Joseph Gassner. From Exorcism to Dynamic Psychiatry
In the early months of 1775, hordes of people from all walks of life, be they wealthy or impoverished, aristocrats or peasants, flocked to the quaint town of Ellwangen in Württemberg. All of them wanted to meet Father Johann Joseph Gassner, renowned as one of history’s greatest healers.
Gassner was widely regarded for his sincere devotion, humility, and selflessness. However, his arrival on the scene coincided with a larger clash between the Enlightenment movement and traditional beliefs. His downfall inadvertently paved the way for a new healing approach devoid of religious ties, aligning with the values of an “enlightened” society. Simply treating the sick wasn’t enough; the methods used needed to be accepted by the community.With Catholic and Protestant church authorities, doctors, nobles, middle-class citizens, skeptics, and believers alike in attendance, Gassner performed exorcisms that captivated all who witnessed. Every word, every movement he made, as well as those of his patients, were meticulously documented by a notary public, with distinguished witnesses signing off on the official records. Though Gassner himself was a humble rural priest, once he assumed his ceremonial attire and the patient knelt before him, remarkable occurrences ensued. Many official records and firsthand testimonies have endured, bearing witness to Gassner’s extraordinary healing endeavors.
Joseph Gassner. Biographical Note
The life story of Johann Joseph Gassner, an Austrian-German Roman Catholic clergyman, theologian, exorcist, and miracle healer, remains somewhat shrouded in mystery. Existing biographical accounts, are not entirely objective relying heavily on contemporary pamphlets rather than archival material.
Joseph Gaßner was born on August 22, 1727, in Braz, a small village of impoverished peasants in Vorarlberg, a mountainous region of western Austria. He studied theology with the Jesuits in Innsbruck and Prague. After completing his studies, he was ordained as a priest in 1750. In 1758 he became the parish priest in Klösterle, a village in eastern Switzerland.
After experiencing severe headaches, dizziness, particularly during the wholly Mass, preaching, or confession, Gassner assumed the existence of some diabolical influence. He turned to the Church’s exorcism rituals and prayers, which eventually alleviated his symptoms. Encouraged by his recovery, he started performing exorcisms on sick parishioners, reportedly with notable success, drawing patients from nearby areas. His reputation soared in 1774 after curing some local celebrities.
Gassner’s teachings and practices caused quite a stir, leading to a flood of pamphlets in which supporters and opponents vehemently debated. Even the relevant secular and ecclesiastical authorities found themselves compelled to take a stance. Eventually, on the orders of Emperor Joseph II, Gaßner had to leave the Imperial City of Regensburg. Later also Pope Pius VI rejected Gassner’s teachings as false.
Gaßner then found refuge with Honorius von Schreckenstein in the Prince-Bishopric of Kempten/Allgäu. However, in 1774, he was called by Bishop Anton von Fugger-Glött of Regensburg to Ellwangen and later to Regensburg, where he resumed his exorcistic activities, treating patients from Bohemia, Austria, and Bavaria.
Gassner passed away in Pondorf on April 4, 1779, after 4 years of service in the Diocese of Regensburg. His tombstone, adorned with a lengthy Latin inscription, hailed him as the most renowned exorcist of his era.
Healing trough Exorcism
In 1774, Gassner authored a booklet outlining his healing approach. He categorized illnesses into two types: natural ones, to be treated by physicians, and preternatural ones. The latter he divided into circumsessio (mimicking natural illness caused by the devil), obsessio (resulting from sorcery), and possessio (overt demonic possession).
Gaßner attributed most illnesses to the influence of evil spirits. According to him, patients could only be freed from their afflictions through exorcism. He believed he could determine whether an illness was caused by the devil through a procedure he called a “test exorcism,” where he commanded the devil to reveal itself by manifesting certain symptoms of the disease. Usually, the desired phenomena would manifest upon the priest’s command, given either in Latin or even just in thought. His approach was straightforward: if symptoms manifested upon his command, he proceeded with an exorcism; otherwise, he referred the patient to a conventional doctor.
Gassner emphasized the necessity of faith in Jesus and sought consent for trial exorcisms. He believed his approach aligned both with Catholic orthodoxy and medical principles, ensuring his integrity in both spheres.
