The Exorcist Files - Case #01 - No Life Without Death - Pt. 1

Episode Date: January 25, 2023

Mark and Cheryl were just a young couple trying to start a family. Unfortunately for them, a desperate attempt to solicit help from a mysterious source would inadvertently open the door to an unwanted visitor. *Note all cases are based on first hand accounts of Father Carlos Martins. Names, places and details have been altered to protect the identity of the victims involved.Want more Exorcist Files Content? Subscribe to The Vault for exclusive deep dives into past cases and Ask Me Anything Episodes with Father Martins. SPONSORS OF TODAYS EPISODEFireBreakerSeries   A dramatic and epic adventure recounting the legend of George and the Dragon. A fun narrative podcast that is great for the family, starring Wizards of Waverly Place Star David Henrie.  Click here to listenExodus90- Ultimate men's spiritual formation curriculum. Co-hosted by Father Martins. Join the St. Michael's Lent with a group of likeminded warriors.    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you crave more Exorcist Files content? Do you want to go deeper into theology and spiritual warfare? Well, you're going to want to subscribe to The Vault, our new premium subscriber program. The Vault is our way of ensuring we bring you content all year long. Subscribers will get access to exclusive once a month, Ask Me Anything episodes with Father Martins, where you can submit questions and vote on the ones you want him to answer most. You'll also get access to a very special case behind the case series,

where we relisten to past episodes and cases, and Father reflects back on insights and anecdotes he just didn't have time to get into in the podcast. To subscribe, head on over to Exorcistfiles.tv and sign up, or just click the link in the show notes. Again, that's exorcistfiles.tv to get access to the vault. The world of evil is very much the mafia world. You don't just interact with the mafia and then get out whenever you want.

You form a relationship with the mafia. Now you're in. And the spiritual realm, you form a relationship with the devil. Then the devil forms a relationship with you. And you don't get out simply because you want to get out. It just doesn't work like that. Your energy is needed. Sacred life force.

Fill me a new. So small. Give me your life. And who are you, sweetie? My name's Tina. How old are you, Tina? Seven years old. Wow, you're a big kid. Nice to meet you, Tina.

Are you collecting grasshoppers? You are an astute observer, Tina. I'm collecting grasshoppers and crickets, butterflies, beetles, all types, and I'm putting them all in here. You see? I need them for something very, very special. That's a lot of bugs. Yes, it is, but I need more. Lots more. Say, would you like to help me? Yes. Well, come on then. You have to be very slow and patient. Just watch.

Eventually you'll see one. There's one. What's that one? Ooh, that's a stink bug. Careful with those. They're very stinky. Oh, you got it? Quickly now.

Did you get it? Got it. Ew, it's gross. Great job. Now drop it in the jar just like that. Excellent work, Tina. Oh, what's going to happen to the bugs? They are now in service of a greater good, Tina.

All of them will eventually die in this jar. You want them to die? No. Of course not. but they are dying for us, Tina. It's their destiny. But why do you let them die? They're giving me their life so I can create a new one. You're making new bugs? No, I'm making a new life. Life like you and me, Tina.

That's funny. Tina? Yes, to some it is. Tina. Hey, Mom. What did I say about running off like that? You need to see where I can see you. Remember, I told you not to leave the playground area without asking me. But I saw this lady crawling on the ground and I asked her what was she doing.

I'm so sorry. Is my daughter bothering you? No, not at all. She's quite the little helper. Great, great energy. We're collecting bugs so they can help her make new people. She's making a person out of the bugs. Tina, please come here. Time to go. Oh, Bob. I... Right now. That's really not necessary. Your daughter's helping me with something very, very special. All right, let's go. Children are such a blessing, aren't they?

Have a nice day, ma'am. Larking coward. beg your pardon? You're not worthy to have a child. What the hell is wrong with you? Rot an excuse of a mother. How dare you talk to you? The blessing of life is squandered on such a feeble mind. You're demented lady.

