Demonic attack after covering at mass?

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Lily235

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I am seeking opinions here, as I don’t have anyone with whom to discuss this in person.

I have been feeling for a while now that I ought to at least try covering at mass, and this past Sunday I did. I’m living in France temporarily, and it seems that veiling in particular is Just Not Done anymore, so I wore a hat instead of draping one of my summer wraps. Now, I have worn hats before back in the USA, but as a fashion statement (and an attempt at prompting a trend). This was the first time I wore something on my head with the express intention of 1) symbolizing humility before God, 2) acknowledging His authority over me, and 3) symbolizing my desire to obey that authority.

Now the interesting part comes directly after mass, when my main physchological weakness flared up again. This happens every once in a while, and I can usuall talk myself out of it by remembering certain things and praying for help, but this got very bad very quickly and kept recurring at the same strong level no matter what I did. These were feelings of being unappreciated at work, anxiety about how my colleagues felt about me, and feeling like I am “not good enough” and never will be. So pride, and some anger at specific people.

While trying to not sin and being quite miserable and crying on and off, I eventually thought that maybe this was a demonic attack because I covered at mass deliberately? When I prayed again with that in mind and begged God to bail me out, I felt better almost immediately and the feelings did not return.

So what do you all think?
 
Lily235 said:
I am seeking opinions here, as I don’t have anyone with whom to discuss this in person.

I have been feeling for a while now that I ought to at least try covering at mass, and this past Sunday I did. I’m living in France temporarily, and it seems that veiling in particular is Just Not Done anymore, so I wore a hat instead of draping one of my summer wraps. Now, I have worn hats before back in the USA, but as a fashion statement (and an attempt at prompting a trend). This was the first time I wore something on my head with the express intention of 1) symbolizing humility before God, 2) acknowledging His authority over me, and 3) symbolizing my desire to obey that authority.

Now the interesting part comes directly after mass, when my main physchological weakness flared up again. This happens every once in a while, and I can usuall talk myself out of it by remembering certain things and praying for help, but this got very bad very quickly and kept recurring at the same strong level no matter what I did. These were feelings of being unappreciated at work, anxiety about how my colleagues felt about me, and feeling like I am “not good enough” and never will be. So pride, and some anger at specific people.

While trying to not sin and being quite miserable and crying on and off, I eventually thought that maybe this was a demonic attack because I covered at mass deliberately? When I prayed again with that in mind and begged God to bail me out, I felt better almost immediately and the feelings did not return.

So what do you all think?
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I don’t think so. But your details are scant. Perhaps you could find a priest and go into details a little more. You have not given enough here to make a judgement. The demons are constantly influencing our actions in subtle ways. But this is not usually considered as " attacks," rather his typical method of operation. So seek soom competent advice.

Linus2nd
 
Not to discount the possibility of this being demonic, I think it’s also possible that you were (at least subconsciously) a bit stressed about covering at Mass, and this stirred up the other anxieties.

Just a thought.
 
I think you had an anxiety attack, or an anxiety surge or flare-up. I suspect it was not of demonic origin. Could it be that you were feeling self-conscious about wearing the hat, or worried about what other people were thinking about it, and perhaps that stirred up some other anxieties that were lurking in your mind?

I am praying for you.

When anxieties come, prayer is a good response. Pray for peace in your mind and spirit. Pray for God’s protection. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your life.
 
Lily235 said:
I am seeking opinions here, as I don’t have anyone with whom to discuss this in person.

I have been feeling for a while now that I ought to at least try covering at mass, and this past Sunday I did. I’m living in France temporarily, and it seems that veiling in particular is Just Not Done anymore, so I wore a hat instead of draping one of my summer wraps. Now, I have worn hats before back in the USA, but as a fashion statement (and an attempt at prompting a trend). This was the first time I wo7re something on my head with the express intention of 1) symbolizing humility before God, 2) acknowledging His authority over me, and 3) symbolizing my desire to obey that authority.

Now the interesting part comes directly after mass, when my main physchological weakness flared up again. This happens every once in a while, and I can usuall talk myself out of it by remembering certain things and praying for help, but this got very bad very quickly and kept recurring at the same strong level no matter what I did. These were feelings of being unappreciated at work, anxiety about how my colleagues felt about me, and feeling like I am “not good enough” and never will be. So pride, and some anger at specific people.

