Exorcism (from Greek ἐξορκισμός,
exorkismos – binding by oath) is the religious or spiritual practice of purportedly evicting
demons or other
spiritual entities from a person or an area they are believed to have
possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the
exorcist, this may be done by causing the entity to swear an oath, performing an elaborate
ritual, or simply by commanding it to depart in the name of a higher power. The practice is ancient and part of the belief system of many cultures and religions.