Reasons for tormenting, enslavement, visitation and possession

The list of spiritual threats possibly resulting in demonic tormenting presented below is not exhaustive and contains the most common of contemporary practices. It was constructed based on the knowledge of the Church (the Roman Ritual), exorcist priests books and testimonies of people freed from the evil spirits actions.

For easier reference, it was divided into several parts. Some sections are split into active (relating to evil practices undertaken by oneself) and passive (relating to effects of situations, in which the person in question is a passive participant, or the evil acts on other people) parts. This division is to an extent arbitrary, e.g voodoo joins idolatry with spiritism.

Generally, the cause of demonic interference into man is the conscious and voluntary remaining in the state of mortal sin. It might be:

1. Idolatry – a sin against the first commandment; the divine worshop of pagan gods, angels, demons, people, idols and inanimate objects; also, renouncing God.
2. Occultism – using esoteric energies, powers or skills; exoteric knowledge and esoterism.
3. Magic, divination, curses – (elements of occultism) striving to achieve an influence on people and events, casting spells, cursing, using the services of magi (fortune-tellers, diviners, witches, sorcerers, etc.).
4. Spiritism – calling up spirits, astral beings, guides, etc. by various techniques, in order to gain hidden knowledge, hints, advice, to know the future.
5. “Natural” healing – unconventional medicine, paramedicine, various “natural” therapies based on secret energies unidentified by science.
6. Manipulating consciousness – through sound and intoxication, entering trances and techniques of manipulating consciousness through sound.
7. Other – sin, addictions, sexual perversions. Dispensation of Providence.

Idolatry

1. Idolatry – a sin against the first commandment; the divine worshop of pagan gods, angels, demons, people, idols and inanimate objects; also, renouncing God.

a) active:

• Satanic sects, the cult of the fallen angel, a pact with the devil in thought or in writing, participating in satanic rituals (including black masses, rape, murder, mutilation and torture)
• “Intellectual” Satanism, as rebellion against God and morality, accepting the demon as a dark side of man’s personality rather than a real being, the affirmation of evil.
• The worship of ancient, pagan deities (Gaia, Thor, Pan, Set, Krishna and others) in sects or individually.
• Worshipping people claiming to be God or His personifications (e.g. Sai Baba).
• Worshiping places and items (secret places, totems, amulets).
• Contemporary shamanism, neopaganism.
• Mantras (calling, reciting of names), singing songs and reciting prayers connected with paganism.

b) passive:

• A passive participation in idolatrous rituals.
• Staying in places where satanic an pagan rituals took place.
• Wearing amulets, talismans, the possession of figurines of idols, devils, esoteric signs, etc.

Occultism

2. Occultism – using esoteric energies, powers or skills; exoteric knowledge and esoterism.

a) active:

• Esoterism – the search for hidden knowledge, membership in esoteric sects, alchemy, masonry, kabbalah, theosophy, parapsychology, gnosis, etc., courses of hidden knowledge, Waldorf education, rosicrucianism, etc.
• Seerhood – reading of future and past events.
• Telepathy – the remote reading of thoughts, attempts to “gain control” or influence other people.
• Initiation into yoga practices relating to consciousness, transcendental meditation and other eastern practices of overt or covert religious character.
• Many forms of “spiritual development” in the course of eastern martial arts, operating chi energy (also in tai-chi), zen.
• Seeking advice with fortune-tellers, telepaths, etc.

b) passive:

• Allowing others to operate on you with energies, e.g. for healing.
• Unconscious (e.g. in childhood) undergoing of such practices.

Magic, divination, curses

3. Magic, divination, curses – (elements of occultism) striving to achieve an influence on people and events, casting spells, cursing, using the services of magi (fortune-tellers, diviners, witches, sorcerers, etc.).

a) active:

• “Black” and “white” magic, all sourcery, makumba, voodoo, wicca and others
• Conducting magic by oneself, as well as visiting magi, in order to harm others.
• Maleficium – casting charms or curses on items and people, cursing, malediction
• Fortunetelling – striving to know the future (divination, cartomancy, chiromancy, tarot, angels cards, astrology, horoscopes, numerology).
• Creating talismans or items designed to harm others (fattura), using amulets (Atlantis ring, pendants, esoteric signs, remedies).

b) passive:

• Falling victim of an enchantment, malediction, curse, charms (maleficium)
• Reading horoscopes and magical books, even out of curiosity.
• Keeping talismans, amulets, items of various cults or ones that have undergone rituals (fattura).
• Playing magic in one’s childhood.

