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See list of occult practices. 

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 Why Christians Should Reject Esoteric Energy Practices

Esoteric Energy: The Hidden Dangers Christians Must Not Ignore

In today’s spiritually hungry world, many people seek experiences that transcend the physical. This desire has birthed a surge in mystical practices involving esoteric energy—forces or powers claimed to affect physical and emotional states but that cannot be scientifically measured. These practices are commonly found in Reiki, Qi Gong, chakra balancing, kundalini awakening, and other New Age modalities. But behind these alluring experiences lies a spiritual realm that Scripture warns us about.

What is Esoteric Energy?

Esoteric energy refers to invisible forces said to flow through the human body and universe. Unlike the scientifically proven forms of energy (thermal, kinetic, electromagnetic), esoteric energy operates on a metaphysical level. It is typically manipulated through spiritual rituals, hand motions, symbols, breathing techniques, and mental focus. Practitioners claim this energy can heal, enlighten, and connect individuals with divine consciousness.

Origin and Spiritual Foundation

These ideas trace back to Eastern religions and occult traditions. In Hinduism, the concept of prana (life force) and chakras forms the basis of energy healing. Buddhism incorporates Qi (chi)—believed to flow through meridians—used in practices like acupuncture and Tai Chi. In modern times, these ancient beliefs have merged with New Age spirituality, creating a syncretistic religion that promotes self-deification and contact with spiritual beings.

These systems often acknowledge multiple gods, spirit guides, or universal forces, rather than the one true God of the Bible. Their founders and influencers include occultists like Helena Blavatsky (Theosophy), Alice Bailey, and Madame Blavatsky, who openly communicated with “ascended masters”—spiritual entities that Christians would identify as demonic spirits (1 Timothy 4:1).

Is Esoteric Energy Divination or Demonic?

While esoteric energy isn’t always explicitly labeled as divination, it operates in a similar fashion, seeking hidden knowledge or spiritual power apart from God. The Bible explicitly forbids this:

“There shall not be found among you...a diviner, a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens...For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord...” —Deuteronomy 18:10-12

What’s more, the manipulation of unseen forces to bring healing or enlightenment is sorcery, which is condemned throughout Scripture (Galatians 5:19-21). These practices open the door to demonic influence, spiritual oppression, and even possession.

Why Christians Should Reject These Practices

God’s Word is clear: we are to seek healing, peace, and guidance from Him alone. Christ alone is our Healer (Isaiah 53:5), our Light (John 8:12), and the only Way to spiritual truth (John 14:6). The seductive pull of esoteric energy promotes self-reliance, not dependence on God. It glorifies experience over Scripture, and leads people into spiritual bondage.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...” —Romans 12:2

Many former practitioners report horrifying consequences: demonic torment, sleep paralysis, fear, confusion, loss of peace, and an inability to connect with God until they renounced and repented of these practices.

Spiritual Consequences and Deception

Engaging with esoteric energy is not a neutral act. Though it may offer temporary feelings of warmth, healing, or connection, these are deceptive experiences rooted in counterfeit spiritual power. The enemy comes as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) but seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). What begins as harmless curiosity can end in spiritual torment, mental instability, and even physical ailments, anxiety, unnatural fears.

The Call to Come Out

The Bible calls us separate from the world (2 Corinthians 6:17). Christians must reject the counterfeit to embrace the truth. If you’ve engaged in esoteric energy practices, repent, renounce, and seek deliverance in the name of Jesus Christ.

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” —Ephesians 5:11

Methods of discernment to see if it lines up with Scripture:

• Who was the founder of this modality?

• What was his/her spirituality?

• What culture did it come out of?

• What were their beliefs?

• Who is their God or gods?

Many occult practices in Christianity need to be discerned.  Another method of discernment is the Word of God. The word of God is our measuring stick. The more we read the word, know the word, and have a relationship with the Lord, the more we discern right and wrong. We perish from a lack of knowledge.