Wretched energy parasite. Guard that one closely while you still can. For your time will come. You stay the hell away from my daughter. All your times will come. It's okay. The maggot. The feast on your flesh will have more significance than you.

She's sick. You fail your daughter as Kane's faith. Death comes for you. Fow creature, I will absorb your death. Together, that which was from the beginning is now with me. So it was, and so it shall be. Your energy is needed. Sacred life force, fill me new.

Yes, my darling, so small but so grand a purpose. Energy of old brings energy of new from oblivion and its first prayer. In the Christian narrative, there was no evil before the fall of Satan. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He also created angels. Pure spirits ordained into a glorious hierarchy to serve the Creator himself. And chief among these angels was Lucifer, whose name means bringer of light. His beauty and majesty were second only to gods. But in the heart of Lucifer lay the seed of rebellion.

He desired not to serve, but to be served. Blinded by arrogance and pride, Lucifer asserted his own will over gods and convinced a third of the angels to do the same. In that moment, he ceased being known as Lucifer, as he no longer carried any light, and he became Satan, a Hebrew word which simply means adversary. A great cosmic battle occurred in heaven. God's forces, led by the Archangel Michael, formed one side. Satan's forces charged against them on the other. The rebellious angels were defeated, and Satan and his angels were forever cast out of heaven. In this state of eternal separation from their creator. These fallen angels are today known as demons.

Their dominion, the physical universe. Their mission? To sabotage God's plan for humanity by attempting to coerce us into their rebellion. To this very day, demons still maintain their power and rank from when they were first created. And because of the original sin of Adam, by which they receive their authority, they harassed humanity, attempting to pull us into their own misery. and they can manifest within our physical realm through four degrees of increasing severity.

Manipulation of a place or object through infestation. Attacks on the human body and behavior through oppression. Attacks on human thoughts and dreams through obsession. And most exceptionally, taking full control of the human body and acting without the victim's consent or knowledge through possession. And those extremely rare cases of genuine full possession, the effective cure for the victim is prayer developed by the Catholic Church that comes against the possessing spirit and ultimately sets the captive free. This ritual is called exorcism, and those who perform it are specially trained priests, known as exorcists. For the last several years, there has been an alarming increase in the reported cases of demonic activity, and for some of the more disturbing and vicious cases of,

possession, one priest is often summoned. With almost two decades in the ministry, Father Carlos Martens has encountered evil in nearly every way imaginable. From Ouija boards and curses to witches and demonic packs, Father Martins has battled that most wicked and ancient serpent in many forms. And here in this series, we present to you stories, his stories. These are the Exorcist Files. Amen. here. I want to do a quick plug for one of the most powerful tools I've seen for breaking free and growing closer to Christ. Exodus 90. The Exodus 90 challenge begins this year on January 20th, but this isn't just a 90-day program. Exodus 90 is a spirituality for modern men that is built

on three ancient pillars, prayer, self-sacrifice, and fraternity. We all long for something more. We long to be the man God created us to be, sons of a loving father. It's time to turn away from our idols. It's time to break free from the pharaohs that hold us in bondage. If you're ready to make a fresh start and embark on a journey to uncommon freedom in Jesus Christ, then download the Exodus 90 app today. This is your chance to break free, refocus, and rediscover who God is calling you to be.

in the new year. It starts January 20th. So go to Exodus 90.com slash X-Files to learn more about Exodus 90. That's Exodus 90.com slash X-Files to join tens of thousands of men from all over the world for Exodus 90. Again, it begins Monday, January 20th.

God bless you. Hi there. I'm producer and host Ryan Bithay. And together with our renowned exorcist and priest, Father Carlos Martins, I am so excited to be your co-host of The Exorcist Files, a show that takes a deep dive into the world of spiritual warfare. Now, the subject of the demonic is a weighty one. And to be clear, it's not something we take lightly.

