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"The lunatic is on the grass."
It was an hour before midnight. Ten-year-old James was in his bedroom, alone, when he was suddenly gripped by terror. A Pink Floyd song rang out through the empty room. The radio turned on by itself.
"The lunatic is on the grass. The lunatic is in the hall."
James lay paralyzed, locked in that helpless state that is itself as terrifying as whatever causes it. He wanted to move or cry out but couldn't. So he just listened.
"The lunatic is in my head. There's someone in my head, but it's not me."
This was James's first direct experience with evil, but it wouldn't be his last. "That would become something that would be common," he remembers. "I'd have a feeling of something scary being present. Then something weird would happen."
First the presence, then the strange thing. It would recur that way throughout his life. This is the first phase of demonic activity, the devil's first tentative steps into a life. For all the victims of demonic activity I spoke with, this sort of thing is common. And like James, they all wished to remain anonymous.
One victim felt the evil presence as a physical weight; another saw a grotesque person. One saw nothing -- literally -- in one part of a room, "like a pitch-black sheet had been pulled down."
Another victim -- a well-known Catholic leader respected for his pragmatism -- said, "My most frequent encounters involve black shadows and figures that I see out of the corner of my eye…. I'll see something in my peripheral vision. It's almost always in motion. When I turn my head, the figure will melt quickly into a fluid-like shadow and then flow away through the edges of the room or along the ceiling. I see these things frequently, almost every day." His encounters are cinematically frightening, involving infestations of crows, carpets of spiders, cats gathering to stare at him from his front porch, objects flying through rooms in his house, and inhuman figures standing in darkened hallways.
The evil presence manifests itself through senses other than sight, as well. "I occasionally hear things, voices sounding far away and choppy," one victim said. "I sometimes get overwhelmed with a sulfury smell," described another.
A friend of one of the victims listed these manifestations: "He'd get an oppressive feeling. Sometimes he'd see a grotesque, impish figure, a short, really nasty-looking demon. When he described it to Rome's exorcist, Father Gabriel Amorth, he said, 'Oh, that guy.' Other times, he'd just hear screaming. Deafening noise. I don't know what you'd want to call it. The wailing of the damned."
But there was one phenomenon that all the victims have experienced: "I could feel something there, looking at me."
James felt that presence again on a visit home from college. He was awakened at 1:30 a.m. with the feeling that someone was approaching the front door. He went downstairs, and soon one of his sisters walked in, drunk. He talked to her in the living room, warning her about drinking too much.
That's when the presence came. Then the strange thing.
The phone rang, and he picked it up. A female voice said, "Don't even try to talk to her. Just leave her alone."
He hung up and talked to his sister anyway. But, before long, the presence returned.
"I knew the phone was going to ring," he said. He reached for it. "Then it rang."
It was the same voice, but distorted, "like she had marbles in her mouth." Emphatically, the voice commanded, "I told you not to talk to her!"
He cut his lecture short.
James's parents consulted the Jesuit Rev. John Hardon about his case.
"He told me that there are three orders of reality," said James, whose family confirms the account (Father Hardon died nine years ago). "There is the divine existence. Just below that is the preternatural world, the world of spirits, angels good or bad. Then there's the natural world, where we live. But human beings also participate in the preternatural."
Father Hardon told him that some people are more attuned to the preternatural world. "They kind of sense things better," James said. "Things like what I just explained to you." Things like demons.
He Wants to Be With You Forever
When I agreed to do a story about demonic activity, possession, and exorcism for Crisis, I thought it would be fun -- a spooky thrill. I'd write the article, warn about being too preoccupied with the subject matter, and be done. Instead, I got sleepless nights, horrifying conversations with those who have been involved in exorcisms, and a new point of view on the demonic world.
Skeptics have fought a losing battle against belief in the devil for years. "What are the Church's greatest needs at the present time?" Pope Paul VI asked in November 1972. "Don't be surprised at Our answer and don't write it off as simplistic or even superstitious: One of the Church's greatest needs is to be defended against the evil we call the Devil."
There's an age-old battle between philosophers and poets about the nature of evil. The pope sided with the poets. "Evil is not merely an absence of something but an active force, a living, spiritual being that is perverted and that perverts others. It is a terrible reality, mysterious and frightening."
The Vatican has issued updated norms of exorcism as recently as 1999.
Demons are an inescapable part of the Old Testament. They are even named there: Lucifer in Isaiah, Asmodeus in Tobit, Satan in Job. And the New Testament can almost sound like the story of Christ the Exorcist, come to earth to end the reign of that strongman, Beelzebub. In St. John's words, "The reason the son of man appeared was to destroy the works of the devil."
Some manner of belief in demons is part of every religion in every age, and the diabolical world haunts moderns with no religion, too. Most horror movies work by suggesting that there's another layer to the world -- one we don't often see -- that is filled with darkness. Puncture it a little, and chaos pours out.
Some of the stories I'll tell involve contorted bodies, glowing eyes, levitation, and other Hollywood aspects of demonic activity. But I decided to focus on James's story, which is terrifying in a more typical way. It's filled with ambiguity, punctuated occasionally by bursts of darkness. And it has left him spiritually weary. Because the truth is, the victims of demonic activity don't live in carnival haunted houses. They exist at the edges of a malaise. They're anxious or depressed, disoriented in their spiritual lives or slowly losing their minds -- always wondering if the thoughts filling their heads are really their own.
"I don't experience them as clever 'fallen' angels," said one of the victims I spoke with. "I'm not sure I sense a great deal of intelligence there, at all. It's like they're working on some kind of animal instinct."
Catholic writer Mark Shea has pointed out that the devil, in rejecting the ultimate good that is God, rejected secondary goods, like intelligence, as well. But that doesn't mean he isn't clever -- the late exorcist Malachi Martin once said that the one thing an exorcist must never do is try to reason with the devil. But as a conversationalist, he's probably not like the demons in the Screwtape Letters. He's more like the captured alien in Independence Day: a highly developed insect who answers the president's careful negotiations by saying, simply, "Die."
So why dwell on the diabolical world at all? Paul VI explained, "This matter of the Devil and of the influence he can exert on individuals as well as on communities, entire societies or events, is a very important chapter of Catholic doctrine which should be studied again, although it is given little attention today."
In three different ways, I found that to be true.
First, the stories I collected add up to a giant neon sign saying "Stay away from witchcraft" and other occult practices. When I asked exorcists if witchcraft is a gateway to more serious demonic activity, they were incredulous. Gateway? It's directly dealing with the demonic! Nearly everyone they treat has been exposed in some way to Ouija boards, spells, hexes, "white magic," or tarot cards -- the stuff your local chain bookstore fills its shelves with because it sells so well.
Second, even if you're never tempted by witchcraft, recalling the nature of the demonic world can be a moral "Scared Straight" lesson. Try this: The next time you face a temptation, remind yourself that you're cooperating with the malevolent will of a highly developed insect that hates you yet wants to be with you forever. You'll find your old reliable sins lose a little of their allure.
And third, I found that these aren't simply horror stories. Horror stories work by attacking hope. But we aren't helpless when we face the devil. "The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite," says the Catechism of the Catholic Church. "He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature."
Modern-day saints like Blessed Mother Teresa fought the devil and won. The devil tried to possess Mother Teresa when she was sick in the hospital, Father Amorth told the National Catholic Register. An Indian exorcist kept him at bay.
We can take comfort in the fact that God never allows more for a soul than it can handle and that it's only after we invite demons in that they cause us serious problems.
Or when we leave ourselves wide open to them by spending time with witches, like James did. Because if the first phase of demonic activity -- the presence of evil -- comes at the devil's initiative, the second phase comes at our own.