Hosea 4:6 declares, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.”

By Teresa Morin, President of Touch of God Int'l Ministries of Healing and Deliverance. See list of occult practices. 

If you've been involved in a new age, occult, or cult, it can invite demonic spirits to torment you. If you feel tormented, you may need deliverance.

Free Group Deliverance Online, two times a month. Learn more about the webinar and sign up quickly. We will have these 2 times a month. Register today before the May 26, fills up.

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The Power of Forgiveness - Webinar Replay - May 12, 2025

The Power of Forgiveness: A Key to Healing and Deliverance – Mercy, Grace, and Love - Article and Video of the May 12, 2025, online FREE Deliverance Webinar

Watch Recorded Deliverance Webinar - May 12, 2025.

Forgiveness is not merely a kind gesture or a suggestion from Scripture—it is a divine command, foundational to the Christian life. It is the heartbeat of God’s redemptive plan, intricately woven into the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, many believers live in bondage, unaware that unforgiveness is a spiritual stronghold blocking their healing, peace, and deliverance.

Forgiveness isn't always easy, especially when the pain cuts deep. But Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18), and that healing often begins with choosing to forgive. Whether the wound came from betrayal, abuse, neglect, or rejection, the key to moving forward lies in mercy, grace, and love—the very character of God.

The Biblical Mandate to Forgive

Scripture does not leave forgiveness as an option for followers of Christ. In fact, forgiveness is a requirement. Jesus said in Matthew 6:14–15 (NIV):

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

This passage should stop us in our tracks. It reveals a powerful spiritual law: God ties His forgiveness of us to our forgiveness of others. Harboring unforgiveness becomes a wall between us and the Father. It hinders our prayers, obstructs our spiritual growth, and invites spiritual torment.

The Hidden Cost of Unforgiveness

Unforgiveness is not just a private emotion; it is a spiritual toxin. Hebrews 12:15 warns:

“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Bitterness doesn’t stay contained. It spreads. It poisons not just the one who holds it, but those around them—defiling relationships, distorting perception, and even affecting physical health. Emotional turmoil can manifest in anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Studies, as well as Christian health ministries, have shown that long-term bitterness can suppress immune function and increase susceptibility to disease. Spiritually, bitterness gives legal access to the enemy.

When we do not forgive, we enter into a kind of communion with bitterness. Just as communion with Christ brings life, communion with bitterness brings death—spiritually, emotionally, and sometimes physically. It becomes a spiritual agreement with darkness. Instead of fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit, we become entangled with a demonic stronghold that feeds on unresolved offense.

Ephesians 4:26–27 puts it plainly:

“In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

That foothold becomes a stronghold when anger and offense are nurtured instead of released. We may feel justified, but the enemy doesn’t play fair. Bitterness, when nurtured, becomes a partner with spirits of anger, division, and torment.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18:21–35 is one of the clearest illustrations of the consequences of unforgiveness. A servant is forgiven a great debt by his master but refuses to forgive a smaller debt owed to him by a fellow servant. The master, enraged by the servant’s lack of mercy, hands him over to the tormentors.

Jesus concludes:

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (v. 35)

The term tormentors is sobering. In the spiritual realm, unforgiveness opens doors to torment—mental anguish, depression, and demonic oppression. Deliverance ministers often encounter individuals who cannot receive freedom until they release the person who hurt them.

When we hold onto bitterness, we become spiritually entangled with the one who wounded us. It’s like carrying them on your back—reliving the moment repeatedly, replaying the offense, rehearsing the pain. Peace vanishes. Sleep becomes restless. Relationships suffer. And all the while, the enemy whispers lies that justify our bitterness and keep us bound.

The Science Behind the Spirit

Even science confirms what Scripture has long taught. Studies on unforgiveness and bitterness reveal biological effects—stress hormones increase, immune systems weaken, and diseases like cancer and heart problems may be more likely to develop. Unforgiveness can activate epigenetic switches that negatively influence our DNA.