In preparing for this project, it became evident in our research that nearly every culture on earth has a framework for dealing with evil spirits. And to this day, the supernatural is considered a reality by an enormous portion of humanity. So while we do wish to captivate you with our presentation, our goal is certainly not to celebrate, but rather to raise awareness and shed light on the nature of evil. And should you ever encounter something that lines up with father's experience, you will have a resource for how to deal with it. Now, before jumping in, I'd like to set the table with a few things.

First and foremost, the stories you hear throughout this series are all first-hand accounts from Father Martins, pulled straight from the vault that contains his case files. And yes, there is an actual vault. Next, the subject matter is incredibly sensitive and emotional for those involved in these stories, and as such, the names, locations, and other specific details have been altered to protect the privacy of the victims and their families. And finally, to fully absorb what we intend to be an immersive binaural audio experience, headphones or earbuds are highly recommended when listening to this podcast. Personally, I'd leave a light on and not listen to this right before bed.

Now, without further ado, it is my utmost pleasure to introduce you to our resident demon disciplinarian, the one and only Father Carlos Martins. The job of the exorcist, contrary to what most people think, is not to cast out the devil. the job of the exorcist is to find out why is the devil there. He tasks himself with discovering what rights the devil has gained within the victim. And then to aid the victim in rescinding those rights. Because without rescinding those rights, the devil has every right to be there. That is the process of exorcism.

My name is Father Carlos Martins. I am a priest of the Catholic Church, and for the better part of 20 years, I have been helping to liberate people of all faiths who are ensnared by the devil. Once again, my name is Ryan Bethay, and I'll be your co-host for the show. It is now time for our inaugural case file.

May I present to you the accounts of Cheryl, her husband Mark, in a case of severely misguided psychic energy. Mark and Cheryl met in college and started dating just a week after meeting one another. Sorry, what? Sorry. Good. What's up? Are you in Psych 170 with me?

I don't know. I think I'd remember you. Mr. Cohen? Oh, nope. I have Calhoun. Oh, then. Sorry, no. You probably can't help me then.

I was late for class. and missed, like, the three midterm topics. So, yeah. No, it's cool. You do look familiar, though. Have we ever met before? I think maybe your subconscious just wanted to meet me. You know, the term super ego is coming to mind.

Or maybe I just have, like, a memorable face. You do have a great face. Thank you. What kind of music are you listening to? I guess it's kind of, like, pop. Can I... Can I hear? Uh, of course.

Sit down. Here. Wow, these headphones big enough for you? Geez. I know, I know. Sounds amazing, though. Oh, turn it up. All right.

Right? You like it. It's so good. Oh, chill. Chill, you're yelling. Sorry. You're good, you're good. That's loud.

That's good. What is it? Postal service. Okay. I haven't heard of it. Oh, I'm obsessed with them right now. Kind of like their fan boy. Sounds like their fan base is male dominated.

I see what you did there. That was awful. That was top ten bad jokes I've ever heard. It made me laugh. I'll allow it. It was good delivery. Thank you. Oh, stop it.

Got her. That was even worse. Yeah, that was pretty bad. I'm Mark, by the way. Cheryl. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. So what's your next class that I'm out in?

Um, it's in Garland Hall. Garlene Hall. Mine too. Really? One year later, when they were both 22 years old, they married. They complimented each other well, but with each passing year of their marriage, their relationship became more and more strained. Both were eager for children, but for some reason that was undiagnosable, Cheryl was not able to get pregnant. Various times she and Mark had been tested medically, but the results had always come back normal.

Babe, talk to me, anything? Negative. Honestly, I wasn't expecting anything right away, you know? But it's going to happen. Just takes longer for some people, you know that. Mark, I'm pushing 31 here. Babe, trying isn't the worst thing, you know? We've had some fun.

There are worse things to do over and over again. I think I'm broken. Hey, hey, hey. Don't do that. Look at me. Look at me. You're fine. I know you're fine.

