When Ghosts Speak - Mary Ann Winkowski [81]
I explained to the couple that the pentagrams on the wall might have been intended to serve as portals. Portals are energy openings between the mortal and spirit worlds that allow spirits to come and go at will. They are usually created in rituals involving specific symbols drawn on walls or floors. Those dabbling in black magic or black witchcraft often use the symbolism without fully comprehending the powers they are invoking. I have seen cases where, even in houses I have cleared of spirits and protected with quince seeds, a kid fooling around with dark witchcraft or black magic has blown open a portal and allowed spirits to return to the house. It is important to remember that, if spirits can come and go through portals, dark forces can use them as openings into your life as well.
I cleared the couple’s home of the negative energy (using the techniques I explain in chapter 13) and put up quince seeds to offer protection. The husband dropped off the mirror and Ouija board at a church at the end of their street. Last I heard, the wife’s pregnancy had stabilized, and the couple were enjoying their new home.
Possessions
When people invite dark spirits to enter their bodies, they become possessed—or controlled—by this evil force. Such possessions differ from other, more harmless types such as those that occur through “walk-ins.” During a walk-in, a spirit takes advantage of an unconscious or near-dead person to inhabit or walk into the body. Walk-in ghosts are commonly found in the bodies of people who are diagnosed as having come back to life after being declared dead. For instance, imagine that a man has gone to a public park to commit suicide. He overdoses on pills and is near death when passersby spot him, unconscious, and call for help. On arrival, paramedics cannot find a pulse, but they work to resuscitate him anyway. In the meantime, a passing spirit takes advantage of the situation to enter the empty shell of a body and take up residence. The paramedics are suddenly shocked to discover a weak pulse. The man is “saved” from death. But in fact, what has survived is very different from the man who died, although in ways that are distinctly mundane. Perhaps the man who attempted to take his life had always hated classical music. After his revival, those who know him are shocked to find that he now adores Mozart. Or a person who formerly loved dogs will suddenly acquire two cats. Perhaps someone who hated spicy foods will crave Mexican dishes. These new traits are definitely changes, and can be very disturbing to friends and relatives who wonder what has happened to their loved one. Still, for the most part they’re harmless.
Possessions by dark entities are nowhere near as innocent. People who have allowed an evil spirit to take up residence in their bodies often hear voices. They may behave bizarrely but have no recollection of their actions. Those suffering from possession share many characteristics with people who are mentally ill, and they may be hospitalized for treatment of a mental disorder. There is no way for a layperson to distinguish between the force of these dark energies and the very real problems of mental or chemical imbalances. Many churches and religions, however, recognize the threat of spirit possessions, and most have specialized members to deal with them who can offer guidance to those worried they may have encountered dark spirits.
In my years of helping earthbound spirits cross over, I have met all kinds of ghosts, but only a very few people who were possessed by a truly evil entity. In a handful of cases, I have worked with people to remove dark energy using some of the techniques my grandmother taught me for removing curses. This kind of work, however, is much more dangerous