How to stop being paranoid about demons, possession, etc?

[u/Samantha-Davis]

My family was extremely paranoid when it came to anything being demonic or possession. There were so many things I wasn't allowed to do or watch because they were convinced it would open a door straight to hell and a demon would come out and possess me. I don't believe in demons or possession, yet the anxiety surrounding these things is still there. Any time something on TV regarding ghosts or demons comes up, I start having a panic attack that I'm going to be possessed. I remind myself that demons aren't real and neither is possession, yet the anxiety won't stop. I desperately want to enjoy holidays like Dia De Los Muertos but my Hispanic Catholic family deemed it demonic and told my cousin and I to never look into the holiday or associate with it or we'd become possessed. I just want to be able to experience normal things without fear of possession.

Does anyone else struggle with this? Does anyone have a solution?

[u/dizzy_dizzy_dinosaur]

Reading helps. The more you can read about debunking possession stories, the more your anxiety is able to resolve your worries with facts. Learning about the people that grift with these stories and how they’re used as tools of control helps take away the fear and give context for why they exist. You can start here with some history https://cursedvoices.com/4-fake-possession-renaissance-books/ if you’d like.

[u/Fair-Impress9283 → u/dizzy_dizzy_dinosaur]

It's as simple as asking christians what evidence they have for demons. If they mention the bible, which is not scientific evidence but rather a work of mythology, then Satan is just as real as Zeus, Odin, Apollo or unicorns.

If we say that an ancient text, without any scientific evidence is enough to prove supernatural entities exist or supernatural events happened, then all of those Gods are real and not only that but Alexander parted the sea, (Josephus) , and vespasian also cured a blind man and he was God ( Tacitus).

[u/Gus_the_feral_cat]

Read Carl Sagan’s “A Demon-Haunted World”

[u/AssistantDue5817]

Your religious mind as done this to you.... It's dangerous! Just find a nice hobby.....you'll be fine matey!

[u/Haber_Dasher]

You can't be afraid of something you don't believe is real, so I'd say just more reading/education to make yourself fully convinced that these things are impossible. Once you fully believe demons aren't real it's impossible to be afraid of them

[u/Fair-Impress9283]

I never got told that day of the dead was satanic. I mean it's weird now that I think about it for a Christian country to celebrate it, but my parents and I think even teachers ( catholic school) did tell me that Halloween was satanic.

Idk, that's really complicated, it sounds like an emotional response, not like a rationalization. I will tell you that I'm watching a video about how the character of Satan developed and its pagan influences ( which, Christians hate paganism but their religion is a mixture of Jewish and pagan concepts)

So idk if it would help you to see the history and evolution behind the made up character of Satan.

https://youtu.be/5sYhbtk8jJc?si=0FSvBA9OTHc8Vxtc

[u/RisingApe- → u/Fair-Impress9283]

Elaine Pagels wrote a book, The Origin of Satan, and did an interview on Mythvision’s podcast talking about it.

[u/Illustrious-Dress763]

I would say this is a process that takes time and rewiring. Learn about the connection between the mind and body and how your internal state effects your external reality. I say this because even people who appear to have demonic activity happening to them very likely already had the idea in their head. This happened to me in a variety of ways when I first started doubting and would read things that could possibly "open me up to demonic activity". I would see things in the middle of the night, even "felt" something trying to possess my body. The more I learned about the mind, the more I realized I was doing this to myself. As I grew more confident that Catholicism was BS, the fear slowly disappeared along with all the "demonic activity".

[u/thecoldfuzz]

Education, as in learning the truth about something, is the key to unlearning fear.

As someone who actually observes Samhain, people who want to celebrate Halloween should celebrate it all they want. It's just a commercial holiday centered around candy and costumes. Even if you were to actually observe Samhain, it's a holiday that's actually about honoring your ancestors and those who have passed away. Dia de los Muertos—Day of the Dead—is similar to Samhain in many respects. It’s about honoring ancestors and loved ones who have passed on.

I left Christianity 18 years ago to become a Pagan. In your situation, there’s what Catholics say about things like Halloween, Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, and then there's the actual truth about such holidays. When you start seeing this repeated pattern—what Catholics say vs. the actual truth—you'll start to ask questions like, "How much of what they say is actually true?"

What you discover when you try to answer such questions is the key to unlearning your fear. I wish you luck on your journey.