Forgive me if I've posted this in the wrong section or there's another similar thread out there (I didn't see one while looking), but I've been wondering about this a lot recently. Angels and demons, that is. I've been tempted to use a Ouija board too, see if I can provoke a demon or something. I've had angelic feelings before, as well as the feeling a demon is watching me too, but recently.. Nothing of the sort.

I guess I just want to be scared, to have that feeling of fear alive in me again. Ever since I've started working the night shift and being more or less nocturnal, nothing seems to scare me anymore. I feel like the darkness, the things that lurk in the dark have nothing on me. I spend most of my waking hours in the darkness.

Anyway, the point in this topic: Discuss anything angelic or demonic here.
Have you ever had experience with something you thought was angelic or demonic?
Do you even believe in angels and demons?
Oh, and while I'm asking, is anyone interested in, or has anyone studied Demonology?

Have you ever had experience with something you thought was angelic or demonic?

No, but I like to imagine stuff like that.

Do you even believe in angels and demons?

Can't say I do.

Oh, and while I'm asking, is anyone interested in, or has anyone studied Demonology?

Yep, but not for any practical purpose. I also used to be a moderator many years ago over at the old, original Occult Forums (before they got hacked and closed down).

-- Nephele

I used to be an occultist. I stopped when I knew magicks wouldn't bring me what I wanted in life.

I've dealt with demons before - never again.

The universe and what's out there isn't as simple as "Angels & Demons". You have to know what you're dealing with.

Firstly, throw Christianity and all forms of fairytales you've been taught out the window. It's nothing compared to what's out there.

And second, realize that you probably encounter an uncountable number of supernatural phenomenon in your daily life, and also in dreams, just are unaware of what's actually going on around you.

Fortunately, I've had loads of positive and negative experiences to learn from, and learn what NOT to provoke.

If you feel a sudden wash of intangible, unexplainable fear and dread....... go no further!! Perform a banishing ritual and get out!!
That's how it feels when you've come in contact with something better left alone.

Something you wrote interested me. "I guess I just want to be scared, to have that feeling of fear alive in me again." I can relate to this, the desire to transcend the humdrum of daily life (break on through to the other side!) and experience something greater, something like how Arthur Machen puts it. From Wikipedia:

Machen was a great enthusiast for literature that expressed the "rapture, beauty, adoration, wonder, awe, mystery, sense of the unknown, desire for the unknown" that he summed up in the word ecstasy.

Oh thank you so much for this thread! I was hoping someone would start something like this I was too uncomfortable to start one. I've had the unfortunate experience of attracting entities. Probably due to the psychic presence on both sides of my family. My father is a witch, not of the Wiccan type, he locates things, like corpses. He worked at the cemetery for years because he could find unmarked graves and how the corpse lay. That way new burials would not disturb an existing one. I seen him do it once or twice stepping back and forth I should think given time he would locate each finger and toe.
Anyway I've had to learn to fight, kinda like a kid on the street needs to learn to get tough otherwise he gets the crud beat out of him. That's probably one reason why I decided to be a death goth as opposed to any other persuasion. not to pick a scrap but to school myself. I was looking for a welcoming graveyard and I found one or so I think that other one I came out feeling like John mclane from a diehard movie. I'm being simplistic of course but if I can't be Flippant I should think I would go mad.
About angels and demons I don't think I've had any memorable experience with angels, but I did have a contest of wills with one or more of the demonic persuasion using the typical thought manipulation which is difficult but defendable. Not the same as a demon physically manifest but I would really REALLY rather not be witness to that.
Maybe at some point I'll tell some stories from the 'yard, but I digress leave that for another time.

Spirits are attracted to me and tend to follow me around. When I don't use any magick for a few weeks, they tend to go away.

Honestly, I've found it is not worth my time these days to tap into my 'old' power. I just find that attracting spirits (especially those of a *darker* persuasion) as a result of me using magick isn't the best of things anymore.

I've never used it for any purpose, save personal gain. To me, that's the "tone" of my ability - it's great for casting nefarious curses and bringing me closer to achieving various personal goals, but not so great for saay.... helping humanity.

Can't help something that refuses to help itself

I generally use dreams as a form of clairvoyance and helping me see through tough times, which in turn also can radiate positive waves around me.

