If someone has dabbled or experimented with the occult

[Spoken4]

…say, as a young kid playing with Ouija boards or holding “seances” thinking that it’s a “fun” or “cool” thing to do (a slumber-party or Halloween type of activity, for instance), or worse-- experimented with witchcraft and spells-- but the person does not seem to be aware of any serious or typical form of demonic possession in the classical sense: what should that person do BESIDES going to Confession? Of course, the occult and witchcraft are serious business, and are a great (bad) way to “pick up spiritual hijackers”.

A friend, who is coming back to the faith after a long lapse, ran across some “stuff” about demonic possession, exorcism, etc. and is now very concerned! The source of his info was questionable, though purportedly “Catholic” (he said it was some “brother” and “monastery” on Youtube, though he couldn’t remember the name). I promised to ask on his behalf, and to try to get some honest and hopefully reassuring answers for him-- as well as steps that he can take to protect himself if he IS in some sort of danger. I admit, this is something that I know very little about.

What if the person has messed around with these sorts of things, but has confessed to the activity and received absolution? Is there any chance that the person could “hold” or “be possessed” by a demon that might have entered as the result of the person “playing” with the occult even though the demon might still be laying low and waiting for the person to weaken in faith (or commit a serious enough sin)?

The person in question has no problems with holy things, going to Church or Adoration or being in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, though he does sometimes cry during prayers. I’ve had that happen sometimes, too, and I know that some Saints would cry in prayer, so my thought is that merely being moved to tears without a feeling of “dread” or the need to leave a holy place or thing is not necessarily a sign of demonic possession.

The person has renewed baptismal promises during a group rite during Easter Mass last year, which I realize also includes a “minor exorcism” and renunciation of Satan as part of the ritual. Should this person take additional precautions to ensure that he isn’t harboring a bad spirit or demon, or should he be fairly safe and “clean” now as the result of his Confession, reception of the Eucharist and renewal of Baptismal promises?

In Jesus’ Protection–

~Spoken4

 

[po18guy]

I would suggest that this person contact their Diocese and speak with someone experienced in dealing with occult matters. Usually, the demonic makes itself known rather plainly, with actual cases of possession being extremely rare. If one was possessed, they would not be capable of expressing concern over such matters. They would have a real problem with the Sacraments, even sacramentals. Lesser conditions known as “infestation”, “obsession” and “oppression” are much more common. They may involve things like sudden doubt or confusion regarding one’s faith, or an aversion to reading scripture. It may also appear as visual manifestations and/or auditory disturbances, but can also include physical manifestations, such as objects moving, phones randomly ringing, etc. This can be alarming, but God’s power is always superior to the occult. If such is experienced, a good first line of attack is the Saint Michael prayer and the Hail, Mary. Next would be a Catholic Spiritual Warfare prayer. Your Catholic bookstore would have some examples, and many can be found on the web. One caution: it is best never to engage the spirit realm directly, but rather to plead with the Lord for His assistance. An example of the risks of direct engagement is given in Acts 19:13-17. Here and here are links to articles dealing with the demonic. A good and holy Priest will tell you that we are in a spiritual war while yet on this earth. And, in war, every soldier needs to know the enemy.

 

[thirddec]

In short ; yes i have done just as this person and yes I have experienced some very negative things in the months after but I would advise greatly against going over the top with phrases like possesion. There is nothing satan likes more than to have people inflate his power and importance. Even the least in Heaven is more powerfull than satan. But don’t underestimate the intelligence of evil and the danger it poses either.

I would however get the advise from a sensible trustworthy Priest rather than over the net.

Mass, confession, the Eucharist and the rosary ; you wont go wrong. A little prayer of thanks to God for your Guardian angel to keep evil away from you.

love and hope for the future when I hear younger people alive in this forum.

