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of the entity in order to make the effects of its possession less. So frequently within the family and village, systems of worship of the demon were set up in a vain attempt to appease the spirit and release the affected member from his torment. Of course the spirits are liars so the desperation of the family increased. In every case the health of the possessed individual declined, sometimes unto death.

The author made the observation that these encounters almost always happened in rural areas of less developed countries and were not matched in urban areas. This was also the case in Jesus' time though the reason as to why would be speculation.

One possibility is in our modern, sophisticated, urban centers we don't require forced possession. We gleefully invite inhabitation of demons through mediums and channelers. To channel a spirit guide, ascended master, guardian angel (or whatever prettied up word used to describe it) a person must go into a trance or hypnotic-like state giving over control of their mind to another entity. These episodes do not tend to be violent unless the channeler at some point decides to no longer practice the procedure. Then typical demon possession behavior as described earlier will surface (see The Beautiful Side of Evil by Johanna Michaelson).

Reports of demon encounters have occurred throughout history up to our present time. Hollywood-style drama aside, the descriptions of these events remain basically consistent across time and cultures lending credence to a legitimate phenomenon. Though science will never be able to measure such encounters since they are, by definition, not a part of our material world, human experience will attest to the existence of such creatures.

Learn more about this author, Abagael MacAskill.
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