The Dark Sacrament: True Stories of Modern-Day Demon Possession and Exorcism – A Trustworthy Guide to Ten Bizarre Cases and Avoiding the Dark Side

by David Kiely, Christina McKenna

The Devil Is Alive and Well In The Dark Sacrament , coauthors David M. Kiely and Christina McKenna faithfully recount ten contemporary cases of demon possession, haunted houses, and exorcisms, and profile the work of two living, active exorcists. The authors serve as trustworthy guides on this suspense-filled journey into the bizarre, offering concrete advice on how to avoid falling prey to the dark side.

Genres: Nonfiction, Horror, Paranormal, Religion, Occult, Demons, Sociology

398 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Ethan’s Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been a man that always said there are things in this world that are unexplainable. As I get older I have become quite the cynic. Humans are such an inaccurate source that I can’t just trust someone when they say it’s true.

It’s kind of like Whitley Striebers ‘Communion’ book. You can tell me aliens visited you until your blue in the face. It doesn’t mean I believe you. You can say I’m not “awake” all you want, but the point is I need evidence other than people telling me “it’s true”.

This book is written well, and the stories are readable but as I saw another reviewer say if it was classified as fiction, I might have enjoyed it more.

I’m not discounting anyone’s experience but we know a lot more in this day and age about mental illnesses than ever before. I can’t help but think these people struggled with issues that no one had an inkling of how to help.

I love spooky, demonic, occult stories just as much as everyone. But I can’t help but take you seriously when you say the stories are true. I feel like a lot of authors try to cash in on making stories into movies this way because of the success of Whitley Striebers story, or Ed and Loraine Warren. But if you dig deeper into Ed and Loraine’s past you will find that they were fibbers and fabricated a lot of what they said.


Just like The Amityville Horror…. Total bogus claims.


Again, I’m a bit of cynic. So take that with a grain of salt.

[Leah Polcar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Sacrament is substantially an account of 10 modern day (within the last 20 or so years) demonic possessions and exorcisms in Ireland. To round out the case studies, Kiely and McKenna provide a few chapters of the theology surrounding exorcism (from various religious traditions, primarily Roman Catholicism and Anglican) and an excellent bibliography. The accounts of the possessions are creepy as hell and presented in a fairly straightforward manner. The authors do not appear to be concretely trying to convince or convert and are more or less unbiased, though certainly not committed to presenting the skeptic's case. Yet, their purpose did not seem to be argue conclusively for the existence of evil or possession or what have you, so hassling them over that would be wholly unfair. Hostage to the Devil , which they cite often, is much more clearly that kind of text – so if what you are looking for is to be convinced that demonic possession is real, then go to Martin. However, if you, like me, are just looking for rollickin' Exorcist fun, then you can't fault Kiely and McKenna since they do provide that in an articulate way. Compared to other non-fiction books featuring demons, say those by the Warrens (like the overly sensational The Demonologist), The Dark Sacrament is pretty refreshing.

I was looking for a scary book and I would say that some of these stories are very scary if you take them as truth – most notably the case of the kid who discovers an evil Ouija board, gets possessed, and then is not sure he actually wants to be relieved of his demon. There is another story, also involving a Ouija board (I am thinking that maybe a lot of these accounts had Ouija boards?) and a Mom who invites a smelly Frenchie up in her crib which was pretty disconcerting. If you are interested in demonic possession, either as a voyeur or a believer, then I would recommend The Dark Sacrament. When I want some guaranteed late night spookies, I am pretty sure I will pick this book up again.

[Little Miss Esoteric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth reading if you are interested in the paranormal. Also worth noting that whilst not overly preachy, this is written from a Christian viewpoint.

Two further points of interest: it seems to me that for such hauntings to manifest in such overt ways, and to continue, both belief and fear are needed. This ties in with teachings from other esoteric branches of thought, that lower astral entities and/or demonic manifestations feed on fear.

I appreciated the inclusion in the latter part of the book of a buddhist view of exorcisms, i.e giving the demon or lower astral entity a comical nickname and employing laughter in banishing it. That's my kind of exorcism.