While trying to not sin and being quite miserable and crying on and off, I eventually thought that maybe this was a demonic attack because I covered at mass deliberately? When I prayed again with that in mind and begged God to bail me out, I felt better almost immediately and the feelings did not return.

So what do you all think?
Click to expand...
You nailed it. The Evil One always steps up his attacks when we move towards holiness. He’s an expert at studying our personal wraknesses and attacking us at that vulnerable point! The proof is that when you recognized these anxieties as the voice of evil, and asked Christ for help, the demonic voices fled. Satan always flees from Christ. Praised be Jesus Christ!
 
The church teaches that spiritual warfare is real. It could be that what you experienced was an attack. See if it happens again in similar circumstances.

I am absolutely certain that every time I introduce a new devotion or start praying more intensely and frequently, that I am under spiritual attack. This has been happening for about 2 years now.
 
Linusthe2nd said:
I don’t think so. But your details are scant. Perhaps you could find a priest and go into details a little more. You have not given enough here to make a judgement. The demons are constantly influencing our actions in subtle ways. But this is not usually considered as " attacks," rather his typical method of operation. So seek soom competent advice.

Linus2nd
Click to expand...
I have to agree with Linus’ word here. A spiritual attack is just that: the persons undergoing it truly feel like they are under a real and direct attack. It’s not a maybe or something like an attack: it is a profound sense of being under attack. Everything you experience tells you that you are under attack. It is terribly unpleasant and frightening. Now this is not to say that the Evil One will not also tempt and bother people more pestilentially: these experiences are ususally described by people in terms of a dark cloud hovering over and around them that does not go away and a sense of brooding. Words like ‘insidious’ are associated with it. Once more it is not something you want: it’s not like self-pity or something but more like a magnet trying to pull you into a dark stink, so to speak. Exactly because it is so bothersome people tend to become short, irritable and snappy.

Demonic attacks, however, are more aggressive and of a different order. The ordinary reaction is one of a sense of bewilderment, confusion, shock and trauma. It cannot be confused with the ordinary: something other than you is either attacking you or you are going completely crazy. There’s no inbetween.
 
1AugustSon7 said:
I have to agree with Linus’ word here. A spiritual attack is just that: the persons undergoing it truly feel like they are under a real and direct attack. It’s not a maybe or something like an attack: it is a profound sense of being under attack. Everything you experience tells you that you are under attack. It is terribly unpleasant and frightening. Now this is not to say that the Evil One will not also tempt and bother people more pestilentially: these experiences are ususally described more in terms of a dark cloud and a sense of brooding and associated with ‘insidiousness’.

Demonic attacks, however, are more aggressive and of a different order. The ordinary reaction is one of a sense of bewilderment, confusion, shock and trauma. It cannot be confused with the ordinary: something other than you is either attacking you or you are going completely crazy. There’s no inbetween.
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Even the slightest anxiety can be a spiritual attack. The voice thats says “it’s not going to be ok”. That’s all a lie, Christ will take care if everything, so we repudiate and deny the voice of evil anxiety and make acts of Faith in Our Lord!
 
FrStevenJones said:
Even the slightest anxiety can be a spiritual attack. The voice thats says “it’s not going to be ok”. That’s all a lie, Christ will take care if everything, so we repudiate and deny the voice of evil anxiety and make acts of Faith in Our Lord!
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I stand corrected.
 
Lily235 said:
I am seeking opinions here, as I don’t have anyone with whom to discuss this in person.

I have been feeling for a while now that I ought to at least try covering at mass, and this past Sunday I did. I’m living in France temporarily, and it seems that veiling in particular is Just Not Done anymore, so I wore a hat instead of draping one of my summer wraps. Now, I have worn hats before back in the USA, but as a fashion statement (and an attempt at prompting a trend). This was the first time I wore something on my head with the express intention of 1) symbolizing humility before God, 2) acknowledging His authority over me, and 3) symbolizing my desire to obey that authority.

Now the interesting part comes directly after mass, when my main physchological weakness flared up again. This happens every once in a while, and I can usuall talk myself out of it by remembering certain things and praying for help, but this got very bad very quickly and kept recurring at the same strong level no matter what I did. These were feelings of being unappreciated at work, anxiety about how my colleagues felt about me, and feeling like I am “not good enough” and never will be. So pride, and some anger at specific people.

