The 1928 Earling Exorcisms were documented in a booklet called Begone Satan — but that wasn’t the full story.

In 1934, a secret manuscript was written by Fr. J. Bunza, based on Father Theophilus Reisinger’s own German account. It was never meant for public circulation. And what it reveals about the Earling case goes far beyond anything in the published account.

According to the manuscript, “Emma’s” (aka “Anna”) possessions didn’t end in 1928. They continued for years. During those years, Emma reportedly received visions of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and heavenly figures — and those visions escalated into sweeping apocalyptic claims.

The manuscript asserts that St. Michael the Archangel himself confirmed the Earling exorcisms were the cosmic battle described in Revelation 12: the war in heaven between Michael and the dragon. Billions upon billions of demons were cast into the abyss. The Pope’s very freedom was secured because of them.

But that was only the beginning. The manuscript goes further, claiming that Jesus himself gave Father Reisinger a specific mission — to warn the world about the Antichrist, who had already been born in Palestine, possessed by the spirit of Judas Iscariot from conception. The Antichrist would reign during three days of literal darkness. A figure known as the Great Monarch would lead Christendom during this final conflict. The manuscript even named a candidate: Otto von Habsburg, young heir to one of Europe’s most storied Catholic dynasties.

Every one of those prophecies failed. The Antichrist never reigned. Otto never became king. The Three Days of Darkness never came.

Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli work through the manuscript’s claims systematically — evaluating the hoax theory, examining mental illness frameworks, and scrutinizing each preternatural element (xenoglossy, detection of relics, Father Steiger’s car accident, the reported vomiting, possible levitation) in detail. Then they examine what the failure of every specific prophecy tells us about the manuscript’s authenticity.

Whatever happened in Earling, the secret manuscript’s predictions didn’t match reality. That failure may be the most revealing thing in the entire case.

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

• Begone Satan! (annotated & illustrated)
• The Social Science Study of Exorcism in Christianity
• Joseph Laycock’s book The Penguin Book of Exorcisms
• Joseph Laycock’s book The Exorcist Effect
• Fr. Vincent Lampert interview
• Jimmy Akin on the “three days of darkness”
• Otto von Habsburg

• Please spread the word about the podcast. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
• Purchase the books and other material from this and other episodes at the Mysterious World Bookstore.
• Join the conversation at the Starquest Facebook page and the Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World Facebook page.
• Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord
• Send your feedback or comments to feedback@mysterious.fm or send a tweet to @mys_world
• You can also leave a voice message on the Mysterious Feedback Line at (619) 738-4515

Chapter Markers

• 0:00 – MYS413
• 0:11 – Previously …
• 1:21 – Intro
• 3:30 – Recap
• 5:56 – The Secret Manuscript
• 9:04 – Difference from Begone Satan
• 12:40 – Visions of Apocalypse
• 22:10 – Antichrist
• 26:58 – Three days darkness
• 28:26 – The Great Monarch
• 33:09 – Signs in the sky and judgment
• 42:10 – After the judgment
• 46:05 – Thank you to Patrons
• 46:34 – Sponsor: The Grady Group
• 46:55 – Theories
• 48:11 – Reason Perspective: Hoax?
• 54:00 – Mental illness?
• 59:14 – Arguments for an against
• 1:09:31 – Preternatural events?
• 1:11:51 – Unconscioous awareness of things
• 1:13:56 – Xenoglossy
• 1:17:18 – Sensing blessed items
• 1:23:12 – Knowing about the car accident
• 1:27:55 – Speaking without mouth movements
• 1:28:57 – Copious vomiting
• 1:32:10 – Levitating
• 1:38:22 – Faith Perspective
• 1:41:01 – Possessed by human spirits?
• 1:43:20 – Demons and angels?
• 1:46:46 – Bottom Line
• 1:47:51 – Further Resources
• 1:48:33 – Mysterious Feedback from #402 Hitler’s Marriage and More Weird Questions
• 1:54:10 – Your mysterious feedback
• 1:54:48 – Thank you to Oasis Studio 7
• 1:55:31 – Next Time: Ancient Christian Ghosts
• 1:55:55 – Follow the show
• 1:56:06 – Show notes
• 1:56:13 – Become a Patron
• 1:56:21 – Sponsor: Rosary Army and School of Mary
• 1:56:46 – Outro

This Episode is Brought to You By:

Rosary Army. Featuring award-winning Catholic podcasts, Rosary resources, videos, and the School of Mary online community, prayer, and learning platform. Learn how to make them, pray them, and give them away while growing in your faith at RosaryArmy.com and SchoolOfMary.com

The Grady Group, a Catholic company bringing financial clarity to their clients across the United States. Using safe money options to produce reasonable rates of return for their clients. Learn more by visiting GradyGroupInc.com.

