The Spirits Around Us, by Michael H. Brown, a brand new book on the supernatural realities around us -- around every person. Read of current encounters on deathbeds, in hospitals, in everyday life, in 'haunted' settings that finally get a Catholic explanation (as even St. Augustine spoke of their effect, and saints like Padre Pio saw them). Demons, angels, spirits of the deceased, purgatorial souls, often affecting us in unseen, unsuspected ways and dispelled through deep prayer in the Name of Jesus when we know how to do so and approach them with Catholic faith, prayer, and love! CLICK HERE


 
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'EXPERTS' GO BACK AND FORTH ON SUBJECT OF WHETHER EVIL SPIRITS CAN READ OUR THOUGHTS

Can spirits -- demons -- read our minds? Most say no. We wonder. Those who have encountered demons during deliverance and other situations have seen where those kinds of entities certainly seem to react to silent commands and prayers, or simple thought patterns -- in a way that goes beyond reading body or facial language. It is said that in the afterlife, in the world of spirits, communication is not verbal but mind to mind (or spirit to spirit) -- and if it's the case among spirits in the hereafter, why not also in the here? In the realm of psychic phenomena (and occultism) is the phenomenon of telepathy (mind-to-mind thought transfer). Moreover, there are peculiar times when evil or negative thoughts enter our own thoughts -- in a way that again seems to transcend physical cues.

Whatever the case, a related and equally intriguing question is what angels know about us, and here, a Polish magazine now published in North America, "The Angels: Messengers from a Loving God,"  offers this in a recent article:

"Angelic intellect and cognition are more perfect and more thorough than ours; nevertheless, their abilities are limited. The demons' ability to know us is also limited by God. But, according to exorcists, if one conducts a pact with the devil, the latter will know all aspects of the spiritual life of a person and influence their way of thinking. We should ask the Lord for protection of our thoughts and intentions from demons so that they cannot sabotage our purposes. Degradation of demonic minds concerns the supernatural area of knowledge. Their speculative knowledge has been decreased and their affective knowledge connected with Divine Love has disappeared completely."

Further states this magazine: "Both good and fallen angels do not know the future that is dependent on our free will. Besides, we too, do not know what we are going to do next because sometimes we change our minds. Only God knows us on the whole. Angels may predict our decisions on the basis of our susceptibilities, psychic condition, and on how we behaved in similar situations in the past. Demons know about past and current events in our lives; they also know our psychical and physical nature which allows them to tempt us and do us a disservice. However, they do not know people's spiritual experiences and God's Grace revealed in souls. After their rebellion, a demon's intellect only serves the evil one."

That seems certain. As for the rest: a person's speculation is just that, at least in this arcane realm: guesswork. In the afterlife -- the spirit world -- no thoughts are secret. What about the fact that angels respond to our prayers -- including silent ones? If they can't hear our thoughts, how can that be? What about demonic thoughts inserted at just the right moment? If thoughts can be sinful, is it not the evil one who is near every sin? And what about fear: is that not often unspoken and yet something that evil spirits respond to?

There is no real foundation for either argument in the Bible (with the possible exception of Daniel 2:27-28). "Since God has infinite power, authority and capability, he could have created Satan, Michael, cherubs, and other heavenly hosts to have any abilities he wanted them to have," argues one  Christian. "It doesn’t seem we are told much about this. Seems like he could have created Satan to have the ability to read our minds and hearts if he had so desired. Since the ability to prevent Satan from knowing our thoughts is such a strategic advantage for a Christian, seems like it would have been specifically identified for us, it would rank way up there in the “armor of God” or would have been taught by Jesus."

Of course, demons are in an excellent position to deduce what’s on our minds since they can see us from the outside, he adds. "They know exactly what we’re reading, watching on TV, they overhear our conversations, see our physical responses, hear even our 'private' words, and are no doubt skilled at reading our expressions. They see us when other people can’t, any time they wish. Now as far as putting thoughts in our mind or exercising powers of persuasion, I don’t know how that works—perhaps there is a form of telepathy whereby they send a message, plant an idea, without being able to read exactly what we’re thinking. I agree there’s demonic activity involved in distracting us during prayer, but I think they don’t have to be able to read our minds to do this."

What we do know is that fear empowers evil spirits, including unspoken fear.

Replace it with faith.

"Demons are like cockroaches," writes Ron Phillips in an excellent book, Everyone's Guide to Demons and Spiritual Warfare. "They tend to increase in number if not evicted by the power of God."

That power grows when we watch our thoughts as well as our deeds.

[resources: An Exorcist: More Stories, The Rite, Everyone's Guide to Demons and Spiritual Warfare, The Spirits Around Us and Retreat in Cleveland, Michael Brown, November 6]

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