What do you think  about demons and possesion?
474140
Demons have existed and inhabited our earth since Bible times, so it's logical that they are still among us today. I think of them as messengers of Satan, similar to the way angels are messengers of God. Most people are not directly affected by their presence, but many are without even realizing it. \n\nLike Satan himself, the job of a demon is to corrupt God's people and create doubt in the holiness and power of God. For example, there are numerous accounts on haunted houses, with plenty of legitimate witnesses testifying to what they saw. Demons will take the form of a ghost or deceased relative, because if someone believes in a world of ghosts unable to cross over, that person may doubt the existence of God, who is in charge of taking care of our souls after death. Fortune tellers and those who practice witchcraft may also be able to communicate with demons, who may not always represent themselves as a negative presence (therefore people might not realize they are speaking with an evil force).\n\nMore rare and serious instances of demonic presence are possessions. Possessions can range anywhere from the extreme, like in "The Exorcist", to symptoms that resemble mental illness. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is cited numerous times casting out demons, such as in Matthew, chapter 8, in which one man is possessed with many demons.\n\nIn order to be possessed, one needs to allow a path into their soul, such as practicing witchcraft. The only sure way to protect oneself from demonic possession is to have a firm faith in the Holy Trinity and avoid cult practices which invite evil forces. In certain places, I have felt a negative presence and God has always protected me. Everyone has probably experienced a similar feeling, without being able to put their finger on what it was, like that feeling you are being watched when no one is there.\n\nMy beliefs come from years of reading the Bible and other Christian materials and talking about it with Christian pastors. My religious affiliation is Lutheran, but I'm not sure if all Lutherans have the same beliefs I do, although I have talked with some who do. Good luck with your paper and feel free to quote me. :)
401073
If you believe the bible:\nYes, people can be possessed by evil spirits.\nNo, possession by evil spirits and the major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia are not the same thing.\nI know Christians who dearly love the Lord and who have led many people to Christ who have been diagosed with schizophrenia but who cope very well as long as they take the appropriate medications. It is really no different than someone who has diabetes and who has to take insulin. Demons do not respond to medications. If someone is possessed then the demons must be exorcised. (Identified by someone who has the "gift of the discerning of spirits" and then exorcised by God given faith). It is not possible for a Christian (someone who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit) to be demon possessed. I believe demon possession is fairly rare.\nThe brain is a very complex organ and like any organ it can malfunction and become diseased in many ways. Christians often treated persons suffering from diseases such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, senility and others as if they were demon possessed. Unfortunately some still do. But now we have scientific understanding of what causes these afflictions and they can be medically treated.\nI hope this is helpful. There is plenty of information on the internet about the causes and treatment of schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. Peace
987758
I am Founder and Director of SWAT (Spiritual Warfare and Truth).\nI used to be a paranormal investigator. I formed a team years ago called SEWPI- Southeast Wisconsin Paranormal Investigations and dealt with this on a personal level and then with many clients who saw/experienced encounters with "shadow people".\nAs a teen, I started seeing "shadow people". I assumed they were ghosts, but ignored them because it was scary many times. As I got older, it got worse, seeing them turned to hearing, feeling, and other supernatural things occurring to me, no matter where I lived, or went.\nThen, I lived at a place that after 3 mos, noticed was very haunted. We're talking close to "Amityville Horror" type stuff! I had many friends, family and visitors who noticed/experienced things while at my house, even non-believers, and it got so bad, they wouldnt even come in any longer. I have the story and pics at:\nhttp://www.angelfire.com/wa3/parainvestud\nBut anyways, I began my own team who could help people who were experiencing this type of thing, and who wanted answers and help getting rid of it.\nIn my time in this field (which I still do, only time, experience, study and research has changed my views on the paranormal possibilities to supernatural realities\nhttp://www.srealities.com)\nI have come to know truths about them.\nThey are not ghosts like people view (and there are many views on them). But I have experience in this area, so I;m not replying off theories.\nBut these are demonic beings and are very dangerous.\nIf you or someone you are realted to or have been with when they did any of these things (list on following site):\nhttp://www.angelfire.com/wi3/sriinfo2\nThen chances are, you are seeing demonic beings.\nI didnt, and started ata young age. Come to find out, many years later, my mother and even grandmother did things like saw a psychic, did Tarot cards, took part in a seance, talked to spirits, etc...I never knew until years later. But point being, we often unknowingly call in evil forces/spirits, and even if we dont, and someone in our family (like parents or grandparents) or even friends who we've been with, have, then you are vulnerable and a possible target to these dark forces.\nSounds like TV, I know, but, I can give you plenty of people who have dealt with this (testimonies on our website).\nYou need to understand what they are and stop seeing them, because their presence can cause a lot of problems and harm- things you wouldnt think of. It is dangerous to you to see them (if you see them, they are around your life...)\nIf you have any other Q's, etc...please go to our website and email me- thats what I do!  :)\nI'll say a prayer for you :)\nHeidi
402784
Demons are just created by the human imagination. They are a combination of a person's fears, what they've seen on TV and things they've heard.