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

Direct Link to the Episode.

Subscribe on iTunes. | Other Ways to Subscribe.

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In 1928, an exorcism unfolded in a tiny Iowa convent. It inspired a 2016 movie. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli examine the public account and a never-published secret manuscript of the Earling Exorcism. Part 1 of 2.

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

• Begone Satan! (annotated & illustrated)
• The Social Science Study of Exorcism in Christianity
• The Penguin Book of Exorcisms
• The Exorcist Effect
• Fr. Vincent Lampert interview

• Please spread the word about the podcast. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
• Purchase the books and other material from this and other episodes at the Mysterious World Bookstore.
• Join the conversation at the Starquest Facebook page and the Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World Facebook page.
• Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord
• Send your feedback or comments to feedback@mysterious.fm or send a tweet to @mys_world
• You can also leave a voice message on the Mysterious Feedback Line at (619) 738-4515

This Episode is Brought to You By:

Rosary Army. Featuring award-winning Catholic podcasts, Rosary resources, videos, and the School of Mary online community, prayer, and learning platform. Learn how to make them, pray them, and give them away while growing in your faith at RosaryArmy.com and SchoolOfMary.com

The Grady Group, a Catholic company bringing financial clarity to their clients across the United States. Using safe money options to produce reasonable rates of return for their clients. Learn more by visiting GradyGroupInc.com.

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

Direct Link to the Episode.

Subscribe on iTunes. | Other Ways to Subscribe.

Photo used with permission of St. Joseph Parish, Earling, Iowa.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In 1952, a self-taught philosopher near Palomar Mountain walked into the California desert and claimed to meet a being from Venus. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli investigate the remarkable story of George Adamski, the first UFO contactee.

https://youtu.be/eh_LMjd_dZA

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

• Jerome Clark’s The UFO Encyclopedia (3rd ed.)
• George Adamski’s book Flying Saucers Have Landed
• George Adamski’s book Inside the Flying Saucers
• Adam Gorightly’s book A Is For Adamski
• George Adamski (Wikipedia)
• Dean Radin et al. article on pupil contraction

• Please spread the word about the podcast. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
• Purchase the books and other material from this and other episodes at the Mysterious World Bookstore.
• Join the conversation at the Starquest Facebook page and the Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World Facebook page.
• Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord
• Send your feedback or comments to feedback@mysterious.fm or send a tweet to @mys_world
• You can also leave a voice message on the Mysterious Feedback Line at (619) 738-4515

Chapters:

• 0:00 – MYS411
• 0:23 – Intro
• 1:55 – Who was George Adamski?
• 4:37 – First UFO sightings
• 13:15 – Desert encounter in 1952
• 19:03 – Meeting the space man
• 21:27 – Thank you to Patrons
• 22:00 – Sponsor: Rosary Army and School of Mary
• 22:26 – Orthon
• 28:55 – Venusians and the atomic bomb
• 31:44 – Venusian beliefs
• 40:56 – Orthon returns
• 43:46 – Reaction from the Silence Group
• 46:36 – George’s books and growing fame
• 50:27 – Moseley, Maxfield, and Bloom critiques
• 1:05:51 – The Straith letter
• 1:10:43 – UFO pickup from a train
• 1:13:04 – World tour and papal audience
• 1:20:05 – A final UFO visit
• 1:23:51 – A programming note on this episode
• 1:24:36 – Bottom Line
• 1:25:17 – Further Resources
• 1:25:47 – Mysterious Feedback: #400 Mysterious Experiences
• 1:32:43 – Your mysterious feedback
• 1:33:19 – Thank you to Oasis Studio 7
• 1:33:25 – Jimmy’s YouTube channel
• 1:34:02 – Next Time: The Earling Exorcism
• 1:34:16 – Share the show
• 1:34:25 – Show notes
• 1:34:32 – Become a Patron
• 1:34:40 – Sponsor: The Grady Group
• 1:35:00 – Outro

This Episode is Brought to You By:

Rosary Army. Featuring award-winning Catholic podcasts, Rosary resources, videos, and the School of Mary online community, prayer, and learning platform. Learn how to make them, pray them, and give them away while growing in your faith at RosaryArmy.com and SchoolOfMary.com

The Grady Group, a Catholic company bringing financial clarity to their clients across the United States. Using safe money options to produce reasonable rates of return for their clients. Learn more by visiting GradyGroupInc.com.

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

Direct Link to the Episode.

Subscribe on iTunes. | Other Ways to Subscribe.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download