When we refuse to forgive, we literally put out the wrong chemicals in our bodies—stress, cortisol, and adrenaline—all of which can contribute to disease when chronically elevated. As Dr. Henry Wright of Be in Health ministries teaches, spiritual sin can impact physical health. And bitterness is a primary root behind many diseases.

Forgiveness: The Gateway to Healing and Deliverance

Forgiveness is often the number one block to healing and deliverance. When a person chooses to forgive from the heart, it’s like unlocking a prison door—releasing not only the offender, but also the offended. Physical healings, emotional restoration, and spiritual breakthroughs often follow genuine forgiveness.

Mark 11:25 (NIV) says:

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

God’s mercy flows freely when we align our hearts with His. Forgiveness is not about forgetting or excusing evil. It is about choosing freedom over bondage. It’s about giving God the gavel and allowing Him to be the righteous Judge.

Romans 12:19 reminds us:

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Forgiveness Is a Choice, Not a Feeling

One of the biggest lies the enemy tells is that we have to feel like forgiving. But feelings often lag behind obedience. Biblical forgiveness is a decision of the will. It’s a choice to say, “God, I trust You more than I trust my pain.”

Colossians 3:13 (NIV) instructs:

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Jesus didn't wait for us to ask before He offered forgiveness on the cross. He forgave while they mocked Him, while they nailed Him down.

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Can we do any less?

A Personal Story of Freedom

I once carried deep unforgiveness toward someone who betrayed me. I prayed for healing, but my prayers seemed to hit a ceiling. Peace eluded me. One night, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, "You are in communion with bitterness. Let it go."

I broke down. Through tears, I forgave—truly forgave. And almost instantly, a weight lifted. That night, I slept peacefully for the first time in months. Healing began. My relationship with God was restored, and the torment left.

Practical Steps to Forgive

1. Acknowledge the Pain: Be honest with God about what happened. He already knows. Denial delays healing.

2. Make the Decision to Forgive: Speak it out loud or in prayer: “Father, I choose to forgive [name] for [offense]. I release them into Your hands.”

3. Repent for Holding Bitterness: Ask God to cleanse your heart of all resentment. He is faithful to forgive.

4. Invite the Holy Spirit to Heal You: Emotional wounds can take time to heal. Ask for comfort and restoration.

5. Bless Your Offender: Jesus commanded, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). This disarms the enemy and shifts your heart toward compassion.

6. Repeat if Necessary: Forgiveness is often layered. As deeper hurts surface, choose to forgive again.

Communion with Christ, Not Bitterness

Every day, we choose who we will commune with: Jesus, the Prince of Peace—or bitterness, the root of torment. Bitterness is a counterfeit communion. It consumes the mind, distorts the heart, and partners with darkness.

Jesus said in John 14:30:

“The prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me.”

Why did Satan have no foothold? Because there was no sin or unforgiveness in Jesus. We too must live clean, free from the snares of bitterness, so that the enemy has nothing in us.

Freedom Is on the Other Side

Forgiveness is the bridge between bondage and breakthrough. It is not weakness—it is supernatural strength. It does not mean reconciliation is always possible. It doesn’t mean trusting someone who has repeatedly harmed you. But it means releasing them from judgment and letting God be God.

If you struggle with unforgiveness, remember: You are not alone. Philippians 2:13 encourages:

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.”

He will give you the grace to forgive. As you let go of the offense, you will find that the prison you unlocked was your own.

Choose today to end communion with bitterness—and enter into true communion with Christ. The healing you long for is just on the other side of forgiveness.

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Symptoms of Unforgiveness

The Silent Destroyer: How Bitterness and Unforgiveness Open Doors to Mental Torment and Spiritual Bondage 

Symptoms of Bitterness

Bitterness is a deeply rooted spiritual and emotional toxin. It often begins as a smoldering resentment—a response to being wounded or wronged. Left unchecked, bitterness can morph into judgment, cruelty, gossip, and even violence, whether through words or actions.

