Since Dennitsa (one of the names of the devil) fell away from God, taking with him a third of the angels, demons and the devil who leads them have appeared in the spiritual world.
Being by nature God's creatures, intended to carry out his will, fallen angels do not have the ability to create independently.
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Their (demons) destiny is to destroy, destroy and hate. They can't do anything more. Although they have the opportunity to do this. The Lord is merciful. He is always ready to accept repentant demons and the devil himself into his bosom. But he doesn’t want to, due to his stubbornness and selfishness. Moreover, the worst thing is that there is a continuous process of falling. Every day Satan becomes more and more fierce, it becomes even worse.
To whom, first of all, can demons direct “their poisonous sting”? Having previously been in the form of bright creatures, and now having turned into servants of Satan, who rebelled against the Creator himself, demons strive in every possible way to subjugate man. After all, none other than he is the Crown of the Lord’s creation, beloved and created for bliss and love.
What could serve as greater satisfaction to the malice of the black forces than the fact of enslaving a weak soul. At least for a while. Demons madly hate the whole world, each other, themselves, all living things. They cannot exist in peace. They need to constantly “bite” someone, doom someone to death.
Demon Possession
Many modern people, including Orthodox Christians, believe that obsession does not exist. And the strange, sometimes terrifying, state of possessed people is justified by mental disorders of consciousness. Does possession really exist and what are the signs of possession? Or is this an outdated name for mental illness?
Possession is a subordinate state of a person controlled by demons. A possessed person most often cannot approach Communion, hear the Gospel, name the names of God, or kiss holy objects (icons, relics, cross). The rest of the time, a person possessed by demons may be no different from other people. Such external calm and normal behavior of the possessed is not a necessary sign of possession. Such people can behave aggressively all the time.
Christ casts out demons from a possessed man (Christian fresco)
The Gospel mentions the healing of the demoniac. Some were very fierce and possessed unprecedented physical strength. Those possessed by an unclean spirit could break the chains that bound them (Matt. 8:28). In another case, Jesus Christ healed a demon-possessed sleepwalking youth, who only went berserk during the new moon and threw himself into fire and water. Some people who are possessed do not show aggression at all. The Gospel of Luke in chapter 13 describes the healing of a crumpled woman who had a spirit of infirmity. Obsession in her manifested itself only in the form of bodily weakness.
Archbishop Innokenty (Borisov) admits that demons can take possession of the human body and nervous system. But they still cannot influence the soul. Fallen forces seem to wedge themselves between body and soul. They control the human body and nervous system, the “shell of the soul.”
Story
The first cases of exorcism, or driving out the devil, were described in Mesopotamia in 4000 BC. e. In those days, the rite of exorcism was common in different cultures. Every person who had the right to heal and be called a healer knew conspiracies and spells against evil spirits and could put them into practice. Different peoples and religions had their own ideas about possession.
Islam
The phenomenon of possession by shaitans (jinn) in Muslim culture was determined by inappropriate behavior, hallucinations, and mental disorders. Muslims suspected people who fainted, suffered from nightmares, and sudden pain.
Moreover, Islam had its own views on what jinn were.
Muslim demons live in their own world, they come from a smokeless flame, are completely free from any rules and regulations, and cannot be seen by the human eye.
There is an opinion that jinn can inhabit one person in droves if he is sinful, has moved away from the Islamic religion or is not faithful to Allah. Getting rid of possession occurs when a specially trained person reads the Koran over the possessed person.
Judaism
Cases of possession in Judaism have been known since ancient times (516 BC). Much later, influenced by various surviving records, the concept of the dybbuk emerged.
In Kabbalistic literature, the dybbuk personified an evil spirit that was sinful in a past life, which is why it cannot be reborn into a new body. The spirit is on the border of two worlds, so it clings to other people’s bodies and souls and parasitizes on them.
To expel the dybbuk, a community of believers gathered, led by a righteous man, who was responsible for this process.
