How to find out if a person is possessed by a demon. “I knew only one thought, power, one - but fiery passion...” Why is the number of possessed people growing?

Modern man is skeptical about such concepts as possession and exorcism. Our ancestors in ancient centuries took demonism very seriously and made great efforts to rid the soul of the dark invader.

However, even today people are in danger of incurring evil spirits and living under their constant attention.

Signs of demonic possession

The devil's minions look out for evil souls; hatred and anger in a person attracts them with negative energy. It’s easy to take control of such people and lead them further down the dark path into hell. But even in external virtue a demon can be hidden, under the skillful grimace of a radiant smile and sensual speeches.

Demons cannot completely hide their presence and obvious signs of possession come out:

loud screams in a voice not your own in a strange language;
temporary paralysis of the body or its individual parts;
strengthening physical capabilities;
the color of the skin and eyes darkens;
emits a sulfur odor;
manifestations of rage and desire to destroy everything around;
frequent bouts of hysterical laughter;
causeless aggression and hatred;
hunted and wary behavior.

A person possessed by demons avoids everything connected with the church and clergy. It is impossible to take him into the temple, and from the icons, candles and illuminated water his body begins to convulse.

What is obsession and how does it manifest itself?

In Christianity, possession is the possession of the soul and body by an evil spirit. The demon subjugates the victim and begins to lead him along the path of vice and evil. It controls movements and thoughts, provokes an aggressive perception of reality and draws out vital energy.

But the people around us also fall under demonic influence. After all, the possessed person’s behavior causes them pain and suffering. Deprived of peace and mental balance, their defenses weaken, opening the way into the soul for the devil.

Demon possession manifests itself in all areas of life. Thus, in a love relationship, a person subjugated by evil forces is not able to fight sinful desires. And in the family there comes a time of quarrels and scandals due to constant betrayal and betrayal. Problems and conflicts at work infuriate him and, instead of solving them, he goes on a drinking binge.

The possessed person cannot communicate normally with children and parents. In the former he sees God's creatures, and the latter indicate the approaching end of life.

How does a demon possess a person?

The devil penetrates the unprotected soul of a person, he, like a microbe, looks for loopholes for his dirty deeds. Divine barriers crumble under the influence of sins. They become conscious choice in favor of the devil, and the person loses the protection of the Almighty.

This does not happen right away, because God is patient and forgives people and cleanses the soul. But he does this only with awareness, humility and repentance. The Creator can appeal to the mind of a sinner, but will never go against his will, for he respects freedom and the right to choose.

Signs of Obsession in Children

The soul of a child is the priority human essence for demons. It is easy to master and control. Therefore, the sacrament of baptism should be performed before 40 days after birth. This will allow the child’s soul to be endowed with grace, and it will be protected by God.

But even baptized children are susceptible to demonic possession, because their consciousness is not yet subject to divine canons. Recognize influence dark forces based on the child's behavior. He does not hear the remark, looks from under his brows, shouts and waves his arms, constantly lies and evades.

At school he receives criticism due to his disgusting behavior and unwillingness to study. He behaves aggressively with friends and classmates and often fights. There are frequent cases of theft and subsequent resourcefulness in exculpatory speeches.

Is obsession a mental illness?

Medical science denies the connection between mental disorders and the presence of a demon in the soul. She even identified a specific disease that characterizes a person’s confidence in the seizure of the body by the devil - kakademomania. It is considered one of the varieties of neurosis.

Specific mental pathologists have also been found to explain the manifestations of obsession:

loss of consciousness, convulsions, seizures – epilepsy;
aggressiveness and depression – bipolar affective disorder;
split personality - dissociative identity disorder;
speech problems, delusions, hallucinations - schizophrenia.

The Church considers all these mental disorders to be the highest manifestation of damage to the human soul by sins. They are the result of demonic influence that has enslaved a person to passions and prohibitions.

But many mentally ill people turn their faces to God and become his true servants. Their soul and body have realized all the corrupting influence of demons and require protection and help.

How to get rid of obsession

You can rid your soul of demons only through sincere prayer and faith in God. But this is not enough for cleansing.

The help of a church minister who has not known carnal pleasures and has not committed a sin in his entire life is required. He will repeatedly read a special prayer over the possessed person, fumigate him with incense and carry out anointing.

In the process, possessed people resist in every possible way - they break out and scream in a voice that is not their own. This demon is crippled by contact with divine attributes.

Before the exorcism begins, the possessed person must pray, repent of his sins, confess and receive communion. From the first day of understanding the importance of cleansing the soul, you should begin to observe strict fasting. It can only end after the demon is exorcised.