When I can better learn to help myself, I can better the world around me.

Thanks all for your responses!

Nephele: Do you remember anything from what you studied still? If so, what do you remember (maybe a vast question haha)?

orlok: You've dealt with demons before? and how do you know spirits follow you around? I've gotten sort of a 'sixth sense' feeling around some areas but I've always dismissed it as paranoia or something, so I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

centurion: See, with the way I work, I wouldn't know when to stop provoking. That feeling of dread would only make me more curious as to what's going on. Maybe I'm insane (probably) but I would be more interested if I got that feeling. Ya know, after the initial shitting my pants.

Bug: Any feeling is a good one and they all serve a purpose. Love is just as powerful as fear, in my eyes too. The one thing I can't stand is monotony. I mean life isn't exactly long, so you've got to fill it up as much you can to get the best out of it. Fear is a great feeling sometimes, especially when everything slows down and you are more alert. More aware. More alive..

Golomen Du: Your father could locate corpses? Surely he'd just be able to feel the texture of the ground underneath his feet and discover it's disturbed earth? I can feel the texture underneath my feet when I'm walking in a cemetery and I know someone's buried under there, albeit the grave itself gives it away too.

Recently I bought a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, and he writes about mindfulness which is about waking yourself up and experiencing the beauty of the present moment. What you wrote about fear reminds me of that, "when everything slows down and you are more alert. More aware. More alive." He preaches a kind of happiness through serenity (I love that word, serenity!) but I'm American and I've lived all my life with the idea of happiness closely linked to fun and excitement -- a stimulating fireworks vision of happiness. For me, I sometimes think serenity is kind of monotonous, in overabundance at least. Buddhist monks, seems that's all they do. You do not often see them riding the roller coasters at an amusement park with their hands above their heads, all "wooooo!!!"

Names of demons (nomenclature being a special interest of mine), Kabbalah (goes with my tribe), and bits and bobs I picked up from private conversations with friends from the old Occult forums (several of whom are very involved in occult practices, and one kindly made me a sigil for a specific purpose).

-- Nephele

Have you ever had experience with something you thought was angelic or demonic?

Yes, or at least I think I did. Two years ago I started feeling like something was watching me (not in a paranoid "they're after me!" sort of way...just like someone/something was watching me. Don't know how else to describe it). I guessed that it was an angel, but I really have no idea. Sometimes I would feel a positive energy from the thing watching me, and sometimes it would feel dark. Not bad necessarily, but dark.

It went away after a while, though, and it really was the strangest thing. I've never felt anything like it, and I actually called it "tenshi" (angel in Japanese) because giving it a name made me feel better about feeling watched. I don't know, maybe I was imagining it or delusional.

Do you even believe in angels and demons?

Not always, although I do now. There was a time (right after I felt that thing watching me) that I pushed the ideas of demons and angels out of my head because I didn't want to believe (or even consider) that the thing watching me could have been an angel/demon. But I realized that pushing myself against belief was the same thing as forcing myself to believe in something. So I just left the idea alone.

I just agreed that there are different beings (like us) that exist on different planes of existence or in different parts of wherever. Demon and angel are just names we give them. I'm sure there are fairies, trolls, etc...anything is possible.

Oh, and while I'm asking, is anyone interested in, or has anyone studied Demonology?

No, but Angel-ology (if that's even a word) when I thought that the thing watching me was an angel. I've never really been interested in demons because I didn't want to provoke any. I've never done any summoning or anything for the reason I just stated, too. Plus I've been told that magic (of any kind) should be left alone unless you're completely serious about it.

Well, the problem with a lot of these beings is that some of them have the power to alter reality. It's never something as dramatic as in the movies, it's more like little by little, bad things will start happening to you.....

Discussions such as this one will always fascinate me; especially since the "everyday person" keeps his or her interest in the matter of Demons to a "dull roar." (I'm not sure if this rings true) but it is said that showing increasing curiosity (such as research) will provoke any lingering forces that may, or may not be in one's presence.

I still like to wonder though...

It's always fun wondering about these kind of things, I agree. Most people tend to have no belief in anything supernatural or a really divorced "Well, they may or may not do" approach to it too. Not many people really sit down and contemplate it, or experience it first hand.