Possession.

MAIN EFFECTS OF POSSESSION AND EXORCISM.

• Contortion of body.
• Speaking in tongues and different languages.
• Animalistic behaviour.
• Unrecognisable sounds coming from person. 
• Not eating.
• Not sleeping.
• Controlling of the body and mind.
• objects moving inexplicably.
• Superhuman strength.
• Levitation.

My main inspiration for the character of Claudia is the very well known exorcism film  "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" which is based on the real life case of Anneliese Michel. 

https://diabolicalconfusions.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/the-entire-case-history-of-anneliese-michel-the-real-emily-rose-warning-shocking-content/

The basic story line is that Anneliese was known to have had mental disorders and instability for years however had been able to control it and was a kind and nice girl. She begins to start acting strangely, speaking in tongues, seeing visions and claiming she is possessed by the devil. Everyone began to notice the change in Anneliese.  On top of the issues she was having regarding her speech and inability to support her own bodyweight, she was also having sudden onsets of severe depression and excessive sorrow, but that was also the least of her problems. During one night at the dinner table, Anna recalls a situation where Anneliese’s hands appeared to be “enormous”, to the extend that she would even claim that they were almost twice their normal size. Anyone who has an experience in these matters would not be surprised by this, as the demonic are notorious or manipulating the physical world, specifically the body of that which it possesses. At the table, when Anneliese noticed this, she was noted as saying “I have black hands. Savior, forgive me.” She began having horrifying visions and called an exorcist to come to her aid. In the end she refuses to eat or drink anything and dies at the age of 23 from malnutrition and dehydration. This story inspired my character of Claudia because after the death of Anneliese there was a long court case to decide if her parents and the priest had neglected her physical and mental needs because they were fanatics. 

In the work An Exorcist Tells His Story by Father Gabriele Amorth, the former Chief Exorcist for the Vatican, Ignatius Press of San Francisco, 1994 softcover Twelfth Edition, ISBN 978-0-89870-710-6, page #79, paragraph 2:

We can state that “one of the determining factors in the recognition of a diabolical possession is the inefficacy of medicines”, while blessings prove very efficacious. I exorcised Mark, a young man who was the victim of a severe possession. He had been confined a long time and been tormented by psychiatric remedies, especially electroshock, without the slightest reaction. When the doctor prescribed sleep therapy, for an entire week they gave him enough sleeping pills to sedate an elephant; he never fell asleep, either during the day or during the night. He wandered around the hospital in a stupor, with wide-open eyes. Finally he landed at my doorstep, with immediate positive results.

I am interested by the idea that mental disorders can be so easily disguised as being possessed by a demon and not being able to control your own body. During the article above their is a quote from a priest interviewed on the case talking about malevolent spirits and how they do anything to disguise themselves. The thought, to a demon, of unmasking itself is a form of defeat and this then in turn makes it easier for the exorcisms to take place as the demon feels vulnerability and weakened power. This is good for my character Claudia as I want to create a state in which everyone surround her cannot see Mrs Lauderman and does not know she exists. Yet she resides and hides her malevolent ways through the actions of this human girl. Everyone just believes that Claudia is Schizophrenic however she has been trapped inside her own head and her body is being controlled by this demonic spirit. 

Below is a mood board that I have created as inspiration for my design of Claudia. I liked the idea that Anneliese says "I HAVE BLACK HANDS FORGIVE ME, MY SAVIOUR" I think that this is a very powerful image about sin and not being in control, something slowly working its way through your body. 

I now need to look into mental illness and the ways in which this can make your physical appearance change.