Buddhism
Back in the Middle Ages in Japan, folk stories about ghosts and the devil were widespread, which monks drove out under the protection of the Buddha himself. There was even a ritual, the essence of which boiled down to prolonged reading of mantras and paying off the spirit with beans. In those days, amulets and amulets began to appear.
In Tibetan Buddhism, demons are practically on the same level as people. They are fed, pacified, and people are redeemed from them through sacrifices. But in some cases, rituals are performed to forcibly expel spirits.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a separate branch of traditional Indian medicine. In it, unlike other societies, the appearance of the devil in the world of the living is not a naive superstition or popular belief.
Indians have always believed that there is a very thin line between the physical and energetic worlds that is easy to overcome. In addition, it was obvious that the two worlds always interact with each other: they seem to be intertwined with thin threads.
The branch of Ayurveda devoted to demonology is called graha-chikitsa. It examines precisely those spirits that can harm a person. The treatment of obsession among Indians is closely intertwined with the reading of mantras and prayers.
Signs of obsession
The outward manifestations of obsession can vary greatly. This could be violent behavior. The man screams, throws himself on the walls, the floor, has fits, blasphemes, swears, and makes terrifying sounds in an inhuman voice. Or, on the contrary, inconspicuous and, moreover, skillfully hidden.
Saint Theophan of Vyshensky said about demons: “they do not always reveal their presence, but lurk, secretly teaching their master all evil and rejecting all good: so that he is sure that he does everything himself, and meanwhile only fulfills the will of his enemy.” .
But nevertheless, there are signs by which one can judge possession (Bishop Alexander (Mileant) “At the threshold of fiery Gehenna”):
- disgust from the shrine . This is the main sign of possession. A person cannot enter a temple or kiss an icon. Or, at the sight of a priest or holy water, he begins to scream, make animal sounds: quack, crow, convulse. The possessed person cannot stand worship, prayers, and his face changes when the name of God is pronounced next to him.
Paisiy Svyatogorets described those possessed by demons: “People suffering from demons, approaching the shrine, become excited and begin to shake. From this it is absolutely clear that they have a demon. If you offer such people to drink a little holy water or want to cross them with holy relics, then they resist, because the Grace of God constrains the demons within them. And if people suffer from some kind of mental illness, they do not resist the shrine at all. Those who are possessed are worried, they begin to shake, even if you just approach them with a cross on you”;
– voice change . With mental disorders, the voice almost never changes. In the case of obsession, the words sound frightening and unnatural;
– clairvoyance . This sign occurs only when demons can predict what will happen in the future. This sign does not apply to most deceivers and charlatans;
- sudden cure . Doctors need a certain period of time to cure a patient. Signs of obsession may disappear suddenly.
Dangerous settler. Beware of energy bastards!
There is a type of settler who is most often called energy reptiles. These “gentlemen” cause both mental and physical problems. They are often called a simple word: “damage.” With this type of destructiveness, the reptile enters the subtle body of a person. After which it begins to slowly but surely bend.
These same reptiles can look different, for example, like a spider, like a snake or like a toad. By the way, the toad very often sits on the chest chakra. If such an individual sits on a man’s chest, then he will be hostile to his loved ones, and even aggressive. If she sits on a woman's chest, then she will often slander, will always be dissatisfied with everyone and everything, and will gradually become frigid. People with a toad are perceived by normal people as something unpleasant and disgusting. You don't want to communicate with such people. By the way, a toad can also be placed on the sex chakra. Then this is one hundred percent impotence in men and a bouquet of various gynecological diseases in women. If the snake sits down, the victim quickly drinks himself to death. The spider can lead to the realization of suicide.
The difference between demonic possession and mental illness
The line between obsession and mental illness is very thin and it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other. In biblical times, epileptics were considered possessed, and only with the development of medicine did they move away from this statement.
Psychiatrist Dmitry Avdeev identifies three causes of mental illness:
“The first reason: from human nature. Indeed, individual biological and genetic factors play a decisive role here. There are diseases as a consequence of sinful passions that have enslaved the soul - alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, etc. And there are mental disorders as a result of demonic influence. You need to know the causes of the development of mental illnesses, and, depending on the cause, apply the necessary medicine...
