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[[Category:Definitions]]
[[Category:Deities, Spirits, and Mythic Beings‏‎]]
A '''demon''', '''daemon''' or '''fiend''', is a supernatural, often malevolent being prevalent in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology and folklore. The original Greek word ''[[Daemon|daimon]]'' does not carry the negative connotation initially understood by implementation of the Koine δαιμόνιον (daimonion),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Ddaimo%2Fnion |title=δαιμόνιον |author= Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott |work=Greek-English Lexicon |publisher=Perseus}}</ref> and later ascribed to any cognate words sharing the root.


In religion, folklore, and mythology a demon (or daemon, dæmon, daimon from Greek: δαίμων [ðaïmon]) is a supernatural being that has generally been described as a malevolent spirit, and in Christian terms it is generally understood as a Fallen angel, formerly of God. A demon is frequently depicted as a force that may be conjured and insecurely controlled. The "good" demon in recent use is largely a literary device (e.g., Maxwell's demon), though references to good demons can be found in Hesiod and Shakespeare.[citation needed] In common language, to "demonize" a person means to characterize or portray them as evil, or as the source of evil.
In Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an unclean spirit, a [[fallen angel]], or a spirit of unknown type which may cause [[demonic possession]], calling for an exorcism. In Western occultism and Renaissance magic, which grew out of an amalgamation of Greco-Roman magic, Jewish demonology and Christian tradition,<ref>See, for example, the course and bibliography for "[https://medievalstudies.ceu.hu/courses/20102011/magic-science-religion-the-development-of-the-western-esoteric-traditions "Magic, Science, Religion: The Development of the Western Esoteric Traditions"], at Central European University, Budapest</ref> a demon is a spiritual entity that may be conjured and controlled.




== History ==
==Etymology==
As the Iranian Avestan and Vedic traditions as well as other branches of Indo-European mythologies show, the notion of 'demons' [Daewan] has existed for many millennia.
The Ancient Greek word δαίμων ''[[Daemon|daimōn]]'' denotes a spirit or divine power, much like the Latin ''genius'' or ''numen''. ''Daimōn'' most likely came from the Greek verb ''daiesthai'' (to divide, distribute).<ref name=merriam-webster>{{cite web|title=Demon|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demon|work=Merriam-Webster Dictionary|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate=12 April 2012}}</ref> The Greek conception of a ''daimōns'' notably appears in the works of Plato, where it describes the divine inspiration of Socrates. To distinguish the classical Greek concept from its later Christian interpretation, the former is anglicized as either ''daemon'' or ''daimon'' rather than ''demon''.
Ancient Egyptians also believed in demonic monsters that might devour living souls while they traveled towards the afterlife, although demons per se did not exist in Ancient Egyptian belief.
The Greek conception of a daemon (< δαίμων daimōn) appears in the works of Plato and many other ancient authors, but without the evil connotations which are apparent in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible and in the Greek originals of the New Testament. The medieval and neo-medieval conception of a "demon" in Western civilization (see the Medieval grimoire called the Ars Goetia) derives seamlessly from the ambient popular culture of Late (Roman) Antiquity: Greco-Roman concepts of daemons that passed into Christian culture are discussed in the entry daemon, though it should be duly noted that the term referred only to a spiritual force, not a malevolent supernatural being. The Hellenistic "daemon" eventually came to include many Semitic and Near Eastern gods as evaluated by Christianity.
The supposed existence of demons is an important concept in many modern religions and occultist traditions. In some present-day cultures, demons are still feared in popular superstition, largely due to their alleged power to possess living creatures.
In the contemporary Western occultist tradition (perhaps epitomized by the work of Aleister Crowley), a demon, such as Choronzon, the "Demon of the Abyss", is a useful metaphor for certain inner psychological processes, though some may also regard it as an objectively real phenomenon. Aleister Crowley also contacted the abyssmal demon Kokomo through the use of a Ouija board and had nightly conversations[citation needed]. Crowley often said his "pet demon" Kokomo threatened death upon mockery and destroying the board[citation needed]. Crowley died shortly after burning his ouija board in an attempt to become possessed by demons[citation needed].
Some scholars[1] believe that large portions of the demonology (see Asmodai) of Judaism, a key influence on Christianity and Islam, originated in Zoroastrianism, and were transferred to Judaism during the Persian era.


== Etymology ==
The Greek terms do not have any connotations of evil or malevolence. In fact, εὐδαιμονία ''eudaimonia'', (literally good-spiritedness) means happiness. By the early Roman Empire, cult statues were seen, by pagans and their Christian neighbors alike, as inhabited by the numinous presence of the gods: "Like pagans, Christians still sensed and saw the gods and their power, and as something, they had to assume, lay behind it, by an easy traditional shift of opinion they turned these pagan ''daimones'' into malevolent 'demons', the troupe of [[Satan]]..... Far into the Byzantine period Christians eyed their cities' old pagan statuary as a seat of the demons' presence. It was no longer beautiful, it was infested."<ref>Robin Lane Fox, ''Pagans and Christians'' 1989, p.137.</ref> The term had first acquired its negative connotations in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, which drew on the mythology of ancient Semitic religions. This was then inherited by the Koine text of the New Testament. The Western medieval and neo-medieval conception of a ''demon''<ref>See the Medieval grimoire called the ''Ars Goetia''.</ref> derives seamlessly from the ambient popular culture of Late (Roman) Antiquity. The Hellenistic "daemon" eventually came to include many Semitic and Near Eastern gods as evaluated by Christianity.
The idea of demons is as old as religion itself, and the word demon seems to have ancient origins. The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the etymology of the word as Greek daimon, probably from the verb daiesthai meaning "to divide, distribute." The Proto-Indo-European root *deiwos for god, originally an adjective meaning "celestial" or "bright, shining" has retained this meaning in many related Indo-European languages and cultures (Sanskrit deva, Latin deus, German Tiw, Welsh [Duw],]), but also provided another other common word for demon in Avestan daeva.
In modern Greek, the word daimon(Greek: δαίμων) has the same meaning as the modern English demon. But in Ancient Greek, δαίμων meant "spirit" or "higher self", much like the Latin genius. This should not, however, be confused with the word genie, which is a false friend or false cognate of genius.


== Psychical history ==
The supposed existence of demons remains an important concept in many modern religions and occultist traditions. Demons are still feared as a popular superstition, largely due to their alleged power to [[demonic possession|possess]] living creatures. In the contemporary Western occultist tradition (perhaps epitomized by the work of Aleister Crowley), a demon (such as Choronzon, the Demon of the Abyss) is a useful metaphor for certain inner psychological processes (inner demons), though some may also regard it as an objectively real phenomenon. Some scholars<ref>Boyce, 1987; Black and Rowley, 1987; Duchesne-Guillemin, 1988.</ref> believe that large portions of the [[demonology]] of Judaism, a key influence on Christianity and Islam, originated from a later form of Zoroastrianism, and were transferred to Judaism during the Persian era.
Psychologist Wilhelm Wundt remarks that "among the activities attributed by myths all over the world to demons, the harmful predominate, so that in popular belief bad demons are clearly older than good ones."[2] Sigmund Freud develops on this idea and claims that the concept of demons was derived from the important relation of the living to the dead: "The fact that demons are always regarded as the spirits of those who have died recently shows better than anything the influence of mourning on the origin of the belief in demons."
Demons in the Hebrew Bible


Demons as described in the Tanakh are the same as "demons" commonly known in popular or Christian culture.
Those in the Hebrew Bible are of two classes, the se'irim and the shedim. The se'irim ("hairy beings"), to which some Israelites offered sacrifices in the open fields, are satyr-like creatures, described as dancing in the wilderness (Isaiah 13:21, 34:14), and which are identical with the jinn, such as Dantalion, the 71st spirit of Solomon. (But compare the completely European woodwose.) Possibly to the same class belongs Azazel, the goat-like demons of the wilderness (Leviticus 16:10ff), probably the chief of the se'irim, and Lilith (Isaiah 34:14 - where the KJV Bible translates the Hebrew word 'lilith' as "screech owl"). Possibly "the roes and hinds of the field", by which Shulamit conjures the daughters of Jerusalem to bring her back to her lover (Canticles 2:7, 3:5), are faunlike spirits similar to the se'irim, though of a harmless nature.
The evil spirit that troubled Saul (I Samuel 16:14 et seq.) may have been a demon, though the Masoretic text suggests the spirit was sent by God.
Some benevolent shedim were used in kabbalistic ceremonies (as with the golem of Rabbi Yehuda Loevy), and malevolent shedim (mazikin, from the root meaning to damage) are often responsible in instances of possession. Instances of idol worship were often the result of a shed inhabiting an otherwise worthless statue;[citation needed] the shed would pretend to be a God with the power to send pestilence, although such events were not actually under his control.


== Influences from Chaldean mythology ==
==Psychological Archetype==
In Chaldean mythology the seven evil deities were known as shedu, meaning storm-demons. They were represented in winged bull form, derived from the colossal bulls used as protective genii of royal palaces, the name "shed" assumed also the meaning of a propitious genius in Babylonian magic literature.[3]
Psychologist Wilhelm Wundt remarked that "among the activities attributed by myths all over the world to demons, the harmful predominate, so that in popular belief bad demons are clearly older than good ones."<ref>Freud (1950, 65), quoting Wundt (1906, 129).</ref> Sigmund Freud developed this idea and claimed that the concept of demons was derived from the important relation of the living to the dead: "The fact that demons are always regarded as the spirits of those who have died ''recently'' shows better than anything the influence of mourning on the origin of the belief in demons."<ref>Freud, S. (1950). ''Totem and Taboo''. London:Routledge</ref>
It was from Chaldea that the name "shedu" came to the Israelites, and so the writers of the Tanach applied the word as a dylogism to the Canaanite deities in the two passages quoted. But they also spoke of "the destroyer" (Exodus xii. 23) as a demon whose malignant effect upon the houses of the Israelites was to be warded off by the blood of the paschal sacrifice sprinkled upon the lintel and the door-post (a corresponding pagan talisman is mentioned in Isaiah lvii. 8). In II Samuel xxiv; 16 and II Chronicles xxi. 15 the pestilence-dealing demon is called "the destroying angel" (compare "the angel of the Lord" in II Kings xix. 35; Isaiah xxxvii. 36), because, although they are demons, these "evil messengers" (Psalms lxxviii. 49; A. V. "evil angels") do only the bidding of God; they are the agents of His divine wrath.
There are indications that popular Hebrew mythology ascribed to the demons a certain independence, a malevolent character of their own, because they are believed to come forth, not from the heavenly abode of God, but from the nether world (compare Isaiah xxxviii. 11 with Job xiv. 13; Psalms xvi. 10, xlix. 16, cxxxix. 8).
Hebrew demons were workers of harm. To them were ascribed the various diseases, particularly such as affect the brain and the inner parts. Hence there was a fear of "Shabriri" (lit. "dazzling glare"), the demon of blindness, who rests on uncovered water at night and strikes those with blindness who drink of it;[4] also mentioned were the spirit of catalepsy and the spirit of headache, the demon of epilepsy, and the spirit of nightmare.
These demons were supposed to enter the body and cause the disease while overwhelming or "seizing" the victim (hence "seizure"). To cure such diseases it was necessary to draw out the evil demons by certain incantations and talismanic performances, in which the Essenes excelled. Josephus, who speaks of demons as "spirits of the wicked which enter into men that are alive and kill them", but which can be driven out by a certain root,[5] witnessed such a performance in the presence of the Emperor Vespasian,[6] and ascribed its origin to King Solomon.


