Had lunch today with Bob Larson, the man who kicks out demons for a living. He is a charismatic and controversial figure because of his strong personality and the nature of his ministry.

For starters, a lot of people don't believe there are demons, so an exorcist seems like a joke or a charlatan to them. Second, Bob Larson's flair for the dramatic makes the skeptical even more suspicious.
He will be featured in a new reality tv show on the sci-fi channel called "The Real Exorcist." I'll be writing about it in the near future and will let you know when to look for it.
Bob has read "Sin,Shame & Secrets" and we spent a long time discussing the case and the possible demonic and satanic implications.
There is no way to really know what happened inside Gerald Robinson's head or in his soul, so we were only speculating. But Larson regularly deals with people who have demonic manifestations,having performed by his count well over 6,000 exorcisms.
He said Robinson could fit a category that he has seen many times in which a man was molested or traumatized as a child, and then suppressed those memories, creating something like an alter ego or a multiple personality. The core person carries on his life unaware of this trauma that is festering in this separate personality. But this other personality is living the trauma in the now, never dealing with it, never moving on. It becomes like a volcano ready to blow, Larson said. This personality is subject to demonic possession/oppression when it manifests.
It is possible that Robinson had this separate personality that rarely got out beyond his core personality. When it did, it was a violent and demonic personality out for destruction.
In many cases, the actions of this suppressed personality are not remembered by the core person. But a crime as heinous as the murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl would be unlikely to be totally suppressed, according to Larson.
Another thing he said is that a person who is living his life for the good and then gets angry at God is more likely to go from one extreme to another than is your typical law-abiding citizen. In other words, if Robinson devoted his life to serving God as a priest and then became mad at God and the church, he would be a logical candidate for satanism and demonic activity. Larson said he has seen people flip this switch many times.
As I said, Larson is only speaking in theory and generalities, not having met Robinson. But he does have a lot of experience in this area and certainly is one of the world's leading experts on demonic possession.
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Sylvania, Ohio
Oct. 6, 2008