Films and TV shows depicting 'beautiful young vampires ' have led to a surge of young people dabbling in occult forces , an exorcism expert says . Notable TV shows including True Blood and the Twilight film series - starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson - are said to be encouraging the surge and driving a new generation of what the Church considers demonic 'possessions ' . Professor Giuseppe Ferrari , head of the Italian occult watchdog The Group on Research and Socio-Religious Information , made the revelation when speaking to a Vatican-backed exorcism course in Rome . Hollywood films portraying 'beautiful young vampires ' , such as Robert Pattinson in Twilight , are said to be driving an increase in young people dabbling in the occult . True Blood , featuring Anna Paquin ( left ) and Joe Manganiello ( right ) , is another TV show which depicts vampires living in modern society . He told those in attendance : 'There are those who try to turn people into vampires and make them drink other people 's blood , or encourage them to have special sexual relations to obtain special powers , ' The Independent reported . 'These groups are attracted by the so-called beautiful young vampires that we 've seen so much of in recent years . ' Such incidents are considered a form of demonic possession by the Vatican . Although it continues to celebrate the role exorcisms play within the Church , it maintains strong guidelines on how and when they should be carried out . In 2013 , Pope Francis appeared to cast out a demon from a wheelchair-bound man who said he was possessed by the devil . The Vatican insisted the pope 'did n't intend to perform any exorcism , ' and it released a statement that said 'he simply intended to pray for someone who was suffering who was presented to him ' . The man later said that Francis had failed to banish the demons from his body . However , after Francis placed his hands on him , he was able to walk again , he claimed . The ancient rite of casting out Satan and his demons from the souls of the possessed has been carried out in the Catholic Church for centuries . In 2013 , Pope Francis appeared to cast out a demon from a wheelchair-bound man who said he was possessed by the devil . But the practice of exorcism saw a revival of interest following the 1973 film The Exorcist and other popular film and literature references . Speaking to Vatican Radio , Dr Valter Cascioli , a psychiatrist and spokesman for the International Association of Exorcists , last year warned of 'an extraordinary increase in demonic activity ' . He said that this makes it even more worrying that 'the number of people who are turning to these practices , which are damaging psychologically , spiritually and morally , is constantly growing ' . The Association , which brings together Catholic priests and psychiatrists , was founded in 1990 and given formal recognition by the Vatican in June . Dr Cascioli said that too many people today undervalue the temptation to engage in 'ordinary demonic activity ' , which leaves them unprepared to fight off greater attacks by the devil . In societies marked by 'rushing , superficiality , exaggerated individualism and secularization , ' he added , 'the battle against evil and the devil increasingly is becoming an emergency ' .
Films and movies are said to be driving a growing interest in occult forces . An exorcism expert claims youngsters are inspired by 'beautiful vampires ' Such shows include the hugely successful True Blood series and Twilight .