== The King and Queen of Demons ==
M. Scott Peck, an American psychiatrist, wrote two books on the subject, ''People of the Lie: The Hope For Healing Human Evil''<ref>Peck, M.S. (1983). ''People of the Lie: The Hope For Healing Human Evil''</ref> and ''Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption''.<ref>Peck, M.S. (2005). ''Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption''.</ref> Peck describes in some detail several cases involving his patients. In ''People of the Lie'' he provides identifying characteristics of an evil person, whom he classified as having a character disorder. In ''Glimpses of the Devil'' Peck goes into significant detail describing how he became interested in exorcism in order to debunk the ''myth'' of [[Demonic possession|possession]] by evil spirits – only to be convinced otherwise after encountering two cases which did not fit into any category known to psychology or psychiatry. Peck came to the conclusion that possession was a rare phenomenon related to evil, and that possessed people are not actually evil; rather, they are doing battle with the forces of evil.<ref>[http://dir.salon.com/story/mwt/feature/2005/01/18/peck/index.html The exorcist], an interview with M. Scott Peck by Rebecca Traister published in [http://www.salon.com/index.html Salon]</ref>
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In some rabbinic sources, the demons were believed to be under the dominion of a king or chief, either Asmodai (Targ. to Eccl. i. 13; Pes. 110a; Yer. Shek. 49b) or, in the older Haggadah, Samael ("the angel of death"), who kills by his deadly poison, and is called "chief of the devils". Occasionally a demon is called "satan": "Stand not in the way of an ox when coming from the pasture, for Satan dances between his horns" (Pes. 112b; compare B. Ḳ. 21a).
According to some texts, the queen of demons is Lilith, pictured with wings and long flowing hair, and called the "mother of Ahriman" (B. B. 73b; 'Er. 100b; Nid. 24b). "When Adam, doing penance for his sin, separated from Eve for 130 years, he, by impure desire, caused the earth to be filled with demons, or shedim, lilin, and evil spirits" (Gen. R. xx.; 'Er. 18b.)
Demonology never became an essential feature of Jewish theology. The reality of demons was never questioned by the Talmudists and late rabbis; most accepted their existence as a fact. Nor did most of the medieval thinkers question their reality. Only rationalists like Maimonides and Abraham ibn Ezra, clearly denied their existence. Their point of view eventually became the mainstream Jewish understanding.


== In Jewish rabbinic literature ==
Although Peck's earlier work was met with widespread popular acceptance, his work on the topics of evil and possession has generated significant debate and derision. Much was made of his association with (and admiration for) the controversial Malachi Martin, a Roman Catholic priest and a former Jesuit, despite the fact that Peck consistently called Martin a liar and manipulator.<ref name = "Woods"/><ref>[http://www.beliefnet.com/story/159/story_15928.html The Patient Is the Exorcist], an interview with M. Scott Peck by Laura Sheahen</ref> Richard Woods, a Roman Catholic priest and theologian, has claimed that Dr. Peck misdiagnosed patients based upon a lack of knowledge regarding dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder), and had apparently transgressed the boundaries of professional ethics by attempting to persuade his patients into accepting Christianity.<ref name="Woods">[http://www.natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2005b/042905/042905m.htm The devil you know], ''National Catholic Reporter, April 29, 2005, a commentary on ''Glimpses of the Devil'' by Richard Woods</ref> Father Woods admitted that he has never witnessed a genuine case of demonic possession in all his years.<ref name="WoodsInfo">[http://www.dom.edu/newsroom/experts/faculty/faculty_w.html#woods Dominican Newsroom]</ref><ref name="WoodsBio">{{cite web|url=http://richardwoodsop.net/site/Bio.php |title=RichardWoodsOP.net |publisher=RichardWoodsOP.net |date= |accessdate=2014-03-12}}</ref><ref name="bustedhalo">{{cite web|last=Haarman |first=Susan |url=http://bustedhalo.com/features/the-devil-and-the-details/2 |title=BustedHalo.com |publisher=BustedHalo.com |date=2005-10-25 |accessdate=2014-03-12}}</ref>
Rabbinical demonology has three classes of, demons, though they are scarcely separable one from another. There were the shedim, the mazziḳim ("harmers"), and the ruḥin ("evil spirits"). Besides these there were lilin ("night spirits"), ṭelane ("shade", or "evening spirits"), ṭiharire ("midday spirits"), and ẓafrire ("morning spirits"), as well as the "demons that bring famine" and "such as cause storm and earthquake" (Targ. Yer. to Deuteronomy xxxii. 24 and Numbers vi. 24; Targ. to Cant. iii. 8, iv. 6; Eccl. ii. 5; Ps. xci. 5, 6.)[7]
In the New Testament and Christianity


"Demon" has a number of meanings, all related to the idea of a spirit that inhabited a place, or that accompanied a person. Whether such a daemon was benevolent or malevolent, the Greek word meant something different from the later medieval notions of 'demon', and scholars debate the time in which first century usage by Jews and Christians in its original Greek sense became transformed to the later medieval sense. It should be noted that some denominations asserting Christian faith also include, exclusively or otherwise, fallen angels as de facto demons; this definition also covers the "sons of God" described in Genesis who abandoned their posts in heaven to mate with human women on Earth before the Deluge (Genesis 6:2, 4, also see Nephilim).
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus casts out many demons, or evil spirits, from those who are afflicted with various ailments (such as epileptic seizures). The imagery is very clear: Jesus is far superior to the power of demons over the beings that they inhabit, and he is able to free these victims by commanding and casting out the demons, by binding them, and forbidding them to return. Jesus also apparently lends this power to some of his disciples, who rejoice at their new found ability to cast out all demons. [8]
By way of contrast, in the book of Acts a group of Judaistic exorcists known as the sons of Sceva try to cast out a very powerful spirit without believing in or knowing Jesus, but fail with disastrous consequences. However Jesus himself never fails to vanquish a demon, no matter how powerful (see the account of the demon-possessed man at Gerasim), and even defeats Satan in the wilderness (see Gospel of Matthew).
There is a description in the Book of Revelation 12:7-17 of a battle between God's army and Satan's followers, and their subsequent expulsion from Heaven to earth to persecute humans — although this event is related as being foretold and taking place in the future. In Luke 10:18 it is mentioned that a power granted by Jesus to control demons made Satan "fall like lightning from heaven."
Augustine of Hippo's reading of Plotinus, in The City of God (ch.11) is ambiguous as to whether daemons had become 'demonized' by the early 5th century:
"He [Plotinus] also states that the blessed are called in Greek eudaimones, because they are good souls, that is to say, good demons, confirming his opinion that the souls of men are demons.[9]
The contemporary Roman Catholic Church unequivocally teaches that angels and demons are real personal beings, not just symbolic devices. The Catholic Church has a cadre of officially sanctioned exorcists which perform many exorcisms each year. The exorcists of the Catholic Church teach that demons attack humans continually but that afflicted persons can be effectively healed and protected either by the formal rite of exorcism, authorized to be performed only by bishops and those they designate, or by prayers of deliverance which any Christian can offer for themselves or others.[10]


== In Christianity ==
==Ancient Near East==
Building upon the few references to daemons in the New Testament, especially the visionary poetry of the Apocalypse of John, Christian writers of apocrypha from the 2nd century onwards created a more complicated tapestry of beliefs about "demons" that was largely independent of Christian scripture.
===Mesopotamia===
According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, "In Chaldean mythology the seven evil deities were known as ''shedu'', storm-demons, represented in ox-like form."<ref>{{cite book|title=Jewish Encyclopedia|year=1906|url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13967-spirits-conception-of}}</ref> They were represented as winged bulls, derived from the colossal bulls used as protective jinn of royal palaces.<ref>See Delitzsch, ''Assyrisches Handwörterbuch''. pp. 60, 253, 261, 646; Jensen, ''Assyr.-Babyl. Mythen und Epen'', 1900, p. 453; Archibald Sayce, l.c. pp. 441, 450, 463; Lenormant, l.c. pp. 48–51.</ref>


== War in Heaven ==
From Chaldea, the term ''shedu'' traveled to the Israelites. The writers of the Tanach applied the word as a dialogism to Canaanite deities.
According to the Bible, the fall of the Adversary is portrayed in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-19. However, the connection between Isaiah 14:12-14 and the fall is mostly based on mistranslation and tradition. The King James Version (KJV), popular among most Christian sects, reads:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (Isaiah 14:12:-14).
The word "Lucifer" was inspired by the Latin Vulgate, a translation that the authors of the KJV adhered to in several occasions to elucidate Christian traditions (see KJV, "The Project"). Lucifer is a Latin word meaning "light-bearer" (from lux, lucis, "light", and ferre, "to bear, bring"), a Roman astrological term for the "Morning Star", the planet Venus. The word Lucifer was the direct translation of the Septuagint Greek heosphoros, ("dawn-bearer"); (cf. Greek phosphoros, "light-bearer") and the Hebrew Helel, ("Bright one"). The word does not specifically refer to Satan. To the contrary, in context, Isaiah 14:12-14 actually refers to one of the popular honorific titles of a Babylonian king (see Isaiah 14:4 for context); however, later interpretations of the text, and the influence of embellishments in works such as Dante's The Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost, led to the common idea in Christian mythology and folklore that Lucifer was a poetic appellation of Satan (see Lucifer for more information).
Ezekiel 28:12-19, in context, refers to the King of Tyrus (see Ezekiel 28:2 for context). The passage, however, is popularly attributed as a reference to, or allegory of, Satan, and even by some commentators, an allegory of the fall of Adam.
The Christian teachings of [source missing] built upon later Jewish traditions that the Adversary and the Adversary's host declared war with God, but that God's army, commanded by the archangel Michael, defeated the rebels. Their defeat was never in question, since God is by nature omnipotent, but Michael was given the honour of victory in the natural order; thus the rise of Christian veneration of the archangel Michael, beginning at Monte Gargano in 493, reflects the full incorporation of demons into Christianity.
According to tradition, God then cast God's enemies from Heaven to the abyss, into a newly created prison called Hell, where all God's enemies should be sentenced to an eternal existence of pain and misery. This pain is not all physical; for their crimes, these angels, now called demons, would be deprived of the sight of God, this being the worst possible punishment.
An indefinite time later (some biblical scholars believe that the angels fell sometime after the creation of living things), when God created the earth and life, the Adversary and the other demons were allowed to tempt humans or induce them to sin by other means. The first time the Adversary did this was as a serpent in the earthly paradise called the "Garden of Eden" to tempt Eve, who became deceived by Satan's evil trickery. Eve then gave Adam some of the forbidden fruit and both of their eyes were opened to the knowledge of good and evil.


== Demonologies ==
There are indications that demons in popular Hebrew mythology were believed to come from the nether world.<ref>compare Isaiah 38:11 with Job 14:13; Psalms 16:10, Psalms 49:16, and Psalms 139:8</ref> Various diseases and ailments were ascribed to them, particularly those affecting the brain and those of internal nature. Examples include the catalepsy, headache, epilepsy and nightmares. There also existed a demon of blindness, "Shabriri" (lit. "dazzling glare") who rested on uncovered water at night and blinded those who drank from it.<ref name=Isaacs1>{{cite book|last1=Isaacs|first1=Ronald H.|title=Ascending Jacob's Ladder: Jewish Views of Angels, Demons, and Evil Spirits|date=1998|publisher=Jason Aronson|isbn=9780765759658|page=96|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4iLqceVe7S0C&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=shabriri+demon+blindness&source=bl&ots=quVL5HVZOY&sig=6LBivAJ52pR9Xp8EGrosJcp9g9A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lNQPVNytE7HsiwKtnIDIDw&sqi=2&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=shabriri%20demon%20blindness&f=false|accessdate=10 September 2014}}</ref>
At various times in Christian history, attempts have been made to classify these beings according to various proposed demonic hierarchies.


According to most Christian demonology demons will be eternally punished and never reconciled with God. Other theories postulate a Universal reconciliation, in which Satan, the fallen angels, and the souls of the dead that were condemned to Hell are reconciled with God. This doctrine is today often associated with the Unification Church. Origen, Jerome and Gregory of Nyssa also mentioned this possibility.
Demons supposedly entered the body and caused the disease while overwhelming or "seizing" the victim. To cure such diseases, it was necessary to draw out the evil demons by certain incantations and talismanic performances, which the Essenes excelled at. Josephus, who spoke of demons as "spirits of the wicked which enter into men that are alive and kill them", but which could be driven out by a certain root,<ref>''Bellum Judaeorum'' vii. 6, § 3</ref> witnessed such a performance in the presence of the Emperor Vespasian<ref>"Antiquities" viii. 2, § 5</ref> and ascribed its origin to King Solomon. In mythology, there were few defences against Babylonian demons. The mythical mace Sharur had the power to slay demons such as Asag, a legendary gallu or edimmu of hideous strength.


