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Name - Sayak Basu

Registration Number - 2437346
Class - 3MENG
Department - English and Cultural Studies (ECS)
Under the Supervision of – Dr Saji Varghese

Dissertation

Title: “Possession and Pathology: A Comparative Study of the Roland Doe Exorcism Case (1949)
and William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973)”

Thesis Statement: This dissertation conducts a comparative analysis through the juxtaposition of
the reported 1949 exorcism case of “Roland Doe” and its cinematic reimagining in William
Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” (1973), which reveals a balance of cultural shift between medical and
religious authority in explaining dissociative behaviour. Drawing on the records of medical
evaluation and Jesuit exorcism, this study demonstrates how the psychoanalysis frameworks and
traditional religious beliefs significantly influence the public discourse of mental illness and
spiritual possession.

Introduction:

The Roland Doe Case (1949)

The exorcist came into being out of a real case of an exorcism, which had allegedly occurred in the
United States in the year of 1949, through a 14-year-old boy named Roland Hunkeler, documented
under the pseudonym of "Roland Doe" or "Robbie Mannheim". The case had come into the public
attention through an article in “The Washington Post”, entitled "Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported
Held in Devil's Grip" (August 20, 1949), which spoke of the boy's supposed possession by demonic
forces. His behavior included violent outbursts, distorted voices, spontaneous movements of objects,
and marks appearing on his skin. His family resorted to medical and psychiatric treatment for him. With
no cure found, the family finally had to seek the intervention of the church.
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From Jesuit priest diaries turned available through Thomas B. Allen's Possessed: “The True Story of an
Exorcism (1993)”, the boy was said to have endured exorcisms in Maryland and St. Louis, with over
30 separate rituals performed. Words would appear on the boy's body, such as hell, evil, which were
reportedly carved out by invisible hands, Allen wrote (Allen, 1993, p. 72). Though sensational in nature,
these accounts were drawn from firsthand theological accounts of Jesuit priests, including Father
William Bowdern and Father Walter Halloran.

A historian would find the authenticity of possession largely a matter of debate. Psychiatric
interpretations have suggested far too late that Roland might have had dissociative identity disorder or
schizophrenia. In American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty, Michael Cuneo states,
"There is no hard evidence, beyond priestly testimony, that anything supernatural took place" (Cuneo,
2001, p. 19). The case, however, did pose an enormous cultural imprint and was quite well circulated
among Catholic and secular interlocutors as a striking example concerning the persistence of modern
American belief in demonic possession.

William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” (1973)

Nearly 25 years after the incident, William Friedkin's “The Exorcist", transformed the localized incident
into a global cultural event in 1973, which is based on William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name,
published in 1971. Blatty had studied at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. (the same city that
the Roland Doe case was connected with in reports). He had read the 1949 news accounts with great
interest. He said in several interviews: "I was struck by the fact that, here, modern psychiatrists had
given up on this boy, and yet priests, using ancient rites, seemed to cure him" (Blatty, quoted in
Kermode, 1997, p.14).

The film tells of Regan McNeil, portrayed by Linda Blair a little girl in Georgetown, who only begins
to show disturbing symptoms, like convulsions, speaking in a different language, horrible outbursts,
and supernatural happenings like levitation. After medical trials proved to be futile, her mother seeks
help from the Catholic Church, whereby Father Merrin portrayed by Max von Sydow and Father Karras,
portrayed by Jason Miller are called forth to perform the exorcism.

Friedkin built his cinema on realistic elements which borrowed from documentary techniques to
intensify the fear factor. Friedkin used his camera to reveal what should remain unseen by connecting
supernatural horror with medical and domestic procedures according to Mark Kermode. The film uses
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medical examinations that appear both invasive and sterile before transitioning to exorcism to
demonstrate the failure of contemporary science when such phenomena emerge.

The movie garnered an enormous amount of global recognition. The Exorcist reached unprecedented
levels of success by generating more than $440 million in box office sales. The audience responses
featured widespread incidents of fainting and vomiting along with episodes of hysteric activities during
screenings. Robin Wood argued that The Exorcist directly addressed cultural breakdowns which
manifested in the 1970s through scientific versus religious conflicts and familial tensions as well as
spiritual versus physical conflicts (Wood, 1986, p. 164). Religious organizations condemned the movie
as sacrilegious although the Catholic Church saw it as an authentic depiction of demonic possession.

The 1949 case served as the basis for The Exorcist which transformed the original event into a
worldwide cultural milestone by depicting realistic fictional horror that influenced public discourse
about possession, mental health and religious vs scientific conflicts.

