1 QUESTION: How do you know the difference between human spirits and demons?

ANSWER:

Dan: A lot of times in our experiences we notice that human spirits have a tendency to give different responses. The demonic spirits are a little bit more of a form, kind of a no nonsense. A lot of times human spirit, you run into human spirits that act like demons. They want to be a demon but their responses are always kind of strange and unusual. We always adhere to the principle that Paul gave in that demons will never acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and we use that to test the spirit just like the bible speaks about. Sometimes there is a fuzzy line there that makes it hard to tell whether you are dealing with a malicious human entity or a demon. Sometimes it is a little difficult. In those cases the easiest way is to take authority because a demon will always submit to the authority of Christ where a human entity does not necessarily have to do that.

Shawn: What I have noticed it that just like in life human spirits retain their personality to an extent and some of them can be just as ornery as somebody in life. It bothers me when people say that everything, all ghosts are demons. You will see that in our videos that there is no way that could be possible. There are spirits that literally declare Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and these are spirits who are participating in the help of another human spirit who is in trouble.

Dan: I want to say on this point real quick that this is something we do here especially from a Christian side “All spirits are demons.” My biggest argument against that is the fact that we have fruit coming from this ministry of people giving their life to Christ. A demon is never going to put themselves in that situation to where whatever they are doing is going to lead somebody into salvation.

Shawn: They are trying to get you to do anything they can to get you to go in the opposite direction.

Dan: Right, that too.

Shawn: So, it’s not easy, in most cases to know the difference that is why you have to test the spirits. Have we been able to identify every single human that was a demon? No, and have we identified every demon that could be a human? No, So again testing the spirits is the best way to do that.

David: As the gentlemen stated, it is very, very difficult. You have to test and many times you have to play the long game to even get an inclination to something’s true nature. And to even further muddy the water, not only do you have human spirits and demons that you are trying to discern but a huge spectrum of things that do not fit in either column and some are much older, darker, crueler, and more patient than either human or demon could even imagine.

But getting back to the original question, it takes a level of determination, experience, and patience to work at a location and determine what it is. There is not 1 standard thing that is going to get you a solid answer. If you lean towards one tool all the time, you will form yourself a crutch/weakness you adversary will exploit. Even biblically speaking cause as the old saying goes, “Who know the Bible better than the Devil?”…

Really the best advice one can give to someone who has encountered something “unseen” is to leave it to those that have experience and if they insist on moving forward, prepare for hardships like no other. And not just as an individual, but any that they hold dear may feel the repercussions.

2 QUESTION: Why do you investigate at night? Why keep the lights off in a house?

ANSWER:

Shawn: Now we get that question a lot.

Dan: We do, and it’s funny because most of the “TV shows you watch” do it too. To be honest there is a couple reasons. First we will address the investigation at night question because that is pretty simple. Basically night time has a tendency to me a lot less of outside distractions, outside noises. So when we are in a home, for example, we are in a public place, for example, when we go to a battle field you got go as late as you can because otherwise you have got so much contamination from other people being around you, other people watching what you are doing, watching the filming, and it kind of gets crazy. So night time lends us a little bit more alone time, if you will, to do that.

Shawn: Less cars …

Dan: Secondly we get a question a lot, ok fine you do it at night for less distractions but why do you do it in the dark? Well, when we are in a home we are doing the Double-Blind, Which we will go over later, and Full-Blind process the idea in doing that is to try to deprive the senses as much as possible. Mainly so that we do not get any cross contamination from among ourselves. I would rather Shawn not be able to see anyone when he is actually listening so that he might even be able to figure out what we are saying by lip reading or something like that. Doing it in the complete blackness, especially when you have lights shining all over him, he really cannot see and it just increases that sensory deprivation.

Shawn: We do use lights so that the cameras can see and stuff like that; but I would agree. If I was in a scenario where I was in a Full-Blind or Double-Blind position and I have got my eyes closed and all of a sudden the lights shift really fast; that is a cue of some kind that someone can either misinterpret or influence what is going on. I would probably signal “Mark, I just saw a changing of the light”, or something like that. Because that has happened to us I think, I saw a big flash of light, so…

Dan: I has happened a couple of times, but also to be fair we actually done several investigations during the day time. It is just as productive.

Shawn: You have mentioned that a lot of the most famous pictures have been done in the day time.

Dan: Yeah, If you look at any of the, what is generally considered some of the most authentic ghost pictures out there, almost all of them are in the day time; which is interesting, but in our cases we have had a couple of the sessions in total day light that have blown our minds. Perhaps some of the best stuff that we have ever caught have actually been in the day time. It just makes it more difficult to try to keep it as scientific as we can, because Shawn has to keep his eyes shut full time. So we do investigations during the day time, we don’t really see a difference, it is not because we want to get our spook on, there really is a reason for it.

David: This is something I think that they nailed down pretty well. The only thing that I would add is that on a private investigation, doing it at night in the dark, recreates the setting that the client more often than not has most of their experiences. Just as it was mentioned that the world is quieter at night, that is when most homeowners will notice things “out of sort”. If you have a house full of kids and pets and what all going on, you might not pay 2 cents worth of attention to that thump on the floor upstairs. But at night and everyone has gone to bed and everything is still, that thump becomes a lot more noticeable and menacing…so if the investigator can see the world like the client does, its helps create a fuller picture.