In contemporary Christianity, demons are generally considered to be angels who fell from grace by rebelling against God. Some contest that this view, championed by Origen, Augustine and John Chrysostom, arose during the 6th century. Another theory that may have preceded or co-existed with the hypothesis of fallen angels was that demons were ostracized from Heaven for the primary sin of mating with mortal women, giving rise to a race of half-human giants known as the Nephilim. That theory is accepted by some contemporary Christian sects.
===Ancient Arabia===
Pre-Islamic mythology did not differentiate between gods and demons. Jinn were considered divinities of inferior rank and had many human abilities, such as eating, drinking and procreating. While most jinn were considered peaceful and well-disposed towards humans, there also existed evil jinn who contrived to injure people.


There are still others who say that the sin of the angels was pride and disobedience. It seems quite certain that these were the sins that caused Satan's downfall (Ezek. 28). If this be the true view then we are to understand the words, "estate" or "principality" in Deuteronomy 32:8 and Jude 6 ("And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.") as indicating that instead of being satisfied with the dignity once for all assigned to them under the Son of God, they aspired higher.
===Hebrew Bible===
Demons in the Hebrew Bible are of two classes: the ''se'irim'' ("hairy beings") <ref>{{cite web|url=http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/useirim_8163.htm |title=Hebrew Concordance: ū·śə·‘î·rîm - 1 Occurrence |publisher=Biblesuite.com |date= |accessdate=2014-03-12}}</ref> and the ''shedim''. The ''se'irim'', to which some Israelites offered sacrifices in the open fields, were [[satyr]]-like creatures, described as dancing in the wilderness Isaiah 13:21, Isaiah 34:14. "The Israelites also offered sacrifices to the shedim (Deut. xxxii. 17; Ps. cvi. 37)".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5085-demonology |title=The Jewish Encyclopedia |publisher=The Jewish Encyclopedia |date= |accessdate=2014-03-12}}</ref>


== In Hinduism ==
Hindu mythology include numerous varieties of anthropomorphic beings that might be classified as demons, including Rakshasas (belligerent, shapechanging terrestrial demons), Asuras (demigods), Vetalas (bat-like spirits), and Pishachas (cannibalistic demons).


== Asuras ==
==Judaism==
Originally, the word Asura in the earliest hymns of the Rig Veda (the holy book of the Indo-Aryans) meant any supernatural spirit—good or bad. Hence even some of the devas (demigods), especially Varuna, have the epithet of Asura. In fact, since the /s/ of the Indic linguistic branch is cognate with the /h/ of the Early Iranian languages, the word Asura, representing a category of celestial beings, became the word Ahura (Mazda), the Supreme God of the monotheistic Zoroastrians. But very soon, among the Indo-Aryans, Asura came to exclusively mean any of a race of anthropomorphic but hideous demons. All words such as Asura, Daitya (lit., sons of the demon-mother "Diti"), Rakshasa (lit. from "harm to be guarded against") are translated into English as demon. These demons are inherently evil and are in a constant battle against the demigods. Hence in Hindu iconography, the gods / demigods are shown to carry weapons to kill the asuras. Unlike Christianity, the demons are not the cause of the evil and unhappiness in present mankind (which occurs on the account of ignorance from recognizing one's true self). In later Puranic mythology, exceptions do occur in the demonic race to produce god-fearing Asuras like Prahalada. Also, many Asuras are said to have been granted boons from one of the members of the Hindu trinity, viz., Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva when the latter had been appeased from penances. All Asuras, unlike the devas, are said to be mortals (though they vehemently wish to become immortal). Many people metaphorically interpret these demons as manifestations of the ignoble passions in human mind.
According to some rabbinic sources, demons were believed to be under the dominion of a king or chief, either Asmodai<ref>Targ. to Eccl. i. 13; Pes. 110a; Yer. Shek. 49b</ref> or, in the older Haggadah, Samael ("the angel of death", also called the "chief of the devils"), who killed via poison. Occasionally a demon was called ''[[satan]]'': "Stand not in the way of an ox when coming from the pasture, for Satan dances between his horns".<ref>Pes. 112b; compare B. Ḳ. 21a</ref>


== Evil spirits ==
Demonology never became an essential feature of Jewish theology. However, the existence of demons was never questioned by the Talmudists and late rabbis, nor did most of the medieval thinkers question their reality. Only rationalists like Maimonides and Abraham ibn Ezra explicitly denied their existence. Their point of view eventually became mainstream Jewish understanding.
On the account of the Hindu theory of reincarnation and transmigration of souls according to one's Karma, other kinds of demons can also be enlisted. If a human does extremely horrible and sinful karmas in his life, his soul (Atman) will, upon his death, directly turn into an evil ghostly spirit, many kinds of which are recognized in the later Hindu texts. These demons could be Grimnex Vetalas, Pishachas, Bhūtas etc.[11]


== In pre-Islamic Arab culture ==
Rabbinical demonology has three classes of demons, though they are scarcely separable one from another. There were the ''shedim'', the ''mazziḳim'' ("harmers"), and the ''ruḥin'' ("spirits"). There were also ''[[lilin]]'' ("night spirits"), ''ṭelane'' ("shade", or "evening spirits"), ''ṭiharire'' ("midday spirits"), and ''ẓafrire'' ("morning spirits"), as well as the "demons that bring famine" and "such as cause storm and earthquake".<ref>(Targ. Yer. to Deuteronomy xxxii. 24 and Numbers vi. 24; Targ. to Cant. iii. 8, iv. 6; Eccl. ii. 5; Ps. xci. 5, 6.)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=245&letter=D |title=Jewish Encyclopedia Demonology|accessdate=2007-05-03 }}</ref>
Pre-Islamic mythology does not discriminate between gods and demons. The jinn are considered as divinities of inferior rank, having many human attributes: they eat, drink, and procreate their kind, sometimes in conjunction with human beings. The jinn smell and lick things, and have a liking for remnants of food. In eating they use the left hand. Usually they haunt waste and deserted places, especially the thickets where wild beasts gather. Cemeteries and dirty places are also favorite abodes. When appearing to man, jinn sometimes assume the forms of beasts and sometimes those of men.
Generally, jinn are peaceable and well disposed toward men. Many a pre-Islamic poet was believed to have been inspired by good jinn, but there are also evil jinn, who contrive to injure men.


== In Islam ==
===Second Temple-Period Texts===
Islam recognizes the existence of the jinn. Jinns are not the "genies" of modern lore, and they are not all evil, as demons are described in Christianity, but as creatures that co-exist with humans.
====Biblical Interpretation====
Demons are sometimes included into biblical interpretation. In the story of Passover, the Bible tells the story as "the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt" (Exodus 12:21–29). In Jubilees, which is considered canonical only by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as Bete Israel (Ethiopian Jews),<ref name ="Harris">Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. It is considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches</ref> this same event is told slightly differently: "All the powers of [the demon] Mastema had been let loose to slay all the first-born in the land of Egypt...And the powers of the Lord did everything according as the Lord commanded them" (Jubilees 49:2–4).


In Islam the evil jinns are referred to as the shayātīn, or devils, and Iblis (Satan) is their chief. Iblis was the first Jinn who disobeyed to Allah. According to Islam, the jinn are made from the light of flame of fire (ناَر [nɛ:r] deviation of نور [nu:r] "light") (and mankind is made of clay).
In Genesis in the story of the flood, the author explains how God was noticing "how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways" (Genesis 6:12). In Jubilees the sins of man are attributed to "the unclean demons [who] began to lead astray the children of the sons of Noah, and to make to err and destroy them" (Jubilees 10:1). In Jubilees Mastema questions the loyalty of Abraham and tells God to "bid him offer him as a burnt offering on the altar, and Thou wilt see if he will do this command" (Jubilees 17:16). The discrepancy between the story in Jubilees and the story in Genesis 22 exists with the presence of Mastema. In Genesis, God tests the will of Abraham merely to determine whether he is a true follower, however; in Jubilees Mastema has an agenda behind promoting the sacrifice of Abraham’s son, "an even more demonic act than that of the Satan in Job."<ref>Moshe Berstein, ''Angels at the Aqedah: A Study in the Development of a Midrashic Motif'', (Dead Sea Discoveries, 7, 2000), 267.</ref>
According to the Qur'an, Iblis was once a pious servant of Allah, but when Allah created Adam from clay, Iblis became very jealous, and arrogant and disobeyed Allah.


Adam was the first man, and man was the greatest creation of Allah. Iblis could not stand this, and refused to acknowledge a creature made of "dirt" (man). Allah condemned Iblis to be punished after death eternally in the hellfire. Allah had created hell.
====Apotropaic Prayers====
Iblis asked Allah if he may live to the last day and have the ability to mislead mankind and jinns, Allah said that Iblis may only mislead those whom have forsaken Allah. Allah then turned Iblis's countenance into horridness and condemned him to only have powers of trickery.
Throughout history, many cultures and religions have utilized apotropaic prayers and incantations to "defend the sons of light from the forces of darkness within the cosmic conflict in which they were locked".<ref>García, Martínez Florentino. The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994. Print.</ref> The Jewish community in the Second Temple Period is a perfect example of using these religious and magical tools for the purpose of protection from demons.
Adam and Eve (Hawwa in Arabic) were both together misled by Iblis into eating the forbidden fruit, and consequently fell from the garden of Eden to Earth.


The word "genie" comes from the Arabic jinn. This is not surprising considering the story of `Alā' ad-Dīn, (anglicized as Aladdin), passed through Arabian merchants en route to Europe.
Many choose to talk about His powers over wickedness as a tool for scaring away potential demons, because they believed that a "solemn proclamation of God’s power will protect the community and its members from attacks by demons".<ref>Florentino Martinez Garcia, ''Magic in the Dead Sea Scrolls: The Metamorphosis of Magic: From Late Antiquity to the Early Modern Period'', compilers Jan Bremmer and Jan R. Veenstra (Leuven: Peeters, 2003), 13–23.</ref> The Qumran community during the Second Temple Period wrote this apotropaic prayer stating: "And, I the Sage, declare the grandeur of his radiance in order to frighten and terri[fy] all the spirits of the ravaging angels and the bastard spirits, demons, Liliths, owls" (''Dead Sea Scrolls'', "Songs of the Sage," Lines 4–5).


== In New Age / Shamanism ==
====Rituals Against Rvil====
Carlos Castenada referred to demonic predators called “flyers” which have the appearance of frightening dark shadows and which vampirize human energy. According to this view ancient humans were complete, with much greater energetic resources than effete, decadent, modern humans possess. At the time when agriculture was invented the flyers gave human beings their mind (constant internal dialogue of beliefs, ideas, social mores, expectations, and dreams of success or failure).
Some sacred rituals would be used for healing. One example of incantations used for healing can be seen in ''Tobit'': "Then the angel said to him: Take out the entrails of the fish, and lay up his heart, and his gall, and his liver for thee: for these are necessary for useful medicines. And when he had done so, he roasted the flesh thereof, and they took it with them in the way: the rest they salted as much as might serve them, till they came to Rages the city of the Medes. Then Tobias asked the angel, and said to him: I beseech thee, brother Azarias, tell me what remedies are these things good for, which thou hast bid me keep of the fish? And the angel, answering, said to him: If thou put a little piece of its heart upon coals, the smoke thereof driveth away all kind of devils, either from man or from woman, so that they come no more to them" (''Tobit'' 6:5–8). These practices, as opposed to other medical practices, were used because "resorting to doctors would be considered unacceptable, as this could be thought to encroach upon a divine prerogative".<ref>
Loren Stuckenbruck, ''The Book of Tobit and the Problem of ‘Magic’'' (Jüdische Schriften in ihrem Antik-jüdischen und Urchristlichen Kontext. 2002), 258–269.</ref>


By playing on this self-reflection, sucking the angry and worried energy it generates, the flyers began to farm human beings for energy, just as humans began farming animals. Modern humans are the hypnotized slaves of these flyers; and the pseudoconcerns of modern society are a flyer mechanism of mind control.
Other incantations were used to ward off other kinds of evil spirits: "For they who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves, and from their mind, and to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule, which have not understanding, over them the devil hath power. But thou when thou shalt take her, go into the chamber, and for three days keep thyself continent from her, and give thyself to nothing else but to prayers with her" (''Tobit'' 17–18). Also this way, if misfortune was not averted, people would be able to validate the horrors in the world with the knowledge that "sickness and other misfortunes experienced by people are ultimately the result of human wrongdoing and transgression".<ref>Loren Stuckenbruck, ''The Book of Tobit and the Problem of ‘Magic’'' (Jdische Schriften In Ihrem Antik-jdischen Und Urchristlichen Kontext. 2002), 258–269.</ref>


== In science ==
====Demons Under Divine Authority====
Demons, despite being typically associated with evil, are often shown to be under divine control, and not acting of their own devices.<ref>“Demon” in Britannica Concise Encyclopedia,</ref> In the ''War Scrolls'', Belial controls scores of demons, which are specifically allotted to him by God for the purpose of performing evil.<ref>Dead Sea Scrolls 1QS III 20–25</ref> Belial, despite his malevolent disposition, is considered an angel, and therefore is of divine origin.<ref>Dale Basil Martin, “When did Angels Become Demons?” Journal of Biblical Literature (2010): 657–677.</ref>


A similar circumstance appears in Jubilees, where Mastema, an angel tasked with the tempting of mortals into sin and iniquity, requests that God give him a tenth of the spirits of the children of the watchers, demons, in order to aid the process.<ref>Jubilees 10:7–9</ref> These demons are passed into Mastema’s authority, where once again, an angel is in charge of demonic spirits.