I've been hosting for twenty years now. And I often had to observe how the believing relatives of a seriously mentally ill person sought, first of all, to take him to reprimand. This is incorrect behavior. I myself do not dare to make any spiritual diagnoses. But if I see that in front of me is a sick person in need of urgent qualified psychiatric help, then I definitely tell his relatives about this. There is no need to take him to reprimand.”
But it is difficult to accurately identify the signs of possession and distinguish a possessed person from a mentally ill person. Sometimes these diseases are combined, that is, the person is both obsessed and mentally ill. Saints, as well as spiritually experienced priests, could see the essence of the disease. We, ordinary lay people, should not “stigmatize” people by diagnosing them.
Types of mugs
Most often you can find Hari Harpies, Hari Suki, Hari Sloth. The first one - Harpy - constantly screams. She can't speak calmly. Any word from another person is an opportunity and a reason to yell. As a rule, such a Hari has a function and it is “protection”. This kind of Kharya is called upon by a person independently at the soul level. This happens in difficult moments of life, when something threatens a person. Kharya comes to protect, in return she lives, feeding on the vital energy of a person.
Kharya Suki is a story about black ingratitude. When a lot of kindness and good things were done for a person, when just yesterday he ate from this hand, and today he bit it and even shit in it. This is exactly the mechanism of this entity.
Kharya Sloth speaks for itself. Here we are talking about such manifestations as: parasitism, laziness of the body and soul, indifference, reluctance to think or do anything at all, to create, lack of interest in serious things. Such people can be identified by the following markers: they just lie on the couch, watch TV, stupid talk shows, primitive TV series, and don’t read. And if they do read, it’s all sorts of rubbish that in no way enriches them with either knowledge or skills.
How does a person become obsessed?
“When the unclean spirit leaves a person, it walks through dry places, looking for rest, and, not finding it, says: I will return to my house from where I came; and, having arrived, finds it swept and put away; Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and live there, and the last thing for that person is worse than the first” (Matthew 12:43-45).
Possessed people become such because they violate the commandments given by God. When a person does not want to live with the Lord, then through his sins or lack of faith in God he gives power over himself to Satan. Such people do not participate in divine services, do not receive communion, do not pray, and do not fast. That is, they “make room” in their soul for demonic forces.
Paisiy Svyatogorets told an incident that resulted in people becoming possessed:
“Once they brought me to Kaliva a demon-possessed guy who constantly repeated the Jesus Prayer. The unfortunate man's father was a monk, but he threw off his cassock, returned to the world and got married. And so his unfortunate child was born possessed. God allowed this so that this child would receive a reward from Him, so that his father would be saved, and also so that we, the monks, would have before our eyes the example of the monks who returned to the world and are now suffering. During our conversation, the demon began to torment the possessed man, and he clucked very loudly like a chicken. "What happened to you?" - I asked him. At this time I said the following: “In the name of Jesus Christ, come out, you unclean soul, from the creation of God.” “Yes, I want to leave myself,” the demon shouted, “because this man is torturing me very much!” After all, he chants prayers non-stop! Oh, how I want to go to Pakistan and take a break at least a little!”
How to help someone who is possessed
In the Gospel, the Savior healed a demon-possessed youth who threw himself into fire and water. And He gave the answer on how to get rid of demons: “This generation is driven out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).
Righteous John of Kronstadt gave the following interpretation of the words of Jesus Christ: “How great is the power of fasting and prayer! No wonder: during fasting the soul becomes dominant over the lusts of the body, generally subjugates it to itself, and the devil very often acts through the flesh; The faster, therefore, conquers both the flesh and the devil - which means that then he is close to God in his moral state and can do the powers of God most easily. If prayer is added to this, which brings down to us the blessing and help of heaven, then man can truly command not only material nature, but also fallen spirits. How did the Lord Himself defeat the devil? By fasting and prayer.”
