1. An Overview of Demons
1.1 What are demons?
Demons are considered to be a type of spirit that interferes in the affairs of people, and exist in all forms of religion. Each faith perceives demons in a slightly different manner, but universally demons are considered to be the cause of all mankind’s problems including disease, misfortune, sin and soul loss. They can also be responsible for causing unpleasant and often terrifying hauntings, which is often related to the three stages of possession, which are: infestation, oppression, and possession.
Since the latter half of the 20th century, the belief in demons has increased in the West. One of the plausible reasons for this is believed to be the increasing ease of information sharing and stories such as Ouija board experiences are easily accessible, resulting in a significant number of people trying it out themselves for fun but resulting in severe haunting cases. Video recordings of exorcisms is also believed to be one of the contributing factors to the increase in belief of demons.
Demons are infamous for being responsible for possession cases. During the Inquisition, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries, possessions were very common and resulted in many people falsely accused of being witches and ultimately being tortured and executed. Today, it is argued that many of these possession cases may have been the result of psychological and neurological disorders unknown back then. In modern times, the church requires significant evidence to prove that someone is truly possessed. The most convincing forms of evidence are speaking languages previously unknown to the demoniac (person who is possessed), clairvoyance, and levitation. Nowadays convulsions, physical contortions and repulsion to religious and blessed objects are not necessarily enough to convince the church to authorize an exorcism.
To resist demonic oppression, one must have strong faith in their religion. Believing in God and having faith in God is believed to be two different cases. It is claimed that a lacking faith in God (even if the victim believes in God) may not be enough to resist or combat a powerful demon, therefore still leaving the victim vulnerable.
1.2 Demons in Religion
Demons have been in existence since ancient times and each faith has it’s own variations of demons and information about them.
Demons in Judaism:
Demons in Judaism were influenced from the lore of the Babylonians, Persians and Egyptians. It is believed they were created by God on the first Sabbath eve but dusk fell before God could complete them and therefore they have no bodies. Another theory is that demons were spawned by Lilith, the rejected first wife of Adam. King Solomon was believed to have summoned and controlled demons (also known as the 72 spirits of Solomon) to help build the Temple of Jerusalem.
Demons in Christianity:
Demons are believed to have once been angels who followed Lucifer when he was cast out of heaven, thereby deeming them as fallen angels. At the end of the New Testament, demons became synonymous with fallen angels that were all under the direction of Satan.
Demons in other beliefs:
In Arabian lore, demons (or djinn) are created from smokeless fire, while witch hunters of the Inquisition said that demons don’t have any corporeal form and that their human/animal forms are purely illusions and their voices are made out of air that mimic people. Platonists and early theologians of the Christian Church claimed that demons condense bodies out of air and smoke.
As I uncover more information, I will post more of it here. My next post will be a write up on the 72 spirits of Solomon. At some stage I will do a detailed write up on how to defend and protect oneself from demonic activity (but only once I am sure the information is accurate).