IN modern world Many people meet on the Internet. Therefore, obsession with a person is no longer uncommon. It all starts with cozy evenings on Skype and then a habit is developed when it is impossible to imagine days in which you will not see the one you were lucky enough to fall in love with. But sometimes people meet in real world and spend some time together, and when one of them suddenly disappears from the horizon, the second experiences severe psychological torment. You will read below about how to get rid of them.

Reasons why a person becomes obsessed

The first one could be called falling in love. When a person feels something more than sympathy for someone, changes occur in his consciousness and in his body chemistry. The secreted substances contribute to a slight intoxication, which is why the world seems magical, and “wings grow” behind one’s back and, ultimately, an obsession with a person arises. If consciousness gets used to this state, then after it happens, it usually begins. This is a kind of withdrawal, almost like that of drug addicts.

The second reason why obsession with another person arises is a feeling of one’s own inferiority. If you are used to being with someone, then when you find yourself alone, you feel empty and afraid. This mental reaction is quite normal. Here you just need time, during which the consciousness gets used to the fact that there is no one nearby and you need to exist on your own, without counting on someone. This is how approximately eighty percent of people around the world currently live. Remember this if you suddenly...

The third reason is considered to be a love spell. Those who believe in the otherworldly claim that it is possible to perform a magical ritual that will make the person you like fall in love with the manipulator. I will not dismiss this possibility, since I saw a person who behaved inappropriately while being bewitched. But how to get rid of obsession with a person caused by magical manipulation? For this, there are various rites and rituals, you can visit church, and also pray. But the most effective way to get rid of such addiction is to realize that obsession with someone is not a normal phenomenon.

The fourth reason is energy nodes. It could be called the main one, because the entire universe consists of energies. Elemental connections occur due to the meeting of people born in the years of energy structures that together release energy similar to strong love. The obsession with a person in this case will be very strong. And you can get rid of it only by completely cutting off the connection with someone for whom you have strong feelings. You can discover such energetic connections if you study eastern astrology. Or by asking for help from a specialist in this profile.

How to get rid of strong love?

If you have never had the feeling that you cannot exist without your loved one, then you most likely will not understand the reader of this site who wrote this letter:

My name is Irina, I'm 22 years old. A couple of months ago I met a guy and we started talking like friends. He is a terrible womanizer, and a party animal, in every sense. We hung out with him and his friend and kissed. Then he almost moved in with me, we lived together for a month. We didn't have sex, but we slept together every day. He was angry, but everything continued. Then he disappeared, and I began to cry and become depressed, I constantly think about him. I can’t be happy and joyful, even if everything is fine. I called him and wrote to him... I humiliated myself. Then she stopped calling, and it got even worse. I know that nothing would have worked out with him, and he didn’t give hope. But it became like a disease or an obsession. I'm completely crazy. How can I get rid of this?

When I read this message, the thought came to my mind that Irina has exactly what I mentioned above as the first reason. Probably the young man turned her head so much that she was in seventh heaven. Substances constantly released in the body that help stupefy the mind maintained a feeling of floating in her. When the guy left and stopped answering calls, the girl’s consciousness, like her body, stopped receiving what helped her feel happy and therefore something like a breakdown occurred. But such obsession with a person is temporary.

What steps do you need to take to forget someone you were close to? powerful emotions? First of all, you need to take a break! Relying on your life experience, I can say that a hobby distracts you from all your problems. And it doesn’t matter what character they are. That activity, which greatly occupies the mind and takes a lot of time, is a real salvation when any negative situation arises. Therefore, it would be worth recommending that Irina become interested in needlework or try to make her obsession with her young man disappear.

But first, in order to have a desire to create and, in general, to do anything, the chemical processes in the body must be established. To do this, you need to provide your body with those products that help with this. Of course, you need to buy delicious chocolates and eat them all the time. After a couple of days, depression will not be felt and you will not want to cry. The obsession with the person will begin to fade. Also, some procedures help overcome psychological problems. Therefore, it is imperative that you start visiting a sauna or bathhouse every two to three days. There you need to warm up for as long as your body can withstand the heat.

You should take a hot bath at home. You need to add a glass of milk, four spoons of instant coffee and five spoons of honey to the water. You should light vanilla and chocolate scented candles in your room every day. These smells are perceived positively by the consciousness and help to get out of worries. As soon as the body receives an artificial replacement for the set of substances that it produced, with a feeling of comfort in the mind when the girl was next to the young man, then her obsession with the latter will completely pass.