Bitter people tend to dwell on what was done to them, replaying offenses over and over in their minds. This behavior can manifest as chronic complaining, self-pity, passive-aggressive responses, or even physical violence. Bitterness is not just a feeling—it becomes a spiritual stronghold that gives the enemy legal access to torment the soul.

The Victim Mentality and Emotional Bondage

Many who struggle with bitterness live in a victim mindset. They rehearse their stories of hurt, seeking sympathy or validation rather than healing. This fosters a spirit of self-pity and can attract more rejection, keeping them in cycles of pain. Bitterness feeds on unforgiveness, creating an internal prison from which many cannot escape.

Bitterness doesn’t stay passive. It fuels long-term mismanagement of anger, frustration, and irritation, which eventually wears down mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Psychological research supports that unresolved anger and hostility are common roots of many mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and paranoia.

When Bitterness Becomes Mental Torment

Bitterness distorts perception. People tormented by it may have exaggerated negative thoughts or irrational fears. Some become isolated, distrustful, or even paranoid. In deliverance ministry, we’ve seen that persistent unforgiveness often correlates with spirits of fear, suspicion, and mental torment.

For example, a woman with prophetic gifting began misreading others due to her unresolved bitterness. Her spiritual discernment was clouded by paranoia, leading to broken relationships and spiritual confusion. This is how the enemy uses bitterness to fracture the community, distort reality, and isolate believers.

Bitterness Within Families and Churches

The sting of bitterness often strikes hardest in families. Bitter individuals frequently lash out at those closest to them—siblings, spouses, or parents. Their wounds fester in silence or explode in rage. Sadly, these patterns often carry over into churches. A person who cannot forgive a family member may also hold grudges against fellow believers, leading to disconnection from the Body of Christ.

Some even withdraw completely, cutting themselves off from people out of fear of being hurt again. They may start “throwaway relationships” online, easily discarding others at the first sign of disagreement.

Bitterness Affects Your Walk with God

Bitterness and unforgiveness separate us from God. Scripture is clear:

“But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:15)

God cannot fellowship with unrepentant sin. When someone refuses to forgive, it hinders their prayers, blocks blessings, and removes divine protection.

Physical Manifestations of Bitterness

Bitterness often has physical consequences. It can lead to sleep problems, digestive issues, high blood pressure, and immune dysfunction. People may experience chest pains, migraines, or chronic fatigue rooted in internal stress and resentment.

In deliverance, we've ministered to many who harm themselves—cutting, burning, or sabotaging their own lives—because they’ve never dealt with the root of unforgiveness. When asked, nearly all admitted to harboring bitterness toward someone who wounded them in childhood.

Warning Signs of Bitterness

You may be dealing with bitterness if you:

• Feel a “ping” in your heart when someone’s name is mentioned.

• Rehearse the offense in your mind repeatedly.

• Gossip or share the offense to gain attention or sympathy.

• Get angry, cry, or withdraw when facing someone who hurt you.

• Feel coldness or disgust around certain people or groups.

• Constantly seek validation through retelling your pain.

How to Be Free from Bitterness

There is hope. Jesus came to free the captives (Luke 4:18), and bitterness is one of the chains He wants to break in your life.

1. Forgive from the Heart

Forgiveness is not a feeling—it’s a choice. It’s not excusing what was done, but choosing to release the debt.

2. Confess and Repent

Admit the sin of bitterness and ask God to cleanse your heart. Choose to walk in love and trust Him with justice.

3. Renounce the Spirit of Bitterness

In Jesus’ name, renounce the spirit of bitterness and any related spirits (anger, rejection, fear, gossip). Command them to leave.

4. Fill the Void with God's Presence

After deliverance, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with peace, love, and joy. Spend time in worship, Scripture, and prayer.

