BookLoons
Possessed by Ghosts:Exorcisms in the 21st Century by Wanda Pratnicka
Reviewed by: Martina Bexte
Wanda Pratnicka claims that since her birth in Poland in 1948, she has 'seen and sensed things that have gone virtually unnoticed by everyone around her', and that she was born with an 'innate ability to alleviate the daily suffering of thousands of people, without being in the same room'. Pratnicka believes that the root of many psychological and physical problems 'lies with ghosts and their desire to possess the bodies of the living'.
Pratnicka has earned a Master's Degree in psychology at the Institute of Economy and Culture in Moscow and received the Specialist in Parapsychology award. For the past 30 years, Pratnicka has been a practicing lay exorcist and psychotherapist and has during that time been 'engaged in helping in the field of the psychology of the soul and freeing people of dependencies between people and ghosts'. In Possessed By Ghosts, she tells us she has been 'given the opportunity to share her knowledge of the toxic associations that arise between people and ghosts'.
Pratnicka presents an interesting premise here and her theory about ghosts is impressive and rather fascinating. She discusses many and varied topics including her views on death and why so many of us fear our last moments, why souls choose to linger, what happens the moment a person dies and how their death influences those left behind, haunted houses, phobias, obsessions and fear. Pratnicka also presents many in-depth case studies and discusses how she helped to 'exorcise' the ghosts responsible for her client's torments, whether physical or psychological.
Whether you're the most logical and grounded person on the planet or a fan of the paranormal, Possessed by Ghosts presents interesting theories. If read with an open mind, it offers up hours of lively or even heated debates. Its tone does become overly dramatic and florid at times and some discussions and arguments sound redundant, but even so, this book presents an interesting point of view about ghosts, possession, exorcisms, death and our very existence.
BookPros
Possessed by Ghosts:Exorcisms in the 21st Century by Wanda Pratnicka
What Do Ghosts Wear On Halloween?
Psychotherapist offers unconventional answers to root of negative emotions
(GDANSK, POLAND) Halloween evokes nightmarish images of evil monsters, wicked witches and ghastly ghosts. October 31st, believed by ancient Celts to be the day the souls of the dead walk the earth, provides a perfect opportunity for otherwise "normal" individuals to mask themselves-living out a dark fantasy, embodying another, if only for one night. Wanda Pratnicka, lay exorcist and psychotherapist, says the souls of the dead are with us more than we know. While we hide behind a guise for a single night, the ghosts of the undead cloak themselves with us 365 nights of the year.
Pratnicka shares her knowledge of the astral world and its impact on the living world in her latest book Possessed by Ghosts: Exorcisms in the 21st Century (Centrum Publishers, ISBN 3-918022-3-X, $25). She suggests that strong dependencies exist between the world of the living and the dead, resulting in unfortunate, even tragic experiences.
"Ghosts who have not passed willingly and completely through death's curtain remain among the living and are the root causes for anxiety, depression, explosive fits of rage, suicidal tendencies and mental, as well as physical, illnesses," explains Pratnicka.
Endowed with more than 30 years of research and experience with possessions and exorcisms, Pratnicka explores the esoteric arts in her groundbreaking book and offers an extensive, comprehensive guide to spiritual development and personal healing. Through identifying and understanding the origins of toxic dependencies, readers are able to overcome personal struggles and establish a peaceful, happy life.
Wanda Pratnicka earned a Master's degree in psychology at the Institute of Economy and Culture in Moscow, Russia and was awarded Specialist in Parapsychology at the International Academy "Intercollege." Pratnicka also studies the psychology of the soul, cybernetics, astrobiology and astrophysics. She is a renowned exorcist, healing thousands of people worldwide. A mother of two, Pratnicka currently lives in Gdansk, Poland.
"Nieznany Swiat" (Unknown World) no. 05/2003
POSSESSED BY GHOSTS - Exorcisms in the 21st Century. Wanda Pratnicka. CENTRUM Publishers, Gdansk 2002.
Wanda Pratnicka's book is exceptional in view of the fact that no-one in esoteric literature has written about exorcisms in such a wide-ranging, profound and comprehensible way. The book is aimed at all readers not just those who are interested in the esoteric. It introduces accessibly and surprisingly clearly the causes of the toxic relationships that arise between people and ghosts. It contains a large dose of psychology of the soul, testimony to the author's spiritual maturity. Ghosts are the souls of people who, after the death of their physical body, have not resolved to pass through to the other side of death's curtain. The reason for that is that, for various reasons, they overlooked their own deaths, didn't have the courage to go through to the other side or were detained or even pulled away from their road by those mourning the souls of their near ones.
When they remain in the world of the living they possess people which can be the cause of very unpleasant and sometimes even tragic experiences. Starting with the mildest - the presence of ghosts in a person causes severe mood swings ranging from powerful explosions of negative energy to deep depressions. They bring out severe states of anxiety, they tempt those possessed to commit suicide, they have a powerful influence on the psyche and are the cause of psychiatric illnesses. In addition, the diseases of the dead person very often transfer through the ghost to the person possessed.
