The Terror That Comes In The Night

When you are a mentalist doing shows and programs you've got to be prepared to deal with some high strangeness. I found that out when I was a young man performing in the mid-west. Beyond the craft of mentalism, I had do know something about the occult and the supernatural because many people were having disturbing experiences that they were afraid to share with anyone else. At the very least a mentalist should offer an understanding ear. The beginning of my research was with the writings of a man named Dr. Kurt Koch. Most of his books are still in my library, his magnum opus being a work entitled "Occult Bondage and Deliverance."

Dr. Koch was anything but a sensationalist. Most people who write about the occult come across as loons. That was not Dr. Koch. He was a German theologian and biblical scholar who had found himself thrown into situations for which he was not prepared. In the process of dealing with those situations over many years he became an expert. I heard him speak in the early 1970's and I remember him as being a stolid old German with a thick accent and a presentational style that was distinctly underwhelming. But he knew his subject.

There are those who believe that the supernatural or preternatural does not exist at all. They are materialists of the Old School who cling desperately to an outmoded view of reality based on a 19th century faith in the scientific method. How they can cling to such a view is beyond me. Even a shallow understanding of Quantum Mechanics and its weird implications should lead the most dedicated rationalist to throw up his hands and think anything is possible.

I am almost 64 years old. Though I have studied the occult and the supernatural for many years I have not had an experience that I would classify as "otherworldly" or unexplainable...except once. It happened in February of 2005 and it lasted less than fifteen seconds. But those few seconds were amazing. What I saw was not frightening, rather it was weird and wonderful and awe-inspiring. At some point in the future I will write about it in detail, but not now. While my life has been virtually devoid of high strangeness, there are people close to me who have had many preternatural experiences many of which have included an element of terror.

In 1992 the Roper Group took a poll to determine how many people in the United States were having what they believed to be frightening supernatural experiences. Among a series of questions, the respondents were asked if they had ever awakened from sleep paralyzed – unable to move or speak – with the sense of a Malevolent Presence in the room. Eighteen percent replied, “yes.” Based on their randomly selected sample of 5,947 respondents and with a margin of error of + or – 1.4%, it was projected that at that time, over 33,000,000 people in our country were having such experiences. That's a lot of people.

Sociologist David J. Hufford has documented this horrible phenomenon in his book, "The Terror that Comes in the Night: An Experience Centered Study of Supernatural Assault Traditions." Beginning while he was a professor in Nova Scotia and continuing when he became a professor in Arizona, Hufford discovered that on a regular basis a significant percentage of his students were experiencing supernatural “assaults.” These terrifying manifestations came during the night. The victim would awaken but be unable to move with the absolute awareness that an Evil Presence was in the room. This Presence would physically descend upon them, crushing down so hard that they were unable to breathe. The experiences were viewed as absolutely real by those who described them. Some became so fearful that they didn’t want to fall asleep. Why hadn’t they told anyone? They were afraid that people would think they were crazy. Based on his research, Hufford projected that as much as one sixth of the population may be experiencing such horrifying events.

My research indicates that this experience goes back for centuries and the Evil Presence has taken many forms depending on the cultural expectations of its victims. There is an arcane expression that has almost passed from the English language. That expression is "hagridden." It refers to being tormented and attacked during the night. In the past (and even up to the present), one form that the Evil Manifestation has taken is that of an old hag. But there are much more modern forms. In my opinion, the so-called UFO abduction phenomenon is nothing more than a modern version of this ancient attack syndrome.

But what could be the purpose for these attacks and who is the attacker? As far as purpose is concerned in my opinion there are many levels which I will not go into right now. At the very least, recurring terror creates chaos in a person's life. When there is chaos and terror the damage flows out affecting every relationship and situation. Chaos and terror also offer the opportunity for malevolent control.

Who or what is it that is doing the attacking? Read the following information and draw your own conclusions. Based upon what I have learned from many people including those close to me, no matter what form the Evil Presence takes there is only one guaranteed way to stop it. Whether it appears as a hag or a so-called "alien," it can be forced to leave by commanding it do so in the name of Jesus Christ and through the power of His blood shed to take away the sins of the world. Now this doesn't mean that there won't be a battle, but in every case I know of (and I know of many) ultimately the Presence cannot stand that Name and the application of that Blood and will vanish. Let me be clear, the Name of Jesus is not an occult incantation. Those who use it are calling out to a Living Person for help. If you're going to call on Him it would be good to know Him. When you begin to know Him you will understand why Evil is so terrified.

Does all of this sound insane? I'm sure for many readers of this blog it does. So be it. But for those who live in terror of the thing that comes in the night it could be nothing less than the beginning of liberation.

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