Being obsessed is like having tunnel vision—you don't notice anything except the object of your passion. Obsession becomes part of you Everyday life, and can be attributed to fear; but it is different from addiction, which causes a person to not be satisfied until he/she indulges in the object of addiction. Overcoming obsession is not simple task, but once you learn how to stop feeding your obsession and divert your energy to new people and interests, freedom will be within your reach. Learn to control your obsession so that it can no longer control your thoughts and actions.

Steps

Part 1

Free your mind

Keep your distance. If you are obsessed with someone or something, you will not be able to think about anything else when you are around the object of your passion. The closer you are to the object of your obsession, the harder it will be to forget him. By physically moving away from the object of desire, you will also, albeit not immediately, distance yourself psychologically. This will not happen immediately, but gradually you will feel that the spell of obsession begins to weaken.

Stop feeding the obsession. You may find it difficult to break this habit that gives you a lot of pleasure. Just thinking about the object of passion will only strengthen his power over you. In order to get rid of an obsession, you must “starve” it. For example, if you are obsessed with a celebrity, stop talking about them with your friends. Stop following her on Twitter as if you were dating. The more thoughts you give to your obsession, the more it will consume.

Distract yourself from obsessive thoughts. Let it be much easier to do this in words than in deeds. When it feels so good to talk about your favorite topic, why should you stop doing it? Just remember why you want to get rid of this passion, leave it in the past and start enjoying other things that life has to offer you. When intrusive thoughts arise, arm yourself with a couple of distractions to avoid falling into the trap again. Here are some good ways to distract yourself:

Do physical exercises that require concentration. Running and walking are not the best choices. But rock climbing, speleology, team sports are what you need
Fiction is a great way to distract yourself. Take new book or watch movies whose themes have nothing to do with your obsession.
As soon as thoughts take hold of you again and you urgently need to distract yourself, try listening to explosive music, call a friend (talk about something, but not about your passion), read an exciting article or get to work.

Focus on the things you've neglected. Obsession causes you to have no time to do anything else, such as succeeding at work, developing relationships, or pursuing interests outside of the obsession. Once you start spending time on other things in your life, you won't have as much time to think about your passion.
- Reconnecting with relationships that you've been neglecting is also a great way to overcome obsession. Your family and friends will be glad to see you back and will keep you busy interesting ideas, problems and even dramas. At least you'll have something to switch to!
- Many people believe that throwing yourself into work can stop obsessive thoughts. Whatever you do, do your job with passion.
Learn to live in the present. Are you a dreamer? Can you spend hours thinking about the object of your passion? Being physically in one place and mentally in another distracts you from the present. If you are ready to stop the obsession, you must learn to be mindful. This means living in the present time, and not being transported to the past or future.

Get cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This type of therapy assumes that there is no way to stop thinking about an obsession, but it is possible to loosen the connections between obsessions and daily emotions. Life becomes simpler as obsession becomes easier to manage.

Part 2
Forming new habits
1. Strengthen your relationships with others. If you are obsessed with a person, then the best way to get over them is to spend time with someone else. All the energy poured into the object of your passion will now be transferred to meeting someone else. Take some classes, hang out in parks, or hang out more with your friends. As you get closer to other people, you will realize how more peace can offer you more than just your object of desire.
  - Don't compare new people in your life to the person you're obsessed with. Try to enjoy their unique features instead of changing them.
  - Even if your obsession is not a person, meeting new people can bring good benefits (new opportunities and ideas that you have not encountered before).
2. Create new interests. Finding new interests may seem like a ready-made solution to many problems, but it really works. Learning a new skill or success in new activity can “wake up” your brain and get you off the ground. Show the object of your obsession that he does not control you, and you are capable of doing things completely unrelated to him.
  - For example, if the person you are obsessed with cannot stand museums and cinemas, then it’s time for you to plunge into the world of art and cinema.
  - If you're obsessed with a particular topic, try studying something completely opposite.
3. Make changes in your daily life. If the obsession fits partly into your habits, for example, you have to drive past your ex's house every day on your way to work, then just change your route. Think about the habits that cause you to become hopelessly obsessive. You will certainly not be slow to respond. Making a real effort to change your daily life may be difficult at first, but you will soon notice changes. Here are a few changes that may help you:
  - Change your route to work or school
  - Switch gyms or work out at a time when you can avoid seeing the person you're obsessed with.
  - Start your day with meditation, jogging, or walking the dog instead of surfing the Internet.
  - Go to different parties on the weekends
  - Listen to different music while working
4. Decorate your life. If you're tired of an obsession controlling your thoughts and habits, take back control by making some personal changes. It may seem harsh, but sometimes you need to change things to show yourself that you are still capable of something. Pick something in your life that is symbolic of your obsession and renew it.
  - Perhaps you need to change something in your appearance. If you've been growing your hair out to please the object of your passion, then why not cut it off? Let you have a new short hairstyle that has nothing in common with the previous one.
  - If you find yourself visiting the same sites over and over again online, it may be time to reorganize your room or office. Update your furniture and buy something new. Clear out your desk and decorate it with new snaps and trinkets. Get rid of everything that reminds you of things you don't want to remember and surround yourself with things that remind you to move on.
5. Talk to a specialist. Sometimes the obsession is so deep that you cannot handle it on your own. If you can't control your obsession and it's keeping you from being happy, see a therapist. A professional counselor will be able to give you the tools you can use to regain control of your thoughts and take charge of your life.
Part 3
Be obsessed with something positive
- Try something new to get rid of your obsession: go out with friends, read books, or learn a new musical instrument.
- Don't just get rid of the obsession, but redirect it into something else
- Take your time. Don't try to get rid of your obsession right away
- Don't be afraid or ashamed.
- Take it as a challenge and conquer it!
Warnings
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction are real problems for many people. If you simply cannot control your obsession and/or if it is bothering you or those around you, seek professional help.

