 Horror/Scary: September 13, 2006 Issue [#1251] |
  Horror/Scary
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The belief that a supernatural entity or force can take control of a person’s body or mind is a truly disturbing thought. Malevolent spirit possession has been the topic of a number of horror films and – to a lesser degree – books. It’s a vast subject, and one that is featured in many of the world’s religions as well as ancient myths and legends. Some cultures believe that demonic possession is not limited to people, and tales are told of animals, plants and even inanimate objects becoming affected. Possession offers a wonderful source of material for the horror writer, and it’s the subject of this newsletter.
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The idea that gods, demons and other entities from the supernatural world have the ability to temporarily take control of the human body and cause an obvious change in the individual’s behaviour is called Possession. This concept is featured in many ancient myths and legends, and is a feature of some religions and creeds. In most instances this is referred to as Spiritual Possession. Wiccans refer to it as Drawing down the moon whilst Shamanic, Hindu and Buddist faiths call it Invocation. Christians call Spiritual Possession Baptism with the Holy Spirit. But there is another form of Possession, and it’s the feature of this newsletter.
When one or more demons enter a person’s body with the intention of using it for an evil or destructive purpose it’s known as Demonic Possession. The demon can also use a dead human body, an animal or an inanimate object to carry out its evil wishes, which may take several forms. Perhaps the demon wants to harm another person, or perhaps it wants to punish the person it possesses for failing to meet his or her side of a bargain. It may want to “test” the subject it possesses before using him or her to achieve its objective. Or maybe it wants to take control over an organisation or idea that could affect every single person living on the planet… many good horror stories have featured mind or thought control. Who’s to say that evil isn’t behind teaching us to think in a certain way?
In Stephen King’s The Shining the lead character is slowly driven insane by the isolation of the remote hotel, the knowledge of his own failings and a supernatural, evil presence in the hotel. His son has the power of premonition, and can see the evil waiting to destroy his family.
There are a number of different ways that a person can (usually inadvertently) "invite" a demon to take possession of his/her body.
 The Ouija Board is carte blanche for a demon, even when the board is being used to find the answers to seemingly harmless questions, like the name of a future spouse. The main problem here is that those using the Ouija Board don’t actually know what is answering their questions, nor how powerful the being may be. Many bookstores no longer sell Ouija Boards because of their ability to act as a portal for evil.
People at a low point in their lives, who may be feeling depressed, sad or desperate may harbour a desire to hand over responsibility for their lives to someone else. Demons construe this as a sign of weakness, and the added appeal is that a weak character is easy to control. Someone may wish that a situation or a person who is making their life difficult didn’t exist, and if the desire is strong enough a demon will oblige, and make the wishes come true – but there’s always a heavy price to pay.
Recently a belief receiving attention is the thought that a person may become possessed during an organ transplant; receiving a portion of the donor’s spirit during surgery. If the donor was a murderer or an evil person in life then there’s no telling how much of the malignant nature is passed to the recipient. And how will the recipient act? What aspects of the donor's character may be transferred to the recipient, and how will these manifest?
In medieval times it was thought Satan could possess someone in two different ways; either directly into the victim or through collaboration with a person wishing to harm the victim – such as a wizard or a witch. The elderly, the poor and the disfigured members of medieval society were often the victims of possession by the Devil, who was usually summoned by someone wishing to own the possessed person’s home or other property. Widows were often targeted in this way. People afflicted with terrible deformities, particularly of the face, were believed by many to suffer from the Mark of the Devil. Consider the case of John Remick, also known as The Elephant Man in 19th century London. Despite his terrible appearance he was a gentle, intelligent man who suffered years of humiliating, degrading treatment at the hands of a suspicious public.
Jonathan Aycliffe’s The Talisman tells of a mysterious statue that winds up in the hero’s home while awaiting transport to a museum. The statue is an icon of Satan, and it begins to affect our hero’s family in disastrous ways, and continues to do so, even after it is taken to the museum.
