of the degradation which we bear in ourselves.
―Simone Weil
Night Vigil
I was in my office in Women's College Hospital along with Sara interviewing Luke Scanlon, the student referred to me by my mentor, Father David Breton.
It was just after six-thirty in the evening and the windows were already black and the lamps on. Luke was certainly as Breton described him―a sensitive, intense young man who appeared deeply troubled.
I knew about his involvement with Opus Dei, a controversial Catholic institution that many considered a cult, but I resolved to stay objective and hear him out.
"So, how can we help you Luke?"
"Father Breton felt I should see you―he thinks you could help me deal with these manifestations I've been experiencing."
"Manifestations? Are you seeing spirits―is that what you mean?"
"Yes, I suppose. It's very confusing―it's not just some kind of weird experience that is troubling―you know, things that go bump in the night. No, it's very intense and terrifying―voices in my head, visions, smells and sounds and shadows and I don't know what else, but I need it to stop before I go mad."
It was plain to see the the young man was agitated and desperate to find answers.
"Okay, I see the situation. Let's take this slowly from the beginning. When did all this disturbing activity begin?"
"Oh God, you want me to go right back to the beginning? It's been about two years and so much has happened. I hardly know where to start."
I tried to ratchet down the tension.
"Look, there's no hurry here. This process will take several sessions but as we go slowly through the events, things will unravel and make sense."
At this point Sara intervened."Would you care for a coffee, Luke"
He nodded, "I think I could use a hot drink right now, thanks."
She smiled reassuringly. "It's always hard in the first session. Tonight, we'll just sit back and discuss things. There's no pressure. Feel free to tell us whatever comes to mind. Gradually, it will help to put things in perspective."
Her soft voice and gentle manner seemed to soothe Luke and the tension in the room began to settle.
Luke cradled his coffee mug in both hands as if trying to get warm.
"I think it all began in my freshman year. I was enrolled in Philosophy and Religious studies and got very involved in class discussions, even auditing lectures and attending extra-curricular workshops related to my interests."
"What were your interests precisely?" I asked.
"I was very intrigued by the writings of Mircea Eliade, particularly mysticism, shamanism and magico-religious experiences. I was also very devout attending daily Mass. I would fast Fridays and spend the evening in prayer and keeping vigil in the College chapel where the blessed sacrament was displayed in a monstrance."
"So, you would describe yourself as hungry for spiritual experiences?"
"Precisely," he nodded. "I believed I was on fire for God."
"Did you ever consider a religious vocation, for example, a priest or lay theologian?"
"I did. My parish priest invited me to accompany him when he was visiting another young man from the parish who had enrolled in the seminary. Frankly, I was open to anything."
"Did you ever enter the seminary?"
He shook his head. "No, because it was shortly after the seminary visit that I was invited by a classmate to attend an Opus Dei meeting."
"And what did you think about this particular group?"
"I found it challenging―the emphasis on mortifying the flesh, submitting to a religious director and pursuing a higher life of the spirit."
"So, did you press into this group seeking deeper spiritual experiences?"
"I did for a while, but eventually found it too limiting. I wanted more, the kind of mountain top experience that Moses had with Yaweh, seeing God face to face and knowing God while in the flesh."
It was obvious that Luke's devotion went far beyond mere piety. His desire for religious experiences was unique and made him stand out from his peers. It would also make him vulnerable to any group focussing on extreme practices.
"During this period when you were seeking God, did you experience any kind of unusual events that you'd call manifestations?"
"No, curiously enough, I didn't and it was that lack of religious experience that drove me further in my search for something tangible and real. That was about the time I met Jim and Irena, a charismatic couple in my local church who claimed to have a deliverance ministry."
"And you thought they could help?"
"Yes, because they said they could perceive I was a true seeker but I was blocked. There was something in my life holding me back and they invited me to their apartment 'to test my spirit', as they called it."
I frowned. "What made you feel you could trust this couple?"
"I didn't know anything about the charismatic movement in the Catholic church. Like Opus Dei, it was kind of secretive, holding their meetings mid-week in the church basement. But I attended a few meetings and was fascinated. People spoke in tongues and prophesied and knew things in their spirit they called words of knowledge. I had never hear of spiritual gifts or devotion to the Holy Spirit and frankly, I didn't want to be found lacking in anything God had for me."
"And what particular giftings did Jim and Irena possess?"
"They had discerning of spirits and the ability to cast out demons and they wanted to see if I was being hindered in my spiritual progress by evil spirits who gained a foothold in my life."
"So, you consented to allow them to 'test your spirit' and see if you were blocked?"
"Exactly. The whole experience was gruelling. They kept calling out names of evil spirits and watching intently for my response to them. If I coughed, hiccuped, sneezed or swallowed they would conclude that demon was hindering me and cast it out."
"What was the result of their deliverance ritual?"
"They cast twelve demons out of me and pronounced me clear."
"And were you?"
"No, actually that's when the terrifying manifestations first began."
It was plain to see why Breton had referred this young man to me. He had sought deliverance from evil spirits only to have the religious spirits besetting this couple transferred to him.
it's a truism―striving to make things better we often mar what is already well.
Luke may as well have thrown open the doors at midnight and like Faust, invited every demon in the air about him to come in and possess him.
The problem was, I think we had only just began to scratch the surface of his trouble.