Gassner’s newfound fame brought him invitations from various places, including Constance, where he attempted exorcisms but failed to impress Cardinal Roth, the Bishop. However, he found a powerful ally in the Prince Bishop of Regensburg, Count Fugger, who granted him an honorary position at court. Gassner settled in Ellwangen from November 1774 to June 1775, during which his activities peaked, drawing crowds of patients and sparking intense debates. Numerous pamphlets across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and even France were published, both supporting and criticizing him, which makes todays judgment very difficult in absence of archive materials.
Documented Case of Exorcism
In the early months of 1775, a diverse crowd flocked to the small town of Ellwangen, drawn by the fame of Father Johann Joseph Gassner, a renowned healer. Gassner performed exorcisms in the presence of religious authorities, physicians, nobility, and commoners, sceptics, and believers alike. Every detail of these sessions was meticulously documented, with eyewitnesses signing official records. Despite his humble origins as a country priest, Gassner’s ceremonial rituals often resulted in remarkable outcomes, recorded in numerous surviving accounts and official records.
One of few archive sources are those written by Abbe Bourgeois who recounted the details of Gassner’s exorcism:
The first patients were two nuns who had been forced to leave their community on account of convulsive fits. Gassner told the first one to kneel before him, asked her briefly about her name, her illness, and whether she agreed that anything he would order should happen. She agreed. Gassner then pronounced solemnly in Latin: “If there be anything preternatural about this disease, I order in the name of Jesus that it manifest itself immediately. ” The patient started at once to have convulsions. According to Gassner, this was proof that the convulsions were caused by an evil spirit and not by a natural illness, and he now proceeded to demonstrate that he had power over the demon, whom he ordered in Latin to produce convulsions in various parts of the patient’s bod y; he called forth in turn the exterior manifestations of griefs, illness, scrupulosity, anger, and so on, and even the appearance of death. All his orders were punctually executed. It now seemed logical that, once a demon had been tamed to that point, it should be relatively easy to expel him, which Gassner did. He then, proceeded in the same manner with the second nun.
After the session, Abbe Bourgeois inquired about the nun’s experience, to which she vaguely recalled and reported minimal pain. Gassner then attended to a third patient, a noblewoman previously troubled by melancholia. He summoned the melancholic spirits and provided instructions on how to combat them in case of future affliction.
Joseph Gassner and Anton Mesmer
In 1775, Franz Anton Mesmer marked a significant shift from exorcism to dynamic psychiatry. During his experiments Mesmer produced and banished symptoms by applying magnets to subject’s bodies. Soon after he realized that he can achieve similar effects merely by using movements of his hands. This experience made him believe that an invisible force flows through everything and that its imbalance causes all diseases. Influenced by the recent discovery of magnetism he called this force “animal magnetism” and the person applying it “magnetizer”. He asserted that the magnetizer, not any external force, was the key to healing. Establishing a connection, akin to “tuning in,” with the patient was crucial for treatment to take effect.
In 1775, Prince-Elector Max Joseph of Bavaria formed an inquiry commission to investigate Gassner’s method. However, during the investigation Gassner was not present. The “star” of the investigation was Anton Mesmer invited to demonstrate his technique, which he claimed could cure illnesses without exorcism. Mesmer amazed the audience producing and banishing symptoms by applying magnets to subjects’ bodies replicating Gassner’s miracles without invoking the supernatural. He explained that the root cause and the healing of the illnesses, was not related to a demonic force, but to a magnetic one. He suggested Gassner unknowingly used a similar method.
Debates persist regarding Mesmer’s role as either a precursor or the actual founder of dynamic psychiatry. Nevertheless, Mesmer’s influence laid the foundation for the development of dynamic psychiatry. However, it took another century to recognize his contribution to what is today known as hypnosis.
Joseph Gassner and the Era of Enlightment
The fervour surrounding Gassner can be better understood by considering the European context of 1775. Politically, Europe was transitioning from feudalism to the rise of nation-states, with Germany remaining a patchwork of over three hundred states under nominal imperial sovereignty. Austria held sway over much of continental Europe, with Vienna serving as a cultural and scientific hub. Society was rigidly structured into hereditary social classes, with the Church maintaining influence over the lower and middle classes.
The 18th century marked the dawn of the medieval mentality replaced by the Enlightenment, which championed reason over superstition and tradition, anticipating progress towards universal happiness.