Signs of demonic possession and how they differ from mental illness

For a long time, atheistic worldviews were propagated in Russia, which denied the existence of any otherworldly forces. This could not but affect our attitude towards religion. And sometimes, when we mention obsession, we cannot hide our incredulous look, thereby only allowing the dark forces to act with greater activity.

What is obsession? In the everyday life of church ministers there is an expression: “The demons have overcome.” This means that dark forces have taken possession of a person’s soul and body, enslaving his will and mind. Signs of demonic possession can be very diverse, and sometimes it is difficult to distinguish them from mental illness, which can lead to a fatal mistake. The task is complicated by the fact that until now there are no specific signs by which one can recognize a normal person and an obsessed person.

Possession does not come suddenly on its own, that is, demons cannot suddenly subjugate a person. This happens only when a person has a predisposition that represents indulgence in some vices. There is every reason to believe that alcoholism, drug addiction, fornication, envy, despondency, anger, greed, etc. are excellent targets that attract dark entities. Evil creatures are just waiting for the moment when a person is spiritually weakened in order to enter his aura.

Signs of demonic possession are quite difficult to differentiate. The main difference between obsession and mental illness is the manifestation of actions of a violent nature, that is, not characteristic of the essence this person- the appearance of alien thoughts and expressions. Those possessed show resistance to the divine, for example, they cannot enter church, use foul language, and express aggression towards symbols of faith. This can also be expressed by convulsive seizures, loss of consciousness, changes in voice, screams, etc.

The possessed show resistance to the divine.

Why is the number of possessed people growing?

IN Lately The number of people possessed by demons has increased significantly. This is mainly due to social problems. Here are the main reasons for this phenomenon: Spiritual emptiness with a lack of desire for improvement. Benefit funds mass media promoting depravity and violence. Young people's craze for aggressive computer games. A huge number of people abuse alcohol, drugs and other mind-stupefying substances. Increase in satanic sects. Obsession can be inherited. In addition, the church believes that a person who has not undergone baptism is also possessed.

How to deal with obsession?

The main weapon against the forces of darkness is the volitional factor. A person becomes especially vulnerable to the penetration of energy entities at times of fear, anger or other negative emotions. Therefore, you should control your feelings, prevent destructive thoughts from entering your consciousness, and fight vicious qualities.

Possessors, or energy entities (they are also demons), having taken possession of a person, leave very reluctantly, so it is quite difficult to expel them. People who exorcise these entities are called exorcists. Real healers must have a strong will, good health and be spiritually purified.

Possessors are intelligent beings, so they act in an insidious manner. Realizing that they are being driven out, they change tactics, temporarily not making themselves known. The absence of external manifestations in this case does not mean that the energy entities have retreated from the victim - on the contrary, they continue to corruptly influence its essence with redoubled force.

Patients subject to exocism are observed by a healer for at least three years. However, the main danger is that a kind of hole is formed in a person’s aura, serving as an entrance gate for any dark entities. To finally get rid of the influence of dark forces, a person needs to reconsider his lifestyle, eliminating bad habits and carefully controlling his emotions. In this case, a change of residence is mandatory.

Finally, the fundamental conditions are peace of mind and a positive attitude, and most importantly, hard work aimed at doing good deeds. In a word, powerful work on one’s own spiritual growth, which not everyone is capable of.

How can demons enter a person?

About how demons penetrate into the essence of a person:

1. Heredity (Exodus 20:5). This may be the sin of parents, or even grandparents. For example, spirits of fornication, occultism, murder, drunkenness, revenge, unforgiveness, etc. can be transmitted by heredity.