The cultural narrative of demonic possession represents the conflict between modern psychiatric
understanding and the traditional religious authority. A comparative study analyses the exorcism case
of “Roland Doe” (1949), through its cinematic adaptation in William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973)
which shows a cultural equilibrium between medical and religious authority in dissociative
explanations. The analysis of medical records and Jesuit exorcism documents shows that psychoanalytic
frameworks and traditional religious beliefs heavily shape how people discuss mental illness and
spiritual possession.

The Roland Doe Case (1949): Historical Account and Perspective

Origins and Documentation -

The exorcism procedure for “Roland Doe” or “Robbie Mannheim” started in 1949 at the Cottage City
in Maryland. The 13- or 14-year-old boy encountered spiritualist practices starting with the ouija board
when his deceased aunt introduced them to him which led to strange home disturbances according to
his family (Nicholson, 2023; Cooper & Epperson, 2008) The family sought help from their
Lutheran pastor Luther Miles Schulze who directed them to the Catholic Church after their initial
spiritual and parapsychological approaches proved to be inefficient. The Catholic Church took accounts
on the case through Father Edward Hughes who later involved Jesuit priests Raymond J. Bishop and
William S. Bowdern and Walter H. Halloran to further investigate it.
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Nature and Patterns of the Exorcism -

The written accounts describe a series of weeks during which multiple attempts were made to perform
an exorcism. Jesuit documentation reports that the boy experienced extreme physical manifestations
which included vomiting, urination, and the repetition of unrecognizable and offensive language and
songs as well as drawings of words like "LOUIS" and "HELL" and "EVIL" on his skin and an incident
where he broke a priest's nose while experiencing seizures. Both Georgetown University Hospital and
Alexian Brothers Hospital in St. Louis performed at least thirty exorcism ceremonies during the boy's
treatment. Father Bowdern declared the boy free from possession after his exorcism and then the child
went back to ordinary life. The case …. was the genuine article. I had no doubt about it then, and I have
no doubt about it now.

Medical and Scholarly Reflections -

Demons influenced Jesuit views but medical approaches provided different interpretations to the matter.
J.B. Rhine, the parapsychologist, questioned the reliability of reported phenomena by proposing that
psychological biases cause people to exaggerate Scribd. Thomas B. Allen, used Bishop’s diaries to
reveal in his 1993 work Possessed that unambiguous signs of possession remain undetectable and Father
Halloran avoided declaring anything supernatural to concentrate on the child’s psychological state
Wikipedia Saint Louis University. The lack of concrete evidence stands as Michael Cuneo's observation
that “There is no hard evidence, beyond priestly testimony, that anything supernatural took place.”

According to Cooper & Epperson (2008) academics demonstrate that individuals who believe in
possession maintain that medical frameworks fail to address spiritual afflictions so exorcism remains
essential. The same story displays the conflict between medical doubt and religious faith through their
struggle over which explanation holds ultimate authority.

The Exorcist (1973): Cultural Reimagining and Reception

From True Event to Fiction -

William Peter Blatty wrote The Exorcist in 1971 after studying the Jesuit diaries and newspaper reports
about the Roland Doe case. Blatty grew up under Jesuit influence which allowed him to see how
psychiatrists clashed with priests who relied on age old religious practices. According to Vanity Fair
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TIME, Blatty observed that "modern psychiatrists had given up ... yet priests using ancient rites seemed
to cure him." William Friedkin turned the story into a 1973 film, which focused on Regan MacNeil's
possession to highlight psychological elements together with spiritual dimensions. The film attracted
widespread public interest but simultaneously sparked major religious controversies as well as audience
disputes.

Thematic Framing: Science vs. Superstition -

The slogan of the film which says "somewhere between science and superstition" perfectly describes
its primary focus. Academic research on the film demonstrates Friedkin’s dedication to realistic
storytelling by showing actual medical procedures (angiography, hospital testing) together with
Catholic exorcism rites while working with religious authorities and medical professionals to enhance
the film's scientific-spiritual conflict. Experts who study this film demonstrate how it shows the
instability of contemporary scientific logic. The hospital scenes in the film serve as both an anatomical
examination of the body and a display of terror through medical technology according to Amy
Chambers who also notes the medical devices 'take possession' of Regan in a way that surpasses
supernatural elements according to Wikipedia Europe PMC. Through his realistic cinematographic
approach Friedkin intensifies viewer discomfort by showing how institutional power becomes terrifying
when it fails to explain or control the observed phenomenon.