Wanda Pratnicka is an exorcist and psychotherapist of world renown. Over the past thirty years she has helped many thousands of clients throughout the world.
"Czwarty Wymiar" (The Fourth Dimension), April 2003
Wanda Pratnicka: "Possessed by ghosts. Exorcisms in the 21st Century" (Publisher: Centrum, Gdynia 2002, 288pp)
There are ghosts among us - that, in brief, is the starting point of this book. Many souls, according to the author, don't want to pass through to the other side of death's curtain after death, they turn away from the Light, and remain suspended between two worlds. Most often they return to the places they know best and to people they were involved with in their lives. And this may lead to troubles for the living people exposed to - frequently unwanted - contact with ghosts. They start to behave irrationally, they start to fight with their tormentors, they make all sorts of agreements with them, but more often than not they can't come to terms with the new situation. It transpires that ghosts can even lead an intensive sex life, organize orgies, force the living to have sex and often not in the privacy of the bedroom but in public places, exploiting their own invisibility. Troubles, troubles and more troubles whose end can be mental illness. These are the people whom Wanda Pratnicka moves to help; she is a contemporary exorcist who can help the living free themselves from their tormentors, and she helps the souls of the dead to find the way and the strength to pass through to the other side and be reconciled with God.
Creator no. 5 (45) (Kreator)
4 February 2003
Read with CREATOR
We recommend the book entitled "Possessed by Ghosts - Exorcisms of the 21st Century" whose author is Wanda Pratnicka, world-renowned exorcist and psychotherapist. Mrs Pratnicka is very well known among those interested in esoteric studies, she has been written about in many significant magazines dealing with esoteric studies. Wanda Pratnicka is also often invited to appear on television as one of the most outstanding experts on exorcism in the world.
Pratnicka's book is exceptionally popular because the knowledge contained in it has never before been published by any author in world literature. The book deals with the subject of the unrecognized problems of a great number of people. No-one has ever before embraced this subject in such a thorough and comprehensible way. At this moment (a month after its first printing) a second printing of the book is being made.
Pratnicka has, from her side, done what she could - she has written a book and sent it out to her clients, of whom she has several thousand. Now she is gathering its fruits. Every day she receives a huge number of telephone calls in which everyone thanks her for writing the book and publishing it, often crying with emotion as they do so.
It was written to let those who need to understand, but what we hear during the telephone conversations we mentioned exceeds our fondest expectations. She has helped in a quite unexpected way people who it would seem were in a hopeless situation. For example, the parents of an alcoholic had for years, in secret from him, asked for help in cleansing their son of ghosts. Pratnicka had, naturally, exorcised this man and the improvement had been very apparent but unfortunately, after some time, things had returned onto the old tracks. The mother had always asked for discretion so that the son wouldn't find out about Pratnicka's help. There were frequent arguments in the house and she was terrified by the thought of what might happen if he found out about her intervention. She feared that he could hurt her in an attack of rage. We sent the book addressed to the mother and "by chance" the alcoholic son received it. He phoned Pratnicka and ardently asked her to help him. He said: "Mrs Pratnicka, I read your book. I found out from it that I am an alcoholic and why all these things are happening to me. Now at last I understand what's going on here. At last I know that I can take things into my own hands. Till now life kept slipping out of my hands. I simply couldn't comprehend the reasons for my behavior. Every time I resolved that I would never again take alcohol into my lips then I instantly got drunk and was furious with myself for letting everyone down. Now I am aware of my problem and it's much easier. Thank you for that." How many people are there in Poland like this alcoholic? Drug addicts, schizophrenics, people possessed by ghosts, who could be helped in the same way? Very many, but first they have to find out that help is possible and the nature of their problem.
This account is about an alcoholic, but people talk the same way about virtually all other problems. Every moment they're phoning and relating how this book has changed their consciousness and their life. The most entertaining is when they report how they spent all night photocopying the book or how they waited impatiently in a long line for the opportunity of reading it. Or when they order several, or even dozens of new books.
This book has been read by people in virtually every walk of life, including many doctors and everyone is agreed that it is magnificent. It has also been read by literary critics, writers and poets. Their opinion, too, concurs. They claim that its simplicity astonished them - the way it's written which, apart from its contents, is one of its strong features.
At the moment the book is being translated into English, for the American market, and into German. There are translations being prepared in Spanish for all of Latin America. Having heard the opinion of experts who have read it, we are convinced that it will be a huge success and it would be a great mistake if everyone abroad knew it and read it but in Poland only a handful of people (maybe aside from Mrs Pratnicka's clients) knew about it. My view is that we should ensure that this book be known first and foremost in Poland and only then abroad.
What makes Wanda Pratnicka so special is her exceptional uniqueness. The majority of cases of visitation by ghosts are treated the same day, remotely, whereas an exorcist priest needs for each case an average of 2 to 3 years. Added to this is the unusually high effectiveness. I should also mention here that Mrs Pratnicka is a psychotherapist of world repute. Most mental disturbances are treated in just one session whereas a traditional psychotherapist needs anything from 6 months to several years of regular sessions. Mrs Pratnicka is undoubtedly one of the greatest living Poles.
USA 