877254
I know you may not want to believe it, but there are evil spirits that can take posession of people. I have seen it. And I would encourage you not to be too confident about your opinions on this. There is more out there than you may have encountered, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.
923179
I'm Christian and I believe that being able to communicate with ghosts is a gift not a curse.\nIn fact Christians should know this because in the bible it says that one of the gifts from the holy spirit is a 6th sense. I'm not sure where it says this but I do know that it does say it because I read it. I would love to be able to speak to spirits and I think that anyone who can is truly blessed. Besides, I think that it's the Catholic Christians who say that it's a curse, but I'm not certain. Now that you have me thinking you should also ask; If you can speak to the dead than does this mean your possessed? I mean come on. These Christians must have a lot of sins that they need to cover up if they feel the need to tell someone that they're being influenced by the devil. After all isn't it true that your more likely to tell someone what their doing wrong when in fact it's you who's doing something wrong?
1110452
I know three people personally who have been possesed, and freed from it, and I have looked into the history of it a lot. It is very complex.\n\nFirst of all, demon posession seems to come in three stages, that a friend once described to me as, "It follows you, it lives with you, it is you." Those terms are a little misleading, but they convey the basic idea. At the first level, you are completely in control of yourself, your actions, and your life. It's just around. At the second level, you can resist it, you are in control, but it can do more than just hint. At the third level, you've given your life over to it.\n\nEach stage takes an invitation. It needs an invitation to follow you, it needs an invitaiton to live with you, and it needs an invitation to live with you. However, what IT calls an invitation might not be what YOU call an invitation. The best thing to avoid it is to take advice I read in one of the Harry Potter books: don't ever talk to anything that you can't see where it keeps its brain.\n\nOnce you've got it, there are a few different tactics to fight it. First, demons hate each other. If you can call on a larger demon, it will kick out a smaller demon. But then you've got a larger demon, so unless there's some trick about the larger demon that makes it easier to get rid of, it pretty much sucks to be you at this point. On the other end, if you summon another demon, and it turns out the one you already had was the bigger one, it might subdue the one you brought it, and use that power against you as well. All in all, not the best idea.\n\nAnother way to fight it is to try and figure out what it wants. If you can appease it, sometimes it will go away. Sometimes, however, it will get stronger, and then, yet again, it pretty much sucks to be you. You've played your hand, and lost. On the other end, if you can figure out what it wants, you can starve it: stop doing the things that feed it, and start doing the things that slow it down. I had a girl starve out a demon that had a second level hold on her simply by not invoking it, and saying the Nicene Creed twice a day (and she forgot at least four times a week to say the creed.)\n\nAnother way is to use a leader from a religoin that has a proven track record for exorcism. In my study, the only three religions that have a real proven track record for this are Christianity, Judism, and Budhism, although to be fair by the time Islam moves into an area it's usually been Christianized for a few centuries and there aren't a whole lot of demons left to exercize, so they may actually be good at it also. This is a variation on the call a bigger demon idea, except instead of calling a bigger demon, you call God. (Except, Budhists don't usually, they usually use one of the other methods.) Usually the Wiccans I've encountered treat them like ghosts from the old ghost stories and try to apease them, which has the dangers I described above.\n\nI'd also like to say that, yes, I've known three people who were demon possesed, but I've known a number of others who thought they were, but it turned out to be some kind of psychological problem. If you think yourself or one of your friends might be demon possessed, start by seeing a coucelor, then if that's fruitless then try talking to a pastor or priest.