While trying to not sin and being quite miserable and crying on and off, I eventually thought that maybe this was a demonic attack because I covered at mass deliberately? When I prayed again with that in mind and begged God to bail me out, I felt better almost immediately and the feelings did not return.

So what do you all think?
Click to expand...
You may try this approach (abjuration prayer) :

“Spirit of (pride, anger, etc) I command you to the foot of the Cross to be judged by Our Lord”

You may have to say this 2 or 3 times, but it works. 🙂
 
Lily235 said:
I am seeking opinions here, as I don’t have anyone with whom to discuss this in person.

I have been feeling for a while now that I ought to at least try covering at mass, and this past Sunday I did. I’m living in France temporarily, and it seems that veiling in particular is Just Not Done anymore, so I wore a hat instead of draping one of my summer wraps. Now, I have worn hats before back in the USA, but as a fashion statement (and an attempt at prompting a trend). This was the first time I wore something on my head with the express intention of 1) symbolizing humility before God, 2) acknowledging His authority over me, and 3) symbolizing my desire to obey that authority.

Now the interesting part comes directly after mass, when my main physchological weakness flared up again. This happens every once in a while, and I can usuall talk myself out of it by remembering certain things and praying for help, but this got very bad very quickly and kept recurring at the same strong level no matter what I did. These were feelings of being unappreciated at work, anxiety about how my colleagues felt about me, and feeling like I am “not good enough” and never will be. So pride, and some anger at specific people.

While trying to not sin and being quite miserable and crying on and off, I eventually thought that maybe this was a demonic attack because I covered at mass deliberately? When I prayed again with that in mind and begged God to bail me out, I felt better almost immediately and the feelings did not return.

So what do you all think?
Click to expand...
I thinks one can not, in an A Priori manner, discount the possibility.
 
I agree – that’s an attack. It is good you recognized that as it will help you in the future. You must dismiss such thoughts immediately. You can pray. I also find that asking Mother Mary to help me is especially quick and effective. God bless you.
 
Lily235 said:
Now the interesting part comes directly after mass, when my main physchological weakness flared up again. This happens every once in a while, and I can usuall talk myself out of it by remembering certain things and praying for help, but this got very bad very quickly and kept recurring at the same strong level no matter what I did. These were feelings of being unappreciated at work, anxiety about how my colleagues felt about me, and feeling like I am “not good enough” and never will be. So pride, and some anger at specific people.

While trying to not sin and being quite miserable and crying on and off, I eventually thought that maybe this was a demonic attack because I covered at mass deliberately? When I prayed again with that in mind and begged God to bail me out, I felt better almost immediately and the feelings did not return.
Click to expand...
Dearest Lily, I am praying for you for Peace.

Did you pray against your main psychological weakness when it began to flare?

Prayer can help us with all our internal weaknesses, along with helping when outside influences like other people or evil spirits disturb us.

You mentioned that you tried doing somethings to lessen the feelings of anxiety, pride, and anger - did you try praying at this point?

Our feelings or emotions bring on sensations and memories in our bodies. So, it is possible that you felt anxiety about wearing a hat to Mass - for whatever reason.

Then the anxiety caused certain sensations to be felt within your mind and body. Those sensations may be like the same sensations you feel at work - when you don’t feel good enough for some reasons. So, you started thinking about your self-doubts from work or feeling as if others are superior to you and it angered you and you felt acceptable pride in yourself and your work in that you are worthy of being appreciated.

Feeling anxiety, anger, and pride - could have all made you feel worse. Did you at this point pray for God’s peace to cover you in your time of feeling weakness?

You said you were trying not to sin - but I don’t see where you were sinning… You were at Mass. You were offering a gift of yourself totally to our Lord with a physical aid to represent or symbolize and acknowledge Our Lord.

Your anxiety and emotions of pride and anger are simply human emotions - they are not sinful. You did not act in a sinful way when you were over-whelmed with those physical emotions.

When you thought that this could be the work of evil spirits trying to take your mind off God and Mass and because you had placed a hat on your head to physically represent or symbolize God’s authority - you offered prayers begging God to bail you out. It was at this point that you felt your anxiety lift.

I do believe that your prayers helped to bring you the peace from God that you desired. I don’t know that it shows your anxiety attack was 1) the work of evil or 2) the habitual pattern of anxiety in your thoughts.

