How to Perform a Home Exorcism

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Get rid of unwanted spirits or energy using home cleansing techniques or a professional exorcist

Co-authored by Dev Murphy, MA Reviewed by Stina Garbis

Last Updated: December 1, 2024 Fact Checked

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Performing a Home Spirit Cleansing

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Working with a Professional

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Knowing When an Exorcism Is Needed

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Spiritual presence in your home, if it occurs at all, is a rare occurrence that is usually calmer than Hollywood leads you to think. Some people believe that spirits and demons cause disturbances and fear in your home, though they also acknowledge that alleged spirits are generally harmless and easily removed. If, after careful inspection, you're still convinced that your house has some unwanted psychic or spiritual baggage, know that you have options.

Home Exorcism at a Glance

Before performing an exorcism in your home, look for signs of demon possession or ghosts, such as electronics turning on and off on their own or strange voices. Cleanse your house with sage smudging sticks or by reciting prayers, and if the problem persists, contact a professional exorcist or spiritual leader for help.

Section 1 of 3:

Performing a Home Spirit Cleansing

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1
Protect yourself with religious or spiritual talismans. From the Star of David to the West African gris-gris, almost all cultures have items and clothing used to protect the wearer from spiritual attacks.
- Make sure you choose something you actually have faith in. There is not much use wearing something if you don't believe in it at all, as it is stripped of any use or power.
- Keeping several of these items in the house can also help ward off spirits, such as crosses above the door or shrines to benevolent gods and spirits. ^{[1]
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2
Kindly ask the spirit to leave, avoiding anger or fear. The reason to avoid fear or anger is two-fold: it both keeps you calm (and thus effective) and prevents the spirit from deciding you're a threat to its safety.
- Let the spirit know that you mean it no harm, but that the physical world is not their place anymore. Assure them that the spirit world awaits them and they will be safer there.
- Remember, spiritual possession is not necessarily "evil." Most spirits are simply lost, confused, or still clinging to life, and will leave when asked.
- If you believe the spirit is evil, try banishing it in Latin: “Ecce crucis signum, fugiant phantasmata cuncta" (“Behold the emblem of the Cross; let all specters flee”).
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3
Light a sage smudge stick. Carry the sage stick around the house and wave it in a clockwise motion. Let the smoke fill the room, especially any rooms where paranormal presence is felt.
- Smudge sticks are simply long bundles of sage leaves and stems tied together into a rod of sorts, then lit on the end. You can also crush the dried sage in a small bowl and light this instead, carrying it around to smudge the house.
- Smudging sticks have been used for centuries by shamans and religious leaders and are one of the few tools used by many different faiths. Some cultures use cedar in place of sage, but either can be used.
- When smudging a house , crack open a window and take your time—let the smoke calm you and the room, slowly directing it to fill the room.
4
Spread a little holy water around the house. You can get holy water at most Catholic churches, though it helps if you are a practicing member of the faith.
- Sprinkle it in the corners of rooms, at door and window frames, and any areas where you experience the most physical paranormal activity.
- You can still get holy water at many churches. Call ahead to make sure they bless water there.
5
Recite prayers against spirits. Choose a prayer that speaks to you or one from your religious faith. Don't underestimate this connection—if a prayer feels useful and powerful, use it. Some common prayers include:
- The Lord's Prayer ^{[2]
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- Archangel Michael's Prayer of Protection ^{[3]
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- The Serenity Prayer ^{[4]
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- Personal mantras asking the spirits to leave, such as, “Spirit, go now,” or “Spirit, this is not your home.”
6
Leave out Kosher salt or raw rice. These two substances are thought to drive away spirits and malicious energies. If you do, leave a window or door open, as the spirit will need a way to flee the room.
- If you’re performing prayers or continuing to ask the spirit to leave, repeat these rituals as you spread the salt or rice.
- Remember that your conviction when doing this is important—if you are fearful or half-hearted, you may not see any results.

Section 2 of 3:

Working with a Professional

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1
Try to determine a cause for possible possession. Before seeking professional guidance, use the county records, local papers, social media, neighbors, and other relevant resources to figure out if there could be a reason for the paranormal activity in your home, such as the death of a former inhabitant.
- As with all adversaries, you and your professional exorcist will be better prepared to fight if you know what exactly you're up against.
- Knowing the cause of a possession can also help you determine what sort of professional to call, as you could be dealing with religious or secular spirits, depending on your beliefs.
- The cause of paranormal activity could be easy to see if you uncover a murder that took place in your living room, but the causes for spiritual possession can be much more nuanced as well, from long-forgotten tragedies to deaths that gripped a soul before they were quite ready to go.
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Consult with spiritual guides or religious leaders. These could be leaders in your faith or spiritual practice, or spiritual mediums or psychics who perform exorcisms. The most important quality of an exorcist, in any practice, is someone who makes you feel comfortable and safe.
- The Church of England, some Catholic groups, spirit or faith healers, and mediums are all good resources for information about exorcisms.
- Talk to 2-3 groups, if possible, but know that the sorts of groups willing to perform exorcisms are rare.
- Most people or organizations willing to perform an exorcism will want to come do a quick investigation of the house before undergoing the exorcism.
- Know that not every expert will perform an exorcism or spiritual cleansing. They may be able to offer you counsel regarding how to proceed, but not all faiths and practices believe in spiritual possession, or have systems in place to handle them.
3
Observe the spirit’s behavior to aid the professional. Note anything you can of value, and keep a small log of all the paranormal behavior you experience to help accurately fight off the psychic intrusion.
- This doesn't only include the physical details—oftentimes you can sense or feel out a personality through their actions as well.
- Do they feel malevolent or mischievous? Do you feel in danger or just bothered?
- What rooms or objects does the spirit gravitate towards? Are there places they ignore?
- What brought out the spirit’s presence? When was it first noticed?
Even if it’s scary or frustrating having a spirit in your house, try to stay calm throughout the process. At the end of the day, the power of most spirits depends on the power that you give them. ^{[5]
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Section 3 of 3:

