The AURA and LURE of THE DEVIL
WHO is THE DEVIL
The Devil is many things to many people. Ask a person whom he/she believes the Devil to be and you will get different answers. There are people who view the Devil in strictly theological and supernatural terms. Others may see the Devil in metaphysical terms. Still some will perceive the Devil in metaphoric terms. Yet some will contend that the Devil is humankind at its most lowest, base, and negative behavior.
Many view the Devil as the total antithesis of God. What God is, the Devil definitely is not and vice versa. The Devil is abominable wickedness and evil. He/she is total disregard for morality and goodness. He/she is the cesspool of ethics. In the minds of many people, the Devil can do what God cannot and will not do.
From time immemorial, humans felt the need to have deities to explain events and occurrences that were beyond the scope of human understanding. There was a benevolent deity to explain the more positive aspects of life. So in the human mind, if there was a benevolent deity, there simply had to be a malevolent deity to rationalize the more heinous, horrific, and negative aspects of life. After all, there can be no benevolent deity without its diametrical opposite.
Humankind used malevolent spirits, demons, and/or devils to explain the discord and general imperfections of the world. Humankind furthermore used the concept of malevolent spirits, demons, and/or devil to project its less evolved and more negative persona. Humankind used the context of malevolent spirits, demons, and/or devils as a supernatural scapegoating measure. Since to assign negative attributes to benevolent deities would be considered to be irreverent at least and blasphemous at most, malevolent deities had to be constructed.
Humankind also designated its less desirable attributes to demons and/or the devil which represented the so-called lower aspects of their human nature while assigning to God and/or other benevolent entities the higher aspects of their human nature. There are some people who view human physical nature is the domain of the devil or other malevolent spirits. This explains why some Western religions deem the physical part of human nature to be sinful, even evil.
Religions and theological beliefs do not have a sole monopoly on the Devil, metaphysics and other non-traditional religions have beliefs on the Devil. Many non-traditional spiritualists see the Devil as the lowest and basest aspect of human consciousness. They also view the Devil not as an actual entity but as a projection of the negativity of individuals. They see the Devil is the symbolization of negativity and despair at its ebb.
There are other people who see the Devil is a symbol of release from the constraints of conventionality. To them, the Devil is the embodiment of life and physicality. They see the Devil as revelling in their physicality and living life at full tilt and without societal limits. According to them, the Devil is the representation of indulgence instead of restraint.
There are some who view the Devil, not as a spiritual nor supernatural entity. Instead, the Devil or devils are fellow human beings who refuse to access the best and highest levels of human consciousness. They are the ones who assert that evil is humankind's doing and has nothing to do with the supernatural. They contend that humankind elected to follow the lesser and lower path instead of taking responsibility and following the higher path to realization. Yes, in their minds, humankind is its own devil.
The Devil..........................as EVIL
The Devil embodies and represents the essence of evil in the human mind and psyche. For many people such evil is the subject of abject fear and loathing. In their minds, it is something that one must be ever vigilant against and wary of. They see the Devil as utterly repulsive and revolting spiritually and psychically. The Devil, to them, is an entity and subject that one must study to learn what pure evil is all about. They contend that the more one is cognizant of evil, the more prepared they are to counter and overcome such evil.
There are people who are fascinated by the Devil and evil. They see the Devil as a scapegoat and outsider. They see him/her as one who refuse to adhere to conventional and societal edicts and as a result of such, he/she is ostracized, even stigmatized by the majority. They are of the school that what is considered to be good and acceptable is stifling to them and their spirits. They further insist that conventional and societal notions of goodness and acceptability are anti-life and in fact, are highly restrictive to normal and natural human instincts. They see what is considered evil by conventions and society to be in fact conducive to human expression and development. What conventions and society consider to be evil is just simply being in touch with normal and healthy human needs.
There are some who know that the Devil is the true embodiment of evil. They really do not care, they are aware of such evil; however, they willingly embrace and follow it. They have an inverse psychology and ethical system. They really are unconcerned as to how their immoral actions harm others. They do not care about the laws and rules that guarantee a moral compass for society. They feel that such laws and rules are not for them. They have no regard nor concern for humanity. They are not above hurting or otherwise damaging others emotionally, mentally, psychologically, and even psychically as long as they achieve their ends. They are what one would call dark entities. They are truly evil but they do not care. They feel about the Devil the way most people feel about God.
