newsletter articles
These articles come from Newsletters
produced in past years. RCM now provides information through the website.
It is important to note that
seminar presentations along with related printed materials are often updated and
refined as better understanding and continual new insights become known.
Therefore, those working
with survivors of severe trauma are encouraged to make use of our
Restoring Shattered Lives
training resources for more recent information on issues such as "conflict and
denial", "Primary Identity dynamics" (Core/Original Person/Original Self) and
spiritual dynamics.
DID and
Dissociation
Excerpts from
Restoration Matters
Summer 2002, Volume 8, Issue 1
From
"President's Letter"
....We
trust that you will find this newsletter focusing on the issue of demonization
helpful. Our desire is to build bridges with the Christian deliverance community
by addressing those dynamics which complicate the removal of demonic “baggage”
in the dissociative population. We believe that understanding the principles
which are of heightened importance in these cases will enhance the deliverance
process with anyone, not just those who are dissociated....
“Therapeutic
Insights” builds on the pioneer work of Dr. Neil Anderson, Dr. C. Fred Dickason,
Dr. Paul Cox, and many others whose contributions have greatly encouraged me.
Please note that while I may argue that certain aspects of our biblical view of
the spiritual realm need some refinement, what I suggest is preliminary. Nothing
I have said is intended to go beyond the firm biblical foundation upon which
Restoration in Christ Ministries is based. Please read, evaluate, and check out
the information for yourself. Contact me for additional documentation if you
like....
Education
Matters
Nita Saylor and Diane W. Hawkins
“Only those who understand the dynamics
of both dissociation and demonization
should attempt doing deliverance with a person
who has symptoms of DID.”
Thanks in part to sensational
movies, books, and the imagination, deliverance has acquired a very distorted
and negative reputation in the minds of many. Christians often tend to enter
the arena of battling darkness with considerable anxiety and dread. This need
not be the case, however, if one is adequately prepared and confident in the
authority of Jesus Christ over all of Satan’s forces.
When deliverance is needed in
individuals with DID, the process admittedly becomes more complex, and one does
well to tread more carefully into it. In fact, only those who understand the
dynamics of both dissociation and demonization should attempt doing deliverance
with a person who has symptoms of DID.
Of utmost importance is learning
to discern between evil spirits and alter-identities, or “alters” (parts of the
person), so that alters are treated with respect and compassion. Treating alters
like demons can be extremely traumatic and demoralizing to survivors and
counterproductive to their healing. Even when dealing with true demons, extreme
aggression and harshness is unnecessary. Effective deliverance only requires
issuing authoritative commands in the name of Jesus Christ. Addressing demons in
this fashion will minimize the potential trauma experienced by the alters who
are also present, including those who might mistakenly be perceived to be
demons.
Sometimes demons are extremely
obvious by the way they contort a person’s face and body and speak in a
taunting, defiant manner, often uttering deep, guttural sounds. This is not
always the case, however. Demons can be very deceptive and pose as alters, or
even angels, at times.
To further confound matters,
ritual abuse survivors may have alters who not only appear demonic but who
actually believe that they are demons. (This perception was usually deliberately
impressed upon them by a perpetrator, or they protectively adopted this identity
themselves to increase their sense of power.) Another confusing dynamic which
can occur in DID is that demons attached to alters can rotate quickly between
the demon being “out front” and the alter being “out front.”
Having someone on the deliverance
team who is gifted in discerning of spirits is extremely helpful when working
with people having DID. With experience, however, you will pick up subtle
differences in the way that demons and alters present and speak. Being true
parts of the person, alters are able to make a personal connection with you.
They can reason with you and change their thinking and behavior as a result.
This is not true of demons. They are unchangeable and have no interest at all in
building a relationship with you.
If you are in doubt as to the
nature of an entity you are confronting, the best approach is to pause, pray,
and proceed cautiously. You might ask if the survivor or presenting identity can
“see” the entity. While it is not always the case, lower level demons,
especially, are often visualized as grotesque, monster-like beings. Sometimes
the survivor may also hear their cackling laughter inside.
The most fundamental difference
between demons and alters is that demons must eventually respond to commands
given in the name of Jesus while alters do not. This may seem like an
undisputable way to discern between them, but it is not always that simple.
For instance, if a demon has
legitimate legal grounds for being attached to some part of the person, it does
not have to leave until these grounds are renounced. In some cases it may leave
but only temporarily. Legal grounds include such things as a vow or covenant
made, a sacrifice or ritual participated in, a personal request, a pattern of
sinful behavior, or a generational inheritance. Sometimes a demon may have legal
grounds in a number of alters, making it necessary for each alter to renounce
those grounds.
Demons also exist within a strict
hierarchy of authority. Therefore, you will sometimes need to direct your
spiritual warfare to the spiritual entity or entities over a particular demon.
When dealing with extremely high-ranking cosmic beings, you may even need to
ask God Himself to rebuke them (Eph. 6:12; Jude 8-9; see “Therapeutic
Insights”). In this case God will usually do so very readily, and the difference
will be profound.
