Question that is bugging me

[RaymondJensen]

i think i’m being stalked my a demon. sometimes the bed i’m sleeping on moves back and forth when i’m still. sometimes i could make moving figures in shadows. one of the more common things is a recurring feeling that i’m being watched. i’ve asked for prayers from the prayer intention forums and from the feedback some people said that it might be in my head (i have bipolar) and my sister said the feeling of being watched could be from God, an angel, or a saint. i’m wondering if this makes sense of a demon tell or a manic episode or just the grace of holy protectors looking after me. if it helps once when my bed was moving i got up, grabed a bottle of holy water i keep in my room, and sprinkled some of it on the bed. when i got back in the bed it wouldn’t move for the rest of the night. This may mean nothing but still.

 

[Sara753]

Sometimes, someone is responsible for opening a window to the lower realms.
The Occult, pychics, cards, etc.
If not, just ask Jesus Christ to save you from this situation. He will.
Pray the Rosary.
Tell me if it helps.

 

[RaymondJensen]

well, i hate to say this but here i go…

when i was in middle school i abadoned the church and eventually picked up wiccanism. could that have something to do with this? If so what would be the remedy (if being confirmed later in life would then nevermind)

 

[scimitar60]

You have dedicated your life to God now, I don’t think that Wicca matters anymore.

Make sure you have mentioned it in confession.

Like the above poster, pray the Rosary; if that doesn’t work too well then move further and get a priest to bless the house.

Good luck mate.

 

[Linda_Marie]

Being involved in Wicca does open doors which are better left closed.

The thing for you to remember is that even a baby Christian can put the devil to flight. Pray the St. Michael prayer and put your Trust in God.
Pray also the Brief of St. Anthony with either a crucifix or a picture of a crucifix.
Behold the Cross of the Lord!
Flee ye adversaries!
The Lion of the Tribe of Juda,
The Root of David has conquered, alleluia!

The words of this Brief are good ones to use when feeling tempted by evil, oppressed by demons, and in general spiritual warfare.

I suggest that you contact your parish priest and discuss this with him.

 

[AntiTheist]

There are no such things as demons. Therefore, you cannot attract them by playing middle-school dress up games where you pretend to cast spells.

I know that people on this thread are probably being sincere, but I think it can be very harmful to feed delusions of this nature.

What’s happening to you is either the result of an overactive imagination or is a part of a legitimate psychological disorder that you should bring to the attention of someone trained in the treatment of disorders like these.

 

[Blinky]

Go to confession, pray the rosary, wear the scapular, say the St. Michael prayer, sprinkle holy water and blessed salt around your house.

 

[RaymondJensen]

thank you everyone. I’ve taken most of your advice (no money to buy anything atm and all I did with a priest is confess every sin I said here and talked about my feeling of being “stalked” by a demon). I did my penance, and I’m going to take his advice the next time I sense something.

 

[kenofken]

Before you wander off into the fanciful world of demonology and “spiritual warfare,” take your meds. Seriously. I’ve had more bipolar friends than I can count over the years. It’s a hell of a disease, but you can get it under control with meds. The folks who kept up with them (I know the side effects suck), lead a happy and near-normal life. The ones (the many), who convince themselves they don’t need meds, lead a chaotic living hell of an existence, alienate most of their friends and family, end up homeless, dead or in jail. The choice is just that brutally simple. This question you pose is one of probabilities. The evidence for bipolar disease producing your symptoms is very well documented in centuries of work. The evidence for demon infestation is, well, let’s say MUCH less robust. I can’t tell you with certainty you DON’T have a demon problem, but the odds are 99.999% that the “demon” is your bipolar condition.

 

[RaymondJensen]

well i take 1500mg of depakote, 180mg of geodon, and 2mg or risperdal every night. unless i need to alter that a bit (because i do take them as directed and as often as directed) then i really don’t know.

 

[Sara753]

I have posted part of what I know. My conversations with a certain friend in Israel who works in this field has been corresponding with me for a couple of years on this subject.
The reason being, he has is because his teachers expell demons from people in all walks of life. He said even the most important people in high places can have these problems. You and anyone else you know that played around with the devil, need cleansing. Great calamity can trail you, even down the road. Be wise.
Believe me, its important to rid yourself of the hangers on.

He said to buy a small red candle. Light it in your home. Call upon St Michael and the ARchangels and use a RED rosary to pray the Rosary, keep it under your pilllow.
All these things, are very helpful. The Archangels will assist you, also the Blessed Mother.Incense is also good. Have it blessed. For those that do not believe in these windows? Good for them to be so ignorant of the unseen world.