Rolf Geiger, The Prodigy in Noel Hynd’s book of the same name, lives a charmed life. His skills as a pianist have earned him worldwide fame, fortune and the love of a beautiful woman. But genius has a price –about to start a world tour the vengeful spirit of his dead mentor Rabinowitz returns to torment him…
The lead character in Lawrence Block’s Ariel is driven to demonic jealousy by the arrival of her newborn baby brother. Her mischief slowly becomes a malevolent evil.
A person believed to be demonically possessed undergoes a complete change in behaviour. In fact the demonic entity may dominate the victim to such an extent that the person becomes the demon. Signs of possession may be a notable difference in character, taste, life-style and certain preferences that came out of blue - a person may begin to express cravings he never had before (for specific food, alcohol, drugs etc). The individual’s behaviour can change dramatically change for no obvious reason; he/she may completely change a circle of friends or interests in life. Sometimes the possessed person knows that something's wrong or different and be unable to do anything about it, while at other times friends may comment upon the dramatic changes. The afflicted person may also have wild mood swings.
In Michael Mareno’s Dawn Song the demons of Hell are struggling for ultimate power. One demon, a succubus that feeds on the souls of men she seduces, stages her campaign from the rooftops of Boston. As the battle rages on, its effects begin to reach far beyond Earth and into the realm of the eternal.
The church also believes a possessed person will undergo a change in personality, be knowledgeable about the future or other secret information and being able to understand and converse in languages not known by the victim prior to the possession. The church defines true signs of possession as displaying superhuman strength, often accompanied by fits and convulsions; changes in personality; having knowledge of the future or other secret information; and being able to understand and converse in languages not previously known to the victim. Other signs include: horrible smells such as bad body odour or sulphur (associated with hell), the practice of lewd/obscene acts, rapid weight loss so the victim appears close to death, distended stomachs and changes to the vocal range – a deep rasping and menacing tone is commonly described. A possessed person may exhibit signs of automatic writing or levitation, and have a violent reaction to any religious sign, such as a crucifix.
Science can explain many of these symptoms. Epilepsy can cause seizures and convulsions, while personality changes may be a result of schizophrenia or severe depression. A distended stomach is a sign of malnutrition, and could also indicate the presence of a tumour. Mental instability can cause a person to commit lewd/obscene acts.
Exorcism is the term used for “casting out” the demon, and is performed by an exorcist. Usually a priest or an individual blessed with special powers or skills, the exorcist often calls upon a benign supernatural being to remove the demon. The exorcist may use prayers and other religious material, such as symbols, amulets, icons and specific gestures. Most faiths that acknowledge Demonic Possession have different ways to approach exorcisms. Possessed person are not generally considered evil, neither are they thought to be responsible for their actions. It should be stipulated here that exorcism is NOT considered a punishment – it’s a cure.
W G Griffiths’ Driven is a Christian-themed horror novel in which a detective seeking to avenge his grandfather's death teams up with a computer hacker to track down a demon terrorizing New York.
In conclusion I want to say that the information contained in this newsletter covers the basics of Demonic Possession. There are many different approaches and beliefs about this subject, and I do believe there's a wealth of information for horror writers looking to craft a good story about Possession. The most famous book on this subject must be William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist, but there are other books about Possession, and all are worth reading. It could be said that Stephen King's Cujo, which tells the story of a loving family dog driven mad because of rabies, is also about Possession. In this case the possessor is not a demon; it's a disease. And there's no exorcism for this possession. The only cure is death.
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A brief and extremely visual description of possession, this poem is direct and to the point. Read it and “feel” your skin crawl as the poet paints a disturbing portrait of Possession
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| | Possession (18+)
In an asylum for the criminally insane, a young orderly discovers true possession...
#1028269 by W.D.Wilcox   |
This excellent story is so terrifying readers may want to leave their lights on after they’ve gone to bed. Or perhaps not – beware the blinking lights! A shocking and graphic story of possession, with some of the characters’ past crimes revisited by an entity that will do anything to take control of its victims.
