my friend shot himself over a year ago because he got possessed. People have died from demons. And also, god does not kill without mercy. But that is a whole other topic.
I agree with that statistic on possessions. In my opinion, I don't see what in the world a demon would want with a Joe Schmoe human... why on earth possess such a limited physical body? Then again, I'm not a demon, so I wouldn't know. I suppose they have free choice.
I'm a little torn on the subject: On one hand, I feel that the vast majority of demon talk is nonsense, some sort of braggart's twisted bravado. This comes from my previously mentioned idea that humans aren't very interesting to demons (at least as vessels). But on the other hand, I feel that these sort of beings walk among us far more often than we realize, and they /want/ to go unnoticed. I've had a few run ins with very "off" people who I believe to have been non-human entities using a disguise, and either they "knew that I knew" or they were just troubled people... truly troubled people give off an unmistakable aura, no matter how "fine" they appear. It gave me the creeps, but I've never had any real, initiated interactions with demons. I figure that if it is meant to be, we'll find one another. I have "the Devil's luck" in getting out of tricky situations, and I'm sure there is some being (maybe a demon, who knows) on my side. I'm thankful for it, whatever it is.
And Ragnorok, I'm glad to see someone else interested in yokai :D (sorry for the late reply, I haven't really been following this thread)! I have worked with an "ame-furi-kozou" before to help with a rain spell. I think of these guys as more of a general spirit-type being than a demon, though. You might like this website: www.obakemono.com . I apologize if I've shared this already XD but it is the best, most comprehensive yokai site I've found so far. The Wikipedia listing of Japanese mythological creatures is much larger, so I use that in tandem with this site.
Well, not all demons are bad in my opinion. But I think sometimes, someone's view of demons, angels, fallen angels and such, differ by trad/religion/spiritual path. Hey, it's a big world, many different beliefs. The concept of such creatures are involved in many, universal paths. Stop arguing origins and such, because one scripture may tell you Lilith is evil, but some Pagans revere her to be a dark, powerful Goddess. Sometimes these things are how you make them out to be. Respect is ideal. Look into Ancient Egypt's Bes and Taweret, they were demon - god/dess like deities, who were fearsome protectors of all the was good. They opposed all evils, but they were still demon like! How odd, eh? This can go into a debate of evil depending on if you believe in the ultimate good and evil, or the concepts of Light and Dark. Persephone rules the Underworld, she is called the Iron Queen, is she necessarily evil or bad? No, there is also her gentle side of when she returns to her mother, Demeter. Is Hecate, or Cerridwyn bad, or Kali for that matter?
Just a few ideas. I've strayed off of topic, really fast, lol. But if you're working in Darker Magicks, and working in unfamiliar places with random demon like entities of negative will, then YOU MUST BE CAREFUL. Demonology and conjuring are not for the faint of heart. Firm beliefs and protection methods are necessary. Just remember karma and all that bit. Plus, no one wants a demon on their tail ;D
Most of the time hauntings are caused by suffering of people who are naturally amplified, or emotionally amped up. Occult ritual is not the majority of causes, because some people attract demons by will alone, and maybe even subconsciously. Serial killers and psychopaths are like this. If you stopped all occult activity you would not stop the negative spirits coming through, not even close. But ignorant and malicious occult activity does make it more difficult to send the spirits back. That is because it binds spirits to this plane in a more deliberate and structured manner.
Negative spirits are either parasites or like rabid animals, or insane people. They can be highly sophisticated, but the only way to deal with them in the long term is to deal with our own issues. We did not make the demons that way, but our craziness keeps them that way. Occult adepts have been able to exorcise these spirits in various ways, and some just by willing it or simple the power of their auras. But the spirits can always come back unless we take responsibility for the state of our own souls.
Religion is not what exorcises these spirits, only faith can do so, and that faith must be rooted in a soul that has addressed its own nature and become whole.
