OCCULT OVERVIEW

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Linda was sixteen years old. She first tasted the occult at a party where friends encouraged her to play with a Ouija board. At first, she experimented for fun. But curiosity quickly grew into obsession. She used the board nightly, then at school during lunch. She and a close friend delved deeper and deeper into the mysterious "power" that the Ouija board offered. Soon Linda did not need a Ouija board to find answers to her questions. Disembodied voices spoke to her, or she would slip into a trance and write pages of demonic messages. At least five different "voices" began to speak through her. Eventually those voices urged her to take a knife and carve upside down crosses on her forearms. She did, and it almost killed her.

The above real-life illustration is a grim example of occultic involvement among teens. It depicts how "innocent" involvement can lead to blatant Satanic activity. Occultic involvement is alarmingly increasing among teenagers. Parents and teenagers need to know about various occultic practices, reasons why teenagers become involved, and dangers of such involvement. Any and all occultism is demonically inspired, and is therefore extremely dangerous.

The word, "occult," derives from a Latin word meaning "hidden, secret, and mysterious." David Hoover lists three distinct characteristics of the occult:

• It deals with things secret or hidden.
• It involves operations or events that seem to depend on human powers beyond the five senses.
• It focuses on the supernatural, the presence of angelic or demonic forces.

The following is a broad, yet incomplete compilation of various beliefs and practices generally considered to be occultic.

The October 1989 edition of Seventeen magazine contained a survey conducted by Market Facts, Inc. Of 2,046 teenagers polled, the following are the responses to "I have some or a lot of faith in..."

Most statistics suggest that approximately 23% of teenagers participate in some occultic involvement. Yet, this figure is misleading. When detailing the general term "occult" into specific practices, the actual belief in any aspect of the occult is much higher, as the table above shows.

Teenagers turn to the occult for a variety of reasons. The following two lists describe societal and individual conditions predisposing teens to involvement in the occult. In order to help someone involved in the occult, it is necessary to know why he or she became involved.

SOCIETAL FACTORS

• The growing influence of Eastern religions on Western thought.
• The search for a "non drug high."
• Complex (often chaotic) social and economic problems resulting in anxiety and loss of faith in reason.
• Media exposure of occultic images.
• Lack of government control of the media.
• Psychic and parapsychic research suggesting that occultism is a science. (Some colleges now give bachelor degrees in magic and witchcraft.)

INDIVIDUAL REASONS

• Rebellion from church and society.
• Escape from reality.
• Church involvement (both intentional and unintentional).
• Fascination with the bizarre and inexplicable.
• Desire for adventure, excitement, fun.
• Desire to develop suspected latent powers.
• Obsession with the realm of the supernatural.
• Search for security in an insecure world.
• Childhood conditioning from occultic parents.
• Thirst for knowledge.
• Needing to belong or conform to a peer group.
• Desire for attention.
• Desired discipline—rules, rituals, and guidance.
• Search for control of one’s and others’ destinies.

The following are lures particular, but not exclusive, to Satanism:

• Lust for power (much more so than other occultic activities).
• Sex, drugs, and material benefits.
• Family alienation.

The majority of teens involved in the various aspects of the occult are genuine, sincere, committed, and caring individuals merely looking for answers.

LEVELS OF INVOLVEMENT

Occult involvement can be divided into three levels:

Dabbling. This includes reading horoscopes or playing with tarot cards for fun and enjoying occult music, movies, and books. Obsession. Attributes of those obsessed include assuming the characteristics promoted by the occult, often wearing occult jewelry, buying occult books, and practicing occult rituals. Occult possession. Possessed youth become violent and suicidal, experiencing frightening, demonic activity. There are some outward signs showing occult involvement.

The most obvious indication of teen involvement is his or her possessions:

• Jewelry or other occultic symbols.
• Occult books on witchcraft or Satanism.
• Occult games—Ouija boards, tarot cards, Dungeons and Dragons.

For teens more heavily involved (obsessed or possessed) other characteristics may emerge:

• "Worship" of heavy metal music—the lyrics become their reality.
• Drug or alcohol abuse.
• Personality changes—declining grades, violent, withdrawn, aggressive, or angry.
• Physical mutilation—signs of a blood sacrifice.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Looking over the list of occult practices, are there any activities from your past or present that you see as occultic?
2. Do you know any teens involved in the occult? Any candidates? How do you know? How can you help them?

IMPLICATIONS

1. It is likely that someone in your youth group is involved in some aspect of the occult. Youth groups, schools, and parents need to know the signs and how to intervene.
2. Teenagers are seeking answers to their struggles. Rationalism does not satisfy them. Easily entered, but difficult to exit, the occult appears to kids an interesting and harmless alternative.
3. The youth group can become a surrogate family for alienated kids, giving them acceptance and responsibility.

Jeff Crosby cCYS