Cultural Impact and Reception -

The Exorcist established a singular cultural phenomenon in its time. During the screenings people lost
consciousness and threw up while forcefully exiting the theatre to create widespread reports of
collective psychological breakdowns. To the astonishment of many, the Catholic Church gave multiple
responses which acknowledged the film contained moral ambiguity yet validated Roman religious
rituals. The studio used religious controversy reports to promote their film, but Friedkin opposed this
marketing approach.

The scholar Joseph Laycock describes this occurrence as a victory of "folk piety” over an increasingly
secularized religious culture because people wanted spiritual systems to handle existential problems
which modern secularism ignored.

According to historian Colleen McDannell the film reflected a larger religious revival that emerged
during 1970s sociopolitical turmoil because it connected with conservative values and cultural fears and
with supernatural authority in America.
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Literature Review:

1. Historical and Archival Accounts of the 1949 Roland Doe Case:

A. R. Michael Cuneo, American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty (2001), Examines
modern American exorcisms and the Roland Doe case.

B. Thomas B. Allen, possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism (1993) – Narrative retelling based on
Jesuit diaries.

C. Jesuit archival diaries (published excerpts in Allen’s book and later scholarly critiques).

2. Medical and Psychiatric Perspectives on Possession vs. Mental Illness:

A. Micale, M. S. (1995), Approaching Hysteria: Disease and Its Interpretations – Useful for
contextualizing psychological framings of possession-like behaviour.

B. American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM
editions from 1950s1970s) – To situate how dissociative/psychological disorders were classified.

C. Goodman, F. D. (1988), How About Demons? Possession and Exorcism in the Modern World.

3. Religious and Theological Discourses:

A. Levack, Brian P., The Devil Within: Possession and Exorcism in the Christian West (2013) – A
broad history of Christian possession narratives.

B. Vatican documents on exorcism (Rituale Romanum, 1614; revised 1999) – The official liturgical
grounding.

C. Malachi Martin, Hostage to the Devil (1976) – Popular Catholic framing of possession in the late
20th century.

4. Film Studies and Cultural Analyses of The Exorcist:

A. William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist (1971, novel) – Source material.

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B. William Friedkin, The Exorcist (1973, film).

C. Kermode, Mark, The Exorcist (BFI Film Classics, 1997) – Authoritative text on the film’s cultural
impact.

D. Linda Williams, “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess” (1991) – Places horror in larger debates
on excess and affect.

E. Robin Wood, Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan (1986) – Contains key chapter on The Exorcist.

5. Public Discourse, Media, and Cultural Reception:

A. Newspaper reviews from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time magazine (1970s
reception).

B. Academic articles on media hysteria and the cultural panic around The Exorcist.

C. Cuneo again (American Exorcism) as he documents how media shaped perceptions of exorcism as
“real.”

Dissertation Structure -

Chapter 2 will execute an extensive review of existing literature by analysing both past evaluations of
the Roland Doe case as well as psychiatric and theological perspectives on possession together with
analyses of The Exorcist from cinematic and cultural studies perspectives.

Chapter 3 will establish the methodological and theoretical framework by defining the Discourse
analysis, Textual and Thematic Analysis along with Adaptation Theory and Psychoanalytic Film
Theory, while demonstrating their application to both case documents and film materials.

Chapter 4 will start by examining the Roland Doe documents using Jesuit diaries and medical notes
together with press coverage before analysing The Exorcist through its narrative structure and cinematic
elements and reception analysis.

The final chapter will analyse the results regarding medical and religious authority and possession and
psychiatry in cultural stories about abnormal behaviour while suggesting future research possibilities.
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Area of Study -

This dissertation combines Film Studies with Religious Studies and Medical Humanities to explore how
cultural texts manage spiritual possession alongside mental illness. The research exists within the larger
domain of cultural discourse analysis by studying the transformation of possession stories as they move
between medical understanding and religious authority.

The study evaluates both the historical exorcism of Roland Doe in 1949 and its cinematic reimagination
of “The Exorcist” (1973), to study how public views on dissociative behaviour develop from medical
science and religious institutions while these views still remain significant for cultural understanding of
human psychological processes.

Specific Texts -

Historical Case File: The 1949 reported exorcism of Roland Doe (based on Jesuit records, eyewitness
accounts, newspaper reports, and secondary reconstructions).

Film Text: William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973), adapted from William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel,
which was inspired by Roland Doe’s documented exorcism case.

Research Questions and Objectives -

1. How did medical and religious institutions interpret the behaviour of Roland Doe in 1949, and
what cultural tensions did this reveal about authority over the human body and mind?

2. In what ways does The Exorcist (1973) reinterpret, dramatize, or distort the historical case, and
how does this cinematic adaptation reflect broader societal anxieties about possession, science,
and faith?