Some time ago, “reprimands” began to be especially popular among Orthodox Christians. A reprimand is a special type of prayer performed on demon-possessed people to exorcise evil spirits. In the breviary this prayer rite is called “Following a prayer service for the weak, overwhelmed by unclean spirits.” Such prayers really help get rid of unclean spirits.
Levels of demonic possession based on the amount of control the possessing ghost has
In this case, the level of possession depends on how much the ghost (demon, devil, negative energy, etc.) controls the mind and intellect of the possessed person. In short, to what extent the ghost merges with the person's consciousness.
- Light Possession - The possessing ghost has 25% control over the possessed person.
- Moderate possession - the ghost controls the person within 50%.
- Severe Possession - A ghost controls the possessed person, at a rate of 75%.
Features of the report
People often come to “reprimands” and bring their loved ones who are not possessed. For example, “my husband drinks”, “my son has become aggressive”, “who knows, maybe I’m damaged”, “my daughter has been jinxed” - such reasoning is not a reason for special incantatory prayers. And these are not signs of obsession. People perceive “reprimanding” as a magical ritual, and not a prayerful appeal to God in cases of possession. At the same time, they forget the Gospel words of Christ that only through prayer and fasting can demons be defeated.
“Every sinful passion is essentially submission to evil spirits. Uncontrollable outbursts of anger, conceit with contempt for others, foul language reaching the point of an internal need for swear words, addiction to seductive images - this and much more is the subordination of the soul to dark forces.
Actually, the soul of every person is a container that does not tolerate emptiness. If you do not create the temple of God within yourself, then you will become the abode of dark forces. We have no other choice - either build an altar to God in our hearts, or it will turn into an abomination of desolation. And therefore, both the stability of his soul in the earthly world and his well-being in the eternal world directly depend on a person’s spiritual activity” (Priest Valery Dukhanin).
Real cases
Clara Hermana Celje
One of the students at St. Michael's Mission in South Africa in 1906 became a victim of the devil. It is still unclear why the dark forces chose the body of a fragile sixteen-year-old girl as a refuge.
The first sign of Clara's demonic possession was her fluency in several languages. Later, she began to see events of the near future, read people's thoughts, rose from the bed to a height of several meters and hovered in the air, making inhuman sounds.
As a result, it was decided to carry out an exorcism ceremony. For this, two priests were called, one of whom almost died at the hands of a possessed woman. The confrontation between prayers and devilish power lasted two days, after which the demon left Klara Cele’s body.
Anneliese Michel
The case of Anneliese Michel is one of the most famous cases of possession in the world. The girl’s story formed the basis of the film “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.”
At the age of 16, the girl was admitted to a psychiatric clinic for treatment with a diagnosis of epilepsy and mental disorder. However, the more time Annelise spent in the clinic, the more doubts and dire assumptions the doctors had about her condition.
She experienced epileptic seizures, paralysis of the entire body at night, and hallucinations. The diagnostics did not help to identify any abnormalities in the brain, and Anneliese herself began to claim that she saw the face of the Devil.
Initially, no one believed her until she began to behave extremely strangely: tearing her clothes, eating spiders and coal, licking her own urine from the floor, and once biting off the head of a dead bird. When no one doubted Anneliese's obsession, consent was given to carry out the exorcism ritual.
As a result, 67 exorcisms were performed over 10 months, and during this time she ate or drank practically nothing. In 1976, the possessed woman died. At the time of death, she weighed about 30 kg and was 166 cm tall.
Roland Doe
The story of 14-year-old Roland Doe, whose real name is Robbie Magname, is known to many from the film “The Exorcist.”
The teenager showed signs of possession after his aunt suggested playing with a Ouija board. From that day on, terrible things began to happen in the house.
Roland began to speak in unknown languages, in the mornings strange scratches were found on his body, reminiscent of claw marks, after which it was decided to call a priest.
The boy survived more than 30 exorcisms, and the last one was successful. As a result, the entire hospital in which Doe was lying heard an animal's sad howl and smelled a strong smell of sulfur.
