The Demonism of the Ages, Spirit Obsessions, Oriental and Occidental Occultism

J. M. Peebles

Description

"The Demonism of the Ages, Spirit Obsessions, Oriental and Occidental Occultism" is a fascinating treatise on the history of demonology and possessions, exploring cases from Ancient Greece to nineteenth-century Korea and beyond. This volume is highly recommended for those with an interest in demonology, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Contents include: "Evil Spirits and Their Influences", "Chinese Spiritism-A Demon in the Kwo Family", "Responses to the Nevius Circular Concerning the Works of Evil Spirits", "More Demoniac possessions in China,-Responses to Circular of Inquiry", "Demonaic Possession in Japan and Korea", "Demonical Obsessions and Possessions in India", etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete the original text and artwork. First published in 1904.

Sujets

• Demonology
• Satanism
• Religion

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 29 septembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781473342873
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE DEMONISM of the AGES, SPIRIT OBSESSIONS so Common IN SPIRITISM, ORIENTAL and OCCIDENTAL OCCULTISM

By J. M. PEEBLES, M. D., A. M.
FOURTH EDITION

AUTHOR OF
The Seers of the Ages
What Is Spiritualism, and Who Are These Spiritualists?
Three Journeys Around the World
Immortality, and the Employment of Spirits
The Christ Question Settled
Death Defeated, or the Secret of Keeping Young
Reincarnation Discussed
Spiritualism vs. Materialism
Vaccination a Curse
Did Jesus Christ Exist? Etc., etc., etc.
INTRODUCTION.

A General Statement with Inquiries and Warnings.