Remember to fear nothing with the Lord. Once these things accomplished, rest in the safety of our Lord. He will send his angels to protect and do battle for you. God bless.

 

[karbear]

This guy took his question to a Catholic Site because he wanted a Catholic Reply. If he wanted conventional psychological advice, he would ask a psychologist. I don’t know his situation, but people who don’t think that demons exist are the ones who are feeding a delusion.

My advice, become holy, truly humble and holy. Nothing else matters but that we serve God, love others, and are happy with Him in eternity. Padre Pio was actually beat up by these things which supposedly don’t exist in his room at night. He still lived a life of joy because he know that the Lord was in charge and that was the worst they could do to him.

Pray the Rosary, out loud.

 

[Pieman333272]

There are no such things as demons. Therefore, you cannot attract them by playing middle-school dress up games where you pretend to cast spells.

I know that people on this thread are probably being sincere, but I think it can be very harmful to feed delusions of this nature.

What’s happening to you is either the result of an overactive imagination or is a part of a legitimate psychological disorder that you should bring to the attention of someone trained in the treatment of disorders like these.

AntiTheist, I’ve seen you attack the idea of Demonic Possession multiple times and merely question why you reject demonic possession, besides not believing in God. No intent to hijack the thread, but I feel obligated to ask now. Don’t use the “only psychology” one on me either, because I’ve read of various cases which are NOT explainable by contemporary psychology. Thank you.

 

[Rocinante]

This guy took his question to a Catholic Site because he wanted a Catholic Reply. If he wanted conventional psychological advice, he would ask a psychologist. I don’t know his situation, but people who don’t think that demons exist are the ones who are feeding a delusion.

My advice, become holy, truly humble and holy. Nothing else matters but that we serve God, love others, and are happy with Him in eternity. Padre Pio was actually beat up by these things which supposedly don’t exist in his room at night. He still lived a life of joy because he know that the Lord was in charge and that was the worst they could do to him.

Pray the Rosary, out loud.

this guy is also already under psychiatric care. if there is an either/or here in deciding between belief in psychiatry or belief in demonic persecution i would consider the efficacy of the respective approaches to such problems. its pretty clear that psychiatry (though far from perfect) has a much better track record than praying the rosary for this sort of thing.

 

[AntiTheist]

why [do] you reject demonic possession, besides not believing in God.?]

Because, as a skeptic, I don’t accept explanations that are not supported by evidence.

Look, this fellow posted on here seeking help, and I’m giving him the absolute best help out of anyone on this thread. When you are faced with problems that your mind is conjuring up, the best method of overcoming them is to recognize that it’s your mind doing it. Playing along with the illusion might make you feel a little better right now, but it’s likely going to be harmful in the long run. This is the stuff that breakdowns are made of.

I’ve read of various cases which are NOT explainable by contemporary psychology.

But that doesn’t mean that they are explainable by spooky ghosts. There are plenty of things that we don’t have perfect explanations for; the fact that we don’t have a perfect explanation doesn’t prove that the correct explanation is supernatural, any more than the fact that I keep losing my car keys means that ghosts are stealing them.

 

[Pieman333272]

Because, as a skeptic, I don’t accept explanations that are not supported by evidence.

Thank you for the reply. But are you a pseudoskeptic or skeptic - Do you study with the idea “demons do not exist” and bend or debunk all evidence or arguments to fit that worldview, or do you study with the idea “I’m going to see if demon’s exist, but I don’t believe in them right now”?

Look, this fellow posted on here seeking help, and I’m giving him the absolute best help out of anyone on this thread. When you are faced with problems that your mind is conjuring up, the best method of overcoming them is to recognize that it’s your mind doing it. Playing along with the illusion might make you feel a little better right now, but it’s likely going to be harmful in the long run. This is the stuff that breakdowns are made of.

I have no reason to doubt that you have the best in mind for this individual in your rejection of prayer. The only reason I brought this off-topic discussion up is because in a variety of other discussions you attack or criticize alleged cases of demonic possession and I wanted to know on what grounds.

Now, RaymondJensen may be a schizophrenic or have an overactive imagination, but he asked on a Catholic Forum and probably wants a spiritual answer.

But that doesn’t mean that they are explainable by spooky ghosts. There are plenty of things that we don’t have perfect explanations for; the fact that we don’t have a perfect explanation doesn’t prove that the correct explanation is supernatural, any more than the fact that I keep losing my car keys means that ghosts are stealing them.

I agree. That is a Non Sequitur and I did not have that conclusion in mind. I was making that statement as a refutation to the “it’s only psychology” argument against the idea of demons.

