Ghosts, Poltergeists, Demons and Devils
Many people have wondered what the differences are between ghosts, poltergeists, demons, and devils. The answer is that there is no easy answer, there are general guidelines used when determining which is which but as always, there are always exceptions to the rule. After many years of research and investigations by countless people, there seems to be a set standard by which most paranormal entities have been classified. The following definitions and guidelines will describe their unique characteristics.
Ghosts
Ghosts are the spirits of people that once lived, regardless of how long ago that may have been. The term ghost actually means a human spirit that is unrecognizable to the viewer. Apparition is the term given to a human spirit that is recognized by the viewer (“look, it’s uncle Harry!”). When we talk about ghosts, the term “Ghost Syndrome” must come into play. The ghost syndrome is what generally causes a human spirit to remain earthbound. Often, when a sudden or unexpected death takes place, the spirit of the deceased either is not aware of its passing or refuses to believe it has passed. Other times, strong ties to earthly matters (loved ones, places, possessions, etc) will cause a spirit to remain earthbound. “When may we see a ghost?” Human spirits can be “sensed” at any given point in the day or night. The only question involved in when one might SEE a ghost is, does it possess the power and/or knowledge to manifest in a visible form. Generally it is easier to view a ghost at night because less energy is required for someone to see than during the day. That brings us to the point of how a ghost manifests. Usually they will draw energy from whatever they can, such as electrical storms, electrical power and transformers, and other people. People emit a large amount of energy into the air which many types of spirits draw upon to manifest. In almost all cases involving psychic activity, especially demonic activity, people have noticed a “drastic drop in temperature of the room.” That drop in temperature is due to the draining of energy from both the atmosphere and the people themselves. “Can human spirits cause objects to move?”… Certainly! They can also make things disappear or appear. BUT they have their defined limits. Human spirits cannot normally lift objects weighing more than one or two pounds. Similarly, they cannot move objects that require the one or two pounds of force (i.e. opening a heavy oak door that requires 10 pounds of force to move). They can also make objects disappear but you will often find those objects later (they cannot make an object actually vanish from the earth, they can only move it from one location to another). The same goes for objects that appear, they have actually been moved from somewhere else (like from your neighbor’s bathroom). That leads us to the next type of spirit… the inhuman spirit.
Demons
Unlike human spirits, inhuman spirits have never actually “lived” on earth and are generally thought of as evil. There are evil human spirits but their capabilities are the same as mentioned above. Demons are a completely different story. Demons will, if given the opportunity, use an evil human spirit to do its dirty work while it sits in the background. Their sole purpose for existence is to destroy humankind in any way possible. Whether if it’s through tormenting the living or keeping a human spirit from passing, it makes no difference. They delight in the ruin of man. They usually only make appearances at night, during the absence of natural light. I stress natural light because a lamp, nightlight or whatever, during the night is not natural light. Demons are “low level” entities which are commanded by devils (covered next) to harass anything associated with God. Many people have asked: “If I’m a good, religious person, will they try to come after me?” The sad answer is yes. In all actuality, the holier or more religious a person is, the greater the victory for them. Demons have no morals, they will attack the weak, ignorant or young because they are more defenseless. The ultimate goal of a demon (or devil) is the possession of a living person, to feel what it is like to live. They are jealous of humans because for that reason and that is one of their primary reasons for wanting to destroy us. When we talk about possession, there are guidelines by which demons usually follow before having the ability to possess. Most humans have a strong enough will to where a demon cannot just “enter” them. That will needs to be broken down first. There are three stages in the possession of a person. Each is designed for the ultimate goal of breaking down the will. Infestation is the first. Infestation is the initial entry of the spirit into a person’s life. Normally, a demon must be invited, or given permission for the process to begin. Several things can cause this to happen, either by basically asking it to appear as with conjuring, or by simple attraction. If an evil deed has been committed, such as a mortal sin, that may attract a negative spirit. Keep in mind you don’t have to be the person to cause the infestation. A prior tenant or house owner may have invited something that you were not aware of. During this phase, the intent of the demon is to provoke fear in its intended victim(s) which throws off negative energy which it uses to feed itself. That also begins the process of breaking down the will. Once the demon has situated itself and has begun taking hold on its victim(s), then it starts the next phase… oppression. During this phase, as is what took place in True Haunting in Quebec Canada, objects will be tossed about and apported, people will be physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually abused, and so forth. All the stops are pulled during this phase. Anything and everything that can happen, will. It may rain rocks or frogs or fish, your kitchen chairs may walk into the living room, etc. This phase is designed to complete the breakdown of the human will. If a person gives up, they release their will and open the door for the final phase… possession. Once a person is possessed, without immediate intervention from the church, the odds are great of that person dying. “Exactly what are demons capable of?” They can physically hurt a person but very rarely will they kill someone. There is a reason for that. God allows them to roam the earth but they are not allowed to outright kill. If they do kill a person, they are now breaking one of God’s laws and can be cast off the earthly plane for eternity, they do not want that. That’s why you’ll often hear of knives or heavy objects being hurled directly at someone’s face but stop millimeters from them and drop to the floor.