[Owen Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and Malachi Martin's "Hostage to the Devil" are the best books I've read on this subject. "The Dark Sacrament" benefits from a refreshingly neutral tone. If you're not accustomed to this type of reading you might experience too much fright to finish the book. It boldly exposes various forms of pure evil. If you're a doubter, this book will challenge your worldview. But if you're a believer it will renew your faith and spiritual commitment. I especially recommend this book (as a potent warning) to anyone who is practicing or contemplating the practice of any form of "new age spiritualism" or "the occult". "The Dark Sacrament" provides an awe-inspiring reading experience that is as frightening and disturbing as it is spiritually fortifying.

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Believe it or not, this is the second book about exorcism that I've read this year (The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio is much more interesting). A guy gets raped by a neighbor but, hey, it's OK, he was possessed. There is a ring of pedophiles but, of course, it must be the devil. How are those people not in prison? The whole business of exorcism is very different of what's depicted in The Rite, which sounds more believable. I don't know which one is more real (and let's hope we never find out) but reading the Dark Sacrament felt more like a chore.

[Signor Mambrino · Rating 1 out of 5]

trash

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not recommend reading this book at night, it is pretty scary. Good book, felt it provided a good amount of detail - in some areas it could have provided more about the exorcisms and less about the background of the afflicted. Some stories were hard to read because of content, i.e. rape, etc. Overall though a good read.

[Kent Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very interesting book but the segments felt like episodes of PSI Factor. Even so, I can't imagine experiencing what these people went through. I was disheartened by the response of the priests mentioned in the book because The Apostle Paul warned against rituals and repetitively recited prayers which seems to be the main methods used. I do hope they did the job, though.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this book doesn't quite live up to its expectations. The good news is that the book is well-written and the stories are creepy enough that they play with your mind, as all good horror should. That would be fine if this was just a collection of ghost stories.

The bad news is that they all came across as ridiculous fabrication. This is supposed to be a non-fiction book on modern-day exorcism, but sceptics were rather thin on the ground. Many of the symptoms were easily explained as epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, phobias, and other mental problems, or even childish pranks. However, everybody seemed to be rather eager to blame every little thing on "demons" and run to the priest for an exorcism as soon as possible. With the amazing phenomena supposedly on display, and the disturbances they allegedly caused, why were none of these cases public - or at the very least, studied in a rational, scientific manner? Barely a few hundred kilometres away, you can find universities in Liverpool, Edinburgh, and London with parapsychology departments - why was nobody there informed? Where were the police when a molestation case came to light?

I'm afraid this book does not take a balanced view, and insists on blaming some mythical "devil" for every human foible, an attitude which only serves to remove personal responsibility and shows a very poor understanding of the workings of the human mind. Read Philip Zimbardo for a much better discussion on the origins of and solution to evil.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

People who know me would never imagine that this would be a book I would pick up and read. You have to understand, I am currently taking 8 classes in grad school (Pathology, Gross Anatomy, Spinal Anatomy, Neurophysiology, Biochemisty, and so on..). I NEEDED something to take my mind off of it during those breaks in studying over the 4 day weekend as I was having a hard time doing that and quickly getting burned out.

A little trip to the bookstore and I stumbled on this book. Unlike anything I've ever read so I thought "Why not?"

On the cover it says "A compulsively readable and utterly gripping page turner. Be warned: don't read this at home alone at night."

I laughed and thought "Yeah, right!" I can't remember being ever really scared from reading a book.

I started it that evening. Couldn't put it down. Next thing I know it's 1:00 am and I am sitting in bed freaking out and terrified! Finished it the next day, while it was still light out.

One things for sure, I won't touch a Quija board. Ever.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book. It was limited to cases in Ireland, and all are pretty recent, as in the last 20 years or so. The narrative voice overall was very good, something you often don't get with these kinds of books. The authors approached the subject like journalists, reporting on the events, interviewing the participants, and not as googly-eyed supporters of a paranormal cause. I also liked that half the cases profiled focused on a Protestant minister's deliverances and half on Catholic exorcisms done by one priest. There were plenty of creepy moments as the authors moved from narrative to interviews. This is certainly an above-average read in the genre and I highly recommend it.

[Vinnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was amazing! I love it :D I can't speak for everyone else whose read it, but seriously I should of payed attention to the warning on the back cover x.x "BE WARNED: DON'T READ THIS AT HOME ALONE AT NIGHT."* Unfortunately for me the last couple of nights have been the only time I can read, and boy oh boy was I in for it. I've started to hear little noises here and there and maybe its just my imagination running wild or it could be my cat.... yeah I think I'll just stick with blaming it all on my cat hehehe. Anyway this book is awesomely amazing, if you like scary paranormal demonic stuff this books for you! :D

[Trudy Dsouza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book. It was scary and that was what I signed up for. However, I felt that a little more detail could have been given. Many stories ended abruptly and many questions left unanswered. That of itself should not stop you from reading it. The book definitely gives you the chills and is perfect for a dark, grey, rainy day.

[Tola Cream · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, lol will make you stay up at night but not to read, is just what you already read. It is a triller in it sense but yet a non fiction book about real demons and there stories with familys and so forth. lol Its intimidating and bloodcurdling

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book four stars because it is so gosh darned entertaining. I read it all with a grain of salt, and had a lot of fun being scared. For a more substantial look at exorcisms, I recommend An Exorcist Tells His Story or Hostage to the Devil.

[Geraldine Comiskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shouldn't work as a horror story, but that's what it is, regardless of the authenticity of the narratives - and I do believe they were told in good faith (no pun intended).
The authors point out that the phenomena described in these case histories cannot be explained by anything other rationale than that these people have been subjected to attacks by demons. Keeping an open mind, and by no means a snide sceptic (just a rational one), I believe it's important to bear in mind that not all unexplained occurrences are necessarily supernatural, preternatural or paranormal; just as our ancestors would have been baffled and terrified by an electric light or wifi-enabled laptops, perhaps in a few years' time people will have found a logical, mundane explanation for hauntings, possessions and "demonic" infestations.
However, the authors make a very good case for evil spirits and demonic activity as the reason for these events. They've also clearly done extensive research beyond just interviewing the victims and exorcists: they go into considerable detail, both in the stories and end-notes, about the history of exorcisms in not just the Christian denominations but Buddhism and several ancient religions.
The stories are also very well told, in a traditional "storyteller" fashion; I can imagine listening to an Irish "seanchai" telling them around the fireside, as people used to in Ireland not so long ago (in fact my mother recalls a bedbound old woman holding court telling such stories to her community in Wexford town in the 1950s and 60s).
The authors assure us they have not changed any of the facts of these stories; they've just changed the names of certain people and moved the locations to other towns, to protect the people's privacy.
The stories seem to have been taken largely at face value; I feel they could have asked more questions, and challenged some of the the narrators a bit to explain why they were so sure these events were demonic and not just hallucinations brought on by emotional stress and tiredness etc, and asked the exorcists involved why they didn't bring a psychiatrist (which the normal procedure in exorcisms performed by Catholic and Anglican priests). But I'm just nit-picking here.
It's a cracking read, whether you take it seriously (and I do) or just read it as a collection of horror stories (and I'm here for that too).
I'd give it five stars, if it wasn't for the last story which is full of holes (set in the late nineties / early 2000s, it features an oddly oldfashioned bride who marries a man apparently on impulse, and on her wedding day moves into his creepy farmhouse despite having never been there...she sounds like a destitute waif in the 19th century or earlier despite having begun the story with a car and a job).
The absolute worst thing about that last story, however, is not the many "WTF?" moments but the exorcist's advice to this extremely naive young mother: to forgive the evil priest who abused her child and ran a paedophile ring with her monstrous husband and in-laws. Forgiving this demonic priest was the only way to stop his demon following her, the exorcist said.
Given the legitimate concern that a vulnerable person might read this and decide to forgive someone who is actively abusing them, or to gaslight themselves into forgiving someone they really shouldn't, it's shocking that the authors didn't balance this out with a comment (preferably by an expert in child abuse).
And, while I have no reason to doubt the authenticity of this story and can only take their interviewee at her word that an exorcist gave her this terrible advice, I find it very disconcerting that a holy priest, apparently charged with the ability to cast out demons, hasn't read the passage in the Bible where Jesus says of anyone who harms his "little ones: "Better that a millstone be hung around his neck and he be cast into the depths of the sea". An exorcist who hasn't read Jesus's literally damning words? I find that hard to believe.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I'm not a believer in possession I'll read any damn book about the subject. The stories were fun, like ghost stories. But where this book really lost it was in the appendices. In the discussion about witch trials, the authors explained how the women on trial were wise women and midwives and women who were followers of the old religion. Yeah, that super outdated theory about paganism surviving in an unbroken line that is so full of crap. The witch trials were so much more complex than that and the fact they used such an outdated and simplistic theory absolutely calls into question everything in the book.

