Spirit Possession: Ghost or Demon?

Hollywood Idea of Possession & Exorcism

Defining Demon and Spirit Possession as Ghost Possession

Tinseltown has embellished the religious notion, through use of movies, that demons can possess the human body.

Hollywood films along with ghost hunting TV shows have led some paranormal investigators to believe they can exorcise demons from homes and people. Some ghost hunters will even call upon a self-proclaimed 'demonologist' to battle evil, unseen forces should they be encountered by the team.

Haunted people do exist. But just because odd behavior from an individual is witnessed, or a nasty supernatural attack is truly experienced, does not mean that a non-human entity is at work behind it. 

(For a complete understanding of Satan and demons, read: The Devil: Collective Unconsciousness)

Even if a hateful spirit is behind the paranormal activity, the use of superstitious or religious rites (fear-based exorcisms) may only temporarily halt the negative behavior. This is because haunting and, for purpose of this article, spirit possession, is often misunderstood, mislabeled and misdiagnosed.

When frightening, paranormal activity occurs, especially if it results in change of normal human behavior, people tend to jump to conclusions, fearing the worst. They believe that spirit possession is demonic in nature, meaning a non-human entity is residing within the person exhibiting odd behavior. Sometimes, this can lead to a religious leader attempting to dispel the possessing spirit with Holy Water, Bible verses and name-calling (e.g. Get out, you foul, evil devil!), reenacting a scene straight out of the movie, The Exorcist.

Ghost Possession

Demons Versus Ghosts: Mis-identification

Demons are not other-worldly beings. They begin as unconscious thoughts and thinking patterns, strongholds, within the human mind. (Learn more by reading What Are Demons?)

We have noticed that what some are calling “demons” are the same as what other people are calling "shadow ghosts" (dark shadows that move).

Shadow ghosts are earthbound people who have not progressed beyond this Earth, having chosen to remain behind with humanity. Ghosts are held captive, here, by their mind.

If a ghost does not undergo a cleansing review of their life and reunite with loved ones who await in spirit (light), then he or she will continue to carry around emotional baggage earned from the time spent on Earth while in body. The darkness these ghosts have as a countenance, meaning their thick, 'black static' appearance, does not necessarily mean the spirit is a rotten egg with ill intentions. Darkness (as mentioned in the Bible, not to sound religious) is indicative of a lack of understanding, ignorance, being lost, and of course, negativity.

A frightening countenance does not make disembodied people menacing, inhuman beings who work for The Devil. We can find many a scary looking person in our world who are truly nice, good-hearted souls. In other words, appearances can be deceiving. Don't judge a book by its cover.

Ghosts: Dark Spirits Who "Attach" or "Possess"

Dark SpiritsSome "dark" spirits can be very negative and troublesome, however, but so can people who live in our world and have bodies. One need only read the local news for a recount of daily troubles. From the accounts we have uncovered, we tend to think that some ghosts (people in spirit) have learned that they can co-inhabit another person’s body or at least influence their behavior in some fashion. This is commonly referred to as "spirit possession" but would be better termed "ghost possession."

If it makes you feel better, some investigators of the paranormal call this phenomenon "attachment" or "negative energy." No matter what one might label this freakish thing, it is not possession by one of Satan's minions as some might have you to believe.

Everything appears to be ever connected. We might consider haunting as invisible influences or disruptions in our lives from unseen people who are with us.

When you attended school as a child, you were likely immersed into an environment with lots of classmates and some teachers. Each one of these people had the ability to impact your life, your perspective, in some way. Each day brought different experiences and lessons. The idea of spirit influence in our personal lives is similar, except we just can't see our spirit teachers or fellow students.

Why or How Does Ghost Possession Happen?

Ghosts are said to possess people for many reasons. Attachment or possession can occur...

  • by accident
  • to assist the one whom they have possessed
  • to continue experiencing physical life
  • to experience former physical addictions (See hypnagogia and incubus, succubus ghosts.)
  • due to strong attachment to earthly possessions or loved ones
  • from trauma – not even understanding they have died (because they are, in fact, still alive)
  • to menace or harm another person for revenge or just “the fun of it.”

Wandering Spirits?

"…we must consider that the bindings between people and ghosts might be strong, and that the exorcised ghosts may come back and possess these people again. The patient must work at not letting the ghost back in. Emotional bindings between people and ghosts are like rubber bands that draw the ghost back into the patient's body. Those emotional currents must be removed by the patient. That's why, in some cases, the patient also requires my psychotherapy.

Hell exists only in their minds -- there is no such place in the non-material world - but the mind makes it true for them. That kind of psychotherapy takes some time, and is rarely easy, as some ghosts are completely unaware of their situation -- especially when they died under tragic or traumatic circumstances.