There are two common ways the devil enters a person, one exorcist told me. "The basic one is through sin. The person turns away from God and commits sin frequently. The devil finds a willing victim. He finds a friend. Conversely, there's the person who is good, and the devil goes after him. The devil tries to wear the person down."
'He's Ready to Meet You Now'
"This is not a pleasant story," James began.
He was 20, at home near St. Louis on winter break from college, when he had a frustrating experience at a meeting of a Catholic community (in charity, we'll keep its name out of it; it's not a well-known group). He felt out of place and unfulfilled at the meeting, so he left early to go to his friend Vanessa Jabali's house and take her out to a movie. But when James arrived, he found her mother had other plans.
James had known Vanessa since the fifth grade. The Jabalis were an all-female household -- Mrs. Jabali and three daughters -- who seemed wealthy even though the father was absent. If you asked their religion, the Jabalis would tell you that they study their ancestry and then would refer to the "Yahwist" accounts in the Old Testament, the stories of animal sacrifice and scapegoats.
Mrs. Jabali told James to wait while she made cookies. Vanessa's sister, Isabel, joined them. "She spent 20 minutes preparing them, but they were not warm," James said. He ate them, though no one else did.
"She started talking to me about Moses and how he was a woman, and how Moses had horns like in the sculpture, and all kinds of really weird stuff," James said. At one point, Mrs. Jabali put both of her hands in front of her face, palms out, not touching, and said, "All of the sudden you open your eyes and you see what's going on." She waved them apart.
"I was sort of entranced," James said. To this day he doesn't know if the cookies were drugged. "She keeps talking this stuff, and I'm getting confused and disoriented."
Vanessa planned to drive James to the movie. But they did not go to the movie.
"We went to a house," James said. As he sat in the strange building with Vanessa, he felt a strong presence of evil. Soon Mrs. Jabali and Isabel arrived, and James was in the same company he had been in before, only ten miles away, in an unfamiliar house.
Mrs. Jabali turned to James and said, "He's ready to meet you downstairs if you want." She didn't explain who "he" was. James tried to pray, but couldn't. His mind was distracted. But he said there was no way he was going downstairs.
They sat longer, making small talk. Mrs. Jabali looked at ease. But she would occasionally repeat her invitation, more insistently.
"He's ready to meet you downstairs if you want, James."
"Finally, after about five more invitations to go downstairs and meet 'him,' we left that place and went to a movie," James said. But he doesn't remember the movie at all… except for one part, "where they cut a goat's neck and started dancing around it."
At the end, he stumbled into the car. "Did you like the part about the goat?" asked Vanessa, laughing. Then she said, "We're going back to that house."
That was too much for James. "I had an inspiration to order her, not ask her, but tell her, 'Vanessa, take me home.'"
"No," she said.
"Vanessa, take me home," James repeated.
Vanessa turned to her sister and, as if James wasn't even there, asked, "Well, what do I do now?"
"You have to do whatever he says," Isabel said.
"Well, what do you do when this happens with Joel?" Vanessa asked, referring to her sister's husband.
"I just beat him with a bat," Isabel said. They sounded utterly serious, as if they were trying to scare James.
Vanessa took him home. But the strangest part of the night was still ahead for James.
'Forget God'
As soon as he got home, he decided to drive back to the religious community where he had started out, on the other side of St. Louis. "It was late at night," his sister, Caroline, told me. "He said goodbye, and it was the sort of goodbye that seemed to mean, 'Goodbye forever.'"
James was barely in a condition to drive. "I don't know if I was drugged or cursed," he said. "Cars were whizzing by me. I was just trying to drive straight. By the time I got there, I was really scared."
He woke the priest and laypeople who lived at the community and told them, "I think God wants me to live here." The priest explained that people don't receive vocations out of fear and left to get some clothes for James to change into: He had wet his pants.
James sat staring at a crucifix on the wall, getting more and more agitated. Finally, he shouted, "Forget God!" and ran out into the hall. He pushed past three men and headed toward the chapel.
There, several men of the religious house witnessed James stand on a pew and do a back-flip. They yelled for others to help them, and then called the police. James made a dash toward the sanctuary, breaking the chapel's Epiphany statues on the way. The men intervened.
"I went after the tabernacle," James told me. "I wanted inside it. I just wanted to get to Jesus in the Eucharist."
He never did. Six men held him down. He broke free from them. They held him again. Soon, a police van arrived. James was put in a straitjacket and thrown into the darkness of the vehicle.
"In the paddy wagon, I was certain I had died and gone to hell. That was the deepest, worst psychological thing I'd ever experienced. It was so heinous and evil," he said.
"But I could still hope. And I could pray." His Catholic education told him that would be impossible if he were really in hell.
The next thing he remembers is the psychiatric ward, sitting in front of a blue light. "They put some drug in me and said I'd be asleep within ten seconds. I spent that night in a rubber room. I didn't sleep at all." Usually in such a case, a patient will spend months in the hospital. But a Catholic doctor interviewed him and gave him a clean bill of mental health -- a diagnosis that Father Hardon would soon affirm. James was in the hospital for only a week.
Possession
I shared these and other details of James's case with Rev. Herman Jayachandra. Father Jayachandra, 59, is pastor of St. Martin de Porres parish in Boulder, Colorado. A priest and exorcist from India, Father Jayachandra is quick to point out that he is not the official exorcist of the Archdiocese of Denver, but that he only helps victims of diabolic activity with the knowledge of the archdiocese or at its request. The archdiocese vouched for him as a priest in good standing.
Diabolic activity generally falls into one of four categories, he told me. The mildest forms are infestation (as in haunted houses) and obsession (when a person is harassed by the devil either by intense temptations or in a particular area of a person's life). Oppression -- an external attack by evil spirits on a person -- is worse. "The spirit could cause discouragement or weariness," said Father Jayachandra, "or it can put up external shows to frighten the person, such as shaking a person's bed during his sleep at night."
The rarest and most serious form is possession. "Partial possession means in a certain part of the body," he said. "Full possession means the devil takes control over the consciousness of the person. It uses the mouth of the person to speak. It uses the hands and legs of the person to do violence. It uses the mouth of the person to abuse and blaspheme."
There are three kinds of exorcisms. First, there's the liturgical exorcism that is incorporated in every baptismal ceremony. Second, there is so-called private exorcism, or simple exorcism. It can be performed by any of the faithful and can be as simple as the words, "Be gone, Satan." The third kind of exorcism is the solemn, "public," or formal exorcism. This ritual is only carried out with the specific authorization of a bishop. It's a serious matter, but it's a sacramental, not a sacrament. That means its effect is not infallible, and it may have to be repeated more than once.
One internationally known exorcist spoke with me but asked that his name not be used. His is a scary line of work. He told me he does a lot of research before suggesting a formal exorcism. "If the psychiatrists and the medical doctor have all said the same thing and given the person a clean bill of health," the priest said, "I will do what's called a provocation. I'll provoke the devil into manifesting himself, if he's there."
He has a few chosen methods of provocation.
"Most commonly, I'll put the Blessed Sacrament in a pix," he said. "When I go into the room to see the person, unbeknownst to them, I will carry the Blessed Sacrament. If the person is possessed, they know right away that I have it. They'll say, 'No, no! Go away! I can't go near you! He won't let me! He won't let me!' Or, with a prayer, we'll sprinkle holy water. The person will react and say, 'Stop that! Stop that! It burns! It burns! Don't do that! Don't do that!'"
James was never possessed. After all, he went toward the tabernacle, not away from it. He was probably oppressed by a demon, Father Jayachandra said, and it was likely caused by witchcraft. James's case reminded him of one exorcism he performed on an intermittently possessed person.
