Haunted Cosmos – "Missionary Explains Real Demon Exorcism Experience!"

Podcast Hosts: Ben Garrett & Brian Sauvé
Guest: J.J., Pastoral Intern and Seminary Student
Date: February 25, 2026

Overview

In this gripping episode of Haunted Cosmos, hosts Ben Garrett and Brian Sauvé sit down with J.J., a listener-supporter, seminary student, and missionary, to explore his first-hand experiences with spiritual warfare—culminating in a vivid account of a real-life exorcism he witnessed and participated in while on a mission trip to Nepal. This conversation unpacks the interplay of spiritual realities in places marked by centuries of idol worship and the supernatural weight such environments carry, even for theologically cautious Christians.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Spiritual Climate in Nepal

• High Places and False Worship:
  • J.J. explains the biblical symbolism of mountains and "high places," tying it to Nepal’s Himalayan geography and its permeation with false worship.
  • “Everywhere you go, really, there is kind of this air of spiritual battle…Everything is spiritual. Everything is divine in some way.” (B, 08:06)
• Minority Christianity:
  • Only ~2% of Nepal's population is Christian, and this statistic generously includes Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
  • Local greetings embody worldviews: “Namaste” (acknowledging divinity in all) versus the Christian “J Masi”—“Victory to the Messiah.” (B, 09:10–09:19)

2. Personal Experience with Spiritual Oppression

• Culture Shock for the Skeptical:
  • J.J. describes starting from a non-charismatic, skeptical theological perspective, but feeling an unmistakable “heaviness” while praying alone on a Kathmandu rooftop:

    “Despite everything I just told you, I didn’t feel alone. And I kind of felt like something was staring at me…and when I looked up, I saw, oh, I was being stared at by a demon. Now when I say a demon, I mean a mask of an idol on the wall that was staring down at me.” (B, 11:17–12:46)

• Physical Effects:
  • The presence of idol masks was viscerally disturbing. J.J. eventually avoided the rooftop entirely because he couldn’t shake the sense of spiritual oppression.

3. Mission Work and Confronting Demonic Oppression

• Unhealthy Church Dynamics:
  • In Chituan Valley, the local church featured rival leaders claiming gifts of healing and prophecy, creating a context of confusion and spiritual need.
  • The workers (including J.J.) were asked to visit houses and pray for about seven women thought to be demon-possessed.
• Discernment and Skepticism:
  • J.J. notes that many “possessed” cases appeared to be illness or disability, or linked to continued idol worship in the home.
  • But he identifies one woman whose manifestations far exceeded anything natural or psychosomatic.

4. The Exorcism Experience: A Demonic Attack Unfolds

• Backstory: Witchcraft Involved

  • The woman’s marital strife began after her father-in-law hired a witch doctor to curse the marriage, following a broken engagement.
  • "The demons were all too eager. They probably didn’t need much asking. When you say, 'Hey, I want you to go over and destroy this marriage for me,’ they're like, 'Okay, sure.'" (B, 22:41)

• Supernatural Events

  • The woman became involuntarily violent, assaulting her husband at night and sometimes being unable to approach the church.

  • On the Day of the Exorcism:

    • As she neared the church, she was physically unable to continue and had to be dragged inside by her husband, collapsing and screaming upon entry. (B, 24:41–25:11)
    • The team witnessed her convulsing uncontrollably, requiring the strength of 7-8 people to hold down her small frame.
    • "All I'm doing is I'm holding down like her right calf, and I am struggling to do so with all the strength that she has behind her and just convulsing wildly." (B, 27:57)

  • Intensity and Duration

    • The episode involved hours of struggling, praying, and holding her down; at intervals, she would “let out a scream and just tire out,” then start again. (B, 29:35–29:38)

  • Physical and Spiritual Markers

    • The “animalistic” look in her eyes was one feature J.J. and others found unforgettable, similar to biblical and contemporary reports of possession.

• Resolution and Aftermath

  • The episode ended with her calming down, “coming back to her right mind,” and being able to eat and converse peacefully with the team.
  • Both she and her husband converted to Christianity after being presented with the gospel. (B, 31:40)
  • "She talked with us...that's how I was able to hear about all this backstory. And we were able to share the gospel with her. And she converted to Christianity, her and her husband." (B, 31:35–31:41)

5. Broader Context: The Reality and Expectation of Spiritual Warfare

• Scriptural Parallels:
  • Brian draws connections to New Testament accounts—the Gadarene demoniac’s strength, the failed exorcism by the sons of Sceva—all pointing to supernatural opposition and deliverance (C, 35:00–35:14).
• Cultural Observations:
  • The hosts discuss skepticism in Reformed circles and emphasize the need to stay open to the reality of the demonic, especially when the context aligns so closely with biblical patterns.
• Memorable Tangents:
  • Discussion of Jeremy Wade’s “River Monsters” episode, where a witch doctor’s ritual is followed by supernatural fishing “luck,” reinforcing that pagan spiritual power is real and dangerous. (C, 35:17–36:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Reality of Demonic Opposition:

  “We look at that stuff, we go, ‘Oh, it’s just for TV. Oh, it’s just, you know, people faking it or whatever.’ But, hey, this stuff is actually real. There are demons out there that are trying to steal, kill, and destroy.”
  — Brian (C, 36:32)

• Height of Spiritual Hostility:

  “The pastor tells us that he was really glad that we were here because there were many women at the church that were demon possessed, and he wanted us to go over to their houses.”
  — J.J. (B, 17:45)

• Supernatural Strength:

  “There’s like seven or eight of us holding down this very small Nepalese woman. And I…am struggling to do so with all the strength that she has behind her and just convulsing wildly.”
  — J.J. (B, 27:57)

• On the ‘Eyes’ of the Possessed:

  “Some people, again, they'll describe it in different ways, something about the eyes…the way that I would describe it best would just be to say they seem kind of animalistic.”
  — J.J. (B, 29:49)

• Conversion and Peace:

  “She came back to her right mind. We were able to have dinner with her after this…and we were able to share the gospel with her. And she converted to Christianity, her and her husband.”
  — J.J. (B, 31:35–31:41)

• Reflecting on Caution and Openness:

  “In a lot of you know, maybe even our reformed worlds, we tend towards suspicion of any story like this. And I think it’s okay to be suspicious...but I do think we need to keep an openness and say…this is exactly the kind of thing we should expect.”
  — Brian (C, 34:39)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Event | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:50 | J.J. begins Nepal background and biblical context | | 11:17 | Describes rooftop encounter with idol mask | | 15:57 | Introduction to Chituan Valley and unhealthy church | | 17:45 | Pastor’s request to pray for demon-possessed women | | 22:26 | Backstory of the cursed marriage and beginning of exorcism tale | | 24:41 | Woman’s resistance to church, screaming fit starts | | 27:57 | Description of holding down the convulsing woman | | 29:49 | The “animalistic” eyes and exorcism climax | | 31:35 | Aftermath: conversion to Christianity | | 34:00–36:30| Reflections, parallels with other cases, and River Monsters anecdote |

Tone and Style

The episode blends humor, camaraderie, and theological seriousness. The hosts lean on banter and gentle skepticism while never diminishing the weight or reality of the supernatural accounts described. J.J.'s calm, measured delivery underscores the sincerity and unsettling nature of his experiences.

Final Thoughts

This episode stands out as a powerful firsthand testimony of supernatural evil, the limits of psychological explanations, and the matchless hope found in Christ. It both challenges listeners to reconsider the spiritual undercurrents of our world and urges sober reckoning with the unseen realm—reminding us that the cosmos is indeed, as the podcast affirms, “not just stuff.”