3 QUESTION: Help Spirits Move On
I have a very weird, odd question. The last few Ghost Box sessions I've been doing I have a "person" coming thru asking for help. Tonight he said he knows he's dead and wants to move on, but he's stuck and I don't know how to help him. He didn't answer me when I asked him if he believes in God. I asked him if he sees a white light of any sort and he said no... I'm more about Spirit Communication, and do not know how to help those move on, sort to speak. Any help or advice you can give would be great. Thanks,

ANSWER:

Shawn: From our investigations oddly, it is typical that they do not see a light. Instead they may see a door or gate. We have always been puzzled by that but it is what it is.

Next, we have been told that the door is opened through God's people. We think this means that God’s people intercede for them; they pray for the dead.

Next you should give the spirit the gospel of Jesus Christ. If God's Word is true, and I believe it is, “ALL THAT CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED”. To that end this spirit will be saved from this state of existence simply by hearing the gospel, and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Pray that friends and family come to help him and they will.

If the door opens see if you can get him to look inside. In one case we did a spirit looked in and then believed and crossed over.

Quite often we hear a trumpet or singling or a laser beam type sound when they cross.

Salvation is a simple thing...but hard for people to bend their will and accept it. But, it is a free gift provided by Christ's work on earth and in spirit. I have no idea how or why it works but Christ is the answer to his case. We have observed it time and time again on our own cases.

From our experience it is not common for them to take that step toward Christ. We liken it to the Matrix Movie... “It is not the spoon that bends. The spoon does not exist.” He will continue to generate his unwanted reality. So he needs to take charge of that unwanted reality. Taking control over his own mind at the very least. Doing that should get him primed to the “Cross”.

I hope that helps.

David: To the flipside of the coin on this, you could very well be getting baited by something with less than harmonious intent. If you have established communication with a re-occurring entity, they could be:

1) Using you for someone to just talk to as they have become lost and lonely and you are the first “warm” voice they have heard. They have no intent in going anywhere, they just wanted communication with a warm body.

2) Something that is going to build a level of sympathy, then trust. This will continue until you grant an open invitation and once that it has that laid out, it has full reign over your life and home.

That’s just 2 of the lowest hanging fruit of possibilities that could be happening. If you are a student of Spirit Communication and using a ghost box, you need to research the traditional methods of opening and closing a session as used by the Spiritualists of the late 19th century/early 20th, the pre-hoax years. This will help set boundaries for anything coming in and expelling anything that tries to linger as well as put you in the proper frame of mind for dealing with the Spiritual.

4 QUESTION: [Luke 16 Lazarus in Hades]
I was wanting to ask about the verses in Luke ch 16. About the rich man and Lazarus and hoped you guys could please give your opinion.
I know these verses have been bugging me, but I believe now, that even if I believe it is more than just a parable, that it does not set down a 'process' that we know of for what happens after people die.
I refer to people who are said to go to hades and people that went to Abraham's bosom, specifically though, the mention of the angels carrying Lazarus there.
My understanding of things so far is that people who don't know Christ but have the law written on their hearts step into the spirit world and can either wait for the final judgement, or receive the grace of God and accept that Jesus has taken the wrath of Gods judgment upon Himself, and offers them righteousness now.
Or is it to everyone over there? As we are all condemned until accepting Christ.
But back to Luke 16, what about Hades now?

ANSWER:

The key verse here is Luke 16:26 -- and besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

This is to say that it is impossible for the man to "cross over" from one realm to the other. This is true, it is impossible. That is exactly why Christ came into the equation. Because when things are impossible; GOD makes a way. That way in YHSHUA (Jesus).

Matthew 19:24-26 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Thanks for the answer, but just to clarify, you're saying that it is now possible for people to cross over that great chasm by accepting Christ?

I say yes, if it were impossible then God would not be God. God can do whatever He wants. If he chooses to have mercy on someone in Hades/Hell, who am I to say otherwise. By Christ salvation is obtained. We can by no other means save ourselves.

Yeah I absolutely agree. Often people cite the verse, "It is appointed unto man once to die, then the judgement." And I always used to accept that text given as a proof for only being able to be saved in this realm. But, I don't see any time restrictions on salvation between the dying and the judgement.

But that verse too is correct: When a person dies a judgement is made. People may think this judgement is placed ON THEM but it is made BY THEM. In the instant one leaves the body one is faced with the realm of spirit that is governed by different rules. Thought becomes reality. On earth our thoughts only become reality by Works and Actions but in Spirit the labor is removed. Like in a dream state one creates but all sensations are retained. Granted there are also universal laws that govern that state as well which are not discussed here but in short the person is confronted with GOD/ the Universe / OUT OF THE BOX / what ever you call it and instantly the reality kicks in and follows suit. Some to paradise, some to personal hells and every possible level in between. I highly recommend reading the Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. The mind/spirit once condemned (by it own consciousness) will spiral along that path indefinitely like an object in motion. Unless something interacts with it being at least equal and opposite force it can not self correct. The chasm continues to grow between them and life.

Thanks very much for that. I will have a look at that book.