There is a current of deep distrust for spirits and their communications within the major religions. Since they are not comparable to Ultimate Reality, spirits are not privy to the highest truth.
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam teach that ranks of angels fell into error and sin. Buddhism even regards the creator god (the Hindu god Brahma) as one of these subordinate deities, subordinate to the Dhamma revealed by the Buddha. Spirits are often fallible, motivated by selfish ends, and liable to mislead people who rely on them for guidance.
Furthermore, the spirit world is also populated by evil spirits, demons and fallen angels, as well as intermediate spiritual beings including the jinn, spirits of the dead, and various classes of ghosts.
Occult practices, such as seeking information from mediums, witches and shamans, can lead people astray through communication with spirits from the lower realms.
Father Moon has experience of this from Korea, a society where shamanism is still widespread. He also recognizes an insidious connection between occultism and the Human Fall, where Eve placed herself under the power of a spirit.
Therefore, we are advised to “test the spirits to see whether they are of God,” based on the higher authority of revealed truth.
Faith, purity, adherence to revealed truth, and performance of good deeds are superior ways to ensure fellowship with spiritual beings of the highest levels.
1. Spirits, Being Fallen Themselves, are False Guides
O Lord, how can a god or a demon know all the extent of Your glory? You alone know what You are, by the light of Your innermost nature. Bhagavad-Gita 10.14 (Hinduism)
Even in His servants He puts no trust, and His angels He charges with error.
Job 4.18
Alas for the blindness of the sons of men, all unaware as they are how full the earth is of strange and invisible beings and hidden dangers, which could they but see, they would marvel how they themselves could survive on the earth.
Zohar 1.55a (Judaism)
God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness, all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I say, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like men, and fall like any prince.” Psalm 82
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Spiritual phenomena include the activities of ghosts or evil spirits. However, these do not lead to resolving our relationship with God. Unless we are taught the correct relationship with God, and unless we understand the influences of evil spirits on us, we cannot find our proper place in the universe. (191:11, June 24, 1989)
The spirit world is in the Cain position and the earth is in the Abel position. Up to now, the spirit world, in the Cain position, has been dominating humankind.
When people allow themselves to be guided by spiritual mediums, they are only allowing spirits to command earthly people for their own benefit. (83:15, February 5, 1976)
Today many people are suffering from psychological disorders, and some mutter to themselves. Do you know why this happens? It is caused by the spirit world. Spirits from the lower realms cannot ascend to the higher realms on their own, so they manipulate earthly people.
But low spirits do not have a good viewpoint or direction; [therefore their influences always have an adverse affect on people]. Good spirits, on the other hand, have a clear direction. (91:273, February 27, 1977)
2. Dangers of Occultism
Men of ignorance worship spirits and ghosts. Bhagavad-Gita 17.4 (Hinduism)
Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19.31
Confucius never discussed abnormal phenomena, physical exploits, disorderly conduct, or spiritual beings. Analects 7.20 (Confucianism)
My follower does not study the practice of magic and spells. He does not analyze dreams and signs in sleep and movements in the Zodiac. Sutta Nipata 927 (Buddhism)
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed and turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. Acts 16.16-18
Aisha told that when God’s messenger was asked by some people about fortune-tellers, he replied, “They are of no account.” They said, “Messenger of God, they sometimes tell a thing which is true.” He replied, “That is a word pertaining to truth which a jinn snatches and cackles into the ear of his friend as a hen does; then they mix more than a hundred lies with it.” Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim (Islam)
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none. Then he says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” And when he comes he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Matthew 12.43-45
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
People want to believe in a higher power, without knowing what it is. Unable to relate to it by them- selves, they may seek out a shaman, who leads them in shamanistic rituals. Or, they may latch on to superstitions. Thus they grope in the darkness, seeking for something. People have this tendency, though they don’t know why. (101:90, October 22, 1978)
Mediums and fortunetellers will tell your fortune and predict your future. They can do this because they are in contact with certain spirits standing behind them, who can see and reveal to them some aspects of your reality. (176:286, May 13, 1988)
Spiritual mediums are often confused and fall into conflict among themselves, because the levels of the spirit world with which they are in communication and the content of the revelations they receive differ.
Although spiritually perceptive people are in contact with the same spirit world, because their circumstances and positions vary and their character, intellect and spirituality are at different levels, they will perceive the spirit world in different ways.
These differences give rise to conflicts among them. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Resurrection 2.2.6)
Why do the “gods” in the spirit world—the angelic world—try to relate with the world of human beings? You have heard of mediums, fortune telling and superstitions. They are religious forms that do not make clear distinctions between good and evil.
As God prepared religious forms, Satan too prepared religious forms as a countermeasure. More than 80 percent of mediums and fortune-tellers are women. With whom are they working? When Eve fell, she was overcome by the power of an angel to do wickedness.
The same path is repeated during the time of restoration: definitely, there are angels in the spirit world who descend to the earth to relate with women and instruct them.
The work of fortune-tellers and mediums is to teach what angels instruct them to say. Just like fallen Eve, they live with spirits.
(76:95, February 1, 1975)
If a spiritualist with low spirituality treats your ailment, the spirits in the spirit world will be temporarily comforted, but the problem will not be fundamentally resolved. Your soul will be comforted and peaceful for a while, but after some time passes, it will be disturbed with the same problem. (293:249-50, June 1, 1998)
3. Wisdom in Dealing with Spirits
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4.1
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were heathen, you were led astray to dumb idols, however you may have been moved. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord!” except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12.1-3
Evil spirits have power over fearful men but can not disturb the fearless. Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti 7 (Buddhism)
A Muslim is not turned back from anything because of an omen. When he sees something indicating misfortune he should say, “O God, You alone bring good things, You alone avert evil things, and there is no might or power but in God.” Hadith of Abu Dawud (Islam)
To maintain the existence of a ghost, Only brings about mischief; To understand the non-existence of a ghost Is the way of Buddha; To know that ghost and Reality are one Is the way to Liberation.
Knowing that the ghosts are all one’s parents Is the right understanding; Realizing that the ghost itself is Self-mind Is glory supreme. Milarepa (Buddhism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Since a fallen person stands in the midway position between God and Satan and relates with both of them, the works of a good spirit may be accompanied by the subtle influences of an evil spirit.
In other cases, phenomena which begin as the works of evil spirits may, as time passes, merge with the works of good spirits. Discerning the spirits is thus very difficult for those who do not understand the Principle.
It is a pity that many religious authorities, in their ignorance, condemn the works of good spirits by lumping them together with evil spirits.
This may place them in inadvertent opposition to God’s Will. In the present era, spiritual phenomena are becoming ever more prevalent. Unless religious leaders can correctly distinguish the works of good spirits from the works of evil spirits, they cannot properly instruct and guide those who experience spiritual phenomena. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 4.4)
Do you think that when I meet spiritualist ladies, I simply follow their advice? No way. They do not know the whole picture. They can testify to the present situation, but they do not know how things operate. (68:276, August 5, 1973)
Spiritualists differ among themselves because they each insist on their own viewpoint. This is a common problem among spiritual people. One hundred spiritualists will have one hundred different viewpoints.
Being self-centered, each believes that his or her view is the best one. However, they should be the best by centering on the Center, not on themselves. (325:289, July 2, 2000)
Through spiritualists, shamans, fortune-tellers and the like who are in touch with the spirit world, the spirit world has been taking advantage of earthly people. In the future this will no longer be permitted.
The time is coming when earthly people will have dominion over the spirit world. (219:78, August 25, 1991)
Sun Myung Moon