5. Get Help if You Need It

You don’t have to walk this out alone. Touch of God Ministries offers personal and group deliverance ministry to help you heal.

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📘 Free Resource to Help You Get Free

Download our FREE book: Unraveling Deliverance
Discover how to break free from emotional torment, bitterness, and spiritual bondage.
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Website: https://www.touchofgod.org
Join us for Prayer and Intercession

Traci Morin, speaker, minister, anxiety coach, teacher of deliverance, Who's Who of America
Touch of God International Ministries - a Christian Healing and Deliverance Ministry - Setting the Captives Free from demonic curses

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Jump Off The Merry-Go-Round:
Five proven steps to conquer unwanted thoughts of worry and shame that drive anxiety and depression to fulfill your potential

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by Teresa Morin, and digital downloadable book PDF - no shipping address is needed. 

This eBook is one of Teresa's most popular publications, available as a free download.

• Let go of shame, worry, and fear
• Get freedom from the enemy’s lies
• Let go of the past pain, hurts, and trauma
• Learn specific anti-anxiety tools
• Cultivate Christ-centered confidence and become your most authentic self again

You will be taken to another website to download.

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Other Articles

• What is the Occult

• Breaking Generational Curses

• Breaking Poverty Mindset

• Why Christians Complicate Deliverance?

• Why Demons do not expel

• A warfare prayer to fight off spiritual witchcraft attacks

• What is the difference between Division and Divine Inspiration?

• Exposing the truth of Yoga and why, even if they call it Christian Yoga, cannot be Christian

• A closer look at new age meditation and the risks of infestation

• Uncovering the Truth about Kaballah -

• Stopping the seducing spirit of Jezebel

• The Power of Deliverance that Breaks the Chains that is holding you back

• Familiar Spirits are not your friend

• Signs there is demonic intrusion in your home

• How to do a Home Cleansing Ritual from Demonic Intrusion?

• Home Cleansing Prayer

• Asmodeus Destroyer of Men - Lust Demon

• The Seven Biblical Curses Listed in the Bible

• Kundalini Awakening Symptoms - Overview of Kundalini

• Breaking Self-Imposed Curses Over Yourself?

• Examples of Arrested Development Disorder - You may need deliverance

• The Origins of Halloween and Why Christians Should Not Celebrate Hallo

• What does the bible say about forgiveness - Define Biblical Forgiveness

• List of Sexual Sins

• Do you have a deaf and dumb spirit on you?

• Can the Enemy Read your Mind?

• Explain the Law of Attraction and why It is Not Biblical?

• What is it and Exposing the Spirit of Baal

• Learn the Origion of Reflexology and Don't do it

• What are other portals and gates?

• You don't want anyone tapping your forhead since it opens up the 3rd eyes and so does wrong type of meditation

• Exposing the roots of biofeedback

• Pray against the Python Spirit

• Exposing Contemplative Prayer of New Age Sneaked Into the Church

• Are there real vampires around us?

• How to break mind control

• Four types of curses

• Exposing the Roots of Reiki - It is an energy healing (demonic)

• Seven principalities of the air

• Indian Curses

• Exposing the movement of the new age medicine

• Praying to the Dead is Necromancy

• Learn how deceptive soaking prayer is?

• The Dangers of Theophostic Prayer - Learn its roots

• Learn the Truth of Theophostic Prayer

• Learn the meaning of doublemindedness and why a person struggles with it?

• Plagued by Incubus or Succubus spirits at night?

• False Burden Bearing - Stop Carrying the Weight and Why Some Struggle with It?

