DISCLAIMER: The following texts, rules, guidelines, and prayers are extracted from the Catholic Handbook of Deliverance Prayers (Revised Edition) by Fr. Jose Francisco C. Syquia, Head of the Commission on Extraordinary Phenomena for the Archdiocese of Manila. This document is not intended to plagiarize Fr. Syquia’s work but to share its message with the Catholic faithful who seek liberation from demonic influence. To obtain a copy of the handbook, you may purchase it from St. Pauls bookstore nationwide or order it online through this link.

SOME GENERAL RULES FOR DISCERNMENT

Whether possession, oppression, or obsession, there is a greater probability of the demonic if there is the presence of esoteric, occult, and sinful activities that occured right before the onset of the problems. The existence of the following will point to the probability of extraordinary demonic harassment:
  1. Recently playing/engaging in occult and esoteric "games" and activities such as spirit of the glass, the Ouija board, and the like.
  2. Recently practicing magick rites and rituals such as sorcery, spells, hexes, curses, etc.
  3. Recently going to a cemetery and other so-called "haunted" locations for ghost hunting and seances.
  4. Having recently visited a dead person or being close by when someone died and the person concerned has been known to be sensitive (psychic) to the spirit world.
  5. Started wearing and carrying talisman, amulets (anting-anting), and other occult objects.
  6. Recently having contact with the spirit world such as psychically communicating with "imaginary friends," spirit guides, ascended masters, familiar, dead, ancestors, elementals (fairies), "wandering souls," etc. as well as recently making deals with them (for example, in order to find treasure) or challenging them in any way.
  7. Recently visiting and/or joining satanic, esoteric/occult, and spiritist groups.
  8. Having had a recent traumatic experience. Deep psychological and emotional wounds can be openings that evil spirits can latch on to.
  9. Having recently committed a gravely sinful action (example abortion) or living a sinful lifestyle for a long period of time.
  10. Having sought healing and other benefits from an occult/esoteric practitioner recently like a faith healer (albularyo), fortune-teller, witch doctor, shaman, spiritist, medium, etc.
  11. Having recently engaged in a quarrel or misunderstanding with someone who has access to witchcraft and sorcery.
  12. Practicing the "science of the mind" and other mind-altering techniques and methods that open the psychic faculty (3rd eye).
  13. Into heavy metal and death metal music; these are offered to Satan by the composers and have hypnotic rhythms and subliminal lyrics that have a very negative effect on the psyche of the person.

Also check for any occult/esoteric involvement and contamination when the patient was younger in order for them to be renounced and confessed. Extraordinary demonic attacks are usually the end result of a number of events that allowed the person to be more and more vulnerable or open to these demonic attacks as well as invited more and more evil spirits to attach themselves to the person; when evil spirits "latching on" have reached a certain level of number and power, they then are able to attack extraordinarily and not merely to ordinarily (temptation).

Finally, whether possession, oppression, or obsession, there is a greater probability of the demonic if the person's family or ancestors had involvement with the occult such as being occult practitioners.

SOME GENERAL RULES FOR THE VICTIM

  1. Make sure that all assignments given to the victim are fulfilled. Non-fulfillment of the assignments may block the success of the healing/deliverance session(s). The victim may also be open to retaliation by the demons. Another result may be that the liberation and healing would merely be temporary and what is worse, since there is an abuse of grace, the demons will return with more reinforcements as mentioned in the Gospel.
  2. It is of primary importance that the victim is in the state of grace. Emphasis must be placed in the development in the patient's life of a real and growing love relationship with God; hence it is important that proper evangelization be part of the process of healing/deliverance. Healing and deliverance are not ends in themselves but only a means to free the person for God. In addition, holiness of life is what protects the person from future extraordinary demonic attacks; Jesus is the Healer and Deliverer, not the priest exorcist or deliverance minister.
  3. The patient must be reminded regularly that all spiritual assignments must be done by him not in a "magical" and automatic manner (mere lip service) but with attention (mind) and devotion (from the heart). Following are the more detailed assignments that should be given.
    • Daily Mass (one offers it for one's healing/deliverance/protection and for all those involved including possessions.).
    • Confession, especially of those sins and occult activities that created the opening to the demonic.
    • Renouncement (3x) in Jesus' name of all occult/esoteric activities. This is the best done in front of the Blessed Sacrament and with as much sincerity and intensity as one is capable of. This destroys any "right" that the evil spirits have over the person for the use of their "services" or benefits received from them.
    • This is very important: forgiveness for those who have hurt the person. If the demonic bondage is due to a witch who cast a spell, forgiveness and prayers for her conversion. Unforgiveness in the heart can totally block grace reaching the person.
    • Daily consecration from the heart to Mama Mary (it is recommended to use a consecratory prayer made by a saint). Also, always include prayers to Mama Mary for protection from harassment and retaliation for oneself, one's loved ones as well as for all possessions.
    • The patients and his family must pray together with the chaplet of the Divine Mercy and the Rosary with heartfelt devotion and supplication; when more people pray, there is more faith present. Offer them for protection and healing/deliverance.
    • The victim must use the sacramentals liberally. Some examples are; before going to bed, make the sign of the cross on the forehead (with Holy Water), placing exorcized salt around one's room, and wearing a St. Benedict medal and the scapular.
    • The victim must always be reminded that during the deliverance session itself, he must participate as much as he can; always praying and beseeching God and Mama Mary.