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Writers with strong religious principles have found the Horror genre a difficult one, because so much of the time the stories and characters are in contradiction to their faiths. I believe this story is a good example of “Divine Justice”, and there is an Old Testament feeling to the plot… and the solution.
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A vision of a young child at a construction site causes the writer to research the history of the building being demolished. One man’s search for a relatively unknown piece of history and his discovery of its grisly past are well documented in this short, true story.
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#1136122 by Not Available. |
A serial killer selects her next target, and it’s a detective who knows all too well what she does to her victims. Will he be able to outwit her, or will he met the grisly death he’s seen inflicted upon others? This story explores the concept of fear when faced with a certain, terrible death.
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#1136225 by Not Available. |
In a post-apocalyptic world where darkness reigns one man learns the truth about his past while battling the forces of evil. How will he deal with his past when it confronts him? Graphic detail and good description make this a sobering reminder of what the future could hold for us.
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Learning to forgive oneself is the lesson of this story, which tells of a young girl facing a terrible crime committed when she was much younger. Another example of writing that shows that the worst acts of horror committed are often those we commit ourselves. A tale of forgiveness and redemption - could you confront and admit a crime against an innocent?
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#1146266 by Not Available. |
Reflecting some of the content of this newsletter this story tells of a young man who tries to break a deal made with a demon, and the consequences of his actions. This item is a good example of black humour.
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lightandshadow
Hi. Your newsletter touched me and I felt inclined to share my own story in brief. I will e-mail it to you as the word count exceeds the maximum word count for here.
Thank you for stopping by. I’m posting your letter here because you did promise you’d write this story for me, so this is a gentle reminder.
Rob 
You were correct; Child’s Play 3 was blamed for the horrific murder of Jamie Bulger, I live in England and it's a horrific thought that movies can make murderers of us. Keep up the good work.
I’ve only seen one of those series of films, and I actually thought it was silly, although that’s probably because it was the one where Chucky marries his doll girlfriend, Tiffany, and she produces “The Seed of Chucky”. However the notoriety of “Child’s Play 3” is enough to ensure I never see it.
dmack
 Hello Forever In Blue Jeans, I enjoyed the newsletter and am looking forward to reading Solitary Man's trilogy. Thanks for pointing it out. I would like you to take a look at "In the Attic" and let me know what you think. Does this story fit the Horror/Scary genre?
It most certainly does, and it’s a great example that horror isn’t necessarily about the supernatural, demons and the like. This kind of horror is real, and it’s all around us, and that’s why I chose to highlight the story. Thank you for submitting it. 
writeone
Thanks for the great newsletter! One way to know your characters intimately is to create a backstory on each one of them. The guy selling the newspapers on the corner is minor, but the cab driver who takes potential victims down the dark alley is huge. Take one page - or several - and create a history for these guys and gals. You don't have to tell your reader the cab driver really likes pale pink, but you need to know it to portray him accurately. Good luck!
I read about this a while ago, and I have to say I thought it was an excellent idea. It builds a relationship between the writer and his or her characters, because readers don’t necessarily have to know every single thing about a character’s personality. The things the writer knows about them, however – like your pink-loving taxi driver  – help develop a credible and believable personality. Thank you for sharing these thoughts with us!
billwilcox
Blue Jeans...
Just a fabulous explanation of characterization. Write On! 
Always wonderful to hear from you, billwilcox. Thank you for your support. Any surprises in store for us?
bazilbob
I just read a comment from last month, I had no idea they were doing a remake of the Wicker Man! With Nicolas Cage? Can't see it. Really can't. I recommend watching the original before the remake. Great newsletter btw, I def agree about using familiar settings and then injecting some fear, has more effect.
I've been thinking about writing in a genre I call mock horror. What do you think? Could it work?
The critics’ reviews have been kinder than the public ones, and perhaps people who’ve never seen the original might just enjoy it. I guess the original will now be issued in DVD format, so all those who’ve never seen it will get the chance to do so. And decide the remake is rubbish! Mock Horror? Sounds interesting, but perhaps not as good as the real thing! But it just might work – can you give us some more information?
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