 

[WoundedIcon]

Generally a person will kind of know if they’re getting knocked around by the Devil. Misanthropy, doubt, cynicism, despair of hope, inordinate self-pity (some is only natural for certain wounded individuals), fixation on failures, powerful resentments, lust, etc. If your friend is struggling with something that seems well inordinate according to his life, mental health, etc. then there might be problems. But if not I wouldn’t worry too much. I’ve dealt with that snake - I even tried to get baptized once, walked into a church, within five seconds my mood did a 180 and I ran out of there crying and shaking and hid in the friggin’ woods. If he ain’t that bad, it probably ain’t too bad if there’s anything at all going on. Just ask God to stomp away.

 

[BluesPicker]

…say, as a young kid playing with Ouija boards or holding “seances” thinking that it’s a “fun” or “cool” thing to do (a slumber-party or Halloween type of activity, for instance), or worse-- experimented with witchcraft and spells-- but the person does not seem to be aware of any serious or typical form of demonic possession in the classical sense: what should that person do BESIDES going to Confession? Of course, the occult and witchcraft are serious business, and are a great (bad) way to “pick up spiritual hijackers”.

A friend, who is coming back to the faith after a long lapse, ran across some “stuff” about demonic possession, exorcism, etc. and is now very concerned! The source of his info was questionable, though purportedly “Catholic” (he said it was some “brother” and “monastery” on Youtube, though he couldn’t remember the name). I promised to ask on his behalf, and to try to get some honest and hopefully reassuring answers for him-- as well as steps that he can take to protect himself if he IS in some sort of danger. I admit, this is something that I know very little about.

What if the person has messed around with these sorts of things, but has confessed to the activity and received absolution? Is there any chance that the person could “hold” or “be possessed” by a demon that might have entered as the result of the person “playing” with the occult even though the demon might still be laying low and waiting for the person to weaken in faith (or commit a serious enough sin)?

The person in question has no problems with holy things, going to Church or Adoration or being in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, though he does sometimes cry during prayers. I’ve had that happen sometimes, too, and I know that some Saints would cry in prayer, so my thought is that merely being moved to tears without a feeling of “dread” or the need to leave a holy place or thing is not necessarily a sign of demonic possession.

The person has renewed baptismal promises during a group rite during Easter Mass last year, which I realize also includes a “minor exorcism” and renunciation of Satan as part of the ritual. Should this person take additional precautions to ensure that he isn’t harboring a bad spirit or demon, or should he be fairly safe and “clean” now as the result of his Confession, reception of the Eucharist and renewal of Baptismal promises?

In Jesus’ Protection–

~Spoken4

    Not everyone gets attacked or picks up a demon.  I am concerned about the so called  "Brother"  you have been listening to.

I believe you are listening to the Dimond brothers, Peter & Michael, who claim to be Benedictines. If this is so, then you must realize that they are in schism with the Church. “The Most Holy Family Monastery” is their website and is reviewed by Catholic Culture’s website. Catholic Culture is a reliable Catholic website.

Site Review of Most Holy Monastery

  You  went to confession and  did your penance.  That sin is forgotten.  Not everybody gets attacked because  God is in charge.   I  believe it would be appropiate to give  Praise to Jesus Christ  now and thank Him.  

  When one follows the tenets of  their  Faith and does so with sincere belief   The Mystical Body of  Christ  takes care of  Her children.

    Please  be careful about what you listen to on the Internet.  Evil sites will confuse you.

Peace In Christ,
BP

 

[po18guy]

Not everyone gets attacked or picks up a demon. I am concerned about the so called “Brother” you have been listening to.

I believe you are listening to the Dimond brothers, Peter & Michael, who claim to be Benedictines. If this is so, then you must realize that they are in schism with the Church. “The Most Holy Family Monastery” is their website and is reviewed by Catholic Culture’s website. Catholic Culture is a reliable Catholic website.

Site Review of Most Holy Monastery

  You  went to confession and  did your penance.  That sin is forgotten.  Not everybody gets attacked because  God is in charge.   I  believe it would be appropiate to give  Praise to Jesus Christ  now and thank Him.  