== Hypothetical Demons ==
God is shown sending a demon against Saul in 1 Samuel 16 and 18 in order to punish him for the failure to follow God’s instructions, showing God as having the power to use demons for his own purposes, putting the demon under divine authority.<ref>SN Chiu, “Historical, Religious, and Medical Perspective of Possession Phonomenon” in Hong Kong Journal of Psychiatry, (East Asian Archives of Psychiatry, 2000).</ref>
In thought experiments scientists occasionally imagine entities with special abilities in order to pose tough intellectual challenges or to highlight apparent paradoxes. Examples include:


Descartes’ malicious demon - Cartesian skepticism (also called methodological skepticism) advocates the doubting of all things which cannot be justified through logic. Descartes uses three arguments to cast doubt on our ability to objectively know: The dream argument, the deceiving God argument, and the malicious demon argument. [12]
====Watchers/Nephilim====
The sources of demonic influence were thought to originate from the Watchers or [[Nephilim]], who are first mentioned in Genesis 6 and are the focus of 1 Enoch Chapters 1–16, and also in Jubilees 10. The Nephilim were seen as the source of the sin and evil on earth because they are referenced in Genesis 6:4 before the story of the Flood.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hanneken Henoch,|first=T. R.|title=ANGELS AND DEMONS IN THE BOOK OF JUBILEES AND CONTEMPORARY APOCALYPSES|year=2006|pages=11–25}}</ref>  In Genesis 6:5, God sees evil in the hearts of men. The passage states, “the wickedness of humankind on earth was great”, and that “Every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only continually evil” (Genesis 5). The mention of the Nephilim in the preceding sentence connects the spread of evil to the Nephilim. Enoch is a very similar story to Genesis 6:4–5, and provides further description of the story connecting the Nephilim to the corruption of humans. In Enoch, sin originates when angels descend from heaven and fornicate women, birthing giants as tall as 300 cubits. The giants and the angels’ departure of Heaven and mating with human women are also seen as the source of sorrow and sadness on Earth. The book of Enoch shows that these fallen angels can lead humans to sin through direct interaction or through providing forbidden knowledge. In Enoch, Semyaz leads the angels to mate with women. Angels mating with humans is against God’s commands and is a cursed action, resulting in the wrath of God coming upon Earth. Azazel indirectly influences humans to sin by teaching them divine knowledge not meant for humans. Asael brings down the “stolen mysteries” (Enoch 16:3). Asael gives the humans weapons, which they use to kill each other. Humans are also taught other sinful actions such as beautification techniques, alchemy, astrology and how to make medicine (considered forbidden knowledge at the time). Demons originate from the evil spirits of the giants that are cursed by God to wander the earth. These spirits are stated in Enoch to “corrupt, fall, be excited, and fall upon the earth, and cause sorrow” (Enoch 15:11).<ref>{{cite book|last=VanderKam|first=James C.|title=THE ANGEL STORY IN THE BOOK OF JUBILEES IN: Pseudepigraphic Perspectives : The Apocrypha And Pseudepigrapha In Light Of The Dead Sea Scrolls|year=1999|pages=151–170}}</ref>
The Book of Jubilees conveys that sin occurs when Cainan accidentally transcribes astrological knowledge used by the Watchers (Jubilees 8). This differs from Enoch in that it does not place blame on the Angels. However in Jubilees 10:4 the evil spirits of the Watchers are discussed as evil and still remain on earth to corrupt the humans. God binds only 90 percent of the Watchers and destroys them, leaving 10 percent to be ruled by Mastema. Because the evil in humans is great, only 10 percent would be needed to corrupt and lead humans astray. These spirits of the giants also referred to as “the bastards” in the Apotropaic prayer Songs of the Sage, which lists the names of demons the narrator hopes to expel.<ref>{{cite book|last=Vermes|first=Geza|title=The complete Dead Sea scrolls in English|year=2011|publisher=Penguin|location=London|page=375}}</ref>


Since our senses cannot put us in contact with external objects themselves, but only with our mental images of such objects, we can have no absolute certainty that anything exists in the external world. In the evil demon argument Descartes proposes an entity who is capable of deceiving us to such a degree that we have reason to doubt the totality of what our senses tell us.
====Belial====
''Curses of Belial (Dead Sea Scrolls, 394, 4Q286(4Q287, fr. 6)=4QBerakhot)''


Laplace's demon - A hypothetical all-knowing entity (later called "Laplace's Demon") who knows the precise location and momentum of every atom in the universe, and therefore could use Newton's laws to reveal the entire course of cosmic events, past and future. Based upon the philosophical proposition of causal determinism. (See also [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causality causality]).
In the Dead Sea Scrolls, there exists a fragment entitled “Curses of Belial” (4Q286(4Q287, fr. 6)=4QBerakhot). This fragment holds much rich language that reflects the sentiment shared between the Qumran towards [[Belial]]. In many ways this text shows how these people thought Belial influenced sin through the way they address him and speak of him. By addressing “Belial and all his guilty lot,” (4Q286:2) they make it clear that he is not only impious, but also guilty of sins. Informing this state of uncleanliness are both his “hostile” and “wicked design” (4Q286:3,4). Through this design, Belial poisons the thoughts of those who are not necessarily sinners. Thus a dualism is born from those inclined to be wicked and those who aren’t.<ref>Author=Frey, J. Title=DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF DUALISTIC THOUGHT IN THE QUMRAN LIBRARY IN: Legal Texts And Legal Issues, Year=1984, p. 287</ref> It is clear that Belial directly influences sin by the mention of “abominable plots” and “guilty inclination” (4Q286:8,9). These are both mechanisms by which Belial advances his evil agenda that the Qumran have exposed and are calling upon God to protect them from. There is a deep sense of fear that Belial will “establish in their heart their evil devices” (4Q286:11,12). This sense of fear is the stimulus for this prayer in the first place. Without the worry and potential of falling victim to Belial’s demonic sway, the Qumran people would never feel impelled to craft a curse. This very fact illuminates the power Belial was believed to hold over mortals, and the fact that sin proved to be a temptation that must stem from an impure origin.


Maxwell's demon - An demon able to distinguish between fast and slow moving molecules. If this demon only let fast moving molecules through a trapdoor to a container, the temperature inside the container would increase without any work being applied. Such a scenario would violate the second law of thermodynamics.
In Jubilees 1:20, Belial’s appearance continues to support the notion that sin is a direct product of his influence. Moreover, Belial’s presence acts as a placeholder for all negative influences or those that would potentially interfere with God’s will and a pious existence. Similarly to the “gentiles…[who] cause them to sin against you” (Jubilees 1:19), Belial is associated with a force that drives one away from God. Coupled in this plea for protection against foreign rule, in this case the Egyptians, is a plea for protection from “the spirit of Belial” (Jubilees 1:19). Belial’s tendency is to “ensnare [you] from every path of righteousness” (Jubilees 1:19). This phrase is intentionally vague, allowing room for interpretation. Everyone, in one way or another, finds themselves straying from the path of righteousness and by pawning this transgression off on Belial, he becomes a scapegoat for all misguidance, no matter what the cause. By associating Belial with all sorts of misfortune and negative external influence, the Qumran people are henceforth allowed to be let off for the sins they commit.


See also: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicurean_paradox#Epicurus Epicurean paradox-Epicurus]
Belial’s presence is found throughout the War Scrolls, located in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and is established as the force occupying the opposite end of the spectrum of God. In Col. I, verse 1, the very first line of the document, it is stated that “the first attack of the Sons of Light shall be undertaken against the forces of the Sons of Darkness, the army of Belial” (1Q33;1:1).<ref>Author=Nickelsburg, George. Title="Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishna." N.d.  Digital file.</ref> This dichotomy sheds light on the negative connotations that Belial held at the time.<ref>Author=Frey, J. Title=DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF DUALISTIC THOUGHT IN THE QUMRAN LIBRARY IN: Legal Texts And Legal Issues, Year=1984, p. 278</ref> Where God and his Sons of Light are forces that protect and promote piety, Belial and his Sons of Darkness cater to the opposite, instilling the desire to sin and encouraging destruction. This opposition is only reinforced later in the document; it continues to read that the “holy ones” will “strike a blow at wickedness,” ultimately resulting in the “annihilation of the Sons of Darkness” (1Q33:1:13). This epic battle between good and evil described in such abstract terms, however it is also applicable to everyday life and serves as a lens through which the Qumran see the world. Every day is the Sons of Light battle evil and call upon God to help them overcome evil in ways small and large.


== Real Demons ==
Belial’s influence is not taken lightly. In Col. XI, verse 8, the text depicts God conquering the “hordes of Belial” (1Q33;11:8). This defeat is indicative of God’s power over Belial and his forces of temptation. However the fact that Belial is the leader of hordes is a testament to how persuasive he can be. If Belial was obviously an arbiter of wrongdoing and was blatantly in the wrong, he wouldn’t be able to amass an army. This fact serves as a warning message, reasserting God’s strength, while also making it extremely clear the breadth of Belial’s prowess. Belial’s “council is to condemn and convict,” so the Qumran feel strongly that their people are not only aware of his purpose, but also equipped to combat his influence (1Q33;13:11).
Science is a system of acquiring knowledge based on the scientific method, which rely on observable and/or measurable effects and empirical evidence. The scientific method itself rests upon the methodological assumption that observable effects in nature are best explainable only by natural causes, without reference to, or assumptions regarding the existence or non-existence of supernatural notions. Modern science therefore tries to minimize a priori assumptions and subjectivity, and as a result remains neutral on subjects such as religion or morality.[13]


Since the existence (or non-existence) of demons cannot be proven solely by reason or evidence, their status therefore have to be inferred via belief or faith. However, despite the fact that matters of faith cannot be empirically verified, significant numbers of scientists adhere to some form of metaphysical belief.[14]
In the Damascus Document, Belial also makes a prominent appearance, being established as a source of evil and an origin of several types of sin. In Column 4, the first mention of Belial reads: “Belial shall be unleashed against Israel” (4Q266). This phrase is able to be interpreted myriad different ways. Belial is characterized in a wild and uncontrollable fashion, making him seem more dangerous and unpredictable. The notion of being unleashed is such that once he is free to roam; he is unstoppable and able to carry out his agenda uninhibited. The passage then goes to enumerate the “three nets” (4Q266;4:16) by which Belial captures his prey and forces them to sin. “Fornication…, riches…, [and] the profanation of the temple” (4Q266;4:17,18) make up the three nets. These three temptations were three agents by which people were driven to sin, so subsequently, the Qumran people crafted the nets of Belial to rationalize why these specific temptations were so toxic. Later in Column 5, Belial is mentioned again as one of “the removers of bound who led Israel astray” (4Q266;5:20). This statement is a clear display of Belial’s influence over man regarding sin. The passage goes on to state: “they preached rebellion against…God” (4Q266;5:21,22). Belial’s purpose is to undermine the teachings of God, and he achieves this by imparting his nets on humans, or the incentive to sin.<ref>Author=Nickelsburg, George. Title="Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishna." N.d. Digital file, p. 147.</ref>


Very few scientists have attempted to bridge this gap. One notable (if controversial) exception was M. Scott Peck, an American psychiatrist, who wrote two books on the subject. [15] [16].
===Kabbalah===
Some benevolent ''shedim'' were used in kabbalistic ceremonies (as with the ''golem'' of Rabbi Yehuda Loevy) and malevolent ''shedim'' (''mazikin'', from the root meaning "to damage") were often credited with possession. Similarly, a ''shed'' might inhabit an otherwise inanimate statue.