• The Spirit of Heaviness and Oppression - You may need deliverance

• What is a spiritual stronghold

• Removing Spiritual Strongholds of the Mind

• Prayers to Break Strongholds of the Mind

• Asmodeus Destroyer of Men - Lust Demon

• Are you accident-prone? Learn why

• 12 Causes of Afflictions

• Doterra Oils - Not God's Way to Heal

• Cranial Sacral Therapy is Based on New Age God Aka

• Explanation of a Bastard Curse and How it Affects Your Life

• The Dangers of Breathing Exercises during Mantras

• Learn How Inner Vows and Judgments are Powerful and Set Negative Things in Motion

• What is Silva Mind Control?

• The Truth behind Mardi Gras

• Why Christians should not read Harry Potter Books

• See How Easter Came About and Perverted the Ressurection of Christ

• Understand the Spiritual Roots of Dungeon and Dragons

• Should we pray to Mary? What does the bible say?

• Understanding the Universal Energies of the New Age Movement

• Applied Kinesiology Debunked

• Acupuncture Debunked

• Aromatherapy Oils Therapy

• Magnetic Therapy

• What Does the Bible say about medium

• History of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

• Homeopathy History

• History of Karate

• Tae Kwon Do History

• Is Feng Shui Evil?

• Tai Chi for Christians?

• Acupressure Roots

• Chinese Medicine

• Christian Spiritual Warfare Prayer Against Witchcraft

• Five Steps to Self Deliverance Scriptures

• Prayers to pray over your children going to college

• Combating Witchcraft Attacks and Curses

• Silver Cords and Ley Lines - what are they?

Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?

First of all, we need to realize there is an enemy, "satan," and his effort is to capture the minds of men and women and their souls through spiritual strongholds. The mind is the strong tower of the soul.

Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the mind rules our hearts and emotions and directs our lives. Satan knows if he can get hold of the way we think, he can expand his rule into every other area of our life.

Prov. 23:7 "for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Satan wants to control your thoughts in the conscious mind but also your motives and thoughts in our subconscious minds.

II Corinthians 10:3-5 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses/storngholds. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

What is a fortress/stronghold? It is a walled city with access to its water supply and plenty of storage space for food. The enemy attacks with warfare against fortresses. When trying to break into a fortress, the enemy will dig under walls, climb over walls, bust down the main door, or whatever to get entrance by hurling bounders against the walls and firebombs over the walls.

Paul uses this knowledge to describe the attack needed against the spiritual strongholds of the mind. We can destroy every stronghold because our weapons are eternal and invincible.

The enemy tries to break in with lying thoughts, negative thoughts from others, or feelings that have developed a life of their own within us. We were created in the image of God, but somehow we believe what others have said, what satan says, the accuser or ourselves believes the opposite of God, and that is what a stronghold is. It is a thought or belief that is not true about you, but you believe it.

An individual stronghold is more than a habit. It is a belief of fleshly control within us that uses habits to maintain control over us. Like for example, through belief or feeling, a habit of temper can develop to defend or cover up the insecurity or jealousy of wants, believing God does not want you to be blessed, or developing alcoholism to cover up the pain you are not loved. God's word says you are the apple of his eye.

These strongholds are the fortresses of thought, emotion, feeling, or negative belief about self or what God says about you.

The function of a stronghold is to put up smoke screens to keep things like sermons, teachings, and counseling from piercing our inner man with truths that could bring repentance and freedom.

A stronghold guards the untruths that bond us to self and the flesh. It keeps you from being able to renew the mind from seeing your own deceptions.

Strongholds give us tunnel vision, preventing us from seeing what common sense would tell us is wrong. It creates an inner captivity to deception and misery.

Again, the central core of strongholds are lies the enemy wants you to believe in, getting you to believe they are true about you.

God does not want your past to hold you back! God has made a way out, a way to unpack your bags of grief, pain, unforgiveness, guilt, shame, or even old patterns of relating.