  When one follows the tenets of  their  Faith and does so with sincere belief   The Mystical Body of  Christ  takes care of  Her children.

    Please  be careful about what you listen to on the Internet.  Evil sites will confuse you.

Peace In Christ,
BP

Amen! From 1 John 2, we know that many spirits of antichrist have already gone forth. They lead the faithful stray, exactly as Jesus prophesied. However, while on this topic, it is always beneficial to learn the enemy’s tactics and their symptoms, so as to recognize them and mount a defense.

 

[wild_thing]

I agree 100% with po18guy. Also, from what you have said on your post, he doesn’t sound like he’s been demonically obsessed, oppressed or possessed- but it wouldn’t hurt anything to run it by a priest. Father Amorth has always said that a good confession is just as/or even more effective than an exorcism, so making use of the Sacraments is the first step any person who has dabbled in the occult should make. There are lots of prayers out there that a person can do to ‘strengthen’ their spiritual muscles and give the devil a good kick in the pants. I think this site is really helpful for that kind of thing- www.saintpiocenter.org. But tell your friend not to get demons on the brain- Christ is more powerful than any demon.

 

[DaveBj]

I had and read a couple of books on Wicca in the late '60s, but they were so…I dunno…goofy? that I never took them or the subject seriously. I eventually ditched them. I never practiced any of it.

There was a funny side-track to this. These were the days where TVs got their signals through rabbit-ear antennas, and sometimes the vertical or horizontal hold would slip, and the picture would start flipping. I had a way of flicking my fingers at the TV and timing it exactly right so that I did it as the picture returned to normal. I don’t know how I did it, but there was nothing supernatural about it. However, there were people, both in my college dormitory and at my USAF language school dorm who thought that I had signed some sort of deal with somebody on the Dark Side

DaveBj

 

[LibbyLou]

Ah. Well, as someone who spent most of her adult life as a practicing Witch before conversion and baptism into the Church, let me just say…

I agree. Heh.

Tell your friend not to panic, but do tell him to go to confession and be explicit with his priest over former occult activities. His priest will be able to advise him. If he has any occult paraphernalia or books lying about, he needs to get rid of them. Even if he’s no longer using them. “Packed away in the attic” doesn’t count. His priest can also advise him on the best way to get rid of the items in question. And if any of these activities took place in his current residence, I’d recommend asking his priest to come bless his home.

 

[_Gandalf]

As a practicing Witch, I can assure you that there are many branches of the occult that are dangerous, and it is entirely possible to get mixed up with “The wrong crowd” so to speak. However I personally find it unlikely that anything “Stuck” to him or his surroundings. First of all, it’s kind of rare anyway (Though completely possible), and secondly, these things usually like to make very well sure you know that they are there. If it’s not apparent, there’s probably nothing going on.
If he knew what he was doing though there is virtually no danger. If you have good control, and you use proper precautions, things like that don’t happen anyway.

I could suggest some Witchy things to do if you are worried about it, but I’m pretty sure you’re not looking for help in that area haha.

 

[Mark_David]

Spoken4 - if your friend has gone through all the proper Sacraments, is genuinely repentant, and has confessed his sins to Jesus Christ via Reconciliation, then he has little to worry about. Having said that: he must remain a Believer, attend Mass every Sunday, pray regularly, and fight all temptations. Let Christ take care of the rest.

 

[puzzleannie]

…What if the person has messed around with these sorts of things, but has confessed to the activity and received absolution? ~Spoken4

you are correct to remind her about the minor exorcism she received

what should she do after confession and absolution? get rid of all the books, toys, tarot cards and other artifacts of that obsession, including computer links. Drop as friends those who tempt her into such curiosity and involvement, that includes avoiding family members who are heavily involved and not amenable to opposite points of view. If she has a feeling of affliction or oppression she should take it to the priest immediately, but it is highly unlikely that as a professed, practicing Catholic in the state of grace and frequenting the sacraments that she has anything to fear.