"It became very violent at a certain point. The possessed person jumped into the sanctuary and pushed down the statue of the Blessed Mother," he said. "I ended up putting iron grills around all the other statues."
James was exorcised, too. Many years after the incident with the Jabalis, and after other episodes, James's brother brought him to a priest who performed a simple exorcism on him. Without ever mentioning the devil, or using the word "exorcism," the priest asked James questions, gave him some tests, and then, almost as if it were an afterthought, said some prayers over him, including prayers in Latin. Father Amorth pointed out that since an exorcist doesn't want to encourage dark thoughts in a subject, he'll often perform his work in an almost casual way that won't alarm the victim.
I also talked to Andrew Walther, who has brought two different people for treatment to Father Amorth, author of An Exorcist Tells His Story. He told me about one of them, whom we'll call Leonard. Father Amorth thought Leonard's case was brought on by a witch's hex, too. Walther knew Leonard as one of the many college students abroad that he was working with. But Leonard started reporting strange incidents.
"He told me he was having a nightmare, and when he awoke he was completely unable to move, because there was a demon sitting on top of him, with glowing eyes."
Leonard prayed, and the demon went away. But eventually, it returned. Leonard called it "an aggressive, depressing presence."
Walther brought him to Father Amorth, and with Walther present, the exorcist performed a solemn exorcism.
"Father Amorth removed a bottle of holy water, a St. Benedict cross, a vessel of oil, and a stole from his briefcase, then, touching Leonard with the stole, he began to pray in Latin." The prayers included the litany of the saints. At one point, the exorcist demanded that the demon reveal itself. The rite lasted about ten minutes, and Leonard felt greatly relieved afterwards.
"Father Amorth told Leonard he wasn't possessed, but that he might be afflicted by a weak hex and that he should come back the next month," Walther said. "He wanted to know if there was witchcraft in the family. He said not to be distracted by the devil's harassment, but to pray before the Holy Eucharist -- especially if he could find it exposed -- to pray the rosary, and to go to Mass and confession often."
According to exorcists, possession often happens through some form of witchcraft. In India, Father Jayachandra said, "I had many cases of witches casting spells and hexes over people. People became obsessed, and some became possessed."
He was eager to point out that witches have no real power over the devil, though. "The devil, after using a witch to the best interest of both, eventually will kill her indirectly," he said, driving her mad so she'll die quickly in an accident or slowly from not being able to care for herself.
Rev. Charles Carpenter, 58, a priest in Alamos, Mexico, told me he used to be very skeptical about claims of demonic activity. But 25 years in Mexico changed his mind.
"People frequently consult what are called 'adivinos,' and 'brujos.' At first, I gave very little credence to the power of these persons," he said. "But then, over the years, I saw the effects in certain persons who consulted them."
'Am I Crazy?'
Shaking beds, shrieks from the underworld, glowing eyes. Exorcists have seen it all. But they haven't seen it often.
Usually, they encounter patients like James. Harassment and oppression are the most common form of demonic activity and, in a way, the most frightening. The devil doesn't enter at some definitive point in time and then make a clean departure.
He hangs around, untiringly, for months -- or years.
After James's back-flip incident, his sister, Caroline, was working as a dispatcher for a security company, sitting up late by a phone that never rang… except when James was talking to her on one line. Then, she got interrupted frequently by calls on the security line, strange calls -- adults laughing like children, nonsense words in weird voices, or ominous noises that are hard to describe.
Father Jayachandra told me of victims he treated who answered the telephone to hear, "I am with you." Or, in a deep, odd voice: "I'm going to help you."
"Perhaps the devil uses a human person under its control" to make the calls, he said.
Demons hound the victim, never letting him rest. Never letting him forget. James (and a witness I spoke with) described how, months after his incident, a grotesque person, a homeless woman with blank eyes, approached him.
"I have a message for you," she said ominously, then relieved herself, making a puddle under her dress. James took it as his tormenter reminding him of what he did that horrifying night.
His life is filled with such stories. They are frightening but nonetheless leave a doubt: They could be explained without any reference to the demonic world. Is he hexed, or is he paranoid? Is he being harassed by demons, or is he losing his mind?
He's not sure. That's the kind of triumph the devil usually claims: not destruction, but the misery of self-doubt.
Mental illness is not diabolical activity. Yet there is a relationship between the two, Father Jayachandra said.
"Smaller psychological problems, if not taken care of, can cause mental illness," he said. "But in my experience, demons could aggravate somebody's psychological problems to cause mental illness." And vice versa. "Mental illness, in my experience, leaves someone more likely to be oppressed, though not necessarily possessed."
Each of the victims I spoke with said the same thing: "I thought I was crazy." And in each of the cases -- I admit -- I wondered the same thing. All the same, one exorcist told me, "I've never found a person who needed an exorcism in a psychiatric hospital."
James's sister Caroline wanted to be sure I pointed out that most people who know James see nothing at all wrong with him. But James suffers greatly, she told me. "There are times when he's very angry at God for letting this sort of thing happen to him," she said. "He's wanted to be a priest but figures there's no way."
James's case shows the devil's true nature. Satan is an oppressive, energy-draining weight on the spirits of those afflicted by him. He isn't into artful repartee, he doesn't play the fiddle, and he can't make you a rock star. He won't keep his promises. And he hates you beyond imagination.
How to defend against him? "Grace is the decisive defense," Paul VI said.
Perhaps the best approach is the one James's brother Glen takes. He allowed James to take shelter one night at his house. All the doors were locked, then appeared to unlock on their own. Didn't that scare you?, I asked him.
"I never had any fear," Glen told me. "I know that, basically, as long as you're in a state of grace, God's going to give you anything you need to get by."
Tom Hoopes is the executive editor of the National Catholic Register and editorial director of Faith & Family. This article originally appeared in the November 2003 issue of Crisis Magazine.
Readers have left 57 comments. Quote(1) Our Help Is In the Name of The LORDFebruary 14th, 2009 | 1:31pm Praised be Jesus Christ!
Now and forever!
I read with interest your article,
and I agree , especially with the closing remark,
about staying in a state of grace,
and trusting in the Lord..
I am concerned for family and friends who think that they can consult with "mediums"
and that it is purely for entertainment ..
this is opening yourself up to a realm ,
that may take a lot of time and effort to close up ..
The devil is real, and
he is a liar and the father of lies..
and he makes things seem
so lovely and attractive until they have you,
Hook -
Line -
and sinker..
The old advice is still the best advice..
Stay in a state of grace,
as best as you can..
Like the Boy Scout Motto says..
"Be Prepared"
Our Help is in the name of the Lord.
Who made heaven and Earth..
God bless,
Ellen
Quote(2) Things like this happened to me.February 14th, 2009 | 7:24pm Thank you so much for this article. I hope that people who need this information find it.
Looking back,I think I was harassed/oppressed for many years. I never told anyone because I was sure they would call me crazy. (It must be a lot like being crazy.) I opened the door with tarot cards, fortune tellers, horoscopes, drugs at a party, a friend was a witch (wasn't she a nice person? - she took in homeless cats). I was so stupid. I thought it was only for fun, and back then never ever gave a thought to the possibility of the demonic. I felt terrorized, but didn't know why or by whom. Please warn people you know who might be vulnerable. This is terribly real.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. We humbly beseech God to rebuke him, and do though, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who roam through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. Quote(3) begoneFebruary 14th, 2009 | 8:41pm The Saint Benidict medal is a prayer of exorcism against Satan, a prayer for strength in time of temptation, a prayer for peace among ourselves and among the nations of the world, a prayer that the Cross of Christ be our light and guide, a prayer of firm rejection of all that is evil, a prayer of petition that we may with Christian courage "walk in God's ways, with the Gospel as our guide," as St. Benedict urges us.