The Devil as .................as THE FORBIDDEN and TABOO
To some people, the Devil is the forbidden and taboo. The Devil is allowed to do things which are considered to be off limits according to religious and societal scripts. One is routinely told if he/she wants to be proper, the particular religious and societal scripts must be adhered to. However, there is something delicious about doing what one is instructed not to do. Doing something that is so-called forbidden and taboo gives one a rush. It also tests and pushes the limits of what is considered to be acceptable and approved behavior.
The Devil has always been associated with what is off limits and forbidden. He/she is considered to be quite improper and risque to say the least. Many people perceive the Devil to be the embracer of taboos and what is generally considered to be prohibited. While there are some quite apprehensive and deathly afraid to go beyond what is acceptable and always fulling rules and precepts, others casts such rules to the wind, electing to fully revel in doing what is said to be prohibited.
Others fully argue that one should explore all aspects of life and what is considered to be forbidden and taboo is only a societal control mechanism. They reason how can one grow and know what it really for them if they follow the constraints of society. They, like the Devil, strongly insist that there is nothing that is forbidden and taboo. They contend that one must explore as much as possible for that makes a wiser and more evolved person. They maintain that how can one grow if he/she always does what he/she is told.
The Devil............................as DARKNESS
The Devil is not the the symbol of darkness for nothing. In fact, the Devil is known to many as the Prince of Darkness. The Devil is the epitome of all that is darkness emotionally, mentally, psychologically, even psychically. He/she, according to theological and mythical concepts, is quite at ease and at home in the dark. Darkness embodies the infernal nature of the Devil and for he/she stands for.
To many people, the Devil is darkness and is something to be feared. Throughout time, it has been said and was commonplace for the Devil to be active at night. Nighttime has a very close association with the Devil. This is why in ancient times, people were extremely wary to go out after it has become dark for it was known that the Devil and other nefarious creatures travelled at night. There are still some people who see the night as demonic.
The Devil not only represents darkness in its physical form, it represents darkness in its psychological form. The Devil has regularly been associated with negativity. According to many metaphysicians, people with a lot of negativity have a tendency to attract forms of negativity which includes the Devil and other malevolent beings. To some people, the Devil is not a supernatural entity but a psychological projection of pure, abject despair and a feeling of hopelessness. To them, the Devil would be described a pitch, bottomless black from which there is little or no respite.
The Devil as ........................ULTIMATE REBEL
The Devil, to a few people, is the rebel of all rebels. He/she believes in living life truly on his/her terms, not intending to answer to anyone. He/she also represents utter individuality and never conforming to what others want him/her to be. There are those to whom the Devil symbolize total freedom to be the individual they were meant to be.
The Devil is the unapologetic rebel of all time. In some people's estimation, the Devil was not about to let others decide his/her fate. He/she was/is quite capable of doing this quite well. He/she truly demonstrates the importance of following one's own script and to never obey nor submit to any type of authority figure. They see the coolness of being a rebel, owning one's life and circumstance. They further see the folly of blind and lemming-like obedience, being a carbon copy of everyone else which is a form of mental and psychological slavery.
They, like the Devil, strongly assert that it is so much better to rebel and be ostracized than to obey and be accepted by the majority. No thanks, they state. They intend to establish their own course and to make their own mark on the world.
Conclusion
The Devil is the subject of utter fascination and allure. He/she is seen is the epitome of evil and debasement. He/she is often associated with a dark and oftentimes negative persona. He/she is also the gatekeeper of the forbidden and taboo. He/she is the seen as the ultimate and unapologetic rule breaker.
The Devil is different things to different people. To many, the Devil is a supernatural entity hellbent on destruction and defiance to the Godhead. To others, the Devil is a projection of psychological negativity; he/she is also the state of abysmal, bottomless depression from which there is little or no hope. To others, the Devil is the lowest nadir of human consciousness and development. Lastly, there are those to whom the Devil is humankind at its very worst.
© 2014 Grace Marguerite Williams