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Date Posted: 04:06:13 07/05/04 Mon
Author: lando
Subject: Demonology 101, by Carl Johnson

Demonology 101
Source:http://the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/demonology/demonology101.html



A "Demon" was originally a Greek term which meant a wise, guardian spirit. In present day spiritualism and parapsychology, the word connotes an entity which appears to have a malicious and resentful nature, and is possibly of a non-human origin: differentiated from a spirit which proceeded from a once-living person.

What characteristics do these entities evince?

1- They seem interested in, and often resentful (perhaps envious?) of living human beings.

2- Although they have been known to inflict minor injuries on people, such as scratches, welts and even what appear to be bite marks, primarily they assault the human mind through oppressive anxiety and fear.

3- They sometimes make their presence known through our senses, such as inexplicable foul odors and low gutteral growling (examples of which have been recorded during TAPS investigations as well as investigations by other paranormal research groups).

Demons may exist as a "quasi life-form," inteligent though not reasoning as do human beings, and existing outside the boundaries of our experience of linear time.

An exorcism or spiritual cleansing may provide a remedy, either temporary or hopefully permanent, against demonic infestation by making the environment hostile for the entity or entities.

Here's a topic for speculation: Obviously, not much is known for certain regarding these entities called demons other than their presence is quite inconvenient. Consider, could a human spirit become demonic, or be assimilated by the demonic entities? Are they always of non-human origin?
Denizens of the "Demonic Realm" - are they invariably of non-human origin, or can the human psyche generate such a negativity that a soul can somehow degenerate into the form of that which we name a demon? It has even been conjectured that demonic "thought forms" could, under extraordinary conditions, be created by a human being and take on a sort of "life" or "lives" of their own. And some contend that they are fallen angels.

This is all speculative; what is certain (that is, what experience has borne out) is that in some dimensional reality apart from our own, there exist seething, resentful, debased entities which occasionally make their way into the living world, seeking human subjects to prey upon and torment.

At times these shadow creatures appear attracted to a particular person or locale, and are inexplicably "just there." In other instances, someone has inadvertantly opened a psychic porthole, or chasm, to their netherworld and allowed them access, perhaps by means of a seance or ouija board use, sometimes through reckless magical conjurations (for a demon may not consider itself "banished" at the close of a ceremony), or even via one's psychological imbalance (such as excessive sorrow, hostility or psychosis). And having achieved a foothold in this plane, they can become insidious, formidable adversaries, wholly devoted to inflicting despair, and notoriously difficult to expunge.

One method of dispelling a demonic presence is to remove oneself from its presence, from the setting of the infestation, allowing it to simply dissipate for lack of the psychic energy which it provokes through fear and frustration, and upon which it seems to feed. Obviously, this isn't always practical, nor do demons always so easily relinquish their holds. This is when intervention and assistance is called for, either from open-minded clergy who accept the existence of such phenomena, or from experienced and competent paranormal investigators.

The investigating team will endeavor to find the source of the trouble, determine the type of haunting ('intelligent,' 'residual,' or 'inhuman'), log and analyze all available data, then decide what measures should be taken to counter the harmful influence(s). If it is judged to be a demonic agent, what must be avoided is a personal, one-on-one confrontation with these forces, which would be dangerous and most likely ineffective. Never meet the demon for a showdown on its own terms; exasperated rage serves only to strengthen them, and most seem adept at bringing out the very worst in people. Once they incite conflict within a family or group, cause panic, or drive someone to the point of exclaiming "Damn you! What do you want from us?", they then have the upper (invisible) hand.

Remaining as calm and scientific as possible in the midst of a demonic assault is unquestionabley a trying discipline, but it is developed through experience, and with the essential support of fellow investigative team members. A paranormal investigator needn't be fearless, or saintly. (Hopefully not, since I fall far short of both.) However, he or she must assess his or her own strengths, as well as limitations.In Parts I and II we touched on a few explanations offered for the existence of those spirit entities categorized as demons, as well as outlined the characteristics they manifest, and some basic methods of dealing with the inconvenience of their presence. I would like to continue with further speculation on their origins and nature, in an effort to establish a working theorem regarding this area of study.

What factors initially spawned them, we cannot for certain say, and it follows our rigid concept of lineal time, with absolute beginning and endings, does not wholly govern the less substantial realm of spirit. Perhaps a demon could be described as an energy displacement, a sort of poltergeist in which a consciousness has evolved. It exists (yet doesn't in a purely physical sense), it knows there are other entities like unto itself, and it senses the living beings (us) moving in a dimensional plane apart from their own. But why, then, should they resent us? Well, maybe not all are resentful, and we just notice the ones that are.

It is conceivable that a demon, never having been embodied, might envy the humanity, which it can never experience: the physical sensations, the interaction, the companionship, the hopes and aspirations.

Opportunities for a demon to enter our world and wreak its havoc - that is, in overt, obvious ways - must be limited. Evidence would seem to support the notion that it must first be invited in, though even a subtle invitation can suffice. Once the demon has an "in," it will feed upon the energies expelled by negative emotions such as anxiety, fear and anger, especially those directed at itself.

The state of mind conducive to expelling a demonic presence is a resolute dedication to purpose and a sense of unity on the part of those who confront this nightmarish force.

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