Devils
Devils are the “high level” entities of the legion. They will normally not get involved with people because they do not want their identity known. If it is something a demon can handle, the devils will let them take care of it but if a demon has not been able to produce the desired results, a devil may step in to finish the job. If a devil does get involved, there are always at least one demon working in conjunction. Devils are capable of almost anything, spontaneous combustion of material (curtains, houses… almost anything), materializations (usually of something vile such as excrement, vomit, or the like), holy items may be turned upside down, hidden, covered or desecrated. Unlike what human spirits can do, Devils can make something appear from nothing, or no where. They can lift objects of great weight (300+ pounds). They can dismantle an automobile engine, they can bend objects thought unbendable, they can make refrigerators dance around the kitchen. They are the brains, the strategy behind the attack. They tell the demons what to do and the demons do it. Devils work directly for Lucifer, they do his will. Devils are extremely intelligent, they have the “wisdom of the ages”. Their attacks can be outright barrages or the most subtle, devious, and thought out process of setting a person up and slowly destroying their lives. They revel in the misery they cause their victims and the absolute feeling of hopeless they make their victims feel only enables them to grow stronger and more deeply imbedded to the cause. Even without total possession of a person, they can still maintain full control over them. How can they do that? They become such a part of the victim’s life, and being, that the victim feels “empty” or lost without that presence. Therefore, the person’s will and entire being come in danger of impending possession. Devils are THE most dangerous entities anyone can encounter and when a person comes in the presence of one, that person knows instantly that their entire BEING is in danger, it’s a feeling the person will carry with them throughout their entire life, it can never be rationalized away… it can never be forgotten.
Poltergeists
One category not yet discussed is the poltergeist. Poltergeist is German for “Noisy Spirit” and they truly take after that description. There are many different views among experts as to the true nature of a poltergeist case. Some believe that the activity occurring in a poltergeist house is caused by the people themselves, using PK (PsychoKenesis). PK has been proven by science to exist. To summarize, it’s the ability of a person to consciously or unconsciously bring about physical movement of objects without actually having to touch the objects, but the effective range of PK has been measured in tests to be only about 20 feet from the source person. Some believe poltergeists to be as simple as a total hoax. Still others feel the activity could be caused by built up electric / electromagnetic energy. But when there appears to be an intelligence behind the activity, that tends to narrow the field down to just a few possibilities.
First, PK is still possible. Second… an actual spirit presence. Phenomena dealing with such normally centers around young children around the age of puberty. This is due to the fact that children, especially young women, in puberty exert an enormous amount of energy. This emitted energy is what a spirit uses to cause the “mischievous” activity. Poltergeists can be the most difficult cases to solve though. Because no one REALLY knows exactly what a poltergeist IS, finding a means to stop the activity is that much more difficult. Some cases of poltergeist activity have “proven” to be caused by human spirits whereas other cases are so much more violent and dangerous, we can only assume a greater, more devious and destructive force is at work, yet typical means of expulsion does not normally work. Although a poltergeist case is arguably the most intriguing to investigators, due to the VISIBLE activity taking place, it is probably the most outright disruptive and frustrating type of attack to the family involved. These type of hauntings are also the most frustrating type of haunting to a good investigator because rarely can anything be done to halt the attacks, the investigator becomes more of a family therapist or counselor than investigator during the heightened times of activity. There always is, however, light at the end of the dark tunnel. Poltergeist activity normally only occurs for a finite amount of time. Unlike a human haunting which can last for decades or centuries, a poltergeist’s time of activity generally only lasts for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months… but the amount of physical destruction during that time frame can be staggering. Of course there are always exceptions to the rules, some documented poltergeist cases have lasted for many years, luckily though, those are few and far between.