The Real Story Behind The Ritual and the Woman Who Inspired The Exorcist

Time​ Magazine

06-06-2025

Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Ritual.
Considering it provided some inspiration for William Friedkin's seminal 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, the real-life exorcism case of Emma Schmidt (who was also referred to by the pseudonyms Anna Ecklund and Mary X) is unsurprisingly one for the books. But how much truth there is to the religiously-fueled aspects of the story is up for interpretation.
The Ritual, now in theaters, purports to be based on the true story of Schmidt's exorcism, which took place at a secluded convent just north of Earling, Iowa, in late 1928. In the movie, writer-director David Midell (NightLights, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain) presents Schmidt's afflictions as symptomatic of demonic possession rather than mental illness or other influences, a decision that positions the film as a faith-based thriller despite an ending title card that acknowledges there are those who doubt that narrative.
Although Schmidt (who is played by 27-year-old Abigail Cowen despite the fact that she was in her 40s at the time of the events chronicled in the movie) is at the center of the story, The Ritual really revolves around the push and pull between the two Catholic clergymen who preside over the rite, local parish priest Father Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens) and Capuchin friar Father Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino). While Steiger is experiencing a crisis of faith following his brother's suicide, Riesinger is a devout and somewhat controversial believer in the ritual of exorcism.
This focus on the two male characters may result from the fact that, as Midell explained in a video he shared on Instagram in April, The Ritual is based on a 1935 booklet titled Begone Satan! This account of Schmidt's case was put together by the Catholic Church, which it's probably safe to assume brought its own slant to the way the story was told.
What happened to Emma Schmidt?
The Ritual hits most of the generic exorcism horror plot beats in retelling Schmidt's story, with Schmidt exhibiting an aversion to holy objects, spewing blasphemy, experiencing fits of violent rage, vomiting bile, and clinging to walls in an inhuman fashion, among other demonic behaviors. In real life, Schmidt's exorcism was one of the last officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church, a fact that seems to have contributed to its infamy.
As the movie alludes to, Schmidt, who was born in 1882, began showing signs of what was deemed to be possession starting at the age of 14. The issues began after Schmidt was subjected to abuse at the hands of her father, who allegedly took a sexual interest in her, and her Aunt Mina, who was reportedly her father's lover, a child murderer, and also a witch "who had placed a spell on some herbs which she placed among the girl's food." However, when it comes to claims about witchcraft, it's important to remember this was still the 1800s, when the term was applied with some regularity to women who defied various social norms and conventions.
Riesigner performed the rites of exorcism on Schmidt for the first time in 1912. But Schmidt's symptoms later returned, pushing her to what Begone Satan! author Father Carl Vogl wrote in the booklet seemed like the edge of sanity. "She was conscious of some sinister inner voices that kept on suggesting most disagreeable things to her," he wrote. "These voices tried their utmost to arouse thoughts of the most shameful type within her, and tried to induce her to do things unmentionable and even to bring her to despair. The poor creature was helpless and secretly was of the opinion that she would become insane."
Schmidt's final exorcism was eventually performed in three stages over the course of a total of 23 days between Aug. 18 and Dec. 22, 1928. During the course of these sessions, Riesinger claimed there were four different spirits possessing her: Judas Iscariot, Beelzebub, her Aunt Mina, and her father.
If Vogl's account is to be believed, Schmidt's ailments during this time appeared to be of an unearthly and inexplicable nature. But your opinion on the matter will likely depend on how much stock you put in the word of the Church. Eventually, Riesinger is said to have successfully completed the exorcism after three consecutive nights and days of working on Schmidt with no breaks, allowing her to live out the rest of her life in relative peace. Some accounts claim Schmidt was possessed off and on until her death. Riesinger would go on to be profiled by TIME in 1936.
As for what Midell himself thinks happened to Schmidt, in a statement included in the film's production notes, he describes feeling "struck by the scientific and fact-based approach many have taken in relation to seemingly unexplainable (i.e. paranormal) events."
"Some have described exorcisms as Rorschach tests: those with a background in faith and religion see a spiritual struggle for the soul of a human being, while those who are more scientifically minded see a person in need of psychiatric assistance," he said. "Spiritual or psychological, what cannot be denied is the profound suffering experienced by Emma Schmidt, and the bravery and fortitude required by those who came together to alleviate her suffering."