GUIDELINES FOR THE DELIVERANCE SESSION

DELIVERANCE SESSION
  1. Ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and for His power to come upon the team. Call on Jesus to grant you his authority to cast out spirits.
  2. Ask from your heart the protection of Mama Mary to cover you, your companions, and the victim as well as all those you cherish and your possession from any form of demonic harassment and retaliation.
  3. Seek the assistance also of all the saints and angels in heaven for their intercession, protection, and guidance.
  4. Bind all demonic interactions around the area by sprinkling Holy Water around and saying, "I FORBID IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST ANY DEMONIC INTERACTION AND ANY COMMUNICATION AND SEAL THIS PLACE IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS."
  5. Go now calmly to the afflicted person. Only the deliverance minister places his hands on the head of the patient. If the victim is violent or mobile, tell your companions to hold him down. If the victim is a woman, either have your women companions hold the victim down or ask the relatives to do so. Others may pray the Rosary for the deliverance and healing of the person.
  6. Break seals (a sort of dedication to the devil which is created when the person has been contaminated with witchcraft and Satanism), curses, spells, and demonic bondages.
  7. Then, with a firm voice, say the deliverance prayer. Repeat them a few times with full faith and confidence; mean every word!
  8. Pray short aspirations to God, Mama Mary, etc. in between the deliverance prayers to renew your faith and trust.
  9. During and in between the deliverance prayers, use the sacramentals:
    • Holy water is sprinkled around the place and on the person.
    • Exorcized oil is used on the victim's forehead, ears, eyelids, throat, hands, and freed. Use also on the parts of the victim that experiences pain during the session.
    • Exorcized salt can be used by sprinkling some on the boundaries of the room as we as be ingested by the victim when he is being tormented through the stomach.
    • A relic, rosary, or crucifix is placed on the head of the victim during the deliverance prayers; the consecrated hands of a priest serve the same purpose.
    • A crucifix can be positioned in front of the eyes of the victim.To facilitate the vomiting of an ingested cursed object (ex. gayuma), the victim must drink exorcized oil (just a little) mixed with Holy Water while the minister prays the deliverance prayers.
    • Look for the weak spot of the demons and focus the attack there. If they are hurt or weakened by the Holy Water then use it generously; if a certain prayer causes them to become more violent, repeat the prayer several times.
    • The patient must be asked to interrupt the session anytime he feels that something is happening in his body, emotions, etc.; this will aid the team to discern how the spirit is reacting and whether to continue and how to continue, take a break or end the session.
    • During the session, look for signs that would further substantiate the presence of the demonic. Pay particular attention to the occurrence of preternatural/paranormal activity in the victim and the vicinity. Some more particular signs are the follow:
      • Abdominal pains that may be followed by retching and vomiting (rarely is food expelled even if the person has just eaten; what is expelled is thick slimy saliva);
      • Headaches that may be severe and/or the victim feels like his head is being compressed. He may also feel heaviness in the hand of the priest even though he is only gently laying his hand on the patient's head.
    • If the demons seem to be weakening, talk to the afflicted person, call out his name and ask him to say with all his heart, "Jesus, I love you!" or "Praise be to Jesus and Mary!" again and again.
    • Take note that evil spirits are usually expelled through the mouth area, hence check for yawning, coughing, burping, sighing, retching, and vomiting.
    • Ask the victim to notify you if and when he feels that the spirits have left since the patient is usually the best judge in this regard.
    • After the liberation of the victim, make a personal prayer to the Holy Spirit to fill up the spaces left by the expelled demons and pray the cleansing prayer.
    • Praise, thank, and ask for the continued assistance of God for the person as well as thank and ask for the continued assistance of Mama Mary, the saints, and the angels.
You may also like checking out the RULES FOR DELIVERANCE OF PLACES AND OBJECTS.