I've written about this before, but I thought I'd do so in more detail this time around.
I used to play around with ouija boards before my formal religious conversion, tarot cards, etc. I was watching a couple paranormal videos online while I ponder various eternal principles in this life and while I really don't wish to give them (the paranormal - not of the good type) an audience - as I don't wish to provide them means to spread their fodder for people to go chase after them - I thought I'd explain a bit of the paranormal from my religious background.
Before getting started, a "poltergeist" is a German word from "poltern" and "geist" or "to make noise + ghost" or meaning "noisy ghost" - i.e. a ghost that makes noise by doing annoying things such as throwing your stuff around and breaking it while you're not home. Contrast that with a "quietgeist" - or a quiet ghost that is so quiet you don't even know its there and it doesn't break stuff and make messes like my kids do.....probably the majority of them fit that description.
Anyways....First, there are unseen spirits in this world. We read of the fall of Lucifer from heaven who was cast out for rebellion and he and his followers (1/3 of the host of heaven) were cast down into this world to tempt, test and try mankind as we learn for ourselves the difference between good and evil through first hand experiences.
There was a purpose in ALLOWING them here. And we agreed to come to be tested. And God provided a means for us to come back to Him despite.
On a side note - its interesting that we see from the scriptures that the war in heaven may have well taken place after the completion of this world but before man was placed on it as they were cast down into the earth for their rebellion. If they were cast down immediately, it would have had to happen after the world was created. Epic timing on the part of the adversary - wait until the work is finished and then try to hijack it and claim it as his own.
Anyways - back to poltergeists and such.
There is a purpose for those fallen angels being in this world. However, they aren't the only ones. Good ones are here as well.
However, what differentiates us from the fallen angels, evil spirits is that:
A) We have bodies of flesh and blood and bone - which they do not have nor will they have.
In the new testament at one point when the Savior cast out an evil spirit who claimed its name was "Legion, for we are many" they begged the Lord that they might be cast into a herd of swine - the most unclean animal of the testaments - their one chance at experiencing that physical union of spirit and flesh.
Interesting their first act was to go running off a cliff and drown in the sea.
This in mind, the manipulation of physical matter or experiencing of mortality through the bodies of others is of interest to them if they can't get us to do it for them.
Even God Himself has a body of flesh and bone (For the Protestants this would be Jesus Christ who is supposed to be God Himself, who did take upon him flesh and was born, and was resurrected and ascended into heaven never to die again - voila - God has a body and I'll leave it at that) and having our bodies makes us like Him - something they will never have - hence their coveting our physical state complete with its apparent limitations in mortality - but if you think about it - massively increased possibilities that a spirit can not have (creating life - having children - having families - manipulating the things of this world which were created by God).
B) They have a memory of the life before this, of who we were before this life - but ours has been removed at birth for the duration of this life so we can experience, learn and choose for ourselves - to be restored after this life is over. Scripturally, we read in Job that he was ordained a prophet - foreordained - a prophet before he was even formed in the womb - hinting at a life and an existence and an intelligence complete with Godly ordinances before this life.
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Interestingly, he refused to receive any acknowledgement from them. The scriptures also tell us that even the devils believe in God....and tremble. This in mind, beware of an unclean spirit that appears to be telling the truth such as telling us that it is "Heath Ledger" and gets all the names and dates right - the devil and his minions will tell a thousand truths just to slip in one lie. That and I'm sure Heath Ledger is so in tune from the other side out of the BILLIONS of people in the world who are alive, the instant a single ouija board ANYWHERE pops up asking about Heath Ledger he's obligated to come running to answer the questions.....mmm hmmmm.
The manipulation of matter and such are really sideshow tricks and stunts - praying on the ignorance of foolish humans silly enough to go chasing after them.
However, God Himself also manipulates matter - through miracles - though He does it in such a way as to not frighten us and only to help us grow.
The silly part is - I can manipulate matter as well - throw a ball - break dishes if I wish to - throw my toast on the floor - you name it! I can jam radio frequencies, scare dogs, mess up attics, throw food, bang on doors......soooo......whoop de do?
Ouija boards, Tarot cards - you name it - are tools of the adversary. God does not communicate through such things. They are tools to get the children of our Heavenly Father to waste their time and spend their physical abilities - to distract us and deceive us - to test us.
The time will come when they no longer have power over us in this world, and even the soothsayers - i.e. fortune tellers and the likes - will no longer receive messages from them anymore.
In the meantime - if I can scare you even more though - Satan doesn't need an ouija board to communicate. He can do it through unkindness in us, greed, jealousy, covetousness, hatred - any ungodly principle - to bring himself into this world and manifest himself in us.
An ouija board in this sense is really just a circus act - perhaps more entertaining for them than us - them who remember who we were before this life, and who we were when we fought in that war in Heaven against them in which they lost and were cast down. Meanwhile we progressed on to receive a mortal body and all the blessings that brings while they have been enabled to tempt us from progressing, but cursed to watch us receive those blessings right before their eyes with them powerless to receive them for theirselves, and able only to attempt to thwart them. If you wish to read about and consider the Adversary and his modus operandi - you might enjoy "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis.
I have experienced many things unpleasant and otherworldly at the hands of the adversary and his hosts. But I have also seen and experienced miraculous, helpful, holy, healing, righteous and amazing things from God which no poltergeist can ever give.
But poltergeists? Annoying. Distracting. Disturbing at times. Perhaps entertaining, but in this case, given that "the spirit witnesses that we are the offspring of God" - perhaps our response to them should be the same as Christs's - to ignore them and not give them any more of our time nor go seeking after them. However, just as it was in the Garden of Eden, it is given to us to choose.