2. If one of the family members is unsaved, or he is a bad Christian. If there are no real Christian values in the family, this especially affects children. During scandals between parents, a spirit of fear may enter the child. This spirit, according to Bill Sabritzky, can cause asthma.

3. Sexual defilement of children by parents (this is especially common in the Carpathians). As a result, a spirit of unforgiveness may enter into the child, he may have all the sexual sins of his father, a spirit of frigidity if he is a girl, etc.

4. During pregnancy. If the mother is in a state of shock, demons can enter both her and the child. (If you are a believer, then remember that during pregnancy you should pay attention to your prayer life: you and your child especially need the protection of the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's protection. Therefore, constantly bless your child, dedicate him to the Lord, take the sacrament) . If the mother does not want the child and openly proclaims this, then the spirit of rejection very often enters into him. Be careful with such proclamations.

5. Through sin. Behind every sin there is some kind of unclean spirit. If a person begins to systematically sin, then this spirit can enter him. This can happen completely unnoticed. For example, these are the spirits of smoking and alcoholism.

6. If a person voluntarily devotes himself to Satan. For example, Satanists, Hare Krishnas, and members of the “White Brotherhood” proclaim certain oaths.

7. Through occult practice: psychic sessions, divination, fortune telling, spiritualism, reading certain books. We categorically prohibit reading books by Carlos Castañeda, Daniil Andreev, Emanuel Swedenborg and many others.

8. Through things (talismans, books, bed linen, etc.). In this way, sorcerers can curse the owner of any thing. There have been cases of people losing their clothes and underwear. Then they accidentally found these things somewhere in the yard, and some kind of curse came into their lives. It is better to get rid of such things immediately; it is advisable not to even touch them. Let me give you one example. One young woman, let's call her L., had her jacket stolen. Some time later she saw this jacket in her yard with a heart carved into the lining. L. sewed up the jacket and began to wear it. Soon she developed blood cancer (leukemia). She could no longer walk. The doctors sent her home to die. L. had pathologically lost weight, was pale, and almost motionless. But one day one of the ministers of our church was praying, and God put it on her heart to go preach to this woman. Having heard the Good News, L. repented and asked to pray for her healing. After some time, L. had a blood test healthy person. The doctors couldn't believe it. Soon L. again turned into a beautiful young woman. If you buy “Second hand” clothes, use bedding on a train, hotel, hostel, etc., we recommend blessing these things, calling on the blood of Christ on them. When raising children, teach them to use only their own things. This is also what basic hygiene rules teach.

9. Through dedicated food (for example, “prasad” among Hare Krishnas). This is why you should always pray and bless your food.

10. Through parents’ rejection of their children, boyfriend by girlfriend, or girlfriend by boyfriend, the spiritual level is traumatized, and demons can enter. When a family breaks down, the spirit of abandonment may enter one of the partners or small children.

11. In shock or coma.

12. Through kissing deceased relatives, the spirit of necrophilia can enter, as well as other spirits that were in the deceased. The Bible clearly teaches us about these things (Leviticus 21:1).

13. From other people. For example, before death, sorcerers and sorcerers very much ask to hold the hand of someone close. If someone gives a hand, then, as a rule, demons pass into him, and the sorcerer then calmly dies. Do not give your hand unless it is a brother or sister in the Lord. Don't let just anyone lay hands on you. During adultery and fornication, demons can also pass over. Also, if you are in the company of alcoholics, drug addicts, etc., know that there is already an unclean spirit there. By the way, in the company of secular musicians there are always spirits of pride and fornication.

14. Through blood transfusion. You can't transfuse anyone's blood. There are cases when, after a blood transfusion, people began to experience hallucinations and other spiritual manifestations. One woman was transfused with the blood of her drug-addicted husband, and she soon also “got on the needle,” another became schizophrenic after a blood transfusion. If you are preparing for surgery or childbirth, it is advisable for you to find someone from the faith with the same blood type.

15. You may be in some unclean room or area. We know of cases where former morgue workers had a spirit of necrophilia. It could also be a women's prison, a satanic church, a house in which someone committed suicide, etc.

16. Through obsessions and complexes. Sometimes after praying for cancer patients, a spirit would come to us and say: “You, too, will get cancer.” Such thoughts must be rejected immediately.

17. Through a curse personally imposed by sorcerers and sorcerers. But you must remember that if you have repented and live in holiness, the evil one will not touch you (1 John 5:18). The blood of Christ protects you.

18. Through “false religions”: Eastern and pseudo-Christian religions (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons).

19. Through sexual trauma. There are a lot of raped women now. Some husbands treat their wives in such a way that the spirit of sexual resentment enters the women and they become frigid. Demons also enter through various sexual perversions.

