Such
obtruding spirits influence susceptible sensitives with their thoughts, impart their own
emotions to them, weaken their will power and often control their actions, producing
great distress, mental confusion and suffering.

These earthbound spirits are the supposed “devils” of all ages; “devils” of human
origin, by-products of human selfishness, false teachings and ignorance, thrust blindly
into a spirit existence and held there in a bondage of ignorance.

The influence of these discarnate entities is the cause of many of the inexplicable and
obscure events of earth life and of a large part of the world's misery. Purity of life and
motive, or high intellectuality, do not necessarily offer protection from obsession;
recognition and knowledge of these problems are the only safeguards.*

The physical conditions permitting this impingement are varied; such encroachment is
often due to a natural and predisposed susceptibility, a depleted nervous system, or
sudden shock. Physical derangements are conducive to obsession, for when the vital
forces are lowered less resistance is offered and intruding spirits are allowed easy access,
although often neither mortal nor spirit is conscious of the presence of the other.

This encroachment alters the characteristics of the sensitive, resulting in a seemingly
changed personality, sometimes simulating multiple or dissociated personalities, and
frequently causes apparent insanity, varying in degree from a simple mental aberration to,
and including, all types of dementia, hysteria, epilepsy, melancholia, shell shock,
kleptomania, idiocy, religious and suicidal mania, as well as amnesia, psychic invalidism,
dipsomania, immorality, functional bestiality, atrocities, and other forms of criminality.

Humanity is surrounded by the thought influence of millions of discarnate beings, who
have not yet arrived at a full realization of life's higher purposes. A recognition of this
fact accounts for a great portion of unbidden thoughts, emotions, strange forebodings,
gloomy moods, irritabilities, unreasonable impulses, irrational outbursts of temper,
uncontrollable infatuations and countless other mental vagaries.

The records of spirit obsession and possession extend from...

extend from remotest antiquity to
modern times.

Dr.Tyler,..the noted English Anthropologist,..in his..“Primitive Culture,”says:

“It is not too much to assert that the doctrine of demoniacal possession is kept up,..substantially the same theory to account for substantially the same facts,..by half the
human race,..who thus stand as consistent representatives of their forefathers back in the
primitive antiquity.”

In Muller's “Urreligionen” ..he find:..“The general belief of the barbaric world today is..that such attacks as epilepsy,hysteria, delirium,idiocy and madness are caused..by some
demon gaining control of the body.”

Homer referred..repeatedly to demons and said:..“A sick man pining away ..is one upon whom an evil spirit..has gazed.”

Plato held..that demons obsessed mortals.

Socrates speaks directly of demons
influencing the possessed (insane).

Plutarch wrote:..“Certain/tyrannical demons.require for their enjoyment some soul..*still incarnate;..being unable to
satisfy their passions..*..in any other way,..*incite to sedition, lust,..wars of conquest,..and thus*..get what they lust for.”

Josephus says:..“Demons are the spirits of wicked men.”

Obsessing or possessing spirits are frequently mentioned both in the Old and New
Testaments.

In I Samuel 16:23,..we read: “David took an harp,..and played with his hand:..so Saul was refreshed,..and was well,..and the evil spirit departed from him.”

So common was the belief in spirits and spirit obsession in the time of the apostles that
the ability to cast out evil spirits was considered one of the most important signs of
genuine discipleship,

and it must be admitted that a considerable portion of the work
accredited to Jesus was the casting out of demons.

A few quotations from the New Testament will suffice. “Jesus gave his twelve
disciples power against unclean spirits, to cast them out.” Matt. 10:1. “'Jesus preached . .
. and cast out devils.” Mark 1:39. “A certain mad which had devils long time . . . Jesus
had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man . . . He that was possessed of
6
the devils was healed.”..Luke 8:27, 29, 36. “Vexed with unclean spirits.”..Luke 6:18.

“The evil spirits went out of them.” Acts 19:12.

“Master,..I have brought unto thee..my son,..
which hath a dumb spirit ...

And he asked..his father:
How long is it ago...since this came unto him?

And..he said,..Of..a child

Jesus..rebuked the foul spirit.. saying unto him,..Thou deaf..and dumb spirit,..I charge thee,..come*out..of him.. and enter no more into him.

And the spirit cried,..and rent him sore,..and came out of him:..and he was..*as..one dead;..insomuch that many said,..*He is dead.

But
Jesus took him by the hand,..and lifted him up;..and he arose.”..Mark 9:17,..21,..25-27...(Similar occurrences are not at all uncommon..in psycho-pathological research.)

Dr...Godfrey Raupert, of London,..who several years ago was especially delegated by Pope Pius X to lecture to Catholic audiences in America on Spiritualism,..said in..substance: “It is no longer possible to put the subject of psychic phenomena aside.