Peck describes in some detail several cases involving his patients. In People of the Lie: The Hope For Healing Human Evil he gives some identifying characteristics for evil persons whom he classifies as having a character disorder. In Glimpses of the Devil, A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption Peck goes into significant detail describing how he became interested in exorcism in order to debunk the “myth” of possession by evil spirits – only to be convinced otherwise after encountering two real-word cases which did not fit into any category known to psychology or psychiatry. Peck came to the conclusion that possession was a rare phenomenon related to evil. Possessed people are not actually evil; they are doing battle with the forces of evil. [17]


His observations on these cases are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (IV) of the American Psychiatric Association.[18]
==Christian Demonology==
In monotheistic religions, the deities of other religions are sometimes interpreted or created as demons.<ref name = "DDD">van der Toorn, Becking, van der Horst (1999), ''Dictionary of Deities and Demons in The Bible'', Second Extensively Revised Edition, Entry: '''Demon''', pp. 235-240, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, ISBN 0-8028-2491-9</ref> The evolution of the Christian Devil and pentagram are examples of early rituals and images that showcase evil qualities, as seen by the Christian churches.


Although Peck’s earlier work was met with widespread popular acceptance, his work on the topics of evil and possession has generated significant debate and derision. Much was made of his association with (and admiration for) the controversial Malachi Martin, a Roman Catholic priest and a former Jesuit, despite the fact that Peck consistently called Martin a liar and manipulator. [18] [19]
Since Early Christianity, demonology has developed from a simple acceptance of demons to a complex study that has grown from the original ideas taken from Jewish demonology and Christian scriptures. Christian demonology is studied in depth within the Roman Catholic Church,<ref>[http://www.sanctamissa.org/EN/resources/books-1962/rituale-romanum/57-exorcism-introduction.html Exorcism], ''Sancta Missa - Rituale Romanum'', 1962, at [http://www.sanctamissa.org sanctamissa.org], Copyright © 2007. Canons Regular of St. John Cantius</ref> although many other Christian churches affirm and discuss the existence of demons.<ref>Hansen, Chadwick (1970), ''Witchcraft at Salem'', p. 132, Signet Classics, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 69-15825</ref><ref>Modica, Terry Ann (1996), ''Overcoming The Power of The Occult'', p. 31, Faith Publishing Company, ISBN 1-880033-24-0</ref>


Other criticisms leveled against Peck include misdiagnoses based upon a lack of knowledge regarding dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder), and a claim that he had transgressed the boundaries of professional ethics by attempting to persuade his patients into accepting Christianity. [18]
Building upon the few references to ''daemons'' in the New Testament, especially the poetry of the Book of Revelation, Christian writers of apocrypha from the 2nd century onwards created a more complicated tapestry of beliefs about "demons" that was largely independent of Christian scripture.


== In popular culture ==
The contemporary Roman Catholic Church unequivocally teaches that angels and demons are real beings rather than just symbolic devices. The Catholic Church has a cadre of officially sanctioned exorcists which perform many exorcisms each year. The exorcists of the Catholic Church teach that demons attack humans continually but that afflicted persons can be effectively healed and protected either by the formal rite of exorcism, authorized to be performed only by bishops and those they designate, or by prayers of deliverance, which any Christian can offer for themselves or others.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fathercorapi.com/articledet.asp?articleID=1928275639 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040405135007/http://www.fathercorapi.com/articledet.asp?articleID=1928275639 |archivedate=2004-04-05 |title=Angels and Demons – Facts not Fiction |publisher=fathercorapi.com}}</ref>
French romance writer Jacques Cazotte (1719-1792) in The Devil in Love (Le Diable Amoureux, 1772) tells of a demon, or devil, who falls in love with an amateur human dabbler in the occult, and attempts, in the guise of a young woman, to win his affections. The book served as inspiration for, and is referred to within, Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte's novel The Club Dumas (El Club Dumas, 1993). Roman Polanski's 1999 adaptation of the novel, The Ninth Gate, stars Johnny Depp as rare book dealer Dean Corso.


Demon by Mikhail Vrubel.
At various times in Christian history, attempts have been made to classify demons according to various proposed demonic hierarchies.
In Mikhail Lermontov's long poem Demon (1840), the Demon makes love to the virgin Tamara in a scenic setting of the Caucasus mountains.
Many classic books and plays feature demons, such as the Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost and Faust.
Anton Rubinstein's lushly chromatic opera The Demon (1875), based on the poem "The Demon" by Michail Lermontov, was delayed in its production because the censor attached to the Mariinsky Theatre felt that the libretto was sacrilegious.[20]


In C. S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape, a senior demon in Hell's hierarchy, writes a series of letters to his subordinate trainee, Wormwood, offering advice in the techniques of temptation of humans. Though fictional, it offers a plausible contemporary Christian viewpoint of the relationship of humans and demons.
In the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of Mark, Jesus cast out many demons from those afflicted with various ailments. He also lent this power to some of his disciples (Luke 10:17).


J.R.R. Tolkien sometimes referred to the Balrogs of his Legendarium as "Demons".[citation needed] Morgoth, Sauron, and Thuringwethil could be called demons as well, since they are fallen spirits.[citation needed]
Apuleius, by Augustine of Hippo, is ambiguous as to whether ''daemons'' had become 'demonized' by the early 5th century:


British author Tanith Lee establishes in her Flat Earth Cycle a demonic hierarchy of which Azhrarn, Prince of Demons, occupies the topmost level, and rules over the Eshva and Vazdru demon castes.
:He [Apulieus] also states that the blessed are called in Greek ''eudaimones'', because they are good souls, that is to say, good demons, confirming his opinion that the souls of men are demons.<ref>{{cite web |author=Augustine of Hippo |work=City of God'', ch. 11 |title=Of the Opinion of the Platonists, that the Souls of Men Become Demons When Disembodied |url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf102.iv.IX.11.html }}</ref>


The earliest known connection of the word with games is that the British have called a form of solitaire "Demon", from at least the nineteenth century.[citation needed] The selection of this word comes from the observance of a player by others. Formerly, adults nearly always bet on card games. As the player is turned from interaction with others and is forced to move cards around without feeling, the player is metaphorically considered possessed by a demon. "Demon" is called Canfield in the United States.


It has been asserted by some religious groups, demonologists, and paranormal investigators that demons can communicate with humans through the use of a Ouija board and that demonic oppression and possession can result from its use. Skeptics assert that the Ouija board's users move the game's planchette with their hands (consciously or unconsciously) and only appear to be communicating with spirits and that any resulting possession is purely psychosomatic. The original idea for the use of spirit boards was to contact spirits of dead humans and not evil spirits or demons.[citation needed]
==Ceremonial Magic==
While some people fear demons, or attempt to exorcise them, others willfully attempt to summon them for knowledge, assistance, or power. The ceremonial magician usually consults a grimoire, which gives the names and abilities of demons as well as detailed instructions for conjuring and controlling them. Grimoires aren't limited to demons - some give the names of angels or spirits which can be called, a process called theurgy. The use of ceremonial magic to call demons is also known as goetia, the name taken from a section within the famous grimoire "The Lesser Key of Solomon".<ref>A.E. Waite, ''The Book of Black Magic'', (Weiser Books, 2004).</ref>


Demons sometimes figure in horror films, such as the Dana Andrews vehicle, Night of the Demon, a.k.a. Curse of the Demon. A host of demons figure prominently in the "Night on Bald Mountain" segment of Fantasia.


Tenacious D claim, in the song Tribute, to have been forced to play the best song in the world to save their souls from a shiny demon. This performance is shown in the 2006 movie The Pick of Destiny.
==Wicca==
According to Rosemary Ellen Guiley, "Demons are not courted or worshipped in contemporary Wicca and Paganism. The existence of negative energies is acknowledged."<ref>The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca – page 95, Rosemary Guiley – 2008</ref>


== See also ==
*[[Demonology]]
*[[Lilith]]
*[http://succubus.net/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Demon_Names Demon Names Category on SuccuWiki]
*[[Satan]]


== Notes ==
==Islam==
1 Boyce, 1987; Black and Rowley, 1987; Duchesne-Guillemin, 1988.
Islam recognizes the existence of jinn, which are sentient beings with free will that can co-exist with humans (though not the genies of modern lore). In Islam, evil jinn are referred to as the ''shayātīn'' or demons/devils, with [[Iblis]] (Satan) as their chief. Iblis was one of the first jinn; he disobeyed Allah and did not bow down before Adam refusing to acknowledge a creature made of "clay". Thus, Iblis was condemned to jahannam (hell). He asked for respite until the Last Day (Judgement Day), when he vowed to make mankind fall and deny the existence of their creator, to which Allah replied that Iblis would only be able to mislead those who were not righteous believers, warning that Iblis and all who followed him in evil would be punished in Hell.


2 Freud (1950, 65), quoting Wundt (1906, 129).


3 See Delitzsch, Assyrisches Handwörterbuch. pp. 60, 253, 261, 646; Jensen, Assyr.-Babyl. Mythen und Epen, 1900, p. 453; Archibald Sayce, l.c. pp. 441, 450, 463; Lenormant, l.c. pp. 48-51.
==Hinduism==
Hinduism includes numerous varieties of spirits that might be classified as demons, including Vetalas, Bhutas and Pishachas. Rakshasas and Asuras are often also taken as demons.


4 Pesachim 112a; Avodah Zarah 12b
===Asuras===
Originally, ''Asura'', in the earliest hymns of the Rig Veda, meant any supernatural spirit, either good or bad. Since the /s/ of the Indic linguistic branch is cognate with the /h/ of the Early Iranian languages, the word ''Asura'', representing a category of celestial beings, became the word ''Ahura'' (Mazda), the Supreme God of the monotheistic Zoroastrians. Ancient Hinduism tells that Devas (also called ''suras'') and Asuras are half-brothers, sons of the same father Kasyapa; although some of the Devas, such as Varuna, are also called Asuras. Later, during Puranic age, Asura and Rakshasa came to exclusively mean any of a race of anthropomorphic, powerful, possibly evil beings. Daitya (lit. sons of the mother "Diti"), Rakshasa (lit. from "harm to be guarded against"), and Asura are incorrectly translated into English as "demon".


5 Bellum Judaeorum vii. 6, § 3
In Hindu mythology, pious, highly enlightened Asuras, such as Prahlada and Vibheeshana, are not uncommon. The Asura are not fundamentally against the gods, nor do they tempt humans to fall. This is markedly different from the traditional Western notions of demons as a rival army of God but comparable with the concept of the jinns in Islam. Many people metaphorically interpret the Asura as manifestations of the ignoble passions in the human mind and as a symbolic devices. There were also cases of power-hungry Asuras challenging various aspects of the Gods, but only to be defeated eventually and seek forgiveness.


6 "Antiquities" viii. 2, § 5
===Evil Spirits===
Hinduism advocates the reincarnation and transmigration of souls according to one's karma. Souls (Atman) of the dead are adjudged by the Yama and are accorded various purging punishments before being reborn. Humans that have committed extraordinary wrongs are condemned to roam as lonely, often evil, spirits for a length of time before being reborn. Many kinds of such spirits (Vetalas, Pishachas, Bhūta) are recognized in the later Hindu texts. These beings, in a limited sense, can be called demons.


