The Possession of Jeanne Fery

The case of Jeanne Fery, a Dominican nun in Mons, Belgium, stands apart from other possession cases because she wrote her own detailed account of the experience. Between 1584 and 1585, Fery underwent multiple exorcisms while keeping a memoir that described her inner experience of possession and liberation. Her writings provide a rare first-person perspective on what it felt like to believe oneself possessed by demons.

Early Life and First Possession

Jeanne Fery was born in 1559 and entered the Dominican convent of Sainte-Catherine in Mons as a child. According to her account, her troubles began when she was four years old. She described being visited by a demon who became her companion, protecting her from her abusive father and eventually leading her into a pact with Satan.

This childhood pact, described in vivid detail in her memoirs, allegedly introduced her to a world of demonic spirits who would accompany her throughout her life. She named specific demons, including Garga, Cornau, and Mary Magdalene, who she believed guided and controlled her behavior.

The Possession Becomes Public

For years, Fery experienced what she described as demonic influence without anyone else knowing. She followed the outward forms of religious life while internally feeling controlled by evil spirits. This changed in 1584, when her possession became visible to others.

She began exhibiting convulsions, speaking in voices other than her own, and displaying violent aversion to sacred objects. The convent recognized these as signs of possession and called for exorcism.

The Exorcisms

The exorcisms were conducted by various priests over several months, documented both by official observers and by Fery herself. During the rituals, she would fall into trances, speak as different demons, and display the classic signs of possession recognized in her era.

What makes Fery’s case unique is her description of experiencing these events from within. She wrote about feeling the demons resist the prayers, about internal battles between the forces trying to possess her and the grace trying to free her. She described moments of clarity when she could observe her own possessed behavior as if from outside her body.

The Memoir

Archbishop Louis de Berlaymont ordered Fery to write down her experiences after her exorcism was complete. The resulting document, written in 1585, runs to over a hundred pages and describes her life from earliest childhood through her liberation from the demons.

The memoir describes her initial encounter with demons, her pact with Satan, years of secret possession, the onset of visible symptoms, and finally the exorcisms that freed her. It includes dialogue with demons, descriptions of hellish visions, and accounts of physical phenomena during the exorcisms.

Psychological Perspective

Modern readers often note the psychological richness of Fery’s account. She describes childhood trauma, dissociative experiences, and what might today be recognized as symptoms of mental illness. The demons in her narrative often seem to represent different aspects of her psyche rather than external entities.

Her description of having a demon companion from age four, who protected her from her father, suggests the creation of an imaginary protector in response to abuse. The later, more malevolent demons might represent the internalization of guilt and self-hatred.

Historical Significance

The Fery case was influential in its time. Her memoir was published and circulated among theologians and exorcists who were trying to understand the nature of demonic possession. It provided a template for understanding how possession might develop over a lifetime rather than appearing suddenly.

The case also contributed to debates about whether possession represented external demonic invasion or internal psychological disturbance. Fery’s detailed descriptions of her mental states provided evidence for both interpretations.

After the Exorcism

Fery reportedly lived peacefully after her exorcism, remaining in the convent until her death in 1620. She was considered cured and showed no further signs of possession. Church officials treated her case as a successful example of exorcism and used it in training other priests.

Legacy

Jeanne Fery’s memoir remains one of the most detailed first-person accounts of alleged possession in existence. Whether interpreted as evidence of demonic activity, psychological disorder, or the creative construction of religious experience, it provides an unparalleled window into how possession felt from the inside.

Her account has been studied by historians, theologians, and psychologists seeking to understand how people in the past experienced and explained altered states of consciousness. It remains a crucial primary source for anyone seeking to understand the phenomenon of demonic possession as it was understood and experienced in early modern Europe.