20. Through “alien fire.” We read in the Bible: “Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his own censer, and put fire in it, and put incense in it, and brought strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the Lord and burned them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron: This is what the Lord spoke about when he said: Among those who draw near to Me I will be sanctified, and I will be glorified before all the people. Aaron was silent..." (Leviticus 10:1-3). God was not pleased with their sacrifices. Through such service a spirit of rebellion can come. That's why we teach not to associate with people who have been excommunicated from the church. The church refused to patronize them. Free access of demons to their souls is open (1 Cor. 5:4,5,11; 2 Thess. 3:6,14; 1 Tim. 1:20; Titus 3:10,11).

21. Through improperly constructed relationships between mother and son or daughter (spirit of control). It happens that parents overprotect their children and do not allow them to accept independent decisions. Even if the child has already grown up and has his own family and children, “mommy” constantly “puts things in order” and imposes her decisions. In case of disobedience, huge scandals erupt. Some adults are terrified of “not pleasing mommy.”

22. Through incest (sexual relations between close relatives).

23. Through improper use of spiritual gifts. This is especially true of the ministry of the prophets. Servants must adhere to the following rules:

a) God gives the prophetic word. The concepts of “prophecy” and “proclamation, positive confession” should not be confused. You cannot pass off the dreams of your heart as a prophecy. This brings a curse from God (Jer. 23:21,31);

b) Do not seek spiritual sensations, but pray and be zealous for the manifestation of spiritual gifts. God will certainly manifest them;

c) Gifts are for the edification of the church. You cannot prophesy about your personal life (who is whose future wife or future husband);

d) Submit to the authority of the pastor. All prophecies must be written down verbatim and given to read spiritual mentor. If your pastor, after examining the prophecies, prohibits you from ministering spiritual gifts, then you better submit and pray for the purification of your gifts. If you continue to have a word, write it down and analyze it from the Bible, and don’t immediately go shouting on stage. Then again show the recorded prophecies to the pastor. If the pastor fundamentally does not recognize the ministry of the prophets, then it is better for you to move to another church.

24. Sometimes through art (music, theater, etc.). Real art is necessarily spiritual. Parents should definitely monitor what films their child watches.

25. Through abortion. Even if this is the third or fourth child, parents do not have the right to even think badly about him, since this is God’s child. Otherwise, the baby may be born with a spirit of rejection. During an abortion, the spirit of death almost always enters, which causes infertility, bleeding, cancer, etc. (The spirit of death and death are not the same thing.)

26. Through sexual and other thoughts (the spirit of masturbation, the spirit of voluptuousness).

27. Pathological desire for power: power complex, inferiority complex, spirit of pride.

How to detect whether a person has demons within himself?

Often you can easily guess about the demonic dependence of people by observing their behavior, speech, and facial expressions. For example, fear, resentment, inappropriate behavior.

Sometimes the demons that live in Christians constantly provoke them to commit some secret sins. In this case, the person looks quite decent outwardly, since he is trying his best to hide his uncleanness. At the same time, he makes every effort not to sin, but nothing succeeds. These people hate themselves, have a spirit of inferiority complex, a spirit of depression and condemnation. Sometimes such a person begins to consciously ignore his problems. Such people need to find the strength to come to prayer for liberation, to confess, to renounce everything unclean, no matter how ashamed or scary it may be. A liberated person must grow in the Lord, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and serve God zealously.

The third case is when a person may not even realize that he has demons. In general, this concerns the mental sphere: resentment, unforgiveness, rejection, etc. The demons behind this begin to manifest themselves only under the influence of the anointing, the power of the Holy Spirit. For example, a repentant person who has a spirit of resentment begins to notice that he becomes more resentful than before repentance.

At general services, I sometimes invite those people who feel some kind of spiritual aggravation to come out for prayer (for example, they cry, feel some kind of lumps in their throats). It is best to pray for liberation during such an aggravation. Then a person is most open to God.

You can be in the Lord for many years and not know about your demonic addiction. Only then can the demon suddenly appear. Then the person feels severe mental pain, and cannot remember or talk about anything without tears. So, my spirit of rejection suddenly worsened. I cried the whole night, confessing to my wife. In the morning I was free, I no longer had any unpleasant sensations. By the way, this spirit enters people very easily. I especially want to warn parents: be attentive to your children. Don't discriminate between children. Take part in the personal life of each of your children.

Finally, I want to emphasize once again: if you are believers and live in holiness, if you are strong in spirit, baptized in the Holy Spirit, demons cannot enter into you. The blood of Christ protects you. You have spiritual authority and power to resist the attacks of Satan and his servants.

