Any Atheists here experienced a demon?

I would really like to know. I have been on a quest of sorts - I want to know if demons actually exist. I have not formed a conclusion regarding this yet. However, it seems to me (no I haven't done a scientific study) that most people who have experiences with demons are Christians or follow some good vs. evil based religion (or even evil vs evil). So, this may very well be manifestations of their fears. Now if as many die hard atheists have had demonic experiences as "religous" persons have - then maybe there is something to this.

So lets consider this a survey - have you had a demonic experience (or a possible demonic experience) and what is your religious affiliation (if any).

Maybe we can decide together if this is a "religious" byproduct or if this truly does happen to every sort of people and thus may exist.

Well, I'm not an atheist and I haven't experienced anything demonic, but I'd imagine if an atheist did they wouldn't remain an atheist for very long. In fact the first words out of their mouths would probably be something along the lines of "JESUS CHRIST!!!!"



EDIT: I've no religious affiliation, There's no need. I was an atheist for a few years in my teens though.

[edit on 6-7-2004 by kegs]

Ive had demonic experiences, but not for a long time now. Sheesh this sounds preachy, but ya know since my whole spiritual revelation breakthrough thingy Ive been pretty good with external deomns, I just have to deal with the ones in my own head.

My scariest experience was when I woke up in the middle of the night, ran downstairs, grabbed a knife, and slammed it into my wrists, throat, eyes, etc. But it wasnt in a feeling of suicid, it was as if I was killing someone else, as if I was no longer myself and killing another person inside my body. I actually wrote a story about it. Ive also seen my demon before, but I kicked his ash (mentally of course) and won that battle.

I was athiest for a couple of years, and so I would dabble in things (just because I was bored)

I had a few really scary things happen, and thats what got me into religion/spirituality

*Cheese*

Now why would a demon want to mess with an athiest. Thats like a satan worshipper saying he is being harassed by the devil. The only goal of a demon is to corrupt good souls. Why try to corrupt a soul thats already corrupted. Your real question should be to those that sit on the fence. You can find them easily if you look on the ufo and alien board.

How can an atheist is going to experience demons? If you don't believe in god occurs you are not going to believe in the devil so demons are out the questions.

The only demons around are the ones in your imagination, I believe in god but I don't believe in the devil, satan or demons.

[edit on 6-7-2004 by marg6043]

Kegs - do you have a religious affiliation at all? (part of the survey)

Scat - that is extremely scary! When you did have demonic experiences did you have a religious affiliation? What is the breakthrough you have had that has caused these experiences to cease?

shidge - if you were dabbeling in spiritual things (good or evil) you most likely were not a true athiest. Why would you "dabble" with things you didn't believe existed?

popeye - Interesting - so demons come here with a mission? And that is to accrue souls? So how would scaring the begeezus out of a Christian gain them a soul? Wouldn't that just confirm their religious beliefs and drive them closer to Jesus? If this is the case they must be quite stupid. However, you have a good point about on the fence - maybe we should call this a survey of everyone who's had a demonic experience. This way I can compare the number of religious persons to everyone else who has had an experience.

Originally posted by marg6043
How can an atheist is going to experience demons? If you don't believe in god occurs you are not going to believe in the devil so demons are out the questions.

The only demons around are the ones in your imagination, I believe in god but I don't believe in the devil, satan or demons.

[edit on 6-7-2004 by marg6043]

marg - I too believe in God and right now, I don't believe in demons but am not 100% convicted of this disbelief in demons. And as far as your comment on atheists - that is exactly my point. If only those who believe in them see them - then they are most likely not real. However, if an athiest who truly doesn't belive in them and is not predesposed to imagine them or look for them, sees one or experiences one then I would have to seriously consider their possible existance. Though I think kegs is right - if an atheist saw a demon they'd most likely no longer be an atheist.

I'll be your first atheist subject.

* No demons, devils, boogeymen or boogeywomen
* No spirits, poltergeists or aparitions
* No dead relatives or pets
* No past life memories

And if anyone ever wanted an epiphany it is me. Most people I know have experienced "something" that is either faith restoring or faith promoting. I have not. So I wait...open to the experience...but not holding my breath waiting for it to happen.

BTW-no religious affiliation

Originally posted by Scat
Ive had demonic experiences, but not for a long time now. Sheesh this sounds preachy, but ya know since my whole spiritual revelation breakthrough thingy Ive been pretty good with external deomns, I just have to deal with the ones in my own head.

My scariest experience was when I woke up in the middle of the night, ran downstairs, grabbed a knife, and slammed it into my wrists, throat, eyes, etc. But it wasnt in a feeling of suicid, it was as if I was killing someone else, as if I was no longer myself and killing another person inside my body. I actually wrote a story about it. Ive also seen my demon before, but I kicked his ash (mentally of course) and won that battle.

You didn't actually do that to yourself did you?

I think any Atheists that experiences a demon or whatever is having some kind of psychological disturbance and should if it continues seek help from there health care provider.


[edit on 6-7-2004 by dwh0]

Originally posted by dwh0
I think any Atheists that experiences a demon or whatever is having some kind of psychological disturbance and should if it continues seek help from there health care provider.


[edit on 6-7-2004 by dwh0]

dw - are you an athiest and have you had any demonic experiences? Come on - weight in here for me.