Keywords: strongholds, demons, deliverance, possession, evil spirits, exorcism, casting out demons, deliverance ministry, questions, faq, spiritual strongholds, legal grounds, deliverances

by: Traci Morin

Silva Mind Control 

(Silva Method)*Christian or New Age Mind Cult?
The Silva Method (formerly Silva Mind Control [SMC]) was developed by José
Silva. Over six million students in 71 countries have taken the Silva
International courses (formerly Silva Mind Control International). (One
Silva's goal is to have the Silva Method course taught to all

school children in grade school and college.) He claims that anyone taking his 48-hour (four-day) course will develop psychic powers. A student is shown how to enter an altered state of
consciousness and, in that state, is taught how to tap into "higher intelligence in the universe." The student is taught how to function psychically and clairvoyantly and invites counselors, or psychic guides, into his mind to help him with his problems. By the third day of the course, students are supposed to be able to operate psychically enough to project their awareness outside of their bodies, i.e., have out-of-body experiences. Their minds are believed to be able to tap into any source in the universe for information, including the minds of other men, alive or dead.

Silva's Method uses visualization and guided imagery quite heavily; both
have long been recognized by sorcerers as the most
powerful and effective methodology for contacting the spirit world to acquire supernatural power, knowledge, and healing. This sort of thing has been going on throughout history. It's known as "shamanism" or witchcraft. Yet, Silva claims that God sent Jesus to teach us all 
this!

Obviously, the Silva Method is little more than a New Age psychological
mind control technique rather than a cultic system of teaching with
readily identifiable followers. Nevertheless, it does have spiritual
underpinnings (see Silva's book Keys to the Kingdom), and it considers itself Christian in many ways. Below are the highlights of what Silva Mind Control/Silva Method teaches concerning its source of authority, Christ, sin, salvation, the Holy Spirit, and prayer:

1. Source of Authority. The authority for the Silva Method student is José
Silva and his official publication, THE SILVA METHOD.

2. Jesus Christ. The Silva Method teaches that Jesus did miracles in
the same way that the Silva Method teaches its students. The Bible
teaches that Jesus was not doing miracles by mind over matter. He did them by the power of His Father. Silva's Method fails to differentiate between
the miraculous, genuine supernatural power of God and that which man
attributes to his own mind, which is nothing more than the usurping of the
authority of God and trying to be little gods themselves.

Silva Method also teaches that "Rabbi Jesus was assigned by Almighty
God of the Universe to Planet Earth to teach humanity, in a step-by-step
procedure, how to look for and find what is called the kingdom of God
within us all. ... Jesus came to give us a message to correct the
problem of human development on this planet because Moses didn't do it and
Noah didn't do it, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob didn't ... Zoroaster, Krishna,
Buddha, Mohammed didn't do it. So Jesus finally came to straighten out
their mess and problem ..." Silva says that Jesus said that we are to go
into an alpha state (an altered state of consciousness) with our spirit
guides, thus gaining the psychic powers necessary to correct the human
situation. (Silva also says, "Jesus is not coming back, so we've got to
do it. But He gave us the keys; He gave us the message. Look inside;
find this power; you've got the power, and you can make Earth 'paradise
earth.'")

3. Sin. Silva denies original sin and sees only "problems to be
solved." Silva teaches that the present is a process of materializing
thoughts, while the future is composed of conceived thoughts not yet
materialized. He talks about being able to prophesy, a process of projecting into
thought patterns to see if we can detect information that can help us
solve problems. According to the Silva Method, this information is for
no other thing than for solving problems -- "to make this planet a
better world to live in. ... if you get information to solve problems, where
people are suffering, and you do alleviate that suffering and you
correct the problem, who cares where the information comes from? The idea is
to get it any way you can to stop a problem and forget everything else."
Silva's done away with the blood of Jesus Christ; he's done away with the
sacrificial death of Christ for our sins. According to the Silva
Method, it's not a sin problem anymore; it's ignorance!

4. Salvation. Since Silva believes that we have been sent to the planet
to solve problems (i.e., "to convert this planet into a paradise"),
salvation is earned by one's success in problem-solving. The emphasis is
one of total pragmatism. But just the fact that one is solving problems
does not answer whether an activity is right or pleasing to God. "Positive" results can occur through the occult or psychic worlds.