7 Jewish Encyclopedia Demonology. Retrieved on 2007-05-03.


8 Luke 10:17
==Bahá'í Faith==
In the Bahá'í Faith, demons are not regarded as independent evil spirits as they are in some faiths. Rather, evil spirits described in various faiths' traditions, such as Satan, fallen angels, demons and jinns, are metaphors for the base character traits a human being may acquire and manifest when he turns away from God and follows his lower nature. Belief in the existence of ghosts and earthbound spirits is rejected and considered to be the product of superstition.<ref name="Psmith112">{{cite book | last = Smith | first = Peter | year = 2008 | title = An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith | publisher = Cambridge University Press | place = Cambridge | isbn=978-0-521-86251-6 | ref = harv | page = 112}}</ref>


9 Augustine of Hippo, City of God, ch. 11: Of the Opinion of the Platonists, that the Souls of Men Become Demons When Disembodied.


10 http://www.fathercorapi.com/articledet.asp?articleID=1928275639
==See Also==
{{Div col|cols=2}}
* [[Archdemon]]
* [[Classification of Demons]]
* [[Daeva]]
* [[Demonic Possession]]
* [[Devil]]
* [[Empusa]]
* [[Erinyes]]
{{Div col end}}


11 http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/planetarium/index.htm


12 Important Arguments from Descartes' Meditations by David Banach Department of Philosophy, St. Anselm College (retrieved 8-24-2007)
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}


13 Religion and Science, New York Times Magazine article by Albert Einstein (November 9, 1930)


14 Natural scientists are less likely to believe in God than are social scientists, article about the work of Elaine Howard Ecklund in physorg.com ( August 12, 2005)
==Citations==
* {{cite book |last=Freud |first=Sigmund |others=trans. Strachey |title=Totem and Taboo:Some Points of Agreement between the Mental Lives of Savages and Neurotics |year=1950 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |location=New York |isbn=978-0-393-00143-3 }}
* Wundt, W. (1906). ''Mythus und Religion'', Teil II (''Völkerpsychologie'', Band II). Leipzig.
* Castaneda, Carlos (1998). ''The Active Side of Infinity''. HarperCollins NY ISBN 978-0-06-019220-4


15 People of the Lie: The Hope For Healing Human Evil by M. Scott Peck (Simon & Schuster, 1983)


16 Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption by M. Scott Peck (Free Press, January 19, 2005)
==Further Reading==
* {{cite book |last=Oppenheimer|first=Paul |title=Evil and the Demonic: A New Theory of Monstrous Behavior |year=1996 |publisher=New York University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8147-6193-9 }}
;Catholic
* {{cite book|last=Baglio|first=Matt|title=The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist|year=2009|publisher=Doubleday Religion|isbn=0385522703}}
* {{cite book|last=Amorth|first=Fr. Gabriele|title=An Exorcist Tells His Story|year=1999|publisher=Ignatius Press|isbn=0898707102}}


17 The exorcist, an interview with M. Scott Peck by Rebecca Traister published in Salon
==External Links==
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon The original source of this article at Wikipedia]
18 a b c The devil you know, a commentary on Glimpses of the Devil by Richard Woods
* [http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/index/d.htm#Demon Catechism of the Catholic Church'':] Hyperlinked references to demons in the online Catechism of the Catholic Church
 
* [http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhi.cgi?id=dv1-79 ''Dictionary of the History of Ideas'':] Demonology
19 The Patient Is the Exorcist, an interview with M. Scott Peck by Laura Sheahen
* [http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-08-13/news/demons-among-us-the-rft-paid-a-visit-to-america-s-foremost-demonologist-in-chesterfield-and-came-home-with-our-head-spinning/ Profile of William Bradshaw, American demonologist] Riverfront Times, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. August 2008
 
20 http://www.opera.lv/demons/default_E.htm
 
== References ==
Freud, Sigmund (1950). Totem and Taboo:Some Points of Agreement between the Mental Lives of Savages and Neurotics, trans. Strachey, New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-00143-1.
 
Wundt, W. (1906). Mythus und Religion, Teil II (Völkerpsychologie, Band II). Leipzig.
 
Castaneda, Carlos (1998). The Active Side of Infinity. HarperCollins NY ISBN 0-06-019220-8

Latest revision as of 12:54, 30 June 2015

A demon, daemon or fiend, is a supernatural, often malevolent being prevalent in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology and folklore. The original Greek word daimon does not carry the negative connotation initially understood by implementation of the Koine δαιμόνιον (daimonion),[1] and later ascribed to any cognate words sharing the root.

In Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an unclean spirit, a fallen angel, or a spirit of unknown type which may cause demonic possession, calling for an exorcism. In Western occultism and Renaissance magic, which grew out of an amalgamation of Greco-Roman magic, Jewish demonology and Christian tradition,[2] a demon is a spiritual entity that may be conjured and controlled.


Etymology

The Ancient Greek word δαίμων daimōn denotes a spirit or divine power, much like the Latin genius or numen. Daimōn most likely came from the Greek verb daiesthai (to divide, distribute).[3] The Greek conception of a daimōns notably appears in the works of Plato, where it describes the divine inspiration of Socrates. To distinguish the classical Greek concept from its later Christian interpretation, the former is anglicized as either daemon or daimon rather than demon.

The Greek terms do not have any connotations of evil or malevolence. In fact, εὐδαιμονία eudaimonia, (literally good-spiritedness) means happiness. By the early Roman Empire, cult statues were seen, by pagans and their Christian neighbors alike, as inhabited by the numinous presence of the gods: "Like pagans, Christians still sensed and saw the gods and their power, and as something, they had to assume, lay behind it, by an easy traditional shift of opinion they turned these pagan daimones into malevolent 'demons', the troupe of Satan..... Far into the Byzantine period Christians eyed their cities' old pagan statuary as a seat of the demons' presence. It was no longer beautiful, it was infested."[4] The term had first acquired its negative connotations in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, which drew on the mythology of ancient Semitic religions. This was then inherited by the Koine text of the New Testament. The Western medieval and neo-medieval conception of a demon[5] derives seamlessly from the ambient popular culture of Late (Roman) Antiquity. The Hellenistic "daemon" eventually came to include many Semitic and Near Eastern gods as evaluated by Christianity.

The supposed existence of demons remains an important concept in many modern religions and occultist traditions. Demons are still feared as a popular superstition, largely due to their alleged power to possess living creatures. In the contemporary Western occultist tradition (perhaps epitomized by the work of Aleister Crowley), a demon (such as Choronzon, the Demon of the Abyss) is a useful metaphor for certain inner psychological processes (inner demons), though some may also regard it as an objectively real phenomenon. Some scholars[6] believe that large portions of the demonology of Judaism, a key influence on Christianity and Islam, originated from a later form of Zoroastrianism, and were transferred to Judaism during the Persian era.


Psychological Archetype

Psychologist Wilhelm Wundt remarked that "among the activities attributed by myths all over the world to demons, the harmful predominate, so that in popular belief bad demons are clearly older than good ones."[7] Sigmund Freud developed this idea and claimed that the concept of demons was derived from the important relation of the living to the dead: "The fact that demons are always regarded as the spirits of those who have died recently shows better than anything the influence of mourning on the origin of the belief in demons."[8]

M. Scott Peck, an American psychiatrist, wrote two books on the subject, People of the Lie: The Hope For Healing Human Evil[9] and Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption.[10] Peck describes in some detail several cases involving his patients. In People of the Lie he provides identifying characteristics of an evil person, whom he classified as having a character disorder. In Glimpses of the Devil Peck goes into significant detail describing how he became interested in exorcism in order to debunk the myth of possession by evil spirits – only to be convinced otherwise after encountering two cases which did not fit into any category known to psychology or psychiatry. Peck came to the conclusion that possession was a rare phenomenon related to evil, and that possessed people are not actually evil; rather, they are doing battle with the forces of evil.[11]

Although Peck's earlier work was met with widespread popular acceptance, his work on the topics of evil and possession has generated significant debate and derision. Much was made of his association with (and admiration for) the controversial Malachi Martin, a Roman Catholic priest and a former Jesuit, despite the fact that Peck consistently called Martin a liar and manipulator.[12][13] Richard Woods, a Roman Catholic priest and theologian, has claimed that Dr. Peck misdiagnosed patients based upon a lack of knowledge regarding dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder), and had apparently transgressed the boundaries of professional ethics by attempting to persuade his patients into accepting Christianity.[12] Father Woods admitted that he has never witnessed a genuine case of demonic possession in all his years.[14][15][16]


Ancient Near East

Mesopotamia

According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, "In Chaldean mythology the seven evil deities were known as shedu, storm-demons, represented in ox-like form."[17] They were represented as winged bulls, derived from the colossal bulls used as protective jinn of royal palaces.[18]

From Chaldea, the term shedu traveled to the Israelites. The writers of the Tanach applied the word as a dialogism to Canaanite deities.

There are indications that demons in popular Hebrew mythology were believed to come from the nether world.[19] Various diseases and ailments were ascribed to them, particularly those affecting the brain and those of internal nature. Examples include the catalepsy, headache, epilepsy and nightmares. There also existed a demon of blindness, "Shabriri" (lit. "dazzling glare") who rested on uncovered water at night and blinded those who drank from it.[20]

Demons supposedly entered the body and caused the disease while overwhelming or "seizing" the victim. To cure such diseases, it was necessary to draw out the evil demons by certain incantations and talismanic performances, which the Essenes excelled at. Josephus, who spoke of demons as "spirits of the wicked which enter into men that are alive and kill them", but which could be driven out by a certain root,[21] witnessed such a performance in the presence of the Emperor Vespasian[22] and ascribed its origin to King Solomon. In mythology, there were few defences against Babylonian demons. The mythical mace Sharur had the power to slay demons such as Asag, a legendary gallu or edimmu of hideous strength.

Ancient Arabia

Pre-Islamic mythology did not differentiate between gods and demons. Jinn were considered divinities of inferior rank and had many human abilities, such as eating, drinking and procreating. While most jinn were considered peaceful and well-disposed towards humans, there also existed evil jinn who contrived to injure people.

Hebrew Bible

Demons in the Hebrew Bible are of two classes: the se'irim ("hairy beings") [23] and the shedim. The se'irim, to which some Israelites offered sacrifices in the open fields, were satyr-like creatures, described as dancing in the wilderness Isaiah 13:21, Isaiah 34:14. "The Israelites also offered sacrifices to the shedim (Deut. xxxii. 17; Ps. cvi. 37)".[24]


Judaism

According to some rabbinic sources, demons were believed to be under the dominion of a king or chief, either Asmodai[25] or, in the older Haggadah, Samael ("the angel of death", also called the "chief of the devils"), who killed via poison. Occasionally a demon was called satan: "Stand not in the way of an ox when coming from the pasture, for Satan dances between his horns".[26]

Demonology never became an essential feature of Jewish theology. However, the existence of demons was never questioned by the Talmudists and late rabbis, nor did most of the medieval thinkers question their reality. Only rationalists like Maimonides and Abraham ibn Ezra explicitly denied their existence. Their point of view eventually became mainstream Jewish understanding.

Rabbinical demonology has three classes of demons, though they are scarcely separable one from another. There were the shedim, the mazziḳim ("harmers"), and the ruḥin ("spirits"). There were also lilin ("night spirits"), ṭelane ("shade", or "evening spirits"), ṭiharire ("midday spirits"), and ẓafrire ("morning spirits"), as well as the "demons that bring famine" and "such as cause storm and earthquake".[27][28]

Second Temple-Period Texts

Biblical Interpretation

Demons are sometimes included into biblical interpretation. In the story of Passover, the Bible tells the story as "the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt" (Exodus 12:21–29). In Jubilees, which is considered canonical only by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as Bete Israel (Ethiopian Jews),[29] this same event is told slightly differently: "All the powers of [the demon] Mastema had been let loose to slay all the first-born in the land of Egypt...And the powers of the Lord did everything according as the Lord commanded them" (Jubilees 49:2–4).