To the OP: I know not whether or not there really are/is a demon(s) in your home, but I suggest a mixture - both seek out a priest to bless the house, read the Bible/pray the rosary, and talk to a psychologist.

 

[karbear]

this guy is also already under psychiatric care. if there is an either/or here in deciding between belief in psychiatry or belief in demonic persecution i would consider the efficacy of the respective approaches to such problems. its pretty clear that psychiatry (though far from perfect) has a much better track record than praying the rosary for this sort of thing.

There is no way that psychiatry is more effective against demons than the Rosary. If you don’t belive they exist, fine. But the catholic church does.

 

[RaymondJensen]

ok this is starting to get a little heated. let me just say I’ve tooken everyone’s “even the non religious of us” opinions into account (but not all the opinons like demons don’t exist). In short, I’ve been talking to my parish priests and my psychologist about this. The priests and psychologist said that I should try to remain graceful so that I can’t be touched just in case it’s happening but the psychologist also said that paranoia feelings like being watched when alone is common in bipolar patients. I’m not excluding bipolar from the formula, but if it’s I seirously can’t figure out if it’s demons or paranoia I just feel it’s better to keep up my defenses from what can ruin me (rather it’s demons or paranoia to the extent that I can’t function well) in either case, I’ll try to remain graceful, while not letting this get the better of me.

 

[Linda_Marie]

Paranoia doesn’t move your bed around.

I used to be involved in the occult before God whacked me upside the head with a spiritual 2x4 and made me Catholic. I’ve had my share of encounters with evil spirits. They are quite real even though they have you doubting your sanity.

These things can hang around. They can come back later for another go, just in case your faith has weakened. I think that they have a special affinity for those affected by mental illness because they have fewer defenses. It is all dismissed as the illness when the evil is very real and compounding the problem.

You have done the right thing in consulting both your priest and your doctor.

Maintain your prayer life and remember that we are praying for you, too.

This site may have something helpful for you.

Catholic Spiritual Warfare
Quotes from Pope Benedict XVI

“Whatever the less discerning theologians may say, the devil, as far as Christian belief is concerned, is a puzzling but real, personal and not merely symbolical presence.”

---

“The more one understands the holiness of God, the more one understands the opposite of what is holy, namely, the deceptive masks of the devil”

and here

How to Fight the Devil in the Catholic Church: Exorcism, Holy Water, and Other Ways to Heal Demonic Influence

The closer an individual is to Jesus Christ, the better able he or she is to resist the temptations of the devil. Active participation in the faith is an important way for Catholics to draw near to God during times of trial. This participation includes:

* Receiving the Eucharist regularly but especially on Holy Days of Obligation
* Adoring the Blessed Sacrament
* Confessing one’s sins regularly
* Daily private prayer, scripture reading, and devotion
* Healthy and mutual relationships of support with other Christians

Whether or not people believe in demons, the Catholic Church teaches that they are a threat to believers, the Church, and the world. Catholic tradition offers many ways for Catholics to seek freedom from evil besides the famous ritual of exorcism.

 

[spockrates]

i think i’m being stalked my a demon. sometimes the bed i’m sleeping on moves back and forth when i’m still. sometimes i could make moving figures in shadows. one of the more common things is a recurring feeling that i’m being watched. i’ve asked for prayers from the prayer intention forums and from the feedback some people said that it might be in my head (i have bipolar) and my sister said the feeling of being watched could be from God, an angel, or a saint. i’m wondering if this makes sense of a demon tell or a manic episode or just the grace of holy protectors looking after me. if it helps once when my bed was moving i got up, grabed a bottle of holy water i keep in my room, and sprinkled some of it on the bed. when i got back in the bed it wouldn’t move for the rest of the night. This may mean nothing but still.

My mother is bipolar. From what I know of her condition, it’s sometimes like dreaming when you’re awake. Now when I dream, I have difficulty knowing I’m dreaming; that is, I do, until I wake up. During my dreams, I often have some pretty strange ideas and do some pretty weird things, and think what I’m thinking and doing in my dreams is perfectly normal. So I suppose I can, on some level, know a little what it is like.

How does one know when one is dreaming? If one is bipolar, how does one know when what one sees, hears, smells, feels, or believes is not real? I suppose the best way is to talk it out with others, and take their opinions seriously. Now if they experience the same things you do at the same time you do, and they’re not bipolar, then it might be something paranormal. A priest might recommend an exorcism, or a paranormal investigator might have other suggestions. But make sure you talk to your therapist and are taking the medication she recommends, so that you might rule out your condition as the cause of these experiences. Make sure it’s not a waking dream, so to speak.