Being "born again" also has a unique meaning for Silva Method
practitioners: "When we enter the kingdom of heaven, once there, we become
centered and have access to the use of the right brain hemisphere ... This
would truly be the concept of being born again ... being 'born again.'
means, 'Go back and retrace your steps and use the right

brain hemisphere like you did when you were born.' ... when you
use both brain hemispheres, that is really being born again."
Silva sums up what salvation is not in the Silva Method: "Somebody who
died 1,900 years ago or 2,000 years ago, his blood cleansing us from sin
and so forth, that doesn't help solve problems today." Salvation for
Silva leads the lost away from the sacrifice of Christ for their sins
upon the cross. They don't need that anymore. All they require is alpha in
the right brain.

The message of the Silva Method is one of complete rejection of the
redemptive work of Jesus Christ upon the cross, i.e., a claim that we have
power within us. Silva overlooks the central problem of evil in the
human heart, the sinful nature of man, to which Jesus specifically said, "I
come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." One hears no
repentance from Silva, no acknowledgment of any real guilt. Instead,
it's just something that's a state of mind that you can get rid of by
going into your alpha level.

5. Holy Spirit. In the Silva Method, the Holy Spirit is a "dimension
that we can create -- a state of mind to enter it and make use of it for
problem-solving situations. ... We were sent to do a work for God --
help God with creation in thinking of His creatures."

Rather than the Holy Spirit as Counselor, on the third day of Silva
Method training, students are asked to pick two counselors. The lecturer
explains how to invoke them. In the last session, during meditation,
two counselors appear in the laboratory of the student's mind and are available from that point on whenever the student needs them.

 
Silva says that you consult your counselors anytime you find yourself with a problem and 

do not know what to do next: "They are here
to do the work for you; they are here to help you evolve ... become ...
as good as they are, whoever they are." This, of course, is spiritism;
and the nature of spiritism is ultimately demonic. One can hear the
same things from mediums and spiritists who talk to their advisors or
their spirit guides or counselors, all of which is prohibited by Scripture
(cf. Deut. 18).

6. Prayer. For Silva, praying is psychic -- the use of mind: "... we're
praying; we're using psychic systems to pray, to visualize ... imagine
what's to happen, and believe that you already have it and you shall
receive it." (Sounds like the "name-it-and-claim-it" teaching of the
Positive Confession movement.)

Touch of God International Ministries - a Christian Healing and Deliverance Ministry - setting captives free

Spiritual Dangers of Meditation

Meditation ~ Meditation is a mental discipline that induces total relaxation and inner harmony [and an altered state of consciousness]. Various techniques involve focusing the mind on an object or activity. In Eastern societies it is used as a means of spiritual enlightenment. In Western societies, it tends to be used to deal with stress...Meditation is a state of heightened mental awareness. Meditation is ... in the world's major religions, including Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. Meditation was mainly introduced to the West through Indian Yoga practices brought to England in the 19th century...Meditation involves withdrawing from external reality and achieving deep relaxation. [21]

MANTRA MEDITATION: A word or phrase that is continually repeated. It may be recited aloud or in silence. It may be a positive statement or relate to personal beliefs. [Note: Wilkinson's 'Prayer of Jabez' falls in this category, although it is once daily]

ROSARIES: Rosary beads may be used in the meditation process to count repetitions.

TIBETAN PRAYER WHEEL: Each rotation of this cylinder will stand for one recitation of a mantra.

OM: A sacred mantra widely used in meditation, particularly with yoga [Note: Om signifies the Hindu pagan trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.]

BREATH AWARENESS: Focus your attention on your breathing. You think of a peaceful world with each outward breath. [22] [Note: Bill Bright and many others endorse spiritual breathing]

by: Traci Morin