Around the margin of the back of the medal, the letters V R S N S M V - S M Q L I V B are the initial letters of a Latin prayer of exorcism against Satan: Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! (Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!)
Quote(4) Good ArticleFebruary 15th, 2009 | 8:21am Many thanks for this very interesting, and timely article. I think, Tom, you may make a mistake if you say that "the devil isn't into artful repartee, he doesn't play the fiddle, and he can't make you a rock star." How can you be sure? And thank you, nobody, for your information on the St. Benedict Medal. I have a Benedictine medal on a wall in the office in our home. And Susan and Ellen, keep up the good fight! Quote(5) unansweredFebruary 15th, 2009 | 1:12pm It is unclear to me why the demonic activity surrounding James has not stopped. His brother Glen evinces a confidence in sanctifying grace that I would concur with. Nevertheless James talks about wanting to be a Priest but being hounded by these demonic forces. It states in the story that he is Catholic. If God permits this in his life it can only be to make him a Saint. Perhaps Mr. Hoopes could fill in this gap of the story. Is James a practicing Catholic, and if so, what explanation can be given for the demonic harassment, short of the answer I propose: his sanctity?
Quote(6) I, too, have experienced very unsettling eventsFebruary 15th, 2009 | 5:16pm There's too much to go into in this entry. Nevertheless, here is a snapshot of an involved saga that began, I am convinced, one night when my older brother unwittingly invited the devil into our household by calling upon him and asking me to participate in his (my brother's) actions.
Our family was very poor, though we kids never lacked love nor food. We all worked very hard and contributed to the household. As our family life degenerated into chaos - drug abuse (brother's addiction to heroin), alcoholism, violence - I, unfortunately, looked to the dark arts in a misguided attempt to gain control over the chaos and find peace.
I was received into the Church in my mid twenties and, after 21 years in the Church, I still struggle to rid myself of the temptation of listening to a very seductive voice (more like whispers of information I could not possibly know). Thank God for the Sacraments!
I, too, have experienced the images and shadows, the feelings of something malevolent present on many occasions, the heavy presence pressing upon me, knowledge of people's thoughts and actions confirmed when jokingly confronting them with the information and getting looks of shock and amazement,... I could go on and on.
Susan - you said it well - "Looking back, I (know) I was harassed/oppressed for many years. I never told anyone because I was sure they would call me crazy."
My greatest embarrassment and source of shame is having flirted with something so dark that has twisted my will and imagination and has distracted me from giving myself wholly to God.
The prayer of Saint Michael has been a great consolation in the struggle to cut the tendrils of evil. Thanks be to God for rescuing me from darkness. Quote(7) UntitledFebruary 15th, 2009 | 10:43pm This sounds like some of what my wife is suffering. Frankly, I did not believe until today, after some "odd" coincidences of which this article is one, that demonic activity played a major part. My wife has a background of abuse and some really wierd family. Not sure where to go from here but lots of prayer will be part of it. Thanks for writing and publishing this. Quote(8) Interesting...February 15th, 2009 | 11:41pm ... the story said that, "James had known Vanessa since the fifth grade." The fifth grade would make James 10 when he first met Vanessa, the same age as when he had his first demonic experience. Could it be that she had picked him out already at that age?
Quote(9) Thank you for posting this.February 16th, 2009 | 1:54pm I think one of the greatest successes the devil has found is in convincing people that the supernatural is all fantasy. People love to read books about it and watch movies, but we tell ourselves that it is all fantasy, that demons aren't real, when they actually are. It is a fine line between scaring our children to death and warning them of the dangers. I have used the reading of books to impress on my 11 year old daughter that while the ‘magic’ in Harry Potter or Cinderella is fantasy, there is real witchcraft and it is EVIL. It is absolutely true that too many young people are being drawn into this evil by bookstores stocking books on Wicca, etc. right next to the current favorites like Harry Potter or Twilight… and their parents are either not paying attention and taking the opportunity to explain the difference, or they have no faith or understanding of the faith themselves. I have seen people online claim to be Christian Wiccans… ![[smiley=shock]](http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/components/com_jreactions/custom/templates/blog/smileys/smiley_shock.gif) What???? I wish our parish priests would speak more about this. Let me start by acknowledging and thanking the wonderful priests who are. However, I have personally rarely heard a priest preach about the dangers in the spiritual world. I think often they are worried that it will only add more fuel for the anti-Christians to claim we are 'living in the dark ages'. Still, when it comes down to the spiritual battle raging, should we care about the criticism? Sadly, I have found most of the priests in my life have been more intellectual, than spiritual, themselves. I don't mean to criticize, but that is simply my experience. When a priest tells someone that Adoration is "just a devotional", it is a sign to me that his spiritual formation is not exactly what it could be. I also wish they would tell us more about the sacramentals of the Church, such as Blessed Salt. I have been Catholic all of my life and only just learned of this and other sacramentals recently, through surfing the internet. I find that terribly sad. Quote(10) Witchcraft, Catholic Youth Ministry and the BSAFebruary 16th, 2009 | 10:44pm I found it somewhat ironic that the first commentator makes reference to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in response to an article that states emphatically, “stay away from witchcraft.” Many (if not most) may be unaware that the BSA actually endorses the practice of witchcraft as fulfilling its own “Duty to God” membership requirement.
According to the BSA, “Members of Wicca, [i.e. practitioners of witchcraft] may join the organization, so long as they individually subscribe to the Scout Oath and Law without reservations, and, if adults, accept the Declaration of Religious Principle without reservations.”
Speak directly to a representative of the BSA and you will find that, while the Oath and Declaration of Religious Principle do make specific reference to “God”, the BSA leaves it up to the individual to define god (“higher power” is the term one often hears). Unlike atheists and agnostics, occult practitioners (such as witches) believe in a higher power (or powers), and the Scouting organization sees no reason to exclude them from membership, or so the logic goes. Bizarre, yet entirely true.
Given the spiritual threat posed by the occult in general and witchcraft in particular, one would think that the Church would not look too keenly upon any youth organization that would embrace such practices. The problem is that few in the modern Church seem willing to take this threat seriously.
The Church itself sponsors more than 290,000 Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers in more than 9,400 packs, troops, and crews directly under Catholic auspices, and an equal number of youth members in other Scouting units. About one-third of the parishes in the United States use the Scouting program as part of their youth ministry.
I use to be heavily involved in the Scouting organization, right up until a youth practitioner of witchcraft attempted to join our unit. The Boy Scouts would not support a denial of membership, for the reasons stated above. The lack of backing from the BSA and the threat of legal action forced the majority of the adult volunteers (myself included) to simply walk away from the program. Those strong in faith left, the witch stayed, and despite a number of efforts on my part to shed some light on the BSA’s position with regards to witchcraft and the spiritual threat it poses to our youth, the local diocese remains a strong supporter of the program.
Quote(11) Hollywood CatechetisFebruary 17th, 2009 | 1:23am I think that certain films, and their producers and affiliates, portray the realities posited in this article and combox thread examples. Not just the obvious exorcist accounts like Blatty's and "Emily Rose," but films such as "Prophecy," "The Devil's Advocate" and "Constantine" have a verity that I'd like to believe serves a valuable purpose- that the Enemy serves his own purposes for his own glory and vanity, and anywhere/everywhere. Get passed the special effects and whatnot, and such characterizations provide more than just a face and plotline, they can help one to remain vigilant. Quote(12) Thanks, BrianFebruary 17th, 2009 | 12:57pm I had no idea the BSA held that position. Thank you for the information. Quote(13) You're WelcomeFebruary 17th, 2009 | 4:50pm Pamela, you're welcome. Quote(14) This will be acceleratingFebruary 20th, 2009 | 9:34am This is a very important message. I've been a faith-filled Catholic my entire life and after coming home from a particularly wonderful spiritual pilgrimage, I was attacked so terribly by demonic oppression. I have a family member who is into the occult and I am certain that she was a portal in assisting the attack. Thankfully, I was aware of what was happening so I knew I wasn't crazy, but it didn't make it easier. Lock as many "doors" as you can in your life and stay vigilant about sacraments. If you are going through this battle, remember ... Christ has already won it for us. Quote(15) Prayer for SoulsFebruary 20th, 2009 | 10:20am Eternal Heavenly Father,
I adore You profoundly.