[Helen the Bassist · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

If this turned out to be a book version of those fictional 'true stories' movies then it's still very scary. Definitely not one for reading in bed when home alone.
If these stories are true then it's scary AF!

This was clearly the American edition so the americanised language of grade school, tract housing, housing projects and 'Mommy' grated in a book based completely on Irish events hence the half star deduction.

Also, note that there is much more detail on the devilry and dark goings on than the actual Exorcisms but I guess that sort of makes sense. There is a script of sorts so no point writing that out multiple times!

Sceptic or not, you'll find this book fascinating!

[HorrorBook HellHound · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely terrifying if you look at it from a scholarly angle where you give the benefit of the doubt and believe that these cases are based on real-life or actual accounts from survivors of demonic possession. If you absolutely do not believe in that or are looking for a more fictional twist on horror then you most likely will not enjoy this book. I loved it and was very disturbed by it.

[Margot Hypnos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I traveled to the US. I found myself in a second-hand bookstore in NYC. I pick up a copy of this book, in mint condition. Looking at the cover and inside, I don't believe it had ever been read. The real life stories are amazing. Significantly more scary than any good horror movie. Worth the read for people into the paranormal.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great true experiences

All of the stories were believable. No extra filler to make it sound more interesting or scary. One of the best compilations I have read in this genre.

[Josephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one of my all time favorite books. It talk about exorcisms and what lead up to them.

[Britt Tynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

If u scare easy dint read alone


Several fascinating stories of evil spirits and demonic opression and posseion
Great read if you are interested in this kind of thing

[Stacey Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read

It was ok. Not quite as scary as some reviews said it was. Well written though. Worth the purchase price. Interesting. Believable.

[Lexrielle Alvarado · Rating 4 out of 5]

DON'T READ AT NIGHT

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several of the stories here thoroughly creeped me out

[Steve Witucki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a excellent book of advice and warnings.

[James Stroll · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book several years ago, and found the warning on the cover "Don't read this at home alone at night" to be appropriate. I read parts of it again a few days ago in order to write this review.

If the book was presented as semi-fictional accounts, I might rate it higher, but since the book claims to be true stories of demon possession, and the "exorcists" claim to be Christians, it should be evaluated on this basis. Although the book is well-written, it is impossible to discern what is factual, interpretive, or just simply false. The ultimate point of the book seems to be to scare people into either the Anglican or Roman Catholic communion, and to rely on a priestly hierarchy to deal with demons, who might invade your life if you dabble in the occult even one time. The Christian confession of the grace of God in Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, regeneration, etc., have no real place in these accounts. On the basis of its own claims, the book has to be considered a failure.

[Bored Housewife · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not riveting but passable

I was really disappointed by this book as I had such high hopes for it. All those five star reviews saying it was the best book on the subject and I'm thinking wow.

Now I'm wondering what the earlier standard was for these five star reviewers, Caspar the Friendly Ghost?

Firstly, the writing is stilted and simple. There are descriptions of what befalls the characters outlined in the stories but written in a way that does not have you on edge.

One thing I wasn't a fan of was the fictionalisation of the details surrounding the allegedly true accounts "to protect people's identities". While I appreciate changing names, changing every facet of the story - place, ages, gender, geography.. - one might as well make the whole thing up.

Which is exactly how I ended up treating this book. I ended up doubting its veracity. This is not what you want when reading non fiction.

There are far better books of this genre out there. Save your money.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed this book. I only had to push through two of the more dull stories. Overall, it is very well written and a fun, scary book to read before bed.

I read in another review that it gives a neutral stance, which unless they meant third person, then I have to strongly protest. While this book is wildly entertaining it is dripping heavily in Christian evangelical thought. Just about every story ends with the pertaining priest saying something the lines of "and this is why you should be Christian and submit to prayer every day"...blah blah blah.

I am not Christian and breezed past the fire and brimstone rhetoric because I otherwise have really enjoyed the stories.