Spiritism

4. Spiritism – calling up spirits, astral beings, guides, etc. by various techniques, in order to gain hidden knowledge, hints, advice, to know the future.

a) active:

• Necromancy, sorcery, calling up the dead and attempts to contact them
• Mediumship and striving for autopossession by spiritual forces, calling up spirits, turning tables, plates, etc.
• Ouija boards, automatic writing an other forms of automatic transfer and communicating with exoteric beings.
• UFO and attempts to contact “extraterrestrial civilisations”.
• Astral travel, channelling and other practices aimed to contact astral beings, spiritual guides, angels, etc.
• Secular exorcisms.
• Ubanda, candomble (elements of capoeira), calling up spirits of alleged guardians (e.g. through singing in foregn languages to summon a spirit/demon).

b) passive:

• A passive participation in the abovementioned practices
• Staying in places where séances and abovementioned practices took place.
• Visiting dangerous places and people, connected with cults, sects, occultism, seership, spiritism, gnosis.

Natural” healing – unconventional medicine

5. “Natural” healing – unconventional medicine, paramedicine, various “natural” therapies based on secret energies unidentified by science.

a) active:

• Bioenergotherapy, biotherapy, reiki.
• Dowsing, feng-shui, energetic pyramids.
• Hypnosis, autohypnosis (outside doctor’s offices).
• Homeopathy (not to be mistaken with herbal medicine!).
• Remote healing, e.g. through a TV screen, transferring any sort of powers, fluids, etc.
• Acupuncture, acupressure, healing with “chi energy”, opening of the so called energy channels, chakras.
• Psychotronic and biotronic healing.
• Mudras, ayurveda.
• Healing with colours, stones, crystals, metals.
• Silva method, gestalt therapy.
• Educational kinesiology, healing with the power of hands and gestures.
• Iridology – diagnosis through observation of the iris.
• OOBE (out of body experience) – exiting the body and lucid dreaming.
• Reincarnation therapies, discovering one’s alleged previous incarnations, rebirthing.

b) passive:

• Submission to all the above therapies (e.g. in childhood).
• The presence of remedies in the vicinity.
• Taking mixtures prepared by shamans and healers (energetized herbs, Sai Baba’s powders); eating meals prepared for some deity (e.g. meals of Krishna’s worshippers).

Manipulating consciousness

6. Manipulating consciousness – through sound and intoxication, entering trances and techniques of manipulating consciousness through sound.

a) active:

• Manipulating through sound, transmitting idolatrous, occult spiritistic contents (e.g. satanistic), contents etc.
• Mantras, repeating and singing songs devoted to a deity (capoeira, krisna, etc.)
• Intoxicating with narcotics, alcohol and intoxicants.

b) passive:

• Consciousness-lowering substances, entering alpha states, trance, etc. (also in speed-learning or speed-reading techniques, etc.).
• Listening to music with subliminal messages, satanistic as well as, so called, relaxation music.
• Blackmetal, hard-rock, deathmetal and other forms of satanistic music with a direct or hidden message.
• Music identified with various cultures (e.g. Rastafarianism).
• Techno music and other forms of sound transfer influencing human consciousness (leading to a trance and a limiting of self-control).

Other – sin, addictions, sexual perversions

7. Other – sin, addictions, sexual perversions. Dispensation of Providence.

• A wilful, conscious and lasting remaining in mortal sin and addictions.
• Sexual perversion, sexual deviations.
• Computer games and other ones, with satanistic and occult motifs.
• Abortion, murder, enormities.
• Demon’s own initiative – in extraordinary situations God tolerates a momentary action of an evil spirit upon man for the increase of their sanctity, although evil is not in keeping with God’s will (conf. the case of Job, Saint Jean Vianney, Mother Theresa of Calcutta), also of an expiatory character (Anneliese Michel).