How to heal from spiritual attacks.

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Spiritual attacks are often associated with that of the Christian faith. However, if you’re spiritual at all, no matter which Gods or deities you believe in, you can succumb to spiritual warfare.

As a young child, I was brought up in a Christian household but abandoned the faith early in my teenage years. Religion had left a sour taste in my mouth for a variety of reasons, the conflict surrounding it being just one. For a while, I proclaimed Athisim, then Agnostic and finally I attempted to explore other religions. It wasn’t until my early twenties that I finally found my place. I bought Tarot decks, books about paganism and Wicca, crystals, herbs, etc. There was no doubt that my place was meant to be within a spiritual void. No particular label, no badge to wear; Just being.

“You can be spiritual without believing in a higher power or praying to one God. Something as simple as believing in positive and negative energies can be spiritual.”

*I’m going to speak from my own point of view. I’ll be using my own belief system as a basis throughout, however, please feel free to take this and fit it to your own belief. There are no wrong answers, nor am I here to belittle anyone else’s faith. Please be respectful of other religions, belief systems, etc within the comment section. I’d also like to note that I fully believe that mental illness isn’t solely related to our spiritual life. There is no doubt that our brain chemistry, environment, etc can impact our mental health. However, so can our spiritual beliefs.

What do we mean by spiritual attacks and what are the symptoms?

Spiritual attacks refer to an attack on our spiritual belief system, no matter what that may be. They can come in the form of negative energies, demonic forces, Satan, etc. It depends wholly on your own belief system. If you’re a practicing Christian, for example, you may believe in Satan and demonic forces. If you’re within the spiritual void, like me, then you might believe in negative energies. Although seeming different, they’re the same in principle.

Symptoms of such attacks are similar to mental illness and some even consider mental illness an outcome of spiritual attacks. I’m of the belief that mental illness can be both scientific (i.e brain chemistry, environmental, genetics etc) and spiritual. If you’re suddenly suffering from depression or anxiety, it may be due in part to spiritual warfare.

Symptoms are thought to include:

• Feeling overwhelmed and helpless.
• The resurfacing of old, unhealthy/damaging habits.
• Frustration with your life.
• Lack of inner peace.
• Fatigue and general sluggishness.

How you experience a spiritual attack can be different from how someone else. It’s important that we don’t invalidate someone else’s experience just because it’s different from ours.

Spiritual attack or mental illness? Why not both!

There’s no doubt in my mind that mental illness can be both medical and a sign of spiritual attack. I fully believe that my environment, brain chemistry, and experience as a child encouraged the onset of a dangerous eating disorder and co-morbid conditions.

Do I also believe these conditions could be exacerbated by a spiritual attack? Yes.

In my early twenties, I found my way into what I call the spiritual void. I was in my own home, could collect and display crystals and deities. There was room for a small alter and my parents weren’t there to control or reprimand my religious beliefs. Most of all I was able to find people in my social circle with similar beliefs and who would ultimately encourage me in those beliefs. At this time I was in a ‘quasi-recovered’ and stable place in my mental illness. I was a healthy weight, I was only mildly aware of my anxiety and the depression only reared it’s head a few times a year. Even the urge to self-harm was largely under control.

Then I graduated from university and started to look for a job more suited to my field. 2017 was the year I let my faith lapse. I packed up my alter, rarely looked at my crystals and cards, and was thrust into a high-pressure environment predominately ruled by male energy. My self-care lapsed, my self-doubt rose and just 12 months later I was at the lowest weight I’d ever been as an adult.

You can read more about my journey with anorexia nervosa throughout the blog. Start with my 10 Day’s of Recovery series.

“Had I had the grounding and support offered by spirituality, I may have felt better able to cope with external stressors.”

In times of trouble I’ve witnessed many people in my life flee to religion or spirituality. When someone passes on it offers a light within the grief. If feeling overwhelmed or struggling, spirituality can offer grounding and even mutual support within a like minded community. After the passing of my grandparents in 2019, I hesitantly approached my old practices in the hope of finding some sort of relief for the pain I felt. I started working with the cards again, joined various groups and returned to celebrating the sabbaths. Although I’m not the perfect spiritualist, nor am I the poster child for Paganism or Wiccan, I often reach out to the Gods for their guidance and protection. To some it might seem silly but to me it brings a welcome light into my otherwise chaotic life.

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Top 3 ways to fend off and recover from spiritual attacks.

Protection Items.

Many items can be protected to ward off the presence of evil or ‘negative’ energy. This can be done using symbols, wards, stones, or blessings, to name a few.

The I AM BAND is just one such protection item. Founder, Sky Richards, created the band with the help of various spiritual leaders in an attempt to resolve his own spiritual attacks. To his luck, it worked and he wanted to ensure others had the same opportunity. It’s a protective and symbolic band that aims to shield the wearer from negative energies. By doing so it allows the wearer to live a more positive life, free from draining spiritual attacks.

Benefits of the I AM BAND:

• Blocks negative energies. Through using the band consistently over a number of weeks, negative thoughts will begin to hold less power. Users of I Am Band have reported a decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms. Of course, this should be used alongside traditional medications and self-care.
• Wards of negative, spiritual attacks. Many of us can suffer from spiritual attacks, negative energy, difficult people, etc. This band protects against such attacks and any harmful energy sent your way.
• Creates positive energy. While the band blocks negative energy it makes room for positive energy to grow.
• Boosts health. With positive energy comes a boost in our overall health and wellbeing. We begin to feel mentally clearer and many ailments brought on by stress can begin to shift.

Crystals.

Crystals all have a vibrational energy determined by the type of crystal. They have a variety of uses including protection, healing, grounding, spiritual awakening, psychic abilities, alignment of chakras etc. I personally keep a large quality of stones in my office at all times and often wear a Malachite around my neck. I’ve also been known to wear Tigers Eye, Rose Quartz and Jet, all charged under the full moon.

Common protection crystals:

• Black Tourmaline.
• Quartz.
• Jet.
• Amethyst.
• Malachite.

Smudging.

This has been pacticed throughout many religions for centuries. Smudging is normally performed through the act of burning herbs such as dried sage or bay leaves. Although usually associated with Wicca and Paganism, it’s been practiced by the Greeks, Romans, Hindus, Celts and Native Americans as a way to ward off spiritual attacks and negative energy.

If you would like to try a smudging ritual all you have to do is get your hands of some dried sage or bay. You can buy these already made up from any spiritual store, or you can make your own. Light the bundle (carefully) and wave around each room of your home. Make sure to go right to the corners to ensure the nasty energy is unable to hide. The act of the smoke swirling in the air will ward off any negativity or spirits lingering in the area.

While smudging be careful of overburning the dried leaves. It’s not only ineffective but a significant fire hazard. Smudging should only be performed by a capable adult.

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I’d love to hear your own opinions and experiences in the comment box below. Have you had an experience with spiritual attacks? How have you recovered or warded off such attacks?

This has been a very enjoyable article to both research and write. It’s allowed me to explore and discuss more about my own spiritual beliefs, and I would love to incorporate them more into my blog going forward.