While Western Europe embraced radical Enlightenment ideas, other regions, especially the fragmented German Staats and the Habsburg Monarchy were governed by “enlightened despotism,” a compromise between Enlightenment principles and ruling class interests. Even within the Church, there were shifts towards enlightenment ideals, although remnants of superstition lingered, as seen in the reluctance to engage with demons, possession, or exorcism.
Opposition towards Gassner
Gassner garnered support from some ecclesiastical figures as well as the masses of hopeful patients, although his detractors claimed he was especially popular among innkeepers and carriage drivers who profited from the commotion. Notable admirers included the renowned Zurich pastor Lavater, while opponents included Catholic theologian Sterzinger, Protestant theologian Semmler, and many Enlightenment thinkers. Rumors circulated those cases of possession occurred wherever Gassner visited, leading to imitators, including peasants and children, attempting exorcisms using his methods. In Vienna, heated debates erupted both for and against him.
Given the prevailing climate, it’s understandable why opposition towards Gassner surged and even his staunchest supporters treaded cautiously. In June 1775, under pressure, the Prince Bishop of Regensburg initiated an inquiry advising Gassner to reduce his activities and only perform exorcisms on patients referred by their church ministers.
The University of Ingolstadt also conducted an inquiry on May 27, 1775, with a favorable outcome, and the Imperial Court in Vienna closely monitored the situation. Meanwhile, Pope Pius VI ordered an investigation into Gassner’s practices. The subsequent decree emphasized the cautious and prescribed use of exorcism within the Church’s rituals.
Gassner treated his patients selflessly motivated only by the will to help the sufferers. Nevertheless, he was labelled a charlatan. Eventually, on the orders of Emperor Joseph II, Gaßner had to leave the Imperial City of Regensburg. Pope Pius VI rejected Gassner’s teachings as false in a brief dated April 20, 1776, and prohibited the performance of the sensational healing rituals.
Gaßner then found refuge with Honorius von Schreckenstein in the Prince-Bishopric of Kempten/Allgäu. However, in 1774, he was called by Bishop Anton von Fugger-Glött of Regensburg to Ellwangen and later to Regensburg, where he resumed his exorcistic activities, treating patients from Bohemia, Austria, and Bavaria. Eventually, the Imperial Court, unfavourable towards Gassner, dismissed him, sending him to Pondorf.
Joseph Gassner. From Exorcism to Dynamic Psychiatry. Summary
The dawn of Dynamic Psychiatry can be traced back to a significant clash in 1775 between the exorcist Joseph Gassner and the physician Anton Mesmer.
Gassner, known for his effective healing methods, represented traditional practices deeply rooted in religion. He attributed most illnesses to the influence of evil spirits. According to him, patients could only be freed from their afflictions through exorcism. Despite his popularity, the changing spirit of the era was not in his favour.
Gassner was widely regarded for his sincere devotion, humility, and selflessness. However, his arrival on the scene coincided with a larger clash between the Enlightenment movement and traditional beliefs. His downfall inadvertently paved the way for a new healing approach devoid of religious ties, aligning with the values of an “enlightened” society. Simply treating the sick wasn’t enough; the methods used needed to be accepted by the community.
While Gassner believed in the healing power of divine, Messmer influenced by the contemporary discovery of magnetism assumed the existence of an invisible force, he called “animal magnetism”. At the end, both, the exorcisms as a healing method and the idea of animal magnetism faced rejection from the established scientists and fall short after into oblivion.
Gassner’s exorcism was challenged by his contemporary, Anthon Mesmer, who introduced the method, he called “animal magnetism” which was easier to accept than the exorcism based in the religion. However, Mesmer’s remarkable abilities place him more in line with ancient magicians than with modern psychotherapists. His triumph over Gassner resembles a clash between rival Alaskan shamans rather than a typical psychiatric debate. Nonetheless, both of them discovered the fundamental principles of contemporary psychiatry paving the road for such figures as Martine Charcot, Pierre Janet and Sigmund Freud.
At the end, both, the exorcisms as a healing method and the idea of animal magnetism faced rejection from the established scientists and fall short after into oblivion. Sadly, both man theorized wrongly about the true nature of their discoveries throughout their lives, and both died disillusioned.