Obsession, the holy fathers believed, can be of two types. There is obsession in its extreme manifestations, when a demon lives in a person as a second personality, and the personality of the possessed person is in a depressed state. But the state of a person whose will is enslaved by passions was also called obsession by the saints. Moreover, these two types may simply be in different forms obsession.

Saint righteous John Kronstadtsky, who observed a huge number of people, noted: “Demons in ordinary people enter by their simplicity... The evil spirit inhabits educated and intelligent people in a different form, and it is much more difficult to fight it.”

In addition, in our daily life, passions often take over us and sometimes make us uncontrollable. A striking and very common example of this is irritation. Therefore, as long as the devil has something of his own in our being, we are more or less subject to him, and therefore, in some sense, we are also possessed. Through sin, our soul opens up to demonic influence!

The entry of the devil into the human soul can be compared to the entry of pathogenic bacteria into the human body. If a person is physically insufficiently protected, has a weak immune system, then he is open to the penetration of various microbes and viruses, the consequence of such penetration is illness.

So the devil, when a person’s soul has no protection, gains access to it. But what is the protection of the human soul, its immunity, a barrier to demons, and why can it lose this protection? While a person slowly but persistently improves, while his spirit is directed towards God, while falls are followed by sincere repentance, he is in the sphere of action of God and in spiritual security, but when sin becomes a habit, when a person’s whole being is subject to some passion - he is deprived of the protective cover of Divine grace.

He is deprived not because the Lord punishes the offender: the Lord always loves a person and is always ready to help him. But this is precisely the height and exclusivity of God’s love for man, that the Creator respects the freedom of His creation. And a person chooses himself with whom he wants to be: with God or with the devil. All that is required of a person is to turn to God, with his heart, his mind, his whole soul, and accept everything that the Lord offers him. However, if a person turns away from God, he inevitably comes into contact with Satan, there is no third option: in everything good and beautiful - God, in the opposite (even if at first glance it is attractive) - the devil. G

reh is our choice in favor of the devil; by sinning, we seem to turn our hearts to Satan. And this is the result of our free choice. In sin, a person, like Adam and Eve once did, refuses the gifts of God, leaves, hides from Him and opens himself to the influence of demons. Now it is not God, but the devil who has influence over man and gains access to his soul. In the Gospel we find vivid characteristics of the relationship between man and the devil into which a sinner enters. The Savior, addressing the Jews who questioned Him, once said: “Your father is the devil.”

What did the Savior mean? Just as to be “sons of God” means to belong to the heavenly world, to be in the proximity of God, so to be “children of the devil” means to have close, direct communication with him. From their earthly father, children receive their upbringing, character traits, attitude to life, but, above all, they receive their very existence from their father. Likewise, God's children are like their Heavenly Father because they live His life. People who have turned to evil, in their sins, are also similar to the devil as their father, because from him they receive their sinful existence and live his life. Repeatedly the Savior compares the presence of the devil in the soul of a sinner with the life of a master in his house.

A person ceases to be his own master; someone else controls his soul and body. The owner is free to do whatever he wants with his house: he can clean and repair it, or he can destroy it. Based on the fact that the essence of the devil is evil, that he is incapable of creation, but only of destruction, there is no doubt what the devil will do, being the master of the soul.

This is what St. says. John Chrysostom: “Demons, once they have taken possession of the soul, treat it so vilely and insultingly, as is characteristic of the evil ones, who passionately desire our shame and destruction.” And St. Basil the Great explains this passionate desire of Satan in such an interesting way: realizing his powerlessness in the fight against God, the devil seeks to take revenge on Him at least by inclining the image of God - man - to sin. The Apostle Paul says about sinners that the devil “has ensnared them in his will”iii. They are like birds caught in a snare; the hunter who catches them can do whatever he wants with them - they are in his power.

Thus, a person who is seduced by the bait of the devil (this bait is the deceptive sweetness of sin) finds himself in his snare. “Only birds,” St. Innocent of Kherson correctly notes, “rush about, try to escape from captivity, but we rarely do.” “The Kingdom of God is within you,” says the Savior. This means that not only after death, but already now we can join the Kingdom of Heaven, acquire it into our hearts.

The Kingdom of God is within us - this, according to St. Simeon the New Theologian, “when God is with us in unity.” But we have the power to create in ourselves both the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. One enters the Kingdom of God through improvement in virtues and knowledge of God, while one enters the kingdom of the devil “through being rooted in vices” (St. John Cassian). And just as we have the power to open our souls before God and let Divine grace into it or remain closed to him, so it is within our power to either let the devil into our hearts or to prevent him.

