:58) Her commitment to her education was clearly like showing that she was ambitious. And like her parents, she wanted more for herself than to just work the family business, keep the books for her father, just like working shops in town. Yeah. She had dreams, baby. I love it. Now, as she entered further into her teen years, obviously her life got a little more complicated when it came to boys. Yeah. As it does. Oh, honey. It's a natural part of growing up and a near constant part of the human experience to suddenly realize that other humans are striking your fancy. Yes. I love how you put that. Now, but in a small village like Klingenberg. Speaker 2 (13:38) Obsessed. Speaker 2 (13:40) Absolutely. I will not let that pass by. I'm upset. Klingenberg. Klingenberg. Klingenberg. Yeah, Speaker 3 (13:47) Klingenberg. Let's fucking go. Religion dominated a lot of that human existence. Maybe let's not Speaker 2 (13:53) go. Speaker 3 (13:54) And, you know. Sexuality, especially for girls and young women, was something of a minefield, especially at that time. As the boys and girls in the village started mixing at school, church, other social events, parents became increasingly paranoid about what was going to happen if they were left alone. Annalise's mother would remind her of the old adage, and I know you're all going to say, oh, that old chestnut. Is it the cow in the milk? Speaker 2 (14:20) No. No? This one, this Speaker 3 (14:23) one's a lot. A girl's honor is like a white sheet. Every spot shows. I don't think I've ever heard that one. You know that one, right? Speaker 2 (14:31) Me neither. Speaker 3 (14:32) Wow. Speaker 2 (14:33) I mean, it's not as bad as the cow and the milk for free. I Speaker 3 (14:39) don't know. I mean, it's pretty bad. I don't know. Damn. Speaker 2 (14:42) Yeah. Speaker 3 (14:43) So there's that. More often than not, her mother could successfully keep her from going to dances or other social functions by reminding her of her fragile health. that she once had and warning her that she might get sick again if she pushed herself too hard. Okay. Speaker 2 (14:57) So they were a little, little over the top. Speaker 3 (14:59) Yeah. Vigilant. Now, when the school year started in 1968, Annalise was excited about the future. And according to her friend Maria, she spoke endlessly about attending college in Wurzburg and becoming a teacher. Cool. But a few weeks after her 16th birthday, everything started to change. Oh, no. Now, one afternoon in early October, Annalise inexplicably passed out while sitting in class. Oh. Now, she didn't, it wasn't this dramatic thing. She kind of just like slumped forward on her desk. And her friend Maria was like, she's like, I thought she just fell asleep. Yeah. So she poked her arm like, hey, you got to wake Speaker 2 (15:35) up. And Annalise slowly raised her head and looked like she was in a daze, though. Huh. Speaker 3 (15:39) And. She told Maria maybe I studied too much and she really didn't think much about it. Like she kind of thought she fell asleep, I guess. Okay. Just went about the day as normal. But later that night, she had another experience she couldn't explain. Speaker 2 (15:51) A Speaker 3 (15:52) little after midnight, Annalise was woken from her sleep and felt like she was being held down by a powerful unseen force. Hate that. The weight of whatever was holding her down was so strong that she couldn't move a muscle. And in a moment of panic, Annalise tried to call out for help, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out. Sounds like sleep paralysis. Thank you. I said, I too feel that feeling. I know that. The pressure on her abdomen, though, this is where it changes a little bit. She said there was pressure. It felt like something was pressing down on Speaker 2 (16:26) her. Speaker 3 (16:26) And you don't feel that way? When I've experienced sleep paralysis, it might be different for other people. I'm not trying to say my experience is universal. I just feel like I can't move. Okay. I don't feel like something is like physically Speaker 2 (16:37) holding you down. Hurting me. Like Speaker 3