Knowing When an Exorcism Is Needed

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1
Look for signs of paranormal behavior in your house. Remember that very, very few houses are ever possessed, and even fewer are visited by "evil" spirits, contrary to what Hollywood seems to think. Look out for:
- Moving or disappearing and reappearing possessions, especially similar objects or the same object.
- Electronics turning on and off on their own.
- Unknown footsteps, doors/windows opening and closing, strange noises, or voices.
- A feeling like you are not alone, often combined with chills and sudden fear or panic.
- Specific or recurring nightmares, especially those that seem to direct you to do something.
- Extremely hot or cold spaces in the house, often confined to small areas. ^{[6]
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2
Rule out the obvious causes of "other-worldly" noises and issues first. The need for exorcisms is rare—and there are almost always common explanations for most "unexplainable" phenomenon.
- Houses, no matter how old, all "settle" over time. The pieces shift and groan, boards move, and pipes whistle and bang. Older houses do this constantly, and this is the source of most noises.
- Strange odors and smells commonly come from leaks or trapped moisture somewhere, especially after rains or floods.
- Open windows, cleaning, and plain bad communication are the cause of most missing objects, not spirits.
3
Take an honest appraisal of your own health and stress levels. If you're already stressed out, not sleeping well, having trouble eating, or feeling generally under the weather, you are more likely to see and feel things out of the ordinary.
- Don't let the worry of a spirit ruin your mental and physical health—keep taking care of yourself and spend some time relaxing.
- If the spirits fade away, they were likely the result of an overworked, overtired brain and body.
4
Ignore the alleged spirits as much as possible. The "spirits" may disappear as soon as you stop thinking about them. If things still happen or occur more rapidly, you might have an issue to investigate.
- If there are spirits, they generally need and feed off of your attention, looking to make themselves known. Ignoring them generally keeps them in check if they are actually present. ^{[7]
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5
Have a religious leader, medium, or psychic examine the house. If the activity doesn’t stop, open up to your spiritual leaders and ask their opinion and advice, or consider inviting a psychic/medium to your home to have a look and determine if you need extra help.
- Oftentimes, all the house needs is a quick energy clearing with a smudging stick or some incense. A psychic or medium can walk you through this or do it for you.

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My husband committed suicide several years ago. Since then, his son gets violent and angry with me to the point of violence and destruction of property. Could he be possessed by his father's spirit?

Community Answer

Loss can bring on many emotions and changes in behavior, even years after the death. I would suggest getting his son into therapy rather than worrying about ghosts.

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I don't believe in ghosts. Am I being stupid?

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No, many people don't believe in ghosts and spirits. Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs, which have far more to do with each person's life experiences than being any indicator of intelligence.

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Could there be a benevolent spirit in my home? I lost an item in a restaurant only to come home and find it on the stairs. I used it at the restaurant.

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It seems more likely that it fell out of your clothing then to assume that there is a spirit following you around picking up after you.

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Tips

Spirits can feed off of weak-willed people, so be strong. Asserting yourself against a spirit can be awkward, but stand your ground, even if you don't buy into it. Ghosts were once people, so they respond to a person who makes a stand.

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Often all you'll need is a symbol to clear the energy or bless the home. Try hanging a cross over the front door, burning white sage from a smudge stick, or putting sea salt in the four corners of the house.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Try using symbols or methods from your own religion or culture. The stronger their connection is to you, the more effective they will be. A Christian (or someone that grew up in a Christian family) may prefer using a cross, while white sage may be more effective for some Native American spiritualities.
If a ghost is trying to possess you or someone else, try and communicate with it. See what it wants and if you can give it what it wants it may leave.

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Warnings

You can move into a house that is already haunted. Most often the spirits will remain, but negative entities such as demons are less predictable. Spirits and negative entities can also follow you to a new house, though this is very rare.

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How to Perform a Home Exorcism

Home Exorcism at a Glance

Steps

Performing a Home Spirit Cleansing

Working with a Professional

Knowing When an Exorcism Is Needed

Community Q&A

Tips

Tips from our Readers

Warnings

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