In the name, and for the benefit, of all souls everywhere,
[and, especially, .........],
I plead the most Precious Blood of Jesus,
Shed for us on the Cross of our Salvation,
And the sword of St. Michael, Archangel;
I also plead the intercession of Mary ever Virgin,
And of all Your Saints and holy angels:
According to Your just and merciful Will,
In Jesus Name,
And in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Quote(16) Yeah...February 21st, 2009 | 11:14am Hmmm...an all female household, mother believes Moses was a woman, a daughter who doesn't submit to her husband's authority and hits him with a baseball bat. What's the moral of the story? Women are evil. Oops...I mean disobedient, 'feminist' women are evil. Isn't that what the author is trying to relay?
Come on, are people really buying this story? Quote(17) Avoiding the occult is excellent advice.February 21st, 2009 | 11:59am Amen to the part about everything "adding up to a giant neon sign that says stay away from witchcraft." It is appalling to me that Ouija boards and other occult paraphernalia can be found at your local toy store.
This past Christmas I noticed that Toys R Us sells a variety of Ouija boards, including a pink one for girls. A few aisles over they have the book Wizardology, which contains a pack of tarot cards, instructions on palm reading, casting spells, familiar spirits - essentially a handbook of witchcraft for children.
A number of parents, even Catholic ones, think nothing of allowing their children to play with such "toys," claiming that it's all "make-believe." These same parents wouldn't dare let their children play with fire, but will allow them to play with the devil.
Thank you, Tom, for pointing out that messing with the occult is no game.
Rebecca, Administrator
Spiritual Warfare Forum
St. Pio Center for Deliverance Counseling Quote(18) Obsession and Opression from earlier youthFebruary 21st, 2009 | 12:04pm
My own story involves early exposure to pornography and impurity.
I was never fully possessed. There may have been partial possession I am not sure. Certainly there was obsession.
I have seen demons, I have fought with them, but in the end, their activity started to take more of a physical manifestation as I got into my college years.
They started by pretending to be Aliens from a UFO. I saw a mysterious circle in the cloud cover one night with the moon in the center. I had been paralyzed in my room and some kind of energy stolen from my heart that left me exhausted and unable to move for half an hour. I became obsessed with Aliens and it started to make me question my faith in Jesus. I started to think Jesus may have been their creation. Then I started to pray the rosary, go to confession, to mass, prayer in front of the eucharist.
I would from time to time see a demon in a dream or while awake. Always at the sound of the name of Jesus they leave in a hurry. They can't stand prayer.
I am steadily trying to make myself a good Christian. Purity has always been my struggle but I am seriously comitted to winning that battle.
I have been attacked all my life, mostly spiritually, by the demonic, yet also give tremendous graces, that I see life as a "hidden" or "secret" battle.
It often makes me wonder how people survive without the eucharist, the rosary, and God.
As it happens God has truly blessed me in my life and I live greatly blessed. But for 15 or more years life was desolate.
Lam
Quote(19) A Great AnalogyFebruary 21st, 2009 | 1:21pm I thought that "He's more like the captured alien in Independence Day: a highly developed insect who answers the president's careful negotiations by saying, simply, "Die." Was a great analogy. But remember, the aliens in ID4 were able to build massive space ships that were beyond our technology. Quote(20) lady? yeahFebruary 21st, 2009 | 1:22pm ![[smiley=evil]](http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/components/com_jreactions/custom/templates/blog/smileys/smiley_evil.gif) We have been warned, Heed.Single parent households, WITHOUT Jesus are breeding ground of demonic activity especially where they are multiple sexual partners. Quote(21) Thank You Jesus!February 21st, 2009 | 1:54pm I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE. NOW HOW DO I GET HELP WHEN MY PRIEST SAYS TO ME ITS JUST MY IMAGINATION AND AVOIDS ME. Quote(22) Re: Thank You Jesus!February 21st, 2009 | 2:33pm I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE. NOW HOW DO I GET HELP WHEN MY PRIEST SAYS TO ME ITS JUST MY IMAGINATION AND AVOIDS ME. — AnnAnn, I'm sorry to hear that. One option is to seek help from another priest. Another option is to visit the St. Pio Center for Deliverance Counseling (click the earth icon in the bottom right-hand corner of this post). You'll find a self-help section, spiritual warfare prayers, a discussion forum, and information on personal consultations if that is needed after you've followed the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. You are in my prayers, Ann. Quote(23) All too FamiliarFebruary 21st, 2009 | 6:23pm "Deliver us Lord from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In you Mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ."
The effects can be generational. I pray that this ends with me. Quote(24) NIGHT TERRORSFebruary 21st, 2009 | 7:16pm This article was very interesting. I realize that night terrors are a sleep disorder; however, I suffered from them as a child. I distinctly remember a feeling of impending doom coming over me, and then I would seem to fall into a state of semi-consciousness, which involved my screaming and having my eyes open. It ended before I turned 10, but they were frightening for me and my family. I often wonder if there wasn't something demonic about them. I have never since experienced anything so utterly terrifying and paralyzing. Quote(25) Lured in as a childFebruary 21st, 2009 | 9:35pm I really appreciate this article and have concern and compassion for James. I was raised Catholic, and had unusual experiences of precognition of events from early childhood. When I was about 9 years old, I saw a black shape come out of my closet and approach me. I was paralyzed with fear, and as it approached me, it seemed to vanish under my bed. I told my mother who inspected the room and said I must have drempt it.
About a year later, my mother, who was a devout Catholic, bought what she believed to be a game, a "Ouija" board. At the age of 10, I began playing with it with a friend, and we immediately began getting responses to our questions. The planchette seemed to move on its own without any conscious action on our parts. I then began using it on my own, and found it to move of its own volition.
That Halloween, my mother allowed me to have an overnight Halloween party. My friends and I planned to play with the Ouija board, but luckily, one of my friends parents heard about it and wouldn't allow their daughter to attend because they believed the Ouija board to be occult and dangerous, and they were right. At the time and at the age of 10, I didn't see that, though. My mother spoke with my friend's parents and they all agreed that we would not be allowed to play with the Ouija board.
All of my friends were disappointed, so instead we did something that I now understand was far worse. We went into the basement and held a seance.
Something happened to me at that point, and keep in mind, I was only 10 years old. I had a serious personality change. I became profoundly depressed, had difficulty eating, and experienced a repulsion toward anything holy, including the Mass and holy water, which burned.
At about that time,a new shop opened up in our neighborhood that sold witchcraft items. I began spending any money I earned at that shop, and bought tarrot cards, books on spells, and I became obsessed with the occult. By high school, I was dabbling with black magic.
About that time, the movie "The Exorcist" came out. My friend and I went, and thank the Lord Jesus, it scared us a lot. What seemed to me before as fun and games suddenly took a new meaning and I had a glimpse of what had been happening to me since my early childhood.
I gave up all occult practices and my mother burned the Ouija board. I still battled the effects of the doors that had been opened, however. I continued to know events before they happened, suffered from seriuos depression and eating disorders.
About the time I was in my 30s, I learned of a place called Medjugorje where the Blessed Virgin Mary was allegedly appearing to young people.