130216
No...I don't beleive in demons....I see demons as bad and/or negative feelings you experience...and/or negative thoughts that makes you do strange things
1005663
well obviously it isn't a christian demon or it would have left with the crosses and such. have you looked into the fact they it might not be a bad spirit at all? have you attempted to communicate with it and find out why it is there?\nI would say you need to find out what you are dealing with and why before trying to banish it or you may end up in more trouble than you are now.
276918
Of humans, no.  The ones that are 'possessed' are usually mentally ill or have had the notion 'planted' in them.\n\nOn the other hand I'm sure from time to time my computer is possessed with one just to see how much it can irritate me or make me mad...
479109
I have in the past, and I have known others that have had various experiences with demons.  I don't understand the connection, but it has been my experience (both in my own life, and from discussing with others), that this has occured most often when sexual sin was rampant.
1039329
Santeria is interesting stuff, i am not fluent in spanish, so i could only pick up a little at the local botanica.  But trance possession by the Orisha is some pretty intense stuff! It is NOT mumbojumbo... it is a real way to connect with the divinity and with the ancestors, once you are "ridden" you will understand what i am talking about....
1159916
yes, there are evil entities out there , that can possess your \nbody, your will and your mind. There are also really exorcists out \nthere that have driven these bad elements from people and their \nhomes. I know of a catholic priest who has performed these rites\nand have helped the poor people that were bothered by them.
490206
I think the king of hell lives within each of us. We choose whether or not we do good or bad, and that is a continued struggle. People who say that there is an external "Satan" or whatever are doing this because they cannot accept the conflict is within themselves. The king of hell is the shadowy side of all of our souls.\n\nThat felt weird, Poison Ivy, please ask more Jerry Springer questions! ;)
1018227
Absolutely. The thing most people don't seem to realize is that there are things that go on within the spiritual world that are much more real and involved than the world we see around us. I have known several people who have seen things like what you are talking about. One of my best friends grew up as a missionary kid in the Ivory Coast. The people of one of the nearby tribes had this tradition called the Speaking of the Dead in which the men of the tribe would hoist a newly deceased person over their heads and ask it questions and depending on which way the body would cause the men to lean, they would have their answer. It was sort of like the "ouija board" concept. One of the missionaries was standing about 20 feet away watching this take place and when they asked the body a question the body literally lunged out at the missionary and then fell to the ground a little bit short of where he was standing. There are demons out there. Satan is very real and whatever was possessing that body did at all like what was possessing the missionary, which was the Holy Spirit. The demons in this world know they are defeated and therefore hate Christians. Christians, because of the blood of Jesus Christ have power and authority over these spirits that are all around us. Believe me... it IS real. \n Whenever people talk about ghost stories... things they've seen or heard... I have no doubt in my mind at all that what people see is real. Theyr'e not ghosts, however. They are simply demons who are trying to stir up as much confusion regarding the "afterlife" as possible. The more confused people are about what is possible to happen to them after death, the less likely they are to make a decision. \n I have also known someone who cast a demon out of someone else. My high school algebra teacher, a very wise and Godly man, had a troubled sister about ten years ago that became possessed by a demon. He rebuked that demon in the name of Jesus Christ and it fled from her. There is power in the name of Christ. Trust me. I've seen it.
575465
Cast Sytem is DEMONIC!  Demons!\n\nhttp://www.toughlove.faithweb.com/
1114189
I've never seen anyone possessed. But yes.....I have felt ghosts. Certain family members....My self and my mom and brother can feel when they are around. Especially when my Dad is around! It's like I could reach out and touch where he is.  You know when you can sense that someone is standing near you.......say in back of you....or you can tell that someone has walked into the room when your eyes are closed. Same feeling. And it usually is the feeling that you associated with that person.......you recognize the energy! It's very cool! A ghost is just a natural transition of the human condition. We are spiritual beings having a physical experience. When that experience is over........we transition back into the spirit form. All very natural. Nothing spooky!