Paranormal Experience… By Whitney Farmer – Un Pop Culture

October 27, 2011 Whitney Farmer 0 Comments

Whitney runs a rock music venue on the beach in L.A.. She has an M.B.A, and has to work on Halloween.

Last weekend, “Paranormal Activity 3” set a box office record, grossing $54 million in sales. The prequel to a 2007 homemade flick that cost $15,000 to make and grossed $108 million in the U.S. and $194 million worldwide, “Paranormal Activity 3” is drawing from a broader demographic and continues to provide evidence of a lucrative brand.

Israeli-born video game designer Oren Peli wrote and directed the original film, drawing on his lifelong fears that he reinforced with research into demonology prior to developing his script.  Most in Hollywood now know the story about how Steven Spielberg was scared into recommending that Paramount Pictures acquire the property: After viewing the film at home, his bedroom door inexplicably locked. He was forced to remain in his bedroom with the DVD until a locksmith could be dispatched.  Spielberg brought the DVD to Paramount with his strong endorsement of the property, but he was so unwilling to come in contact with it that he kept it in a garbage bag until he could turn in into the acquisitions team.

When I was a child, I was more frightened of sharks that I was of demons. But as I grew and became more spiritually aware, I began to develop a sense of dread.  I would have strange encounters that began to awaken me to the spiritual world, and I began to sense conscious malevolence that never directly touched me, but often seemed to be watching me.  Years later, I grew to understand that this is the beginning of developing discernment. Getting the creeps becomes a call to heightened observation as opposed to succumbing to the weapon of terror. Think the “Now what…?” moment that Americans went through after being introduced to the color-coded Homeland Security terror alert system, but then realizing that they had still had to figure out what to do with it and also go to work.

I was confused by my fears: I was a Christian and believed that Jesus delivered people from demons as a regular part of his 9-to-5.  He would arrive in places and cast out demons and heal people FIRST, so that they could start believing in Him and would listen to what He had to say. He had so much authority that He was even able to delegate it to others – Judas included – who could deliver people from spiritual attacks by operating in Jesus’ name.

Between Jesus and demons, there was never even a contest. Even the infamous “Legion…for we are many” demoniac ran to Him, bowed down, and began to beg for mercy.  But the story that caught my attention was the seven sons of Sceva who confront a demon, “…by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims…” The demonized man looks at them and says, “Jesus I know. Paul I know. Who are you?” and then opens a hellish can of whoop-ass, sending them all running for their lives.  I knew that this was because these seven men were frauds, that they were using the name of Jesus like it was an incantation. But I wondered if there was some hidden part of me that had words but no faith. Like Roddy McDowell in the original and only worthy “Fright Night”, holding up a cross only works against vampires if you believe.  I wasn’t sure what I would do when I had a direct encounter.

But that’s when things got interesting.  The first time I witnessed a 100% blue ribbon demonic situation, there was a surge of ordinary adrenaline because I wasn’t expecting it. But then the next moment, I had this cascade of realizations:

WOW! satan is real!

And then…

WOW! That means Jesus is REAL!

In the midst of a dramatic scene worthy of a Hollywood film, I was surprised by joy.  It’s the same type of joy that I experience when I witness a miracle, like when my Mom was healed of multiple sclerosis after almost 40 years. Any doubts I have about the existence of God dissipate and disappear like smoke from my burnt toast this morning.

Over the years, I’ve had more intense experiences. But I always feel like God is in charge and is using darkness as a training tool, like a cat uses a half-dead mouse to teach a kitten to hunt. Once, a spirit tried to choke me out. How Jesus saved my life that time is one of my most important and precious memories.

The worst part about movies like PA3 is that they don’t tell the truth. They display only part of the story: That forces of darkness despise humanity, and that they can bring terror and death.

The truth is that demons hate us because we are loved by God.

The truth is that they can bring terror and death only by default or permission. We say ‘yes’ to them, or ‘no’ to Jesus, or both.

I’m guessing that there are only two types of people who are reading this blog: Those who believe already because of things you have experienced, and those who don’t believe yet because you haven’t been overtly touched by evil.  When that time comes, remember the lesson of Roddy McDowell in “Fright Night”, (again, the only version that was worth the price of admission):

When you hold up the Cross and say, “Back! Spawn of satan!”, ya gotta have faith for it to work. Notice, I capitalized the ‘C’.

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Quote of the Blog, from C.S. Lewis: “Experience – the most brutal of teachers. But you learn. My God do you learn.”