Demonic Possession

As I have said before “Satan and Demons are real anthropomorphic beings”. I know some people will never believe in demons however, once seen and experienced the first time, a person’s viewpoint changes forever. If you are reading this post while thinking “Yea right, demons are not real.” then you have never experienced the phenomenon for yourself. Whether you are a Christian, Jew, Atheist, Satanist or anything in between, if you do not have first hand experience with demons, you are not qualified to speak or write on the matter…………PERIOD!

In my blog post titled “Rituale Romanum – The Exorcist’s Handbook”, I explained how the Catholic Church admits their belief in demonic possession but writing, publishing and currently using the document as a process manual with an entire section on exorcism. Why would the church write a book such as the “Rituale Romanum” if they do not believe possession actually takes place?

“The Rite of Exorcism is not just sanctioned by the local parishes but certain section of the Rituale Romanum are figuratively redacted by the Vatican by including the following statement in the associated sections: “The texts of the Rite of Exorcism are restricted to the study and use of Exorcist Priests who perform this ministry under the direction of the Diocesan Bishop”. In keeping with the Hocus Pocus line of thought and the conspiracy theorists’ revelation, the church actually refuses to officially reduce the selected section to writing and thus, the priest must have a “fail-safe” type of mission briefing to properly prepare for waging cognitive warfare on the demons of the Satanic Pit.”

In the Christian Bible, the Christ performs an exorcism by casting out demons from the possessed. Whether you believe the events in the bible actually happened or not, there is certainly a precedent set (stare decisis) beginning in those written words concerning demonic possession.

For those who have analyzed William Friedkin’s visual interpretation of the William Peter Blatty book “The Exorcist”, you should know that a broad artistic license was applied to the movie and while some parts are accurate, other parts are just for aesthetic purposes. for example, I have seen demons hurt people but I have never seen the demon cause cuts, disfigurement or other physical injuries to the demon’s host. It does not happen that way and while the host will experience much discomfort during and after the possession, the host is never disfigured.

Another point: “Demons seek those who seek demons”. That is right; a person who is dabbling with demons is more likely (and susceptible) to demonic possession than someone taking preventive steps using education, preparation and common sense. I often correspond with those seeking to “conjure a demon” and while this is certainly an admirable thing to aspire to, if they do not know what they are doing they may unwittingly open the gates of hell and unleash a demon that is “not so willing to assist in magical endeavors”. If you wish to use my books to conjure demons, I would advise you to take precautions and educate yourself before an attempt is made. Caveat Emptor…………..

A conversation of Demonic Possession often turns to the topic of “Familiars” and quite honestly, most people have no idea what Familiars are or what role they are said to play in Demonology or the Satanic. I wanted to touch upon this in my Demonic Possession series since I have received emails with such inquiries. Let’s get started, shall we?

As stated in Britannica’s definition of Familiar we find that some of the folklore of Halloween was taken from the Familiar. The representation of black cats, toads and other creatures can certainly been seen a few weeks before Halloween on any isle of Target, WalMart, Costco, etc. Now, before the conspiracy theorists (or Christians) invent a new story that all retailers are worshiping the devil, let’s just remember that consumers drive what is offered for sale in a retail store. These businesses are not holding satanic rituals in the back of the store to ensure the Captain Jack Sparrow mask will sell…………Disney perhaps, but not the other retailers.

Most of us enjoy being “safely” scared from time to time. Take for instance the Ferris Wheel or Roller Coaster at the fair or amusement park. We want to be pushed outside of our comfort zone however, no one wants to die as a result. If death was the object, the Captain Sparrow sword would have a stainless steel blade instead of a plastic one.

Since we want to feel afraid, we seek out those things that will create the feeling we desire. Familiars are just that; objects (even people or animals) that create the desired feeling. It is the same thing that makes us want to be around people of like-mindedness and of the same social status and beliefs. We do not want to hang around people who do not inspire, educate, fulfill or otherwise satisfy us in some manner. We want to surround ourselves with…………….Familiars.

Familiars also come with a built-in attribute of which may sometimes be very difficult to disassociate ourselves. For us, the Familiar carries strong feelings of attachment and reliance; two attributes that are very difficult to control in the human psyche.

For example, if you smoke a cigarette when you drink alcohol, and you wish to stop smoking, it may be very difficult to resist the urge to smoke while drinking in the future……….especially initially. The same thing may hold true if you smoke a cigarette with your first cup of coffee in the morning. If you stop smoking, that morning coffee will certainly “call for a cigarette” in your subconscious every morning until something else fills that void in the collective psyche.