Im an absolute skeptic. I suspect there is no 'God' as in a grand personality/being. If there is i don't see what it has to do with me. God would be doing his/its thing and i am doing mine. It's funny but true what kegs says if i ever saw a demon, i might turn religious. As for popeye0314 I think people with no affiliation are most often people who haven't bought into the whole 'Sin' thing. I think sin is probably somekind of psychological thing, isn't it essentially guilt of one type or other. I haven't felt a guilt emotion in decades. I also think that some people who turn to religion have a cynical view of humanity, that people are more bad than good. I think people are a mixed bag. The cynical ones are the ones with the darkest minds. They ascribe evil to everyone but themselves and their religious chums. And because they don't look for evil in themselves or their associates they overlook any number small evils and sometime horrific evils which they actually commit. I believe in order AND chaos. Order provides organization and structure, chaos allows one to move and breathe. Kinetic life needs both. God is like reaching for absolute frozen dead structure, absolute chaos on the other hand is difficult to deal with on a rational basis.

My upbringing is as a rationalist and should leave me laughing at the idea of Demons. I don't really laugh though the Universe is huge and we may never know how deep it runs, and beyond the Universe who knows what might be there.

I guess i take the purple cow theory: Never seen one, will have to deal with that when i come to it.

Wait...I'm f-ing confused. Scat, if you did that to yourself, shouldn't you be dead? Or...blind? Or have hideous scars where you slammed knives into yourself? I'm no optimologist, but I'm pretty sure if you stab your eyeballs, you'll go blind.

I am an atheist. However, I do not think it is impossible that a God, or its counter part could exist.


How are we defining demon?

I can dream up a demon; I can experience it as a figment of my imagination.

I can find people that I believe act very demonic. (If it acts like a demon, then maybe it is?)

As for anything along the lines of Satan, then the chances are, if I did get visited by a demon, I wouldn't have noticed: The bible even states explicitly that Satan is a beautiful creature -- that is, I wouldn't recognize it from the mythical horns coming out of its head.


I think that christians who expect the devil and his minnions to be big red beasts that come up to Earth to obviously torment people are way off of track. No, a rational devil and his minnions would make it a point not to be noticed, and convince you with a more sly method.

And, getting to the point, I think one of the best tricks that a demon could do is pretend it is a shepard and lead the sheep to the pack of awaiting wolves. You can fill in the analogy.

I'm confused. Just because an Athesist has an experience with a demon, doesn't mean there is a God, but demons. Christians could be mistakingly applying thier own beliefs on another diety.

heres my views on demons. i consider myself a gnostic, pagan, budist, deist for the most part. i believe that demons are many things. but if you have an established belief system, you'll imediately label things of that nature as demons, angels, aliens, ghosts ect. so what can these so called entities be? heres a few ideas of mine.

maybe there really is a devil with an army to corrupt the souls of man kind. although this means that he wont probally wanna scare people that say they have experienced a demonic entity trying to kill them seeing how satan probally dosn't want people believing in him or demons, he wouldn't be sending out demons to attack people and strike the fear of god into them. there are also people that say spirits that speak of things that go against the bible are demons. but these beings usually speak of love and happiness so why would demons preach things that are considered by many christians to be the divine nature of god and potentially lead a person down the path of christianity. so at this point the christian view of demons is starting to sound rediculous and this also leaves me to believe that the christian view on the devil is also kinda rediculous.

there are also some of these so called demons that some people that are on a "wicked" path experience and make them see the light. these beings are probally angels, beings of a higher and or more divine nature, or aliens that are controlling and or helping us by scaring us #less. then again maby aliens are manipulating us with religion and these so called demons are actually aliens using religion as means to controll and or help us. hey, anything can happen.

[edit on 6-7-2004 by mutehalo]

[edit on 6-7-2004 by mutehalo]

Originally posted by slank
My upbringing is as a rationalist and should leave me laughing at the idea of Demons. I don't really laugh though the Universe is huge and we may never know how deep it runs, and beyond the Universe who knows what might be there.

I guess i take the purple cow theory: Never seen one, will have to deal with that when i come to it.

Slank - thanks for the response. I appreciate your candor and insight. In order to keep this thread open to all possibilities I will refrain from posting my personal views on this at this point because as I've stated previously - I'm undecided right now. Though I obviously am very sceptic. So I take it from your response that you have had no personal experiences with demons but are open to the possibility?

Originally posted by radardog
I am an atheist. However, I do not think it is impossible that a God, or its counter part could exist.


And, getting to the point, I think one of the best tricks that a demon could do is pretend it is a shepard and lead the sheep to the pack of awaiting wolves. You can fill in the analogy.

Radardog - very intersting response. I have a few further questions though. First off - an athiest by definition is (according to Mirriam-Websters):

"Main Entry: athe�ist
Pronunciation: 'A-thE-ist
Function: noun
: one who believes that there is no deity"

So by definition you cannot be an atheist since you acknowledge the possibility that a deity or deitys may exist.

At best you may be agnostic:

"Main Entry: 1ag�nos�tic
Pronunciation: ag-'n�s-tik, &g-
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek agnOstos unknown, unknowable, from a- + gnOstos known, from gignOskein to know -- more at KNOW
: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and prob. unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god"

But that being said, the remainder of your point is very well taken and may be well worth serious consideration. Thanks for the added insights.

Originally posted by curme
I'm confused. Just because an Athesist has an experience with a demon, doesn't mean there is a God, but demons. Christians could be mistakingly applying thier own beliefs on another diety.

I agree completely - and just to ensure I'm not confusing the purpose of this thread - it is solely to determine if there may actually (logically) be demons. This (in my mind) is completely separate from determining the existance of God.

So will you please post your position on this subject? Have you had a demonic experience and what (if any) is your religious affiliation?