And the doctor knows it. We were both there. He confirmed it. So nothing's broken. It's going to happen when it's right. Okay? Gorgeous. Perfectly fertile life.

And I will love you. Even if we never conceive. I will always love you with my entire. What? I mean, hypothetically. What do you mean? If, why would you even say that? I'm not.

Don't ever put that out there again. ever. Okay. I'm serious, Mark. I'll never say it again. Promise. I can't believe you would go there, putting that thought into the world. I'm sorry, Cheryl.

I didn't mean it that way. I was just, look, I was just trying to be encouraging. Can you give me a glass of water? I'm going to take one more test to be sure. Don't you want to wait until? Please, I know I'm being dramatic, but just humor me. With each passing year, Cheryl became more and more depressed. That depression reached such a point.

that she could no longer hold a job. Hey, Mr. Meyer, I'm sorry. I'm finally calling. I wasn't feeling well. I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know why it's hitting me like this. Economically, Mark made enough money to support his wife.

He feared, though, that without a job, Cheryl would have more time to worry about being childless. He was right. Turn the light off, please. Oh, sorry, didn't realize you were... Blame the Sims. Wow. I'm not roll with that again.

It's a little dark here. I'm thinking. If you say so. Are you supposed to be a VALS right now or something? I decided to stay home. Why? I didn't feel like going. But it's VALs and Paninis.

You love Pinnies. You were supposed to bring me back one. Trust me, nobody would have fun if I went over there today. But why? Because her son is home from school and I can't fake happy with that little. guy running around, okay? Can you please stop interrogating me? Cheryl, you can't avoid your friends for having kids? Can you run downstairs and grab me a cap and a glass? Thanks. Sure, but how about you have a glass with me instead of your shirt? I need to finish this one.

Can't stop now or I'll forget what I was doing. Okay. Thanks. Well, come down when you're ready and we'll wash something. Mm-hmm. Love you. For a year, Cheryl was a in a very dark period where she lived as a virtual shut-in. But then after about a year, they were new developments. Welcome. Please come in. You must be Cheryl, yes? Yes.

It's so lovely to meet you. Yeah, thanks. You too. Please. Please sit down. Here. Okay. Can I get you anything?

The water? Actually, yeah, that'd be great. Don't have to be a psychic to see someone is thirsty. I've done anything like this before. Everyone says that their first time. I'm thinking I need a special kind of help. I don't know where else to go, and I figured this couldn't hurt. And don't worry, things are going to be different now.

Welcome back to the Exorcist Files. We are right in the middle of our inaugural case file on Mark and Cheryl. And so far, there's nothing too out of the ordinary, right? A couple struggling to conceive and a psychic. So what's the connection? Well, this is a good moment for us to give us. some context on exactly how one can, in theory, become possessed or demonized. Here's Father Martins with a Catholic perspective.

A person becomes possessed by giving a demon a jurisdiction by which he can possess that person. And the most common way by which that occurs is somebody commits what we call in Catholic theology a mortal sin. There are minor sins and greater sins. We call in Catholic theology a minor sin, a venial sin. You know, you say something rude and offensive to somebody. That's a minor sin. A mortal sin destroys the presence of grace within the person.

To ensure we're all on the same page theologically, the grace Father speaks of is a gift of favor from God, a pure innocence that is granted at baptism, and that innocence is compromised with the committing of a single mortal sin. Now, in the Catholic Church, for a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be met.

The first condition being, A sin has to concern a serious issue, or a grave matter. If you stole a dollar from somebody, that is not a grave sin. If you stole half a million dollars from somebody, that's a much more serious matter. The second condition?

it has to be done with the knowledge that one is doing something evil. So if you accidentally put a million dollar necklace in your bag and walk away with it, well, that wouldn't be sinful because it was done accidentally. But if you knew that you were stealing, that is done with knowledge. And the third condition is that it has to be done with full freedom so that it was possible to not do. If somebody is holding a gun to your head and saying, put that necklace in your bag and walk away with it, well, that's not done in freedom.