The Familiars are extremely strong for a drug addict who is trying to quit their addiction. The person who supplies their drug of choice, the places they usually get their fix and the smell, taste, etc. all combine to make quitting a very difficult endeavor. The addict is encouraged to change their lifestyle, including dissociation with dealers, locations and other things that remind them of the “high” experienced. No witches, toads or spooky things…………….just psychological “rewiring” of the mind. Simply put, the Familiars must be replaced and avoided in the future to prevent relapse.

From the standpoint of demonic possession, the Familiars are just as important. From the priest wishing to banish a demon, to the coven trying to extend an invitation to the beings well beyond the grasps of earth, knowledge of the associated Familiars is equally needed and desired. For the priest who is working from the Rituale Romanum, identifying and removing the Familiars will aid in breaking the cognitive connection between possessed and possessor. For the coven attempting to attract demons, Familiars are used with equal vigor. The Satanically blessed sacraments and implements of ritual will assist in focusing the energy and will also remove the spiritual languor by creating a focal point for that energy, thus producing the desired results.

Using or omitting Familiars is an important aspect of Demonology and Satanism. Role-play while using Familiars is a powerful aesthetic and theatrical method for opening the mind further to the subconscious and delving into the spiritual dimension.

“All Demons are not evils just as all Angels are not good.” Shakespeare said it best 400 years ago: “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself” and “Hell is empty; all the devils are here”.

There have been countless reported demonic possessions throughout history. Some are legitimate and substantiated however most are not. In most cases there can be found a clinical or other explanation for what is called “possession”. As our civilization becomes more educated and open-minded concerning possession, the more cases are dismissed as what they truly are: physical / mental illnesses, drug abuse or other rationality. There are however, those events that do not fit neatly into one or more of these diagnosis and are categorized as Demonic / Satanic Possession.

The unraveling of the human psyche is a frightening happening when mixed with demons. Possession however, is not always a theatrical affair nor is it as portrayed in the movie The Exorcist.

Believe it or not, demons prefer to be invited guests and usually wait for the host to extend an invitation through ritual or other magical device. Demons can possess the unwilling host but it is usually preempted by the host performing some act that may be misconstrued as an invitation. This can happen through Familiars as discussed above.

Opening one’s self to the Satanic or Demonic forces is a serious matter and should be treated as such. In popular culture, the Ouija board has played a big part in the opening of the host in preparation for possession. When a person opens themselves and subjects their mind and body to the being, the process is set into motion. Whether intentionally or not, once the chain of events are set into motion, the script must be played out on the stage that is everyday life. Occult “dabblers” are many times the guinea pigs for the strong demonic forces.

A big mistake “dabblers” make is underestimation of demonic power and energy that can be easily wielded by a being. I equate this force to a riptide. No matter how hard you flight to swim against the riptide, you will only exhaust all your energy before being carried out to sea or drowned. Once in the grip of the force, not even a brisance will break the force. Abject consequences will surely await the dabblers. Evil can be a fierce power and the wage for calling it forth can be too high to pay for the ignorant or unprepared.

The case of Anneliese Michel is usually referenced by those trying to prove or disprove possession. The case has been labelled by some as mental illness, negligence, abuse, and religious hysteria. She suffered from epilepsy and was treated at several clinics in Germany during the late sixties and early seventies. A devout Catholic, Michel began to attribute her condition to demonic possession. Michel became intolerant of sacred places and objects, such as the crucifix, which she attributed to her own demonic possession.

Once convinced of her possession, Anneliese, her parents, and the exorcist stopped seeking medical treatment, and put her fate solely into the hands of the exorcism rites. Sixty-seven exorcism sessions, one or two each week, lasting up to four hours, were performed over about ten months in 1975 and 1976. On 1 July 1976, Anneliese died in her sleep.

Such events have been sensationalized in the media as possessions however, most have a logical explanation that does not include demons or Satan. Possession is much more subdued that most people believe and while a person vomiting Pea Soup is more entertaining, the fact is most of the wrestling of good and evil takes place within the brain of the possessed. This is more dangerous that physical manifestations because it is hard to diagnose that which cannot be seen. It is no doubt that some people committing unspeakable acts upon humanity are in fact demonically possessed; not all but some.

A skilled magician can invite demons to inhabit them while performing rituals and spells. Preparation is important and knowledge of the Demonic and Satanic is required to achieve success.