I had a spiritual experience there that caused me to run to a priest and confess my past use of witchcraft, the occult, and satanism. I feel I was completely forgiven for my part thanks to the intercession of Our Lady Queen of Peace.
Since that time, I've become very close to my Catholic faith. I love attending Mass, and I go to confession, on average, every other week. I still have strange events that happen -- once the dark side has your address, it knows where you live. We've had four devestating electrical fires destroying two homes, a car, and a business. We can barely recover from one catastrophic event in our lives before another happens, but thanks be to Our Lord Jesus Christ, everything always ends up all right in the end.
I'm sharing my story here so that parents will understand the importance of not allowing their children to play with occult games like Ouija boards. Also, to confirm that as the Church rightly teaches, evil is real and the devil would even be so bold as to attack small children.
Also, I hope that by sharing, anyone who has made the mistakes my family and I have will realize that through the precious blood of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, we are truly forgiven and we still have the opportunity to be converted and thus saved. Thanks for reading this. - Saundra (not my real name) Quote(26) Take Authority in Jesus Name and Over Come evil With God!February 21st, 2009 | 10:10pm I am so sorry to read this account that James went through! I know God will give him the victory over the enemy as he has promised! However, the account that was described I believe was an illuminati ceremony. If you have ever had something like this happen to you make sure you seek your priest out!!!
Do not be afraid!! This is also what Jesus spoke of when he said
that this type of demon only comes out with "prayer and fasting." Keep praying and also fast until it breaks! To God be the Glory! Jesus Christ is Lord! Quote(27) Keep Religious Programs on even when you sleepFebruary 22nd, 2009 | 7:59am I know the evil one can not bear the name of Jesus, so I leave religious programs on even when I go to sleep and when I leave the house to go to mass.
For me it is reassurance. Quote(28) Thank You Rebecca!February 22nd, 2009 | 2:50pm The website was very helpful. God Bless You! Quote(29) Spiritual WarfareFebruary 22nd, 2009 | 5:54pm Spiritual warefare is real. Satan leaves the lukewarm alone. He goes after those who lean toward him, and he attacks those who embrace Jesus. Those who embrace Jesus are confident though, that his attacks are worthless..
Get behind me Satan!
Devils be gone, in Jesus & Mary's Holy names,
Amen Quote(30) Means: Determined ProtectorFebruary 22nd, 2009 | 6:00pm ![[smiley=happy]](http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/components/com_jreactions/custom/templates/blog/smileys/smiley_happy.gif) Have a Nice Day Quote(31) liturgy of the hoursFebruary 22nd, 2009 | 7:49pm If every catholic would pray the liturgy of the hours daily....... just think of the power against the foe! Get up soldiers!!!! Quote(32) To webmasterFebruary 22nd, 2009 | 11:31pm Why in the name of God is there a laughing evil face in the text choices for these comments? That is truly insane. Quote(33) UntitledFebruary 23rd, 2009 | 3:51am First of all James, thanks for sharing your story with us. It took a lot of courage. Unfortunately you are one of many, that these experiences have happened too. Be glad that your parents had some idea of what was happening, and who to contact. I know a young girl who was not as fortunate. She ended up having shock treatments, and I do not know if she will ever be the same. Keep up the good witnessing, maybe you will be able to relieve the suffering of others by your story. God bless. Quote(34) From a consecrated lay hermitFebruary 23rd, 2009 | 8:20am The ridicule I have received for even daring to ask for an exorcism or an investigation that could lead to one for a family member in another diocese is a major scandal -- the salvation of priests and bishop involved is in dire jeopardy. People who encounter such brutality need to know where else to turn, and where to complain. I would ask you to address this problem in another article.
Deficient psychology that denies any reality of the occult and ascribes all belief in it to psychosis, and then justifies ridicule of the person encountering the problems as a "nut case" is a de facto denial of the faith -- yet this is the psychology traing many of our priests have gotten, along with the demythologizer's denial that Jesus really performed exorcisms. As I was told by one priest "from the chancery" in Confession one day as I asked for a relative, "Jesus was so culturally bound he didn't realize he was just curing epilepsy; he just thought he was doing exorcisms." Oh really? Pope John Paul II said "If you don't believe in the devil you don't believe in Jesus."
Quote(35) Don't forget your Guardian AngelFebruary 23rd, 2009 | 1:36pm I felt so sorry for James. It seemed so out of his control. I myself have experienced demonic activity, when I was small in the form of night terrors and later in life as I was becoming closer to God the attacks began physical. There was many a night when I experienced grabbing and pulling of my feet. One time something was pressing so hard on my chest I couldn't breathe. I was gasping for air. It was until I called on the name of Jesus that is stopped. I wasn't sure what it was, but God always has ways of revealing things and I came across a Catholic Article that spoke of demons that did this. Anyway, my point is when I was in my early twenties I really began to rediscover my faith full force and the attacks seemed to increase.
Now there was one night that I knew something was there, the terror I felt just overtook me. Then it happened, as my head was covered by my blanket I felt as if something sat on the edge of my bed. I was terrified, but slowly withdrew the covers, expecting to see something awful. Much to my surprise a beautiful man with long dark hair and greyish eyes wearing a dazzling white robe was smiling at me. He said "do not be afraid. I'm here to let you know I am always here." I said to him "oh, are you going to kiss me now?" There was a silly reason for that question, my mom had a dream two weeks before that the blessed mother came and kissed her forehead. Anyway, the person smiling said with a giggle "no" and he motioned me to lay back down. I closed my eyes and felt the bed move as if someone was getting up, when I opened them again he was gone.
After that the night terrors and bad attacks ceased and I never forget that my guardian angel is there. He is my friend, my protector. I thank God always for the grace he has given me. I know that night was a gift from heaven. Quote(36) On psychology and overreaching.February 23rd, 2009 | 5:08pm When I was younger and stupid and before God had mercy on me and showed me His truth I took a course in psychic phenomena. The prevailing teaching was that any psychic knowledge was due to our latent psychological potential and so any knowledge we gain from the "other realm" is often thought to be due to our own subconscious mind. I once had an aunt who brought in a Ouija Board and was telling us that it's movements were due to our own subconscious knowing the answer. She subtly suggested that we were "wiser" than those who believed we should avoid such games due to possibly contacting spirits. This aunt was in a religious order, one of the liberal ones and later left. I should probably remember to pray for her more.
God Bless Bob. Quote(37) Demonic oppressionFebruary 23rd, 2009 | 5:37pm I experienced a profound sense of depression, demon-induced terror, and withering fatigue that lasted for more than 10 years, even though I attended daily mass, prayed nearly 3 hours per day (Liturgy of the Hours, meditiation and scripture reading), fasted, sought spiritual direction from a Catholic priest, and went to confession regularly. I was regularly assailed by spirits of impurity, had visions of demonic figures (including dreams of vampires gathered around my bed that left me exhausted), had visions of the "King of Terrors" (cf Job 18:14), and was physically accosted by a spirit one night that injured my hand while falling asleep. I used to travel frequently and would often witness figures moving through my rooms at various hotels, including a young woman who walked through my room and through the wall twice while staying at the Fairmont Hotel in Calgary. I prayed deliverance prayer with Infant Jesus of Prague prayer group during their monthly healing masses and would often experience difficulties and increased temptations after these sessions. I became very sensitive to the presence of malevolent spirits in various places.