Because of the complexity of
demonic involvement in highly programmed and dissociated ritual abuse survivors,
the following guidelines are particularly important in order to minimize
interference and other complications:
-
Always begin by claiming the
authority and protection of the Son of the true, most High, Holy God—Jesus
Christ (Romans 8:34).
-
Then in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ proceed to cut off all external interference from the spiritual
realm, including any kind of communication system or any connection to an
external power source, other dimensions (see “Therapeutic Insights”), or any
other beings serving the purposes of darkness.
-
Declare that the time and space
being used for ministry belongs to, and is under the sole authority of, the
Lord Jesus Christ and only what He permits is allowed and that any breech of
this directive will result in that entity being directly dealt with by the
Lord God Himself (Deut.28:20).
-
Command that all evil beings be
restricted to do or say only what the Lord Jesus instructs them (Luke 4:35).
Forbid any acting out or inappropriate behavior and any hiding behind human
alters. Forbid them to cause harm to the individual in any way and at any
time, including when they are expelled.
-
Command in the name of Jesus
Christ that all evil beings belonging to darkness be separated from all that
is human and be adequately contained so that the work can proceed
(Matt.18:18). Then ask that all that is human be protected and that each part
be allowed to come forward at the appropriate time.
-
Thank God for His presence and
for what He is about to do (Eph.1:19-21).
Therapeutic Insights
by Dr. Tom Hawkins
“Deliverance can be a challenging process when
ministering to a ritual abuse survivor.”
Ritual abuse survivors are often
deliberately subjected to the most complex forms of spiritual bondage, making
deliverance a more challenging process than with the general population. On the
positive side, however, the spiritual warfare principles learned in working with
these highly complex cases are readily transferred to the less complex.
A complete overview of the
biblical doctrine of demonology is beyond the scope of this paper. Therefore, I
am choosing to limit my comments to a few specific principles I have found most
helpful in working with ritual abuse survivors. I am assuming that the reader
has access to the standard theological resources on biblical demonology and
angelology. While building on that foundation, I am tentatively concluding that
an accurate biblical worldview might include a more complex hierarchy of cosmic
level beings than is usually assumed.
In July 2001, we had the
privilege of gathering a group of astute and highly gifted servants of God
experienced in spiritual warfare so we could learn from each other as well as
provide ministry to some particularly complex ritual abuse survivors. During
that time our attention was drawn to Jude 8-10 where false teachers are strongly
condemned for bringing slanderous accusations against what the NIV refers to as
“celestial beings.” (The Greek term “doxa” means “glorious ones.”) In contrast,
it illustrates the proper attitude in addressing this level of spiritual beings
by citing the occasion when Michael the archangel refused to accuse/slander the
devil (one of these “celestial beings”) in a direct manner when disputing over
the body of Moses but instead said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
Technically, we may have the
authority to deal with these high level entities because of our union with
Christ and our position of being seated together with Him (Eph 2:6), who is “far
above all rule and authority, power and dominion...” (Eph 1:21; NIV).
Nevertheless, we must be very careful that our attitude not be arrogant or
prideful in doing so.
Because of their experience in
the occult world, survivors often seem to carry a fear-based “respect” for these
high-ranking beings which many of us “helpers” have not understood. I have now
come to recognize, however, that if we address or command the departure of these
higher ranking beings in an arrogant or “slanderous” manner, it can cause severe
retaliation or torment to come to the survivor as well as bring curses and other
spiritually rooted problems onto ourselves. I have found substantial wisdom in
the book by the charismatic writer John Paul Jackson entitled Needless
Casualties of War. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything he has
written, when properly understood, he makes some significant points that may
help us avoid unnecessary backlash in the spiritual battle, especially when
confronting the higher echelons of supernatural evil beings.
In light of this insight I now
begin any therapy session by asking God to deal with the evil cosmic level
beings or other high-ranking evil beings that may have jurisdiction over the
particular survivor to whom we are ministering. I have found this to bring a
noticeable calm to the individual, eliminating negative backlash and enabling
the session to proceed with greater ease and efficiency.
While not intended to be any sort
of magical formula, the following example of prayer may be helpful:
Holy,
Creator God, in the name of the true Lord Jesus Christ and in accordance with
Jude 8-10 (NIV), I ask you to move back all evil cosmic level beings and forbid
them to harass, intimidate or retaliate against _____ or any part of him/her,
whether in the body or outside the body. We further petition you to prevent
these beings of whatever rank from being allowed to send any level of spiritual
evil as retaliation against any of us here or our families, ministries or
possessions. We are trusting you, our Sovereign God, to make it safe to work
here today in the name of the true Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.