The
scientific men all over the world have recognized spiritism as a definite and real power,..and to shelve it is a dangerous policy.

Consequently the Pope has asked me to tell
Catholics the attitude to take toward the subject ... The Church admits the reality of
these spiritistic phenomena and their external intelligences, in fact, it has always admitted
their reality.

The problem at present is to discover the nature of the intelligence. We
are now on the borderland of new discoveries which may revolutionize the world. It is
not the time yet for an explanation of all the phenomena. We must suspend our
judgment until the subject is better known.

The study of spiritism is a new one and
therefore dangerous

A partial knowledge of the subject..*may cause grave dangers.”
(Resulting in obsession or possession.)

“There is no doubt about the fact of diabolical obsessions in the olden time.

That the
Church (Catholic) recognizes the possibilities is evidenced by the rules prepared for
exorcising,” is the quoted statement of Monsignor Lavelle, Rector of St. Patrick's
Cathedral, New York.

Julian Hawthorne wrote, in one of the leading newspapers: “Thousands of evil-minded
and evil-acting men and women die every day.

What becomes of their souls,..or spirits?

They want to get back here..

the increasing boldness and frequency with which they
take advantage of their opportunities is illustrated in many ways...

Two acts of defense
are open to us.

We may stop the source of supply of these undesirable visitors and we
may close the doors.”

One has to be 'scientific' indeed,
to be blind and ignorant enough to suspect no such possibility.”
Prof. James H. Hyslop, while editor of the Journal of the American Society for
Psychical Research, wrote: “There is growing evidence of the fact of obsession which lies
at the basis of much insanity and can be cured. The medical world will have to wake up
and give attention to this problem or materia medica will lose control of the subject.”

The..term obsession..is employed by psychic researchers
to denote the abnormal influence of..spirits..on the living....

The cures effected have required much time and patience, the use
of psychotherapeutics of an unusual kind, and the employment of psychics to get into
contact with the obsessing agents and thus to release the hold which such agents have, or
to educate them to voluntary abandonment of their persecutions..

Every single case
of dissociation and paranoia to which I have applied cross-reference has yielded to the
method and proved the existence of foreign agencies complicated with the symptoms of
mental or physical deterioration.

It is high time to prosecute experiments on a large scale
in a field that promises to have as much practical value as any application of the scalpel
and the microscope.”

Those that prefer to explain the universe by one single process - evolution - have not explained the power of evolution to create chemicals to form matter or the beginning of life. Evolution is an assumed process and not a creative dynamic.

so lets continue...from
http://new-birth.net/booklet/30_years_among_the_dead.PDF

Chapter VII
Spirits and Suicide

A great number of..*unaccountable suicides..are due to the obsessing or possessing
influence of earthbound spirits...Some of these spirits are actuated by a desire to torment
their victims;

others,..who have ended their physical existence..as suicides,
find themselves..still alive,..and,..having no knowledge of a spirit world,..labor under the delusion*..that their..self-destructive attempts have failed..and continue their suicidal efforts.

When these intelligences..come in contact with mortal sensitives,..they mistake the
physical bodies for their own,..and impress..*the sensitives..with morbid thoughts*..and
instigate them..to deeds of self destruction.

The fate of a suicide..is invariably one of deepest misery,..This rash act holding them in the..earth_sphere..*until such time as his physical-life..*would have had..*a natural ending.

One suicide case..which we contacted..was the spirit of a woman,..Mrs. X.,

[skip to here words}..

This spirit,..like so many others,..was unconscious of*..controlling a body
not its own,..and upon contacting*..within[fl;esh/blood..living-matter,..
who..again..and again.. experienced its..last death struggle.

this was the spirit..who had ended her..own/physical life..by hanging herself.
but..She was still bound to..the earth sphere..and related the
indescribable mental hell..*she had been in..during all those years.

“As soon as..I found myself out of my body,
I saw at once..the cause*..for my rash act.

Evil spirits,..who had been attracted to me..*by the jealous thoughts..of other persons,

they were..standing nearby me as i crossed over,
grinning..with devilish satisfaction at their*..work.

“They had influenced me..to end my life;
I had no occasion..to even think of such folly.

but..An irresistible impulse had suddenly come over me.
[reacting to my jealous thoughts]

I fastened the rope around my neck,
and only realized..what I had done..*when it was too late.

“I would have given the world..to have been able to regain possession of my body.
[thus haunted others bodies..;possesion...withg the same negative acts..endlessly repeating..[she had become..the tool/means of demons obsessing humans..via feeding of their negative thought]

Oh,..what horrors of despair..and remorse I have gone through!

My home shattered,..my husband brokenhearted,..and discouraged,
and my little ones..needing my care!

“They do not know..that I come to them..and try to comfort them,
and I have seen*nothing but gloom..and darkness until now.”

continues at link