3. How does a comparative study of the Roland Doe case and The Exorcist contribute to our
understanding of the shifting discourse surrounding mental illness, dissociation, and spiritual
possession?
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4. To what extent does cinematic representation reinforce or challenge the dominance of religious
vs. medical explanations of dissociative behaviour?

Objectives -

● To document and analyze the historical details of the Roland Doe exorcism and its multiple
interpretations.
● To critically examine The Exorcist as a cultural and cinematic response to these historical
narratives.
● To compare and contrast the authority of medical science and religious practice in explaining
dissociative phenomena.
● To evaluate the cultural impact of both the case and the film on shaping public discourse on
mental illness and spirituality.

Methodologies -

1. Discourse Analysis - Examining how “possession” is framed by religious language vs.

medical/psychiatric terminology. Identifying cultural anxieties embedded in both the case and
the film.
2. Textual and Thematic Analysis - Comparing the narrative or thematic construction of Roland
Doe’s case with The Exorcist’s dramatization.
3. Adaptation Theory - How The Exorcist transforms Roland Doe’s case into a cinematic
narrative.
4. Psychoanalytic Film Theory - How the film visualizes psychological trauma vs. spiritual
warfare.

Rationale -

By comparing the documented real life case with the cinematic version, this dissertation highlights how
different ways of knowing, such as medical science and religious ritual, do not just provide alternative
views of the same situation, rather they also actively influence how society thinks about illness,
morality, and evil. The Roland Doe case shows how what seemed like a private matter was examined
through medical records and religious testimony. Meanwhile, The Exorcist took this conversation and
turned it into a global cultural event. In both cases, the interaction between psychiatric and religious
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authority created a lively story about possession, which continues to influence how people understand
mental illness and spiritual problems.

Previous Work / Research in this Area -

 Cuneo, Michael W. (2001). American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty.

Explores the phenomenon of exorcism in American culture.

Contribution: Provides a sociological framework.

Departure: My study narrows the focus to Roland Doe, with The Exorcist.

 Nickell, Joe (2001). Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism.

A skeptical investigation of the Roland Doe case, examining natural explanations.

Contribution: Critical debunking perspective.

Departure: My project emphasizes cultural discourse, not debunking.

 Schuler, Catherine (2013). “Cultural Politics of Possession: The Exorcist and Cold War
America.” Theatre Journal 65(3).

Analyzes The Exorcist in the context of Cold War anxieties and cultural politics.

Contribution: Historicizes the film’s cultural meaning.

Departure: My work links the film to its specific historical source case.

 Levack, Brian P. (2013). The Devil Within: Possession and Exorcism in the Christian West.

A comprehensive historical study of exorcism in Western culture.

Contribution: Provides long historical context.

Departure: My study is much narrower, focusing on one modern case, with the film.
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 Badley, Linda (1995). Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic.

Discusses The Exorcist in the context of horror cinema’s obsession with the body.

Contribution: Establishes cinematic frameworks.

Departure: My study brings in medical vs. religious authority as a comparative frame.

Contribution of My Research –

 The research bridges a gap between case study research on Roland Doe and cinematic analysis
of The Exorcist.
 Adds a comparative, interdisciplinary dimension, using medical humanities alongside film
studies.
 Reframes possession as a cultural discourse shaped by institutional authority (church vs.
psychiatry), rather than only as a religious or cinematic phenomenon.

Citations -

References & Quotations -

Allen, Thomas B. Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

Quote: “Words such as ‘hell’ and ‘evil’ would appear on the boy’s body, carved as if by invisible hands”
(p. 72).

Cuneo, Michael W. American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty. New York:
Doubleday, 2001.

Quote: “There is no hard evidence—beyond priestly testimony—that anything supernatural took place”
(p. 19).

The Washington Post. “Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip.” August 20, 1949.

Blatty, William Peter. Interview, quoted in Kermode, Mark. The Exorcist. London: BFI Film Classics,
1997.
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Quote: “I was struck by the fact that, here, modern psychiatrists had given up on this boy, and yet
priests—using ancient rites—seemed to cure him” (p. 14).

Kermode, Mark. The Exorcist. London: BFI Film Classics, 1997.

Quote: “Friedkin’s camera made the unthinkable visible, grounding supernatural horror in the language
of medical procedure and domestic space” (p. 33).

Wood, Robin. Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan. New York: Columbia University Press, 1986.

Quote: “The Exorcist reflected deep anxieties about the collapse of cultural authority in the 1970s—
between science and religion, parent and child, body and spirit” (p. 164)
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