Spirit possession is an unusual or altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors purportedly caused by the control of a human body by spirits, ghosts, demons, or gods. The concept of spirit possession exists in many cultures and religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Haitian Vodou, Hinduism, Islam, Wicca, and Southeast Asian, African, and Native American traditions. Depending on the cultural context in which it is found, possession may be considered voluntary or involuntary and may be considered to have beneficial or detrimental effects on the host.
The Gunslinger is a dark-fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It is the first volume in the Dark Tower series.
Christian demonology is the study of demons from a Christian point of view. It is primarily based on the Bible, the interpretation of these scriptures, the writings of early Christianity philosophers, hermits and the associated traditions and legends incorporated from other beliefs.
To Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Jews there were male and female demons. In Christian demonology and theology there is debate over the gender and sexual proclivities of demons. These questions are referenced in Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese phrases that imply that the question is pointless and unanswerable, akin to the English phrase How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?.
An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in the birth of witches, demons, and deformed human offspring. Legendary magician Merlin was said to have been fathered by an incubus. Parallels exist in many cultures. Walter Stephens alleges in "Demon Lovers", some traditions hold that repeated sexual activity with an incubus or succubus may result in the deterioration of health, an impaired mental state, or even death.
Exorcism is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be done by causing the entity to swear an oath, performing an elaborate ritual, or simply by commanding it to depart in the name of a higher power. The practice is ancient and part of the belief system of many cultures and religions.
The Loudun possessions, known in French as the Possessed of Loudun Affair, was a notorious witchcraft trial that took place in Loudun, Kingdom of France, in 1634. A convent of Ursuline nuns said they had been visited and possessed by demons. Following an investigation by the Catholic Church, a local priest named Urbain Grandier was accused of summoning the evil spirits. He was eventually convicted of the crimes of sorcery and burned at the stake.
Satana Hellstrom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas and John Romita Sr., she first appeared in Vampire Tales #2. Satana belongs to the subspecies of magical beings called demons, who are born with supernatural abilities, as a human-succubus hybrid. She is the sister of Daimon Hellstrom and the daughter of Marduk Kurios.
Azazel is a villain on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural. He serves as the main antagonist during the first two seasons. A demon, he feeds his blood to infants so that they will grow up to develop demonic abilities. His goal of using one such child to release Lucifer is not revealed until much later in the series. Azazel is referred to by nicknames such as "The Yellow-Eyed Demon," or "Yellow Eyes" throughout the first two seasons, his true name not being revealed until the third season. Due to the character's demonic nature of taking different hosts, Azazel has been played by numerous actors but Fredric Lehne is the main default portrayer. All the incarnations have maintained his sadistic sense of humor and irony. Azazel's popularity and importance towards the franchise even led him to be the main antagonist and the analogue to Lucifer in the anime adaptation, as the "Yellow-Eyed Demon," in reference to the nickname he had in the original first two seasons.
"Devil's Trap" is the twenty-second episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural's first season. It is the season finale, and was first broadcast on The WB on May 4, 2006. The narrative follows series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester as they search for their missing father, who has been kidnapped by demons.
The Devil's Nightmare is a 1971 supernatural horror film directed by Jean Brismée and starring Erika Blanc, Jean Servais, Daniel Emilfork, and Lucien Raimbourg. Its plot follows a group of tourists who spend the night in a historic castle owned by a family plagued by curses and Satanism.
Apparitions is a BBC drama about Father Jacob Myers, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, played by Martin Shaw, who examines evidence of miracles to be used in canonisation but also performs exorcisms.
Shake, Rattle & Roll XI is a 2009 Filipino supernatural horror anthology film produced by Regal Entertainment, and the eleventh installment of the Shake, Rattle & Roll film series. It is also directed by Jessel Monteverde, Rico Gutierrez and Don Michael Perez.
In Christianity, exorcism involves the practice of casting out one or more demons from a person whom they are believed to have possessed. The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is often a member of the Christian Church, or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use prayers and religious material, such as set formulas, gestures, symbols, icons, or amulets. The exorcist often invokes God, Jesus, angels and archangels, and various saints to aid with the exorcism. Christian exorcists most commonly cast out demons in Jesus' name.
The Antichrist, also released as The Tempter, is a 1974 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Alberto De Martino and starring Carla Gravina, Mel Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy, Umberto Orsini, Alida Valli, Remo Girone, Anita Strindberg, and George Coulouris. The musical score was composed by Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai. It is widely regarded as a cash-in on The Exorcist, a similarly-themed and widely-successful American film released the previous year. It is considered a cult film.
"All Hell Breaks Loose" is the joint title for the two-part second-season finale of The CW television series Supernatural. It consists of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes of the second season. "Part One" was first broadcast on May 10, 2007, and the second part aired the following week on May 17, 2007. The narrative follows series protagonist Sam Winchester —a young man who travels the continental United States with his brother Dean hunting supernatural creatures—as he is abducted by series villain Azazel and sent to an abandoned town. Azazel intends to find a leader for his demon army by having Sam and other psychic children like him fight to the death. Sam is eventually killed, but is resurrected after Dean sells his soul. The sole survivor, Jake Talley, is sent by Azazel to a cemetery protected against demons, where he opens a gateway to Hell. At the end of the episode, Azazel is finally killed by Dean with the mystical Colt revolver, but not before hundreds of demons are released into the world.
Witchcraft XI: Sisters in Blood is a 2000 American horror film directed by Ron Ford and starring Miranda O'dell, Lauren Ian Richards, and James Servais. The eleventh film in the Witchcraft series, it was produced by Vista Street Entertainment. The film is followed by Witchcraft XII: In the Lair of the Serpent.
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin is a 2021 American found footage supernatural horror film directed by William Eubank, written by Christopher Landon, and produced by Jason Blum and Oren Peli. Serving as the seventh installment of the Paranormal Activity series, the film stars Emily Bader, Roland Buck III, Dan Lippert, Henry Ayres-Brown, and Tom Nowicki, and follows a group who attempt to make a documentary on an Amish community, only for them to discover the horrific secrets the town holds.
