Session 1

Doctor : Good morning, Joseph.

Patient : We’ve told you before. We’re not Joseph.

Doctor : I don’t like calling you Legion. That is not who you are.

Patient : It is who we are. Joseph invited us here.

Doctor : Alright. As you can see, I am recording our session today. So, I want you to tell me a little about yourself and how you came to believe you are a demon possessing the body of Joseph.

Patient : We’ve told you these things before... many, many times. Why are you recording our session today? Is there some special purpose? Who will listen?

Doctor : There is a specialist I would like to submit your case to, an expert on demon possession. She wants some information about you before she comes here.

Patient : She? A woman? Will come here? To Deliverance? Is she pretty?

Doctor : Yes, she... she will come here. And I don’t know if she’s pretty. But she is well-respected in the psychological community. Her works regarding religious therapy are very interesting. And she is very intelligent.

Patient : So... not pretty. But if we don’t make the recording, she won’t come, huh?

Doctor : That’s correct.

Patient : We want her to come. Maybe then you will believe us... How should we start?

Doctor : Start from the beginning. Introduce yourself.

Patient : Okay. Our name is Legion. We are the same Legion that Jesus cast from a man into a herd of pigs near Gadara, in Palestine. That experience is one that we cannot forget. It was our first encounter with the Son of David. We knew of him by reputation but not believed his power. When he moved us from the man into the pigs, we were shocked. He was merciful in allowing us to kill the pigs. Had we returned home with no success, we would’ve received a terrible punishment. Salem was a better possession. They thought we were witches! Many witches, too! Oh, but the fire brought that to a quick end... Oh, we miss the medievals and their easy ways. They were so afraid of us that they thought we could enter their skin while they slept. These days, it is much more difficult, since most people don’t believe in us. Belief is such an important part of possession.

Doctor : So you’re saying that Joseph believed in you, so that gave you power to enter him?

Patient : Exactly. If he didn’t invite us in, we couldn’t have entered.

Doctor : And how did you enter him?

Patient : You already know that. Are you sure you want the woman specialist to hear that?

Doctor : Are you worried? Or embarrassed about revealing a trade secret?

Patient : No. It’s just that it’s a little disgusting. But, since you insist, we’ll tell you. The anus provides the perfect entry. Spiritual beings such as ourselves may not be visible but we do take up space and it’s a lot easier to enter through an orifice than through the skin. The medievals may have been more susceptible to possession but they didn’t make it easy for us. The skin is a slow and painful process for both sides. The mouth is preferable but it is the least painful way and... well, when the subject is possession, pain is just a matter-of-course. You humans expect pain from us as much as you expect it from a dentist.

Doctor : That’s enough. Thank you.

Patient : You’re welcome.

Doctor : Let’s move along, shall we? You still haven’t explained why... Why Joseph and not someone else? Joseph was already a patient under my care. He believed he was the descendant of Cain. He was committed on the basis of that belief, a monomania, an obsession with a particular belief. And just as we began to make progress...

Patient : We came along and interrupted it. He believed he was special and you were trying to destroy the only thing he believed in.

Doctor : He was sick. I was trying to help him recover.

Patient : Whether he was sick or not, we won’t argue. But you were weakening him. We made him strong again.

Doctor : I don’t see how. Can you explain exactly how you made him stronger?

Patient : Alright. As you already know, we are Legion, famous demons of the Bible. We have appeared in history and in art. We are feared by people. We are respected in Hell.

Doctor : You haven’t answered my question. You’re just bragging about your supposed notoriety. But you realize that, to me, it merely appears as if Joseph’s monomania has merely transposed from one form into another.

Patient : Indeed. We can understand how you would think that. In any case, Joseph is not comfortable enough with only himself in this body. Whether it is the spirit of Cain or possession by demons, he does not want to be alone.

Doctor : You still haven’t answered my question. Why this body? Why choose Joseph as host?

Patient : You think Joseph seeks recognition. You think he desires attention, so he emulates the persona of a demon. We did not choose Joseph because he is powerful or special. Joseph is weak. He is merely a suitable vessel that we can use. When he prayed for assistance, Heaven did not answer. So, we came to him and he invited us to stay. We believe he will cooperate with our mission. But before we can carry out our purpose, we need to get out of this mental hospital.

Doctor : But first you must convince me that you are not merely suffering from a mental illness.

Patient : We’ve already told you. Take us away from here and we can easily give you proof.

Doctor : Aren’t you going to offer the usual temptations that demons offer? Fame? Power? Riches?

Patient : Why should we? You won’t help us, will you? You don’t believe us. No one does.

Doctor : That’s why we are recording this, remember? Because someone may be willing to believe you.

Patient : Well, then... We think we’ve said enough for an introduction.

Doctor : I think you have.

Patient : It’s almost time for lunch, isn’t it?

Doctor : Yes, I believe it is.