“The devil takes up residence in demon-possessed people because these people have attracted evil spirits to themselves: they themselves have prepared a dwelling for the devils in themselves - swept and tidied up; by their unrepentant sins, instead of the dwelling place of God, they become a receptacle for the unclean spirit,” says the reverend. John of Damascus. This is also confirmed by Saint Theophan the Recluse: “Our inner being is always contained; The Lord Himself stands outside and knocks for it to be opened. How does it open? Sympathy, predisposition, consent. For those who have all this leaning towards Satan, he is the one who enters... That Satan enters, and not the Lord, man himself is to blame for this.”

Examples from life fully confirm this pattern. It is important to note that hardly any of the priests are skeptical about the possibility of the devil invading a person, since it is to them, to the temple, that people come to tell about the mysterious and frightening phenomena that they have encountered.

Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko, a famous priest who lived in the 19th century, collected a number of typical examples demons in his book “The Spiritual World”. Let's list some of them.

It is important for us that all these examples illustrate the fact: possession is not necessarily a consequence of extraordinary sins and threatens people who find themselves in some special situation; most often one encounters the presence of the devil when the most a common person ossified in the most banal vices.

So, the village priest talks about what happened in one peasant family belonging to his parish. The woman, the mistress of the house, was famous for her sullen disposition and grumpiness; she was constantly seen quarreling with someone. It is not surprising that after one of these quarrels, when she shouted at the neighbor’s children for an insignificant offense, terrible things began to happen to her, about which her husband said in horror: “My wife was so furious that it was scary to approach her.”

In another case, the reason that gave the devil access to the soul turned out to be something that many consider not only not a sin, but, on the contrary, positive feature, namely, an easy, frivolous attitude towards life. Two girls chose the grave of a very sinful man as their place of “rest.” Having drunk, they began to jump over the grave and...dance.

When the girls returned home from the cemetery, they began to scream and made inhuman sounds. Not knowing what to do in such a situation, the girls were locked in a separate room and a priest was called. If there were children in their place, there would be no harm to them, but these were adults, conscious people...

It must be said that there are known cases of possession of children, and at an age when they are not yet responsible for their actions, and therefore cannot be guilty of possessing the devil in them. Of course, all this remains a mystery: why the Lord sometimes allows demons to dwell in an innocent creature, but there is still logic here: most likely, this happens to the children of especially sinful people. Just as a child of drug addicts or alcoholics suffers as a result of the sins of his parents, so the soul of an infant may be given to the devil due to the inappropriate behavior of his parents.

Just as in the case of parents who are drug addicts, there is no mystical punishment of God here, but the laws of spiritual life apply. The child develops in the atmosphere that he sees around him; he does not know anything else. If there is an atmosphere of holiness in the family, then from birth the child learns to communicate with God, learns prayer and a good, bright life. It is not for nothing that holy parents and children often become famous saints (let us recall, for example, St. Sergius of Radonezh). But if the devil dwells in the souls of the parents, then the child also gets used to sin and his soul becomes open to demons.

I’ll cite an incident that happened to us several years ago, when our whole family was vacationing in the south. We were returning home from the beach by trolleybus. At the next stop, a fairly young man and woman with children – a girl of about six and a boy of about the same age – entered the trolleybus. The parents were obviously alcoholics, they talked rudely to each other, laughed at some vulgar jokes. The girl, having pushed everyone away, sat down with her brother (or friend) next to us and began to behave so boorishly and vulgarly that Father Konstantin was forced to ask her to at least be quieter. Then something unexpected happened. The girl turned to us, her face was distorted with anger, and she began to shout in a hoarse, shrill voice that she had seen Father Konstantin in the church, began to grimace and imitate the actions of the priests. We were dressed completely like a beach person, nothing showed us any special involvement in the church, moreover, we arrived in this resort town the other day, and Father Konstantin had not yet appeared in the church. And from the girl’s screams it was clear that she really didn’t know anything. The mother tried to silence the girl as the entire bus looked at her in surprise. literally the raging child, but she couldn’t, and the whole family got off the trolleybus.

And in particular danger are children whose parents either themselves are involved in the occult sciences, or turn to people involved in this (for example, taking a sick child to their grandmothers in order to help in a magical way).

So, by deigning to sin, we place ourselves (and perhaps our children) at the disposal of the devil, who penetrates into the soul and takes hold there as we take root in sin. And the holy fathers noted that sin does not enter the soul at once, but gradually, passing through stages of development from an extraneous, external impulse knocking on the soul, to the master’s disposal of it.

O. Konstantin Parkhomenko

ACCORDING TO THE ORTHODOX PRESS