I still see small dark shadows sometimes that resemble small dust balls or black shadows that I catch out of the corner of my eye and that disappear if I try to focus on them, and recently while praying in my children's room heard knocking on the bed even though no one was present to knock. I've had the phone ring only when I am praying, and been greeted by silence when I've answered it. What worked for me? The rosary, St. Benedict medal, a general and searching confession of every sin of my past life, simple exorcism by a Catholic priest after that confession, use of sacramentals (holy water, blessed salt), and frequent mass & communion. There is no more powerful combination than frequent sacramental confession, mass, reception of the eucharist, and daily rosay for putting the devil in his place. Quote(38) Malachi Martin suggested this prayerFebruary 24th, 2009 | 3:41pm Malachi Martin suggested this simple prayer to Jesus: "Hide me in your wounds". A possessed person will react in some way (not described) when uttering those words. For me, it is a great source of comfort to say that simple prayer, and immediately lifts any cloud of darkness that may be present. Quote(39) Is this Harassment / Oppression or WHAT?February 24th, 2009 | 6:43pm This is not me but this is how it has been explained to me:
Lost souls want to show you their sudden and violent deaths; usually military. This is for a split second -- no provoking -- wide awake. You tell them to "go to the LIGHT" -- most time they go -- sometimes not. It does not feel evil but some of them could be evil. Very scary and exhausting. Does try to put up shields (imagery) and thought psalm 23 helped but now seems to invite more. Anyone have any ideas?
THANKS Quote(40) For MollyFebruary 24th, 2009 | 11:48pm
From my own experience I have found that saying the name of Jesus, asking for the protection of the blood of Jesus, St. Michael, and my guardian angel helps. Do you attend a church? Perhaps there are prayer groups? Have you consulted a priest, minister, or rabbi? They can be a great help. Do you know a catholic? If so perhaps they could give you some sacramentals. The evil spirits are attracted to fear. So sing, be happy, and praise God. They want to upset you, bring you down, and keep you from doing what you are suppose to be doing. So smile and sing, and sing and smile. I'll be praying for you as I am sure others are that are reading these posts. God bless.
Quote(41) My recent experience with the demonicFebruary 25th, 2009 | 10:51am I had my first experience with the demonic only a few months ago. My wife and I were heading home from her brother's house and were loading up the kids (2, 3 and 10). Everyone was upset with each other, and I was yelling at the younger ones in the back when my 10 year old boy started to cry saying he wanted to go home (to his mom's. We had him for the weekend). We told him no and started on the 15 minute drive home. He became increasingly upset and was unconsolable. He just kept saying he wanted to go home and was worried about his mother (though he really didn't have a reason to be.) To make a long story short, I sensed that there was something spiritually wrong with my son, and told my wife that I was going to take care of it when we got home. I had to carry him in the house and set him in the recliner. He was still crying and still pleading to go home - now 20 minutes after it all started. My wife went in to the younger kids room and prayed with them and kept them distracted while I began to pray over my boy. During this time he began to shake uncontrollably. His voice was not normal, and it was like something was messing with him that he could not shake. He even began to spit up a bit and at one intense point as I was telling the demon it could not remain in our house, my son pointed up into the corner of the room and said "I hate you!", to what appeared to be nothing at all, but he was seeing something. I can't remember for sure if this next thing happened before or after he said what he did, but at one point his eyes rolled back in his head and he became dead still for just a few seconds. I was about to panic thinking something was seriously physically wrong, but then he snapped out of it.
I know my son and I did battle with a demon that night. I am not sure if we drove it out for good or what. My wife said she was not certian it was gone as my son asked her in a kind of strange way what was in a note that I was reading (after all this had taken place).
Anyway, his mom is spiritually corrupt. She professes a belief in God but her life shows it for what it is. He had taken an interest in dragons and Harry Potter type books and I believe this and other factors had opened a door for a demon to enter into his life. Pray for me an my son and our family. I am asking the Lord to get him out of his home and into ours. I would like to do this without going through the heathen courts.
...and stay away from witchcraft and anything that looks like it. Quote(42) For ChrisFebruary 25th, 2009 | 1:06pm Receiving the sacraments, using sacramentals, having your home blessed by a priest will help. Maybe you can find a priest or bishop that will be willing to say exorcism prayers. Or perhaps they can refer you to an exorcist. God bless. Quote(43) Resisting AttacksFebruary 25th, 2009 | 1:58pm It is hard to imagine anyone who is not under attack in today's world! Condtions are the worst they have ever been. Utilize every means of protection available.
Here are the things I have used effectively:
State of Grace via confession, Mass & communion.
Daily Rosary.
Use of blessed Sacramentals: I wear a Miraculous Medal, St. Benedict medal and the scapular. There is a crucifix or other blessed object in every room and a St. Benedict Medal in the car. Blessed salt around the property, inside and out.
When I feel the presence of evil spirits, I command them in the name of Jesus Christ to leave permanently and not send any of their friends to take their place. They are obliged to leave.
Pray daily for protection from the spirit of the anti-Christ which permeates our civilization.
Quote(44) Strange and scareyFebruary 25th, 2009 | 2:57pm I had something happen once that I will never forget. I lived on a rez and I had young children. Me and several of my young ones were asleep all together in one room. I had the nightmare that was real. My eyes were wide open and there was a demon dog that had flaming eyes and a horrible laugh. I could not wake my daughter and I could not scream. I said in my mind over and over"I plead the blood of Jesus. Before it disappeared it bit my arm. There were bite marks on my arm. In my childhood I had played with Quija board and had a seance. I played with various occult toys and horoscope. Quote(45) UntitledFebruary 25th, 2009 | 4:52pm I attended a retreat given by an exorcist who explained how good people, even saints have these problems. At one of his retreats, while saying his exorcism prayers, and evil spirit left a seminarian after sending him across a roll of people. Can you imagine his shock and embarrasement? I would never want to be Cocky Locky into thinking "this would never happen to me". On the other hand we should never fear for God is with us, and he provides us with what we need. This does not exclude exorcists. One other interesting thing I have noticed about the prayers of exorcism, they are healing. People have been cured not only spiritually, but mentally and physically as well(example back problems). Exorcists often give retreats through the US, but there is one appointed for each diocese. Usually there is an exam to rule out other possibilities before an exorcism. Hope this helps. Quote(46) Let GOD do your battles in the name of his son JESUS !!!February 25th, 2009 | 6:04pm Act 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
Act 16:17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
Act 16:18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
Quote(47) words for protectionFebruary 25th, 2009 | 8:01pm I have had some scarey night experiences in the past but for the most part they have gone away. Since I've had some health issues it seems that I haven't had as many bad experiences. Most times it was a paralizing sensation and a very gloomy presence in the room and as if I was being stared at. What I have found works best is simply saying, "in the name of Jesus Christ go back to where you came from". Saying this always makes the presence go away. It has gotten to the point where I have actually felt as though they no longer have any power over me. Hope this helps. Quote(48) Children of?February 26th, 2009 | 1:48am Real sons of God have not trouble with the devil, resist him and he flees. The trouble is that people are decieved into approaching God with their works when the bible says "by grace we are saved through faith, and that not of works" Eph 2:8-9. God provides salvation through the only mediator, His Son Jesus, and by faith alone. No other man or organization is needed for mediation, that is blashpeme.
Acts 16:31 "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved". There is not much room for works in that. Read Paul's testimony of justification through faith alone in Phil 3:9. Paul also tesified "by the works of the law shall no man be justified, for by the law is the knowledge of sin". Read your bible and use the brain God gave you. Please, before you go to hell too for trusting in your works or sacremental rituals. Read Romans very carefully and look up every last word to find its real meaning, please for the sake of your own soul. Quote(49) UntitledFebruary 26th, 2009 | 7:42am The devil has been around for a long time. Adam and Eve had their problems. Jesus was tempted by the devil (gospel of Matthew 4:1-11). In the lives of the saints the Cure of Ars ( Jean Marie Vianne), St. Gemma Galgani, Padre Pio, and Mother Teresa just to mention "a few" had their problems. Yes God is always there for us. Matthew 18:20 Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them. I guess two thoughts come to mind when I read the different posts: there but by the grace of God goes I, and pride goes before a fall. Quote(50) Stop fighting it!February 26th, 2009 | 7:40pm 1) Read one of the new books in the Bible out loud, One book at a time (Praise God, The holy Spirit, and Jesus after every verse.) The point is to keep your mind filled with the word of God all the time. In really scary times get a red letter bible and read Jesus' words. Fill your mind with his words. If you experience phase changes and the words change on you, read during the day until you stabilize. ( During that type of situation you must be very careful because the words that are changing on you will give you the reverse meaning of what was written, you must purge your mind of fear, only fear God)
2) Eat food. You might not realize it but when these things happen food is the last thing on your mind.