During my thirty years practice, I've not encountered such entities. Instead, I've discovered that the attributes describing demons or the devil derive from ghosts in the human body." - Wanda Pratnicka , author of Possessed by Ghosts: Exorcisms in the 21 Century

Wanda’s experiences parallel what the Bible claims Jesus taught about demons (unclean spirits) leaving a person’s body and, possibly, returning at a later time:

“When an unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he comes back, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished. Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more bad natured than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first...” - Matthew 12:43-45

Helping Unclean Spirits

Helping Unclean Spirits

What does this mean? Ghosts are people in spirit - unclean spirits who need assistance to move past the temporary prison that their mind has produced. This type of assistance would be similar to what a psychologist might do to help a person throught traditional means: counseling. We read in 1 Peter 3:19 that Jesus "preached to the spirits in prison." 

Had these 'people in spirit' (unclean spirits) had been condemned to an eternal hell, Jesus would not have inclined to help them. We, too, should help unclean spirits by letting them know they should:

  • not be afraid to move on with their lives - for better things await them
  • understand that their bodies have died, though they are still alive in the present time
  • not fear eternal punishment (in hell), for it does not exist
  • reunite with loved ones who await them by turning toward the light to experiencing freedom, true peace, joy, and most importantly, love

Loved ones, enlightened spirits, await these lost people, attempt to reach them, and at times, may need our help assisting the ghost. Similar in idea, in the movie, The Matrix, people were able to remain behind and oversee others who went into a virtual world. These observers aided and guided them back out of the conceptual world back to the present reality. 

Helping Ghosts is a book about moving the ghost, who is a person, into the present moment, while leaving behind troubles from the past. Maybe it takes assistance from both planes to help some of the departed make it home to the afterworld.

Curing Ghost or "Spirit Possession"

Working with spirit possession- ghost attachment - is not our expertise, but there are others who do specialize in this field of work.

Dr. Edith Fiore, a noted psychologist and author of the book, The Unquiet Dead, has worked with patients for twenty years whom she at first thought had multiple personalities or even past lives. She soon discovered there were more than one person or spirit inhabiting the body of some of her patients.

Edith learned to explain to the possessing spirit that he or she needed to leave the patient's body and that loved ones were awaiting with the promise of joy and peace. The ghost possessing the body of another would learn through her counseling that their life journey could continue if they headed unto the light with family or friends.

Like Wanda Pratnicka, Dr. Fiore never encountered a demon in twenty years of work and is a highly regarded author and authority on ghost possession.

Jesus - Possession

Jesus, the Bible and Possession

Perhaps two accounts of Jesus in the Bible give us important keys to understanding the spirit world.

  1. "Jesus stated to Nathanael, “You shall see angels ascending and descending upon the son of man.”
  2. We are told that James, Peter and John witnessed Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah from the other side. 

Perhaps, Jesus was showing us that the angels ascending and descending represented two-way communication between spirit and the physical worlds taking place and that the pulling back of the veil (so to speak) revealed Moses and Elijah or disembodied spirits in the light (spirit world) speak to us.

We wonder if half of Jesus’ real mission was to free earth-bound spirits and assist them in moving on with their lives. Maybe the advice he gave was not only for us who are alive and in-body but also for those who have passed but need assistance.

These ideas seem to align nicely with certain sects of Judaism who understand spirit attachment, often aiding the attached ghosts move on through a ritual of exorcism that helps both the ghost as well as the person who is suffering the attachment (See How to Get Rid of Ghosts and Judiasm & Ghosts).

Think about Jesus in the Bible casting out unclean spirits and imagine what happened, if true. We read that witnesses saw the physical manifestations of the real ministry Jesus was doing in the unseen realm.

We cannot help but wonder if he was freeing the unseen captives in spirit while freeing people bound by them in the physical world. We read that he demonstrated power when he spoke with the possessing spirits, directing them to leave the person who was possessed. Upon removal of the ghost (or ghosts) that was co-inhabiting another’s body, the rightful owner of the body would be instantly transformed – freed from whatever physical and mental abnormalities were present prior to the exorcism. This agrees with what Dr. Edith Fiore also found to be true.

We believe our understanding of possession has to come into the light of this truth. People want to continue to chase 'demons' because they are unable to wrap their minds around the idea of ghosts possessing or, at least, attaching to human beings.

Religion can create greater damage when it chooses to promote fear and falsehoods to people. Paranormal investigators (so-called 'demonologists') and religious leaders who get caught up in battling demons or ghosts for fun and fame should cease. Promoting fear causes people to suffer. Learn how to truly help people who are bound on both sides of the grave.

To Learn More, See:
Demons
Ghost Possessed Woman Video
How To Get Rid Of Ghosts 
Communication From The Dead 
How To Tell If You Have A Ghost
Spiritual Possession Video 
Spirit Rescue
Helping Ghosts