After asking God to move aside
the influence of all high-ranking, evil cosmic level beings in the manner
illustrated above, I take authority in the name of Jesus Christ to command every
lower-level demonic being to be separated from every human part of the person so
we can work without interference. Again, the following is a pattern I usually
use:
In
addition, I exercise delegated authority from the Risen Lord Jesus Christ over
all the lower levels of evil spirits and demons who have been assigned to
________ (person’s name) by any of the higher evil cosmic level beings. All such
spiritual beings are to be bound and separated from every human part of the
person, whether perceived to be in or out of the body. They are not to transfer
power to any other spirits or call for reinforcements and are to remain bound
until dismissed. I forbid them to torment, harass, intimidate or retaliate
against ______ (name). I do these things in the name and authority of the true,
living Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rejoicing that my name is written in the Lamb’s
book of life.
(Please
contact us for further information on understanding both the biblical
foundations and the experiential basis for such a prayer. My seminar lecture
entitled “Spiritual Dynamics” also contains additional information on this
subject.)
Another important issue to
address in minimizing needless pain to survivors concerns the volume or tone of
voice used in speaking to demons when they manifest. Speaking loudly or harshly
does not increase one’s authority. Therefore, try to maintain a low, but firm,
tone so the human parts of the person don’t feel verbally attacked or abused in
the process.
As a general rule, I have found
that conversing with demons is a trap, and trying to do therapy or provide
ministry on the basis of information learned from demons is very dangerous. I
always assume that part of the person is giving permission for any demonic
manifestation and therefore is not far away. Thus, when a demon “emerges,” I
simply command it to be moved aside and ask to speak to the human part behind
it.
Before commanding a demon to be
removed from the person, the legal foothold or ground for its attachment must
usually be identified and renounced. While Paul indicates that the devil can
gain a “foothold” through unresolved anger (Eph 4:27), many other potential
footholds exist. Some of those we have encountered in our work with survivors
include:
-
Generational inheritances
and/or a family history of experience in the occult or false religions
(Exodus
20:3-5; Luke 11:50-51; Rom 5:12-15)
-
Evil prenatal influences
-
Parental/caregiver permission
given on behalf of a minor for demonic attachment
-
A personal request for demonic
attachment
-
Participation in rituals and
sacrifices to Satan
-
Participation in occult,
magical, spiritual, or mystical activities, including Masonic rites
-
Participation in other unholy
activities (e.g. unholy, lustful sex)
-
Deeply established patterns of
sin
-
Careless words spoken, making
vows or covenants with Satan (Matt.
12:36-37)
-
Laying on of hands by persons
with evil intent
-
An ungodly reaction to trauma,
abuse or emotional pressure
Unfortunately, in ritual abuse survivors the
perpetrators often hide these crucial grounds in dissociated “parts” so they
cannot be easily found. While addressing generational inheritances can usually
be readily accomplished early in therapy, releasing other demonic attachments is
contingent upon reaching the parts of the person holding the legal grounds. Our
experience has been, however, that finding the primary parts of the person (as
opposed to the alter-identities formed to fill a role) accelerates this process.
When dealing with the primary parts, the alters seem to be readily accessible to
reveal whatever grounds they know from a given trauma situation.
Sometimes one or more of these
“primary” parts may not be accessible because they are perceived to have “died”
or made a vow not to stay “in” the body. This may necessitate a “search and
rescue” operation from what some (from a New Age or Masonic perspective) call
the “astral plane” or (from a scientific perspective) the “dimensions.” These
concepts need to be considered in light of what Ephesians calls “the heavenlies”
(KJV) or “heavenly realms” (NIV). These parts are usually held there by
conflicts and/or vows derived from their trauma experience. When these are
resolved, they can “return to the body” to take up their rightful places of
authority and address whatever demonic footholds are necessary.
When the legal grounds for
demonization are not adequately identified and renounced, demons may be
commanded out but later return—sometimes in greater strength and number (Matt.
12:43-45). In dissociated individuals one part may renounce the grounds and send
the demons away only to have another part invite them back. Therefore, we
recommend using the binding prayer mentioned earlier until the legal ground is
adequately removed by all parts involved. This is not an absolute rule but
rather a general principle to follow unless God clearly leads otherwise. When
the demons have left, we also recommend, in agreement with most deliverance
ministries, that the Holy Spirit be invited to take up the void left by the
vacating spirits.
Another potential problem when
working with ritual abuse survivors is a common practice of sending demons to
“the pit” when expelling them. Our work with these individuals has revealed that
cultists often establish the imagery of an internal “pit” so that demons
commanded to go to the “pit” can “obey” without truly leaving the person.
Because of this we recommend commanding them to go to the feet of the true Lord
Jesus Christ of Nazareth and obey His instructions.
Having given these suggestions, I
ask that you please take this information as tentative. I do not perceive it as
being in final form or the last word on this subject. Nevertheless, I trust that
these comments will be enlightening and provide a starting point for both
greater understanding and dialogue between those Christians working with
Dissociative Identity Disorder and those doing deliverance primarily with
non-dissociated individuals in the general population. May God grant that in the
days ahead it can no longer be said that the Christian community is as
fragmented as the survivors we are trying to help.
Copies of this article are
available for download in PDF format:
DID and Deliverance
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