So there has to be these three criteria present for a mortal sin. The devil has the jurisdiction to possess where there is one single mortal sin. Now, thankfully, it doesn't happen in the vast majority of occasions. So at the end of the day, there isn't perfect legality at play, but souls do become possessed. the most common conditions whereby possession occurs. In my experience is a violation of the First Commandment, in particular where there is a dabbling in the occult, in the dark arts, fortune-telling, Ouija board playing,

spiritual mediumship, that kind of reality. And that brings us to Cheryl's mortal sin, dabbling in the occult, thus opening a door to the demonic realm. Hey, babe? This onesy, who's is this? Ours. This baby onesie?

Uh, what's it for? It's for us, silly? I bought it nothing. Isn't it cute? Um, it is. But do we really need a onesie right now? Now, later. It doesn't matter.

Our child will wear it, we need it, so I figured I'd just get an early start. I guess so. Yeah. Come on. I mean, it says Mama's first mixtape. Tell me that's not a perfect onesie. Yes, it's an awesome onesie, but I mean, sure you want to be buying baby clothes right now? Positive thinking, babe.

Things are going to be different for us now. To our future mixed day. Yes, to our future co-lap. Love you. I love you too. Cheryl began to buy baby clothes. And at first, Mark didn't think much of these purchases, but eventually they became excessive. She purchased baby suits, bonnets, blankets, cans of baby formula, infant toys, and diaper jumbo packs in large quantities.

She bought a crib and even an electronic baby monitoring system. Look, I'm all for positive thinking, but we spent 3K on this stuff last month. Stop worrying. It's not a big deal. Yes, it is. No, we do not. I need to spend $600 on a crib for a baby we don't have. For a baby, we will have. I know, I know, I get that. But it's just, it feels unhealthy. You know what your issue is.

Do you understand? You waste all your energy, worrying about what you can't control. Okay, well. I wish you would just put some of that energy into trying to create something with me. Babe, what are we going to say to our guests who come and they see a baby crib in our guest room? What are you going to say to my folks when they come next week? Mark. We're going to look like crazy people.

Do you think we're going to have a child? That isn't the issue. You're missing the entire. But I answer the question. Will we have a child? Yes, I think we'll have a child. That's right. Whoa.

You know we'll have a baby. I'm into you. In fact, I think this baby's life might be starting in the next five minutes. We'll see. Hey! Where you been? I'll tell you about there. What's in the jar?

But more ominously, Cheryl began to collect insects. Dead insects. Energy committed is a... Thank you for your sacrifice. Your purpose is... She would bring back crickets, grasshoppers, hornets, moths, butterflies, etc. Initially, Cheryl put them in the guest room, the room she had transformed into a baby nursery, lining them up on the window ledges, on the top of the dresser, and on the baby changing table.

To Mark, the baby stuff, he could, in a sense, understand. One could see it as a form of positive thinking, but collecting the dead insin. was just weird. Mark knew that his wife was psychologically fragile, and so he trod lightly. How was your day? Good. Productive, actually. How was yours?

It was good. It's good. Can you pass a salt? Okay, look, I can't keep dancing around this, babe. Why do we have jars of dead insects in our house? They will help me get pregnant. You lost me. Well, when living creatures die, their energy, you know, their life force, if you will,

it hangs around their bodies looking for a place to form new life. Death releases life energy. I'm harnessing that energy to increase my fertility. It's actually pretty simple. Okay. Cheryl? Just got to ask, do you actually believe that? You know, I'm not 100% sold.

It sounds bizarre, I know, but we know energy is neither created nor destroyed. Is it completely implausible? I don't think so. So I'm fine giving it a try. The jars are sealed tight, babe. What did you hear about this? A friend. A friend.