In Genesis in the story of the flood, the author explains how God was noticing "how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways" (Genesis 6:12). In Jubilees the sins of man are attributed to "the unclean demons [who] began to lead astray the children of the sons of Noah, and to make to err and destroy them" (Jubilees 10:1). In Jubilees Mastema questions the loyalty of Abraham and tells God to "bid him offer him as a burnt offering on the altar, and Thou wilt see if he will do this command" (Jubilees 17:16). The discrepancy between the story in Jubilees and the story in Genesis 22 exists with the presence of Mastema. In Genesis, God tests the will of Abraham merely to determine whether he is a true follower, however; in Jubilees Mastema has an agenda behind promoting the sacrifice of Abraham’s son, "an even more demonic act than that of the Satan in Job."[30]

Apotropaic Prayers

Throughout history, many cultures and religions have utilized apotropaic prayers and incantations to "defend the sons of light from the forces of darkness within the cosmic conflict in which they were locked".[31] The Jewish community in the Second Temple Period is a perfect example of using these religious and magical tools for the purpose of protection from demons.

Many choose to talk about His powers over wickedness as a tool for scaring away potential demons, because they believed that a "solemn proclamation of God’s power will protect the community and its members from attacks by demons".[32] The Qumran community during the Second Temple Period wrote this apotropaic prayer stating: "And, I the Sage, declare the grandeur of his radiance in order to frighten and terri[fy] all the spirits of the ravaging angels and the bastard spirits, demons, Liliths, owls" (Dead Sea Scrolls, "Songs of the Sage," Lines 4–5).

Rituals Against Rvil

Some sacred rituals would be used for healing. One example of incantations used for healing can be seen in Tobit: "Then the angel said to him: Take out the entrails of the fish, and lay up his heart, and his gall, and his liver for thee: for these are necessary for useful medicines. And when he had done so, he roasted the flesh thereof, and they took it with them in the way: the rest they salted as much as might serve them, till they came to Rages the city of the Medes. Then Tobias asked the angel, and said to him: I beseech thee, brother Azarias, tell me what remedies are these things good for, which thou hast bid me keep of the fish? And the angel, answering, said to him: If thou put a little piece of its heart upon coals, the smoke thereof driveth away all kind of devils, either from man or from woman, so that they come no more to them" (Tobit 6:5–8). These practices, as opposed to other medical practices, were used because "resorting to doctors would be considered unacceptable, as this could be thought to encroach upon a divine prerogative".[33]

Other incantations were used to ward off other kinds of evil spirits: "For they who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves, and from their mind, and to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule, which have not understanding, over them the devil hath power. But thou when thou shalt take her, go into the chamber, and for three days keep thyself continent from her, and give thyself to nothing else but to prayers with her" (Tobit 17–18). Also this way, if misfortune was not averted, people would be able to validate the horrors in the world with the knowledge that "sickness and other misfortunes experienced by people are ultimately the result of human wrongdoing and transgression".[34]

Demons Under Divine Authority

Demons, despite being typically associated with evil, are often shown to be under divine control, and not acting of their own devices.[35] In the War Scrolls, Belial controls scores of demons, which are specifically allotted to him by God for the purpose of performing evil.[36] Belial, despite his malevolent disposition, is considered an angel, and therefore is of divine origin.[37]

A similar circumstance appears in Jubilees, where Mastema, an angel tasked with the tempting of mortals into sin and iniquity, requests that God give him a tenth of the spirits of the children of the watchers, demons, in order to aid the process.[38] These demons are passed into Mastema’s authority, where once again, an angel is in charge of demonic spirits.

God is shown sending a demon against Saul in 1 Samuel 16 and 18 in order to punish him for the failure to follow God’s instructions, showing God as having the power to use demons for his own purposes, putting the demon under divine authority.[39]

Watchers/Nephilim

The sources of demonic influence were thought to originate from the Watchers or Nephilim, who are first mentioned in Genesis 6 and are the focus of 1 Enoch Chapters 1–16, and also in Jubilees 10. The Nephilim were seen as the source of the sin and evil on earth because they are referenced in Genesis 6:4 before the story of the Flood.[40] In Genesis 6:5, God sees evil in the hearts of men. The passage states, “the wickedness of humankind on earth was great”, and that “Every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only continually evil” (Genesis 5). The mention of the Nephilim in the preceding sentence connects the spread of evil to the Nephilim. Enoch is a very similar story to Genesis 6:4–5, and provides further description of the story connecting the Nephilim to the corruption of humans. In Enoch, sin originates when angels descend from heaven and fornicate women, birthing giants as tall as 300 cubits. The giants and the angels’ departure of Heaven and mating with human women are also seen as the source of sorrow and sadness on Earth. The book of Enoch shows that these fallen angels can lead humans to sin through direct interaction or through providing forbidden knowledge. In Enoch, Semyaz leads the angels to mate with women. Angels mating with humans is against God’s commands and is a cursed action, resulting in the wrath of God coming upon Earth. Azazel indirectly influences humans to sin by teaching them divine knowledge not meant for humans. Asael brings down the “stolen mysteries” (Enoch 16:3). Asael gives the humans weapons, which they use to kill each other. Humans are also taught other sinful actions such as beautification techniques, alchemy, astrology and how to make medicine (considered forbidden knowledge at the time). Demons originate from the evil spirits of the giants that are cursed by God to wander the earth. These spirits are stated in Enoch to “corrupt, fall, be excited, and fall upon the earth, and cause sorrow” (Enoch 15:11).[41] The Book of Jubilees conveys that sin occurs when Cainan accidentally transcribes astrological knowledge used by the Watchers (Jubilees 8). This differs from Enoch in that it does not place blame on the Angels. However in Jubilees 10:4 the evil spirits of the Watchers are discussed as evil and still remain on earth to corrupt the humans. God binds only 90 percent of the Watchers and destroys them, leaving 10 percent to be ruled by Mastema. Because the evil in humans is great, only 10 percent would be needed to corrupt and lead humans astray. These spirits of the giants also referred to as “the bastards” in the Apotropaic prayer Songs of the Sage, which lists the names of demons the narrator hopes to expel.[42]

Belial

Curses of Belial (Dead Sea Scrolls, 394, 4Q286(4Q287, fr. 6)=4QBerakhot)

In the Dead Sea Scrolls, there exists a fragment entitled “Curses of Belial” (4Q286(4Q287, fr. 6)=4QBerakhot). This fragment holds much rich language that reflects the sentiment shared between the Qumran towards Belial. In many ways this text shows how these people thought Belial influenced sin through the way they address him and speak of him. By addressing “Belial and all his guilty lot,” (4Q286:2) they make it clear that he is not only impious, but also guilty of sins. Informing this state of uncleanliness are both his “hostile” and “wicked design” (4Q286:3,4). Through this design, Belial poisons the thoughts of those who are not necessarily sinners. Thus a dualism is born from those inclined to be wicked and those who aren’t.[43] It is clear that Belial directly influences sin by the mention of “abominable plots” and “guilty inclination” (4Q286:8,9). These are both mechanisms by which Belial advances his evil agenda that the Qumran have exposed and are calling upon God to protect them from. There is a deep sense of fear that Belial will “establish in their heart their evil devices” (4Q286:11,12). This sense of fear is the stimulus for this prayer in the first place. Without the worry and potential of falling victim to Belial’s demonic sway, the Qumran people would never feel impelled to craft a curse. This very fact illuminates the power Belial was believed to hold over mortals, and the fact that sin proved to be a temptation that must stem from an impure origin.

In Jubilees 1:20, Belial’s appearance continues to support the notion that sin is a direct product of his influence. Moreover, Belial’s presence acts as a placeholder for all negative influences or those that would potentially interfere with God’s will and a pious existence. Similarly to the “gentiles…[who] cause them to sin against you” (Jubilees 1:19), Belial is associated with a force that drives one away from God. Coupled in this plea for protection against foreign rule, in this case the Egyptians, is a plea for protection from “the spirit of Belial” (Jubilees 1:19). Belial’s tendency is to “ensnare [you] from every path of righteousness” (Jubilees 1:19). This phrase is intentionally vague, allowing room for interpretation. Everyone, in one way or another, finds themselves straying from the path of righteousness and by pawning this transgression off on Belial, he becomes a scapegoat for all misguidance, no matter what the cause. By associating Belial with all sorts of misfortune and negative external influence, the Qumran people are henceforth allowed to be let off for the sins they commit.

Belial’s presence is found throughout the War Scrolls, located in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and is established as the force occupying the opposite end of the spectrum of God. In Col. I, verse 1, the very first line of the document, it is stated that “the first attack of the Sons of Light shall be undertaken against the forces of the Sons of Darkness, the army of Belial” (1Q33;1:1).[44] This dichotomy sheds light on the negative connotations that Belial held at the time.[45] Where God and his Sons of Light are forces that protect and promote piety, Belial and his Sons of Darkness cater to the opposite, instilling the desire to sin and encouraging destruction. This opposition is only reinforced later in the document; it continues to read that the “holy ones” will “strike a blow at wickedness,” ultimately resulting in the “annihilation of the Sons of Darkness” (1Q33:1:13). This epic battle between good and evil described in such abstract terms, however it is also applicable to everyday life and serves as a lens through which the Qumran see the world. Every day is the Sons of Light battle evil and call upon God to help them overcome evil in ways small and large.

Belial’s influence is not taken lightly. In Col. XI, verse 8, the text depicts God conquering the “hordes of Belial” (1Q33;11:8). This defeat is indicative of God’s power over Belial and his forces of temptation. However the fact that Belial is the leader of hordes is a testament to how persuasive he can be. If Belial was obviously an arbiter of wrongdoing and was blatantly in the wrong, he wouldn’t be able to amass an army. This fact serves as a warning message, reasserting God’s strength, while also making it extremely clear the breadth of Belial’s prowess. Belial’s “council is to condemn and convict,” so the Qumran feel strongly that their people are not only aware of his purpose, but also equipped to combat his influence (1Q33;13:11).

In the Damascus Document, Belial also makes a prominent appearance, being established as a source of evil and an origin of several types of sin. In Column 4, the first mention of Belial reads: “Belial shall be unleashed against Israel” (4Q266). This phrase is able to be interpreted myriad different ways. Belial is characterized in a wild and uncontrollable fashion, making him seem more dangerous and unpredictable. The notion of being unleashed is such that once he is free to roam; he is unstoppable and able to carry out his agenda uninhibited. The passage then goes to enumerate the “three nets” (4Q266;4:16) by which Belial captures his prey and forces them to sin. “Fornication…, riches…, [and] the profanation of the temple” (4Q266;4:17,18) make up the three nets. These three temptations were three agents by which people were driven to sin, so subsequently, the Qumran people crafted the nets of Belial to rationalize why these specific temptations were so toxic. Later in Column 5, Belial is mentioned again as one of “the removers of bound who led Israel astray” (4Q266;5:20). This statement is a clear display of Belial’s influence over man regarding sin. The passage goes on to state: “they preached rebellion against…God” (4Q266;5:21,22). Belial’s purpose is to undermine the teachings of God, and he achieves this by imparting his nets on humans, or the incentive to sin.[46]

Kabbalah

Some benevolent shedim were used in kabbalistic ceremonies (as with the golem of Rabbi Yehuda Loevy) and malevolent shedim (mazikin, from the root meaning "to damage") were often credited with possession. Similarly, a shed might inhabit an otherwise inanimate statue.


Christian Demonology

In monotheistic religions, the deities of other religions are sometimes interpreted or created as demons.[47] The evolution of the Christian Devil and pentagram are examples of early rituals and images that showcase evil qualities, as seen by the Christian churches.

Since Early Christianity, demonology has developed from a simple acceptance of demons to a complex study that has grown from the original ideas taken from Jewish demonology and Christian scriptures. Christian demonology is studied in depth within the Roman Catholic Church,[48] although many other Christian churches affirm and discuss the existence of demons.[49][50]

Building upon the few references to daemons in the New Testament, especially the poetry of the Book of Revelation, Christian writers of apocrypha from the 2nd century onwards created a more complicated tapestry of beliefs about "demons" that was largely independent of Christian scripture.

The contemporary Roman Catholic Church unequivocally teaches that angels and demons are real beings rather than just symbolic devices. The Catholic Church has a cadre of officially sanctioned exorcists which perform many exorcisms each year. The exorcists of the Catholic Church teach that demons attack humans continually but that afflicted persons can be effectively healed and protected either by the formal rite of exorcism, authorized to be performed only by bishops and those they designate, or by prayers of deliverance, which any Christian can offer for themselves or others.[51]

At various times in Christian history, attempts have been made to classify demons according to various proposed demonic hierarchies.