3) Cant sleep. If this keeps you up more than a few days goto a Doctor and get something to help, either to help you sleep or to force you to change your state of mind.
Remember, no matter what you "think" can be done to you in these situations, Jesus is protecting you completely. The new testament was written to help us deal with the spiritual world in the modern world. Don't believe me, read it book by book without stopping for anything or any one, you may be surprised.
Don't ever ask why evil (lived) is allowed to exist by God. That's a part of the spiritual world you do not want to be a part of. Instead Thank God with every breath you take for every breath you take. Maybe he will reveal to you the order of things. Our world is composed of infinite universes, infinite dimensions, but God is everywhere all the time through his love, don't believe me, then read your bible.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Read that a few times maybe it may wake one up as to why they should be reading the bible in the first place. Yes, you should probably start reading the bible with John or Mathew. Quote(51) Just a questionFebruary 26th, 2009 | 7:51pm energy = gravity = love = spirit
Think about it, the implications are awe inspiring.
The Word of God is a kind of Spiritual DNA for us.
Read your Bible!!! Quote(52) Stop fighting it 2February 26th, 2009 | 8:30pm If people around you start changing, or acting like they are being possessed, watch out that's grounds for becoming psychotic, you will drive yourself nuts with fear...
Instead...
Go read your bible, when they try to stop you, show no fear, be as polite as possible, you did something to wake something up inside of people as old as time itself, so in your mind say Jesus' name, and pray, they will back off and leave you alone.
No joke.
You are not denying God or anything like that, but sometimes it's better not to fight but to love. Jesus is Love. God is Love. His Grace was given to us exactly for us to love him during our most dire situations. Never give up, read your bible, and know with all of your mind, all of your heart, all of your spirit, that your faith in God makes a love so powerful, so true, and so real that nothing can touch you.
Jesus' body was destroyed by this world, but the reality was, is, and always will be that nothing could touch his spirit.
It's all relative isn't it.
Quote(53) been there, done thatMarch 16th, 2009 | 9:57pm This sort of thing runs in my family, it would apear that my relatives and I are more sensitive to this phenomena. From an early age, about kindergarten or first grade, I would see distinctly humanoid 3 dimensional shadowy/smoky figures even in broad daylight. I didn't tell anyone. At about this time, I fell into an incredibily deep depression, which everyone thought was odd for someone so young. It finally stopped around sixth grade when my mother blessed our home with blessed salt and holy water. I began to fight the depression and my family left an abusive relationship with our dad. I'm 16 now, and it wasn't until about a year ago that I finally started to become deeper in my faith. Since then, I have been doing better, but I still encounter unexplainable phenomena, both good and evil, including the occasional phantom voice in my mind that isn't mine.
Have hope, the battle is indeed won, and Christ is the victor.
Quote(54) UntitledMarch 16th, 2009 | 10:42pm Thank you for writing this article. I found the comments as interesting and helpful as the article. I have had demonic activity in my life since I was a young child, at it's worst while in my early teens. I've experienced the 3D shadows that followed me throughout the house, incredibly loud knocking that traveled across the walls going from room to room, yet my sibling didn't hear it even when in the same room as me, something sitting on the side of my bed, something "walking" between my husband and I in the bed and being unable to waken him, and so on. I've seen small children appear in my bedroom at night, dark opaque figues walking across the room, and now a young girl spirit/demon or whatever it should be called walking through my house as clearly as seeing my own daughter...
I converted to Catholicism in my 20's. When I had my home blessed with holy water and holy salt, the occurances stopped within the house, however continued outdoors. When I moved to another house, they began again, and now two of my three children have seen some of these figures and the young girl as well. Praying often, there was sometimes a short respite, but they would always return.
Over the last two years I realize that I had not just become depressed and anxious, but rather oppressed. I've returned to attending Mass and praying for God to help me out of this dark pit. It has been a slow process, but articles like this help me to see what it is that I'm facing, that it's real, and that Jesus is really here to help me.
I found the Cukiersky family website, they're an apostolate, and purchased blessed St. Benedict medals, third degree relic cards, and holy salt and place them around my home. It's been two weeks and there has been no sign of these creatures.
I have never been a part of a ouigie board, seance, occult, or anything like that, but for some reason these things are attached to me and now my family. Any ideas? Quote(55) Dark figuresApril 14th, 2009 | 4:35am Thank your for writing this article, it has helped me alot.
Since I was a teenager, I regulary saw dark figures from the corner of my eye. Once spotted they whisked away into another room. I didtn tell anyone and didnt worry about it as I didnt know what they were.
Recently, these sightings have increased in number and type of dark figures. Like some of the responses, I see dark figures that resemble dark dust balls whirlling near me only to disapear. I also see dark solid figures during the day and night. The most recent was a few nights ago. I was standing on the walkway in front of my house when to my left I saw a dark solid figure standing on the walkway facing me. It was darker than the shadows cast by trees. I could detect a head, shoulders and body. Even though I could not see the face, I knew it was looking at me, even more, I sensed it knew I was looking at it, like it was expecting me. After I blinked the figure disappeared, but the sense of foreboding remained.
I have recently told my parents about my sightings, and like good Catholics they gave me a St Benedicts Medal. Im not sure what else to do or why I keep seeing these images. Quote(56) Great articleApril 24th, 2009 | 4:02am You assessed some major symptoms that i am currently experiencing. While i do not experience direct demonic activity (activity which is caused by moving objects or paranormal activity.), i do however, experience indirect attacks.
-Strong feelings of lust and hatred
-A constant weight of something on or around my body.
-I focus on certain areas in a room as if someone is there, yet see nothing but i feel them, however.
-Visions of fighting hoards of demons, nightmares of a blood red sky and a barren/war-ridden Earth, etc.
-A feeling that i cannot set foot on church ground or speak openly with a Catholic priest.
I do not feel helpless, i fight and can hold my own well. For years i have followed my own path, following my heart and trying to help others, to be a good person. Yet the urge to join a church remains... whether i can do it though, is the question. Things are continuing to happen to me which cause me to believe further. I question myself constantly on what i should do. Whether i am possessed or paranoid, maybe its time i speak with a priest. Quote(57) Black Shadows, etc.July 07th, 2009 | 7:26pm The reason I am even here at this site is the black shadows. I have seen these amorphous things from the corner of my eye. At times the shape of cats. Recently two have swopped down like bats or boomerangs to go under a door or bed. Three people in my family have seen this, even at the same time.
These things come at a time of spiritual upheaval, sin and trial in my marriage. I believe sin has brough these spiritual parasites into my life, but I should be thankful to God as I am being shocked back into union with him. What is most disturbing is demons can penetrate right into our minds with their temptations and horrid voices. So intrusive. But, so can angels give us guidance.
Our bodies are being attacked by infections bacteria and viruses constantly, so our souls are being attacked by demons - both a condition of living on this planet as humans. Our spiritual immune system is the Sacraments, sacramentals, scripture and prayer. Dont ever give up hope. Prepare yourself for heaven by following God's will on Earth! |