Which friend? You haven't met her. Okay. Look, I know my opinion probably matters less here, babe, but for me, no matter how virtuous our goals are, keeping jars of dead bugs around the crib seems really disheartedly. are and far-fetched. Mark, all this energy that you're wasting worrying about these bugs, you could be applying it to the belief that our child will arrive very soon. Cheryl, how am I supposed to explain this to anyone who unfortunately tries to visit us right now?

I will not waste my divine energy being ashamed of what you or anyone else thinks about this, period. It's a bad look, babe. I'm not hurting anyone. Who cares? I want to have a baby. I'll try anything. At least I'm trying something. Why are you trying to terminate this process? I'm not trying to. This is unacceptable. I'm struggling here, Mark, and I'm doing everything in my power to bring a life into this world. So can you please do that? Can you please be my husband? My ally? Who are you supposed to be right now? Okay, okay, okay, fine, I get it. We'll keep them. It's just,

look, it's just weird to me. I just needed to say that, okay? Just, just, can you do me a favor? Can you just put them somewhere hidden when we have guests over, please? Of course. That's perfectly reasonable request. Okay, then. This Asperius is so tasty. Totally worth the smell. Don't be gross. Hey, don't shame my genetics.

Shut up. More wine? Oh, please. Always a tough. About two weeks later, Mark returned home from work, and as he was getting out of his car, the neighbor's cat approached him. Hey, kitty, what did you got there?

carrying a dead squirrel in its mouth, which it laid at Mark's feet. Nice. You can see its guts and everything. The cat had an affinity for Mark and occasionally presented him with gifts of this sort. Take it with you. Thanks for that. He dropped the dead squirrel inside a trash bin before stepping into his house. He noticed Cheryl wasn't home.

Doubtless she was collecting more insects, so he laid down for a nap. He awoke after about an hour. Hey, I thought we'd go out for dinner. Sounds good. I need to put some deal around. You were out cold. Okay. Well, it's not me.

What are you feeling? Mediterranean? Or Indian? Babe. Mark, I'm talking to you. Mark peeked inside the baby room. They're on top of the changing table. Oh no.

I'm gonna be shitting me. Cheryl! There is a dead squirrel in the house. in the house. That's it. That's it. No more of this nonsense. What do you mean? Cheryl, there was a dead squirrel on our baby's changing table. Its guts are hanging out of it. What are we going to do? This thing stinking up the entire house. It's going to grow maggots. Listen to me. Listen to me carefully. The cost of your most difficult goals is the energy you're prepared to expend in pursuing them. What? Mark, what are you doing? Mark, put him back.

Don't you, I'm serious. Babe, let's get out of my way. This ends now. Don't you dare. Put them back to me. I should have stopped this soon. They are mine. I want to get pregnant.

I have to get pregnant. This is how we get pregnant. You blind, fool. Unfortunately, we are out of time for now. So, join us on the next episode to hear the climactic ending of Cheryl and Mark's battle with darkness. I will leave you with this warning. Things get far worse before they get better. And remember,

When it comes to home decor, let's keep that squirrel centerpiece. All cases in The Exorcist Files are recounted by Father Carlos Martens from his personal archives. The Exorcist Files is hosted by Father Martens and myself, Ryan Bethay. This episode's reenactments were directed and recorded by Chandler Mays and Ryan Bethay in Los Angeles, California. Cheryl is portrayed by Melissa Hunt. Tina by Nala Hunt. Tina's mother by Lauren Rodriguez. Mark by Mark Reinega.

Mr. Meyer, by Kevin Lerner. Lawson, and the psychic is portrayed by Marina Gridley, script written by Chandler Mays and Ryan Bethay, original theme and select scores written and composed by Dan Bailey. Additional music graciously provided by Z-G-U-B-A, and you can find his music at Z-G-U-B-A dot bandcamp.com. Supervising producer, editor, sound engineer, and mixer is Chandler Mays. Executive producer is Jonathan Dressler. And we'd like to, on this first episode, give us a Special thanks to Caitlin Cassica for all her help. The Exorcist Files is a production of IHeartRadio.