Giuliana A.L. Mazzoni, Elizabeth F. Loftus, and Irving Kirsch

Both skeptics and believers generally agree that the number of exorcism cases seems to skyrocket whenever possession and exorcism are prominent in popular culture. While some believers argue that pop culture acceptance makes it easier for victims to find help, most skeptics claim that pop culture can be credited with creating the demonic possession phenomenon itself.

Experimental psychologists Giuliana A.L. Mazzoni, Elizabeth F. Loftus, and Irving Kirsch surveyed twenty-two Italian college students about the existence of demonic possession. They then subjected these students to materials and behavior that would reinforce belief in demonic possession and, more specifically, belief that they had personally witnessed demonic possession as children. When the students were tested again, most were more open to the idea that possessions are real. By...