You wore your hat to show humility - but you experienced anxiety at Mass which could have lead to remembering feelings of anxiety at work - that lead to feeling unworthy by those at work - that lead to feeling pride and anger for those at work thinking you unworthy. Feeling a healthy sense of pride in yourself and in your work - may have brought you more anxiety sense your focus was on humility.

It is acceptable to know that you and your work are good and worthy - that God has made you a good, productive, hardworking woman and this shows in your work.

Sense you suffer from a flare up with your main psychological weakness sometimes - and you have a way to deal with it with prayer and other means - maybe you can talk with a priest at the parish you are attending while living in France and also with a good Catholic counselor or spiritual director - for their thoughts on this experience at Mass.

We can be the cause of our own discomforts and we can also feel the discomforts from the spiritual world. Sometimes we can not tell if it is something within us that is disturbing us or if it is a disturbance from the spiritual world - where evil spirits cross our boundaries.

It is possible that you believed more that your prayers would be answered by God once you felt it was a spiritual attack. God may have been answering your prayers from the very beginning of your anxiety - maybe you were unable to feel it for some reason at that time.

I pray God gives you peace to wear your hat at Mass and no longer have any anxiety. I pray if evil spirits begin to put self-doubts in you for any reason or disturb your peace for any reason that you can feel God’s graces covering you and protecting you.

Do Not Be Afraid. You are a good and holy woman. You have all the angels and saints protecting you - even if evil spirits try to disturb your peace.

Do not fear wearing your hat in Mass. Do not fear anxiety by fearing what others may think. Do not allow your own anxiety to disturb you.

Do not fear if the evil spirits are not pleased - do not allow them to bring you away from your Peace before God.
 
FrStevenJones said:
Even the slightest anxiety can be a spiritual attack. The voice thats says “it’s not going to be ok”. That’s all a lie, Christ will take care if everything, so we repudiate and deny the voice of evil anxiety and make acts of Faith in Our Lord!
Click to expand...
Father, with all due respect, I don’t think we can discount the medical aspects of mood disorders, which may be rooted in trauma or brain chemistry. They can be treated with medication and therapy. I would think Our Lord would want us to take advantage of the miracles that modern science offer us.
 
agnes_therese said:
Not to discount the possibility of this being demonic, I think it’s also possible that you were (at least subconsciously) a bit stressed about covering at Mass, and this stirred up the other anxieties.
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This is definitely true, being anxious tends to stir up other anxieties, and as it can psychologically snowball pretty quickly.

Anxiety attacks can come on suddenly, and often have the same symptoms as a heart attack (chest pains, that numbing feeling in the left shoulder). One person who this affects is singer Josh Wilson, which is what his song Carry Me is about (which is also, by the way, a good song to listen to if you are feeling anxious).

Prayer can definitely help, because it helps us to focus on God and on His love and His mercy and not on whatever problem is (or we think is) plaguing us. I know some don’t like the language, but it helps to centre us and calm us. Prayer can be both spiritually (communion/relationship with God) and psychologically helpful.
 
Lily235 said:
I am seeking opinions here, as I don’t have anyone with whom to discuss this in person.

I have been feeling for a while now that I ought to at least try covering at mass, and this past Sunday I did. I’m living in France temporarily, and it seems that veiling in particular is Just Not Done anymore, so I wore a hat instead of draping one of my summer wraps. Now, I have worn hats before back in the USA, but as a fashion statement (and an attempt at prompting a trend). This was the first time I wore something on my head with the express intention of 1) symbolizing humility before God, 2) acknowledging His authority over me, and 3) symbolizing my desire to obey that authority.

Now the interesting part comes directly after mass, when my main physchological weakness flared up again. This happens every once in a while, and I can usuall talk myself out of it by remembering certain things and praying for help, but this got very bad very quickly and kept recurring at the same strong level no matter what I did. These were feelings of being unappreciated at work, anxiety about how my colleagues felt about me, and feeling like I am “not good enough” and never will be. So pride, and some anger at specific people.

While trying to not sin and being quite miserable and crying on and off, I eventually thought that maybe this was a demonic attack because I covered at mass deliberately? When I prayed again with that in mind and begged God to bail me out, I felt better almost immediately and the feelings did not return.

So what do you all think?
Click to expand...
You will get better answers here than in TC.

God bless
 
Gidge said:
What is this TC that you speak of ?
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TC= Traditional Catholicism- the forum section where the thread was originally posted. The moderator moved the thread to Spirituality, since it was the more appropriate sub-forum for her concerns.
 
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