Recently it was noted that Ed Warren saw the progression of the demonic in this fashion:
Encroachment
Infestation
Oppression
Possession
Death
I like his outline.
In my last two blogs we have analyzed the idea of demonic collusion, in which there is superior planning and cooperation amongst demons to achieve their diabolical purposes. We looked at the series ‘The Ghosts of Shepherdstown’ and ‘The Dead Files’ as two examples on TV which it is evident that demons use collusion to maximize their deception.
It is impossible to understand Satan’s schemes apart from this notion of collusion, whether you use the word or not is not important—that demons intentionally work together to accomplish a deception is what is important. Demonic collusion has so much explanatory power when it comes to understanding how Satan and his minions accomplish their goals.
Is the demonic realm chaotic or orderly? That demons delight in causing chaos amongst humans is indisputable. That chaos is often experienced by humans, especially when a nation is falling apart, is indisputable. However, one must ask: how could demons accomplish ANY task, including causing chaos, if their ranks were chaotic? It is manifestly obvious that they couldn’t.
The terms used in the New Testament for the demonic realm (rulers, authorities, principalities, powers) suggest a military order and rank…submitting to authority. Those who read this who were in the military know the mindset: obey your superiors! One of my best friends in high school, was later a Navy S.E.A.L. We were so close, after his death, his mom gave me one of his S.E.A.L insignias, which I have next to me….which I cherish.
Special ops are a good example of superior human organization in achieving a virtuous end in battle.
However, the notion of demonic collusion itself demands that there be order and not chaos in the demonic realm. The obvious question or objection is: how can beings that are pure evil cooperate with each other? I think that is a fair question.
Think of Stalin or Hitler and their ruling generals. They were evil (possibly possessed) and there was personal dislike of each other. However, through fear, these men kept order in their entire armies. It is said of Stalin that he had police following his soldiers and would shoot any soldiers who ran from war. Similarly, I assume that Satan rules through fear and has his own infernal way of motivating his underlings, and running a very tight ship. Order, not chaos, is what characterizes Satan’s army and allows them to plan and execute the most sophisticated collusions. Which includes variety…
“HAPPY HAUNTS”. If you look at the chart above it is a very accurate representation of how the demonic often progress in attack. It is a logical progression, getting worse and more overtly hostile with each stage. Oppression is the systematic attempt to break people/family down physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.
However a recent discussion with a dear friend has opened my eyes further to something I already had suspected—widespread ‘happy haunts’ which do NOT follow the progression above. I know that millions of Americans (and many more worldwide) have overt demonic activity in their homes but do not report them or attempt to get help. While many folks do not report their activity out of fear of rejection, etc., that is not what I’m talking about here. Let me relay a scenario based on years of observation.
Elaine (not real name) told me that she and her large family lived in an old house and experienced a wide range of paranormal activity every day…chief of which was that every night the entire family watched as a little girl apparition walked down the stairs (this really happened) and out the door. Objects were moved, door-handles jiggled, footsteps, a touch on the shoulder from Uncle Joe in the middle of the night, ETC. This went on for decades.
However, the parents never sought assistance. Why? Because it seemed apparent to them that the paranormal activity was harmless. Both parents and all the children became accustomed to this ‘happy haunt’. Nobody was attacked. It became normal to them. While some of the frightful aspects seemed to have been played down over time—the touching on the child’s shoulder did elicit fear, and they called out to God—but there is a tendency for selective memory.
The point I’m trying to make is that demonic collusion would seem to support the notion of ‘happy haunts’. Of course demons delight in squashing people in every way imaginable, BUT the main objective is eternal damnation. Demons know that hostile haunts often lead to their ejection, so why not engage in happy haunts? They may not break people down in traditional ways, but if they show a united front of mimicking happy deceased spirits, then they can hit people where it hurts eternally.
Suppose the demons present a happy haunt for the kid’s entire stay at home. They then get attached to them and follow them wherever they move to. Yes, the activity resumes but it is not ‘hostile’ in their perception. Over a period of decades, they lay back and act like spiritual radioactivity…influencing them in a long walk in the wrong direction. All the while, they are making Jesus look smaller and smaller and pagan ideas loom larger and larger.
It grieves me deeply that many folks are being drawn to hell by a happy oppression…one in which the demons work together to make the paranormal seem fun, but it is in fact doing what radioactivity does…deep spiritual cellular/organ damage. Whether these happy haunts lead to physical harm is immaterial because the concerted demonic effort is to present over decades a happy road to hell.
Not all demonic infestations turn into hostile oppression. Make no mistake, it IS oppression but the recipients are fooled by the lifelong seeming innocuous nature of their normal paranormal life. It must take careful planning and execution to present a life-long experience of the demonic as something that looks and feels peaceful, kind, and even God-like. Apart from God’s grace, imagine how hard it is to convince these dear folks that Uncle Joe is a demon, after decades of kind encounters. The “angel of light’ principle is what we’re talking about. It reminds me of my friend Laura Maxwell whose dead sister allegedly visited her every night for years, and even combed her hair. It was lovely until Laura began to ask the spirits in Jesus’ name to reveal their true identity. Then it got very, very ugly.
This is deeply personal to me. My closest friend has experienced Happy Haunts for over 50 years. She is a Christian, but I’m struggling to know how much to say and when, because she is deeply deceived. God help us to be discerning of folks who do NOT fit the traditional oppression mold.
Read about demonic collusion and how it's affecting The Ghosts of Shepherdstown paranormal TV show here: http://eyeontheparanormal.blogspot.com/2016/07/ghosts-of-shepherdstown-new-paranormal.html
Part 2: What is Demonic Collusion? 'The Dead Files'
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