I. Spirits, not necessarily gods or devils, are simply human beings released from their mortal bodies.
II. The event termed death neither spiritually exalts nor degrades a human being.
III. Spirits, conscious entities, to maintain their identities, must have taken with them consciousness, memory, disposition and tendencies.
IV. There are as many kinds, classes and castes of spirits in the spirit world, which lies over and all about us, as there are kinds and conditions of mortals on earth.
V. Hypnotism in this life, and hypnotic trance from the spirit spheres, being intimately allied, there are many phenomena connected with somnambulism and temporary loss of identity, clearly pointing to obsession as the only rational explanation. Many of the obsessed are utterly ignorant of the causes of their strange impressions and unaccountable doings.
VI. Persons that liked authority, position and the power to domineer over others in this life carry their monarchical traits into the invisible beyond, and naturally, for a time at least, become controlling, if not obsessing spirits.
VII. Sensitive individuals with negative temperaments coming within the radius of this class of spirits, become psychically influenced, and later obsessed without understanding the causes of their strange, restless, nervous conditions.
VIII. Earth-bound spirits are as naturally chained or held within the limits of the earth s atmosphere as lead is held to the surface of the earth by the fixed law of gravity.
IX. Different moral grades of spiritual beings can by their wills so impinge upon the auras of mortals and so hypnotically project their thoughts and their suggestions into the minds of those yet clothed in mortality, as to not only influence, not only co-ordinate the mentality, but to obsess them, and so in a measure sensuously re-live their lives on this earthly, fleshly plane.
X. Selfish, ignorant spirits thrust into spirit life by accident, or natural causes, soon seek their affinitizing associates over there, which, in regard to space, is logically here. They return to their old haunts; hence haunted houses. They also follow and if possible comingle their psychic emanations with certain mortals, and cling to them as fungus and moss to trees, thus vampire-like, absorbing their vitality. This is one of the worst forms of obsession.
XI. Hunters and vivisectionists, who torture animals, shoot innocent birds, attend prize fights, engage in maddened dueling, and rush fiercely into battle aflame with malice, to perish on the crimson warfields of slaughter, constitute many of the obsessional forces that blight humanity. These unredeemed personalities often incite mortals to the commission of crimes where no motive on this side of the great divide is discernible. Mrs. McKnight s case is an illustration. There was no appreciable malice-no motive for the killing of her husband, her sister and the children. She said she was sorry, but she could not help it-a clear case of obsession.
XII. Where, and who are the exorcists of these times competent to cast out demons as did the incarnate Christ of old, and so restore to health and harmony the afflicted? It is evident that the demon-infested cannot cast out demons.
XIII. Is it, or is it not, true that the demons of these demon-controlled mediums, being of necessity near the earth, near matter and material things, teach materialistic doctrines, rudest Darwinism, spontaneous generation, and the non-immortality of some human beings?
XIV. Are obsessions relievable? If so, by what methods,-Chinese, the Hindu or the Christian? Who have the power to bid these oppressed prisoners go free? Who are the wise, heaven-commissioned ones to transfer low, deceptive spirits into better conditioned fields with better facilities for moral growth?
XV. Can these ignorant, malicious or evil-disposed demon-spirits, often lying, pompous and pretentious, that benumb individuality, obsess, and if possible possess, be reached? Can their soul sympathies be touched by the fires of inspiration? Can their depraved natures be transformed, and so be prepared to ultimately enter into the higher Christ-spheres of the many-mansioned house of the Father?
All of these psychological questions, hypnotism, trance, witchcraft, monomania, motiveless crimes, obsessions by demoniac spirits, are discussed in this volume, solving the illustrious Blackstone s queries, found in the sixtieth article of the fourth book of Blackstone s Commentaries. These were his words, A sixth species of offense against God and religion, of which our ancient books are full, is a crime of which one knows not what account to give. I mean the offense of witchcraft, enchantment and sorcery. To deny the possibility, nay, actual existence, of witchcraft and sorcery and demons, is at once flatly to contradict the revealed word of God in various passages of both the Old and New Testament, and the thing is itself a truth, to which every nation in the world hath borne testimony.
If a man lives hereafter,-and he does ,-he is necessarily himself, and consciously knows himself. Individuality, God-implanted, is in its inmost, indestructible, and so identity defies the icy touch of death.
Habits must necessarily cling to man, writes the eminent author, Dr. George A. Fuller, in his Wisdom of the Ages ( pages 197 , 198 ) after the body physical has been thrown aside. No miracle occurs to transform a mortal in a moment s time from a demon to a saint. If his home has been in the realm of the carnal appetites and passions, death will not lift him out of that realm, for it can destroy only that through which these appetites and passions were gratified. Such spirits attach themselves as parasites to susceptible subjects, and through these usurped bodies seek to gratify their unhallowed desires. Inasmuch as there are malignant spirits encased in physical bodies, there are also malignant spirits denuded of physical habiliments, who disturb the equilibrium of everyday life, break down health and harass these physical bodies by sowing in them the seeds of disease. Much of the insanity of the world has been caused by unhappy suggestions and melancholy thoughts that emanate from these evil spirits that still hug the lower strata of physical life. Many times the holy sanctuary of life is not only invaded but also desecrated by these spirits. The rightful owner of the house, for the time being, is deposed and sometimes fairly driven away. The most powerful adversaries man is called upon to meet are they of the invisible realms. Because of their invisibility they are the more dangerous. Their attacks are all carefully arranged and planned without our knowledge. The powers and principalities thou art called upon to wrestle with are not of this world of physical sensations, but of the great realm of the unseen, out of which everything that is proceeds.
Not only are men directly controlled and influenced by these spirits, but the great social, political and religious worlds are invaded by them. Thus, ofttimes are they enabled to wield a powerful influence over the affairs as well as the lives of men. Here may be found in part the cause of the perversions in the great religions of the world. The social and political conditions that obtain in the world are also in a measure influenced by these denizens of the lower spheres.
Ofttimes they invade the aura surrounding the sensitive and live on his very life. Through him they again live the old life, drink in once more its delights and revel in its associations.
This species of vampirism is far more prevalent in the world today than many are willing to believe. The great body of men and women who are prone to investigate along the line of psychical phenomena are ever ready to hear of all that which is good and beautiful, while they turn away in disgust from him who would show them the darker side of human existence. Man cannot afford to wander longer in the realm of half-truths. In order that he may be well armed and fully equipped for the battles of life, he must know the whole truth. Therefore, he must be led to realize the dangers that confront him. Knowledge is one of the greatest sources of our strength and power. Ignorance makes slaves of even the wisest of the earth. Ignorance draws dark curtains before the eyes of man, while spirit vampires creep upon him unawares. Knowledge lifts all curtains, dispels all fogs and clouds, revealing the enemy in his lair. When we know our enemy and the source of his strength, the battle is more than half won. Victory comes when we are led to realize our own strength and power.
The observer of the times cannot doubt that we are in the closing years of a great cycle,-in the day of that great battle long prophesied between the demon hosts of a crude, selfish, atheistic spiritism, and the Christangel of Spiritualism,-in that period of competitions, wars and tribulations, when truth and error, whether lodged in the souls of mortals or spirits, must meet face to face for the final conflict.
The prophet is in the heavens, and this is the end of the world, age, or aion , the end of the world s great cycle and the opening of a new dispensation, when the sea shall give up its dead. It is the day of resurrection, and the day of judgment, when every man s work must be tried by fire.
Who is this that cometh from Edom w