In the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of Mark, Jesus cast out many demons from those afflicted with various ailments. He also lent this power to some of his disciples (Luke 10:17).

Apuleius, by Augustine of Hippo, is ambiguous as to whether daemons had become 'demonized' by the early 5th century:

He [Apulieus] also states that the blessed are called in Greek eudaimones, because they are good souls, that is to say, good demons, confirming his opinion that the souls of men are demons.[52]


Ceremonial Magic

While some people fear demons, or attempt to exorcise them, others willfully attempt to summon them for knowledge, assistance, or power. The ceremonial magician usually consults a grimoire, which gives the names and abilities of demons as well as detailed instructions for conjuring and controlling them. Grimoires aren't limited to demons - some give the names of angels or spirits which can be called, a process called theurgy. The use of ceremonial magic to call demons is also known as goetia, the name taken from a section within the famous grimoire "The Lesser Key of Solomon".[53]


Wicca

According to Rosemary Ellen Guiley, "Demons are not courted or worshipped in contemporary Wicca and Paganism. The existence of negative energies is acknowledged."[54]


Islam

Islam recognizes the existence of jinn, which are sentient beings with free will that can co-exist with humans (though not the genies of modern lore). In Islam, evil jinn are referred to as the shayātīn or demons/devils, with Iblis (Satan) as their chief. Iblis was one of the first jinn; he disobeyed Allah and did not bow down before Adam refusing to acknowledge a creature made of "clay". Thus, Iblis was condemned to jahannam (hell). He asked for respite until the Last Day (Judgement Day), when he vowed to make mankind fall and deny the existence of their creator, to which Allah replied that Iblis would only be able to mislead those who were not righteous believers, warning that Iblis and all who followed him in evil would be punished in Hell.


Hinduism

Hinduism includes numerous varieties of spirits that might be classified as demons, including Vetalas, Bhutas and Pishachas. Rakshasas and Asuras are often also taken as demons.

Asuras

Originally, Asura, in the earliest hymns of the Rig Veda, meant any supernatural spirit, either good or bad. Since the /s/ of the Indic linguistic branch is cognate with the /h/ of the Early Iranian languages, the word Asura, representing a category of celestial beings, became the word Ahura (Mazda), the Supreme God of the monotheistic Zoroastrians. Ancient Hinduism tells that Devas (also called suras) and Asuras are half-brothers, sons of the same father Kasyapa; although some of the Devas, such as Varuna, are also called Asuras. Later, during Puranic age, Asura and Rakshasa came to exclusively mean any of a race of anthropomorphic, powerful, possibly evil beings. Daitya (lit. sons of the mother "Diti"), Rakshasa (lit. from "harm to be guarded against"), and Asura are incorrectly translated into English as "demon".

In Hindu mythology, pious, highly enlightened Asuras, such as Prahlada and Vibheeshana, are not uncommon. The Asura are not fundamentally against the gods, nor do they tempt humans to fall. This is markedly different from the traditional Western notions of demons as a rival army of God but comparable with the concept of the jinns in Islam. Many people metaphorically interpret the Asura as manifestations of the ignoble passions in the human mind and as a symbolic devices. There were also cases of power-hungry Asuras challenging various aspects of the Gods, but only to be defeated eventually and seek forgiveness.

Evil Spirits

Hinduism advocates the reincarnation and transmigration of souls according to one's karma. Souls (Atman) of the dead are adjudged by the Yama and are accorded various purging punishments before being reborn. Humans that have committed extraordinary wrongs are condemned to roam as lonely, often evil, spirits for a length of time before being reborn. Many kinds of such spirits (Vetalas, Pishachas, Bhūta) are recognized in the later Hindu texts. These beings, in a limited sense, can be called demons.


Bahá'í Faith

In the Bahá'í Faith, demons are not regarded as independent evil spirits as they are in some faiths. Rather, evil spirits described in various faiths' traditions, such as Satan, fallen angels, demons and jinns, are metaphors for the base character traits a human being may acquire and manifest when he turns away from God and follows his lower nature. Belief in the existence of ghosts and earthbound spirits is rejected and considered to be the product of superstition.[55]


See Also


References

  1. ↑ Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott. "δαιμόνιον". Greek-English Lexicon. Perseus. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Ddaimo%2Fnion. 
  2. ↑ See, for example, the course and bibliography for ""Magic, Science, Religion: The Development of the Western Esoteric Traditions", at Central European University, Budapest
  3. ↑ "Demon". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Encyclopædia Britannica. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demon. Retrieved 12 April 2012. 
  4. ↑ Robin Lane Fox, Pagans and Christians 1989, p.137.
  5. ↑ See the Medieval grimoire called the Ars Goetia.
  6. ↑ Boyce, 1987; Black and Rowley, 1987; Duchesne-Guillemin, 1988.
  7. ↑ Freud (1950, 65), quoting Wundt (1906, 129).
  8. ↑ Freud, S. (1950). Totem and Taboo. London:Routledge
  9. ↑ Peck, M.S. (1983). People of the Lie: The Hope For Healing Human Evil
  10. ↑ Peck, M.S. (2005). Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist's Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption.
  11. ↑ The exorcist, an interview with M. Scott Peck by Rebecca Traister published in Salon
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 The devil you know, National Catholic Reporter, April 29, 2005, a commentary on Glimpses of the Devil by Richard Woods
  13. ↑ The Patient Is the Exorcist, an interview with M. Scott Peck by Laura Sheahen
  14. ↑ Dominican Newsroom
  15. ↑ "RichardWoodsOP.net". RichardWoodsOP.net. http://richardwoodsop.net/site/Bio.php. Retrieved 2014-03-12. 
  16. ↑ Haarman, Susan (2005-10-25). "BustedHalo.com". BustedHalo.com. http://bustedhalo.com/features/the-devil-and-the-details/2. Retrieved 2014-03-12. 
  17. ↑ (1906) Jewish Encyclopedia.
  18. ↑ See Delitzsch, Assyrisches Handwörterbuch. pp. 60, 253, 261, 646; Jensen, Assyr.-Babyl. Mythen und Epen, 1900, p. 453; Archibald Sayce, l.c. pp. 441, 450, 463; Lenormant, l.c. pp. 48–51.
  19. ↑ compare Isaiah 38:11 with Job 14:13; Psalms 16:10, Psalms 49:16, and Psalms 139:8
  20. ↑ (1998) Ascending Jacob's Ladder: Jewish Views of Angels, Demons, and Evil Spirits. Jason Aronson. Retrieved on 10 September 2014.
  21. ↑ Bellum Judaeorum vii. 6, § 3
  22. ↑ "Antiquities" viii. 2, § 5
  23. ↑ "Hebrew Concordance: ū·śə·‘î·rîm - 1 Occurrence". Biblesuite.com. http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/useirim_8163.htm. Retrieved 2014-03-12. 
  24. ↑ "The Jewish Encyclopedia". The Jewish Encyclopedia. http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5085-demonology. Retrieved 2014-03-12. 
  25. ↑ Targ. to Eccl. i. 13; Pes. 110a; Yer. Shek. 49b
  26. ↑ Pes. 112b; compare B. Ḳ. 21a
  27. ↑ (Targ. Yer. to Deuteronomy xxxii. 24 and Numbers vi. 24; Targ. to Cant. iii. 8, iv. 6; Eccl. ii. 5; Ps. xci. 5, 6.)
  28. ↑ "Jewish Encyclopedia Demonology". http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=245&letter=D. Retrieved 2007-05-03. 
  29. ↑ Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. It is considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches
  30. ↑ Moshe Berstein, Angels at the Aqedah: A Study in the Development of a Midrashic Motif, (Dead Sea Discoveries, 7, 2000), 267.
  31. ↑ García, Martínez Florentino. The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994. Print.
  32. ↑ Florentino Martinez Garcia, Magic in the Dead Sea Scrolls: The Metamorphosis of Magic: From Late Antiquity to the Early Modern Period, compilers Jan Bremmer and Jan R. Veenstra (Leuven: Peeters, 2003), 13–23.
  33. ↑ Loren Stuckenbruck, The Book of Tobit and the Problem of ‘Magic’ (Jüdische Schriften in ihrem Antik-jüdischen und Urchristlichen Kontext. 2002), 258–269.
  34. ↑ Loren Stuckenbruck, The Book of Tobit and the Problem of ‘Magic’ (Jdische Schriften In Ihrem Antik-jdischen Und Urchristlichen Kontext. 2002), 258–269.
  35. ↑ “Demon” in Britannica Concise Encyclopedia,
  36. ↑ Dead Sea Scrolls 1QS III 20–25
  37. ↑ Dale Basil Martin, “When did Angels Become Demons?” Journal of Biblical Literature (2010): 657–677.
  38. ↑ Jubilees 10:7–9
  39. ↑ SN Chiu, “Historical, Religious, and Medical Perspective of Possession Phonomenon” in Hong Kong Journal of Psychiatry, (East Asian Archives of Psychiatry, 2000).
  40. ↑ Hanneken Henoch,, T. R. (2006). ANGELS AND DEMONS IN THE BOOK OF JUBILEES AND CONTEMPORARY APOCALYPSES, 11–25.
  41. ↑ VanderKam, James C. (1999). THE ANGEL STORY IN THE BOOK OF JUBILEES IN: Pseudepigraphic Perspectives : The Apocrypha And Pseudepigrapha In Light Of The Dead Sea Scrolls, 151–170.
  42. ↑ Vermes, Geza (2011). The complete Dead Sea scrolls in English. London: Penguin.
  43. ↑ Author=Frey, J. Title=DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF DUALISTIC THOUGHT IN THE QUMRAN LIBRARY IN: Legal Texts And Legal Issues, Year=1984, p. 287
  44. ↑ Author=Nickelsburg, George. Title="Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishna." N.d. Digital file.
  45. ↑ Author=Frey, J. Title=DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF DUALISTIC THOUGHT IN THE QUMRAN LIBRARY IN: Legal Texts And Legal Issues, Year=1984, p. 278
  46. ↑ Author=Nickelsburg, George. Title="Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishna." N.d. Digital file, p. 147.
  47. ↑ van der Toorn, Becking, van der Horst (1999), Dictionary of Deities and Demons in The Bible, Second Extensively Revised Edition, Entry: Demon, pp. 235-240, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, ISBN 0-8028-2491-9
  48. ↑ Exorcism, Sancta Missa - Rituale Romanum, 1962, at sanctamissa.org, Copyright © 2007. Canons Regular of St. John Cantius
  49. ↑ Hansen, Chadwick (1970), Witchcraft at Salem, p. 132, Signet Classics, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 69-15825
  50. ↑ Modica, Terry Ann (1996), Overcoming The Power of The Occult, p. 31, Faith Publishing Company, ISBN 1-880033-24-0
  51. ↑ "Angels and Demons – Facts not Fiction". fathercorapi.com. Archived from the original on 2004-04-05. http://web.archive.org/web/20040405135007/http://www.fathercorapi.com/articledet.asp?articleID=1928275639. 
  52. ↑ Augustine of Hippo. "Of the Opinion of the Platonists, that the Souls of Men Become Demons When Disembodied". City of God, ch. 11. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf102.iv.IX.11.html. 
  53. ↑ A.E. Waite, The Book of Black Magic, (Weiser Books, 2004).
  54. ↑ The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca – page 95, Rosemary Guiley – 2008
  55. ↑ Smith, Peter (2008). An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith. Cambridge University Press.


Citations

  • Freud, Sigmund (1950). Totem and Taboo:Some Points of Agreement between the Mental Lives of Savages and Neurotics, trans. Strachey, New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
  • Wundt, W. (1906). Mythus und Religion, Teil II (Völkerpsychologie, Band II). Leipzig.
  • Castaneda, Carlos (1998). The Active Side of Infinity. HarperCollins NY ISBN 978-0-06-019220-4


Further Reading

  • Oppenheimer, Paul (1996). Evil and the Demonic: A New Theory of Monstrous Behavior. New York: New York University Press.
Catholic
  • Baglio, Matt (2009). The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist. Doubleday Religion.
  • Amorth, Fr. Gabriele (1999). An Exorcist Tells His Story. Ignatius Press.

External Links

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