Best books on demonology

[Beryllos]

I don’t know about others, but if they could be verified, that would be a wonderful evidence for the existence of the “supernatural”. Not everyone is ready to accept the words of others (testimonials???), some want actual, physical evidence . And the demons would be an excellent testing ground, maybe even having an exorcist ready… just in case.

Just like to demonstrate the power of a “wildfire”, in controlled circumstances, having a squad of firefighters around… just in case. It is a purely detached, scientific interest, just like a medical experiment would be, by examining the effects of a new disease. Sure, it could be dangerous, but many people would volunteer, while fully knowing the dangerous nature of the experiment - to help others.

You are talking like we are in control, like we can use our own wits and prepare ourselves adequately to approach demons in safety. This is a very proud and dangerous attitude.

Earlier I used the metaphor of sneaking up from behind and tickling the dragon’s tail. Here is another metaphor for this kind of hubris:

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[Joe_5859]

You are talking like we are in control, like we can use our own wits and prepare ourselves adequately to approach demons in safety. This is a very proud and dangerous attitude.

Right.

There is a reason that Scripture and Tradition do not include lengthy descriptions in exacting detail of demons. It is information we, quite frankly, do not need to know for our salvation. And focusing too much of our attention on it will either (a) make us afraid and tempted to despair; or (b) open ourselves up to demonic influence.

If you want to look for evidence of the supernatural, look to the lives of the saints, Eucharistic miracles, etc. That is far more helpful and edifying.

 

[Grizzly1]

Not everyone is ready to accept the words of others (testimonials???), some want actual, physical evidence .

And what kind of physical evidence do you think you could obtain? Its not like Beelzebub is going to come up and give you an autographed 8x10 glossy promotional photo or a certified bucket of genuine hellfire.

I’d say the best physical evidence of demonic possession would be something truly horrific like sexual crimes against children. That is so evil that you would have to be possessed by some kind of demon to commit. Or take drug addiction–that is so damaging and self-destructive that, again, you would have to be possessed by demons in order to go down that path.

Don’t waste your time on this pursuit. If you get deep into this people will not take you seriously. Do something productive and fulfilling with your time like lifting weights or learning an instrument.

 

[goout]

We tend to over-dramatize the demonic. It has an allure because it draws our attention to large and heroic struggles. The demonic seems so bad and interesting because we know there is something so good to be fouled.

In my experience, there is nothing dramatic and interesting about demons. Demons don’t need flamethrowers to snare you. One turned off alarm after another leads to one beer and one joint to many, which leads to one apathetic Sunday after another, and apathetic work performance, and continuous years of empty relationships. One small decision at a time. Until you discover one day that you have wasted 15 years, aborted a child, are trapped in pornography, and have not one friend at the end of it.

Don’t dabble with stuff that can kill your soul, because a little bit of death is way too much. You can devote a lifetime to opening the good treasures of the Church. Just start doing that and don’t look back.

 

[KBS]

My husband & I went to a talk at our library last Halloween - it was intended to be an entertaining presentation by a duo who had created a business of removing troubled spirits from homes. Neither of them were priests and both said they got into it because they were interested in all things supernatural. Their interest was piqued by popular media (tv, movies, etc…) and their first explorations into it were through books.

They had videos, photos & audio recordings of some pretty scary events that they had encountered along the way. While it made for an entertaining evening at the library, both my husband and I left afterwards shaking our heads at the idea of just why someone would invite such evil into their lives. Some of the things they said they experienced went beyond Casper the friendly ghost & tipped into downright scary.

After the talk, I wanted to thank the presenters and had a brief discussion with one of them. I asked him if he still liked his job and his answer was so sad - I actually prayed for him for weeks afterwards.

He told me that while the business was “healthy,” he and his family had been plagued with mysterious illnesses, unexplainable events, (some tragic) and unfathomable heartache. There was a tangible sadness in his eyes and he told me that he wished that he had never pursued this activity - but now he was so imbedded in it that he didn’t feel he could walk away even if he tried.

They ended their talk by saying that no one should invite the supernatural into their lives - to get rid of things like ouija boards, avoid things like seances and to basically leave the supernatural world alone. They strongly felt that exposure to these intangible evils had a potential to manifest into very real danger, but much could be avoided simply by not inviting it - and yes, exploring it was inviting it…

 

[TheLittleLady]

Exactly. When we realize that sin is really boring, that evil is mundane and not interesting, that is a sign of spiritual maturity.