Spiritual discernment is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For the last two years I have had concerns about my elderly neighbor's spiritual state of being. There used to be a tremendous joy in my visits with him, until the days of my visits with him made my heart feel heavy and sorrowful. Intuitively I suspected that things were not right, and on those days I would go later and later to see him. My concerns were about the change I observed in his familiar personality. He started to talk in a strange voice and acted strange. I prayed for guidance and the answer came to be alert, on guard and to visit him less frequently.

This neighbor has a will of steel and in the past had been like a teacher to me with his great intelligence, wisdom and the sharing of his life experiences that were great gifts for me on my journey through life. He is in frail health, has had several surgeries the last couple of years and was starting to show signs of senility together with forgetfulness. He was also experiencing blackouts and fainting without knowing what transpired during that time. No medical reasons could be found for these episodes of fainting. The loss of his mind has always been his greatest fear and he was aware that he was slipping into senility which was progressing, without any help of medical intervention to reverse this process. He became bitter, and shortly thereafter a phenonema came into being. He had regained his mind fully, except at times he would slip back to his former state, which greatly frustrated him. He would not accept the predicament of slipping into a decline of mentality, nor would he surrender to this incurable progression of senility with the possibility of Alzheimer's disease which had taken a hold of his late mother. During my visits with him I was aware of spiritual presences, energies and strange phenonema.

I last saw him during a visit in a rehab hospital were he is recovering from his latest surgery. The visit was not pleasurable due to his icy cold manner, and as I left I prayed asking God as to what had happened to my friend.

Upon my return home I called his long standing friend of thirty years, a man who has extensive spiritual knowledge having been a Mason Master of the highest degree who had left the order to convert to Christianity and who has been a member of a Christian Church for the last twenty years. This man confirmed my suspicions, and told me that his friend is spirit possessed. He believes that his friend is unable to retain this spirit indefinitely and that in due time he will not be able to hold together his mind much longer. He told me to be careful and that the Holy Spirit led me with discernment into the truth of our friend's spiritual state.

My friend is a former Catholic who left the Church many years ago due to a fervent disagreement with a Priest. I have mentioned in the past that this friend is known in the neighborhood as a wonderful neighbor who has led an honorable life. I now recall that my discussions of Christ, scipture and my great love for God were often dismissed.

I must pray for God's guidance and heed the answers as to my severing this friendship.


Spirit possession is a reality we must all be aware of and we need to ask God's protection of a hedge around us.

He is in frail health, has had several surgeries the last couple of years and was starting to show signs of senility together with forgetfulness. He was also experiencing blackouts and fainting without knowing what transpired during that time. No medical reasons could be found for these episodes of fainting.

Freebird, I'm not following why "spirit-possession" is thought to be responsible for these symptoms (including the cold manner). It could well be that some kind of evil spirit is involved, but separating that from the effects of physical and mental illness is a tricky matter. Someone with a bona fide charism of discernment of spirits might be able to detect what's going on, but even then, this would need to be tested.

So I don't know what kind of help a discussion forum like this can provide. The larger topic you raise is one we've reflected on in other threads recently, but we could go more into it here as well if some would like.

This man confirmed my suspicions, and told me that his friend is spirit possessed. He believes that his friend is unable to retain this spirit indefinitely and that in due time he will not be able to hold together his mind much longer.

Well, it sounds like you were a real friend to this man when he needed one, Freebird, and now that friendship is just not possible on the same level. But why not just put his condition down to a deteriorating brain and leave it at that?

Spirit possession is a reality we must all be aware of and we need to ask God's protection of a hedge around us.

Actually, I don�t think this is so, but leave open the possibility that it might be so. But how real is it if it is intimately connected with a medical condition, particularly one afflicting someone�s brain?

Cross-posted with Brad . . .

LOL. Yep. Not the first time.

I have deleted the post, but it is still appearing.

My friend did have a complete and thorough physical and psychiatric evaluation. His mind could not have been restored according to the medical profession's findings.

I did not mention that this friend at one time was a yoga Master.

I do not dwell on the phenonema of spirit possession, but do not rule out its possibility.

I have deleted the post, but it is still appearing.

Well, that�s your choice, Freebird, but I thought it was a lovely post. I thought it was quite amazing that you were able to help this fellow for as long as you were able to. Heck, there ain�t no speeding tickets handed out just because we have a difference of opinion on whether or not he was possessed.

The only reason I point something like that out is because I think if we got into that habit of thinking that every time somebody did something wrong that they were possessed, well, we�d soon no longer have human personalities acting in the world. All our actions would simply be the result of demons and such. And we would likely distance ourselves from people who most needed our help. That�s my point of view, anyway. In the case that you were referring to, however, it seems rather clear that you would just be subjecting yourself to abuse. That�s not going to help anyway.

I�m not sure why that post is still appearing, but you�re right. It is.

Brad, I truly have given much to this elderly man neighbor. I will continue to do what God allows in my efforts to help him. With God I know that all things are possible and miracles happen every single day, we just don't hear about them. Television news and newspapers are filled with the miseries of the world and humanity, but now and then we are truly graced by hearing, reading and seeing that the power of love is alive and well.

I called him earlier at the rehab and he sounded senile, so his friend may be correct in his assumptions that senility will advance without his ability to hold it together. It is so sad. How beautiful and precious the clarity of the mind is, and how the loss of same does bring such sorrow.