OccultForum.org

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It can be. You're probably not going to cause any serious harm with basic sigils or candle magic or something like that, but stuff like enochian/goetia/astral projection can allegedly go quite wrong if don't know what you're doing.

yes and no
everything you do in your life can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing
knowledge is the key for everything

don't go summinig powerful demons and you will be fine [crazy]

Yes and no, as others have said. I was reading something recently about this subject - it's a bit of a psychological minefield. There are a lot of pitfalls that can catch a practitioner out, lots and lots and lots. It can be hard to know what's real and what's not, and you really need to get an idea of the dangers of the individual practise before engaging in it.

For example, Reiki attunement causes Reiki to flow through you at all times, this flood of healing energy can force you to address issues you've buried within yourself, and if you're not prepared for it, it can be like life has just picked up everything you've ever done wrong and rubbed it in your face all at once, you need to be ready for it. That said, some activities are more dangerous than others, for example, working with demons is probably more dangerous than using reiki.

I was reading,can't remember where,that summoning demons wrong can trigger some mental problems...Like schizophrenia [confused]

I think it's called demonic obsession? Maybe I'm wrong, feel free to correct me But it's like.. the demon is obsessed with you, not the other way round.. Manifests like schizophrenia, I think that could happen if summoned incorrectly, or if a demon summoner set one on you, or if you were just plain unlucky enough to be there when it was hungry..

Psychological minefield

Psychological minefield indeed [crazy]

I'd like to add that Mr Crowley's life story gives a bit of insight into how dangerous occult practice can be. A bit like anything else, it's as dangerous as you choose to make it. If you drive a car, when you light a candle, when you unplug your electric heater.

I tend to think of things a bit like this: If I am eating steak in a restaurant and have a nice sharp knife, if I use the knife for the steak no harm is likely to come to me, but my steak is hella easier to eat. If I use the knife to carve PEN WOZ HERE into the table, if i'm caught I might get kicked out and a fine, if i'm not, wheee adrenaline and the satisfaction of doing something semi-naughty. A middle ground so to speak. If I stab the annoying couple next to me with my steak knife, i'm quite likely to get assaulted myself by somebody trying to help, or the police probably aren't going to be too understanding, and I hear prison's awesome but you can guarantee you'll leave with your whole ponytail. AND I won't have gotten steak, AND I would probably feel bad for killing people.

[shh] [thumbup]

There is a lot to be said here and at the risk of repeating everyone else, Ill do my best to answer your question good sir
Magick and the occult can be dangerous if you choose to dabble in the dangerous aspect of it all. On the other hand, Magick
can be one hundred and ten percent safe if you choose to stay on the safer side of it. If binding demons and evoking old gods
is your deal then yes, Magick can be a dangerous thing. Sanity is a tool, and, like any tool should be respected and not thrown around.
One must sharpen (and during some rituals, blunt) one's sanity to a point and use it wisely. (man i feel cool for saying that)
However if healing the earth and licking up tree sap is your bag, then no, youre not in for any harm other than harm you choose to
invoke. So in summary, Magick is both safe and dangerous. Have fun kiddos!

If you do not have scars from it you are not even close to discovering what it is. I have several scars that required hundreds of stitches. Some I stitched myself. But, entire neighborhoods will never be the same. International affairs have been critically impacted several times. Nothing about the REAL thing is minor. Part of discovering what it is is to DARE at any cost.

In most accounts given there are elements not written. One is the use of entheogen. Oh, the kids all jump on the popular and relatively safe herbs. In most it is NOT at all safe. In fact the Astral was discovered through the use of "flashing" in conjunction with doses of belladonna certain to do permanent liver damage. Thanks to modern computer graphics and some Jungian insights, this is no longer necessary but it is in fact the origins of it.

[quote="zard"]If you do not have scars from it you are not even close to discovering what it is. I have several scars that required hundreds of stitches. Some I stitched myself. But, entire neighborhoods will never be the same. International affairs have been critically impacted several times.

Zard is right, I myself have personally removed my own head and feet. At first it was hard but it was well worth it to sell my soul to baphamet.
Im just kidding, Zard, that's a bit too much sharing man, we get it, you're a magickal martyr and all hail the forum beast and all that stuff. To answer the OP's question a bit more thoroughly; If you avoid people who believe that harming yourself is the ONLY way and not just ONE wasy, then magick is much safe. This is not to rule out self-harm as a means of gnosis, however it is far from the only means.

Mahiril wrote:

zard wrote:If you do not have scars from it you are not even close to discovering what it is. I have several scars that required hundreds of stitches. Some I stitched myself. But, entire neighborhoods will never be the same. International affairs have been critically impacted several times.

Zard is right, I myself have personally removed my own head and feet. At first it was hard but it was well worth it to sell my soul to baphamet.
Im just kidding, Zard, that's a bit too much sharing man, we get it, you're a magickal martyr and all hail the forum beast and all that stuff. To answer the OP's question a bit more thoroughly; If you avoid people who believe that harming yourself is the ONLY way and not just ONE wasy, then magick is much safe. This is not to rule out self-harm as a means of gnosis, however it is far from the only means.

Do you think you can come to understand anything if you so thoroughly misunderstood that post? All things real have ultimate risk. I do have some hellish scars. I am very proud of them. One I got stopping a rape. Another saving an entire neighborhood from murderers, rapists, and junkies. If you pretend this stuff there is no risk. If you do it for real it hurts like hell just as ballet does. Broke my heart, too. Came to a point when I recognized the degree of my abilities I decided to put them to good use. I adopted a child with severe brain damage. She was given no chance of any kind of full life. I was told she wouldn't even survive to see five. She is now in her late thirties and happy. Baphomet? I kicked his sorry ass many a time getting that child raised and smiling. I am no martyr. I am conqueror.

youre right zard, im a lost little lamb. Woah is me, my magicks dont work :c NO but on the reall good sir Mjjs, The internet is a bad place to learn about the occult because of people like myself and zard who will argue semantically and tell tall tales for our own self-validation as magicians. In all seriousness, grab some good books that appeal to you and go at it hard. The best way to learn is through experience. (Especially in a field so personal as magick.)

Mahiril wrote:youre right zard, im a lost little lamb. Woah is me, my magicks dont work :c NO but on the reall good sir Mjjs, The internet is a bad place to learn about the occult because of people like myself and zard who will argue semantically and tell tall tales for our own self-validation as magicians. In all seriousness, grab some good books that appeal to you and go at it hard. The best way to learn is through experience. (Especially in a field so personal as magick.)

The problem is that it has become too personal. Any mentally unbalanced person can drape a tome about a delusion and claim it is magick. In fact this is a new thing born of shabby fictions. It was not that long ago elaborate proofs were required. There are many books. Some good and some bad. Even the best can digest to very bad. Rather than pursue in so blind a way I would suggest one do as I did. It is true I had good friends. My friend Kenneth Anger is one of the great names in magick. I did not learn from him. His credentials were not good enough back then. I learned from another. He moved an entire French chateaux from the Riviera to the corner of Scott and McCallister Streets in San Francisco... right between Kenneth's temple and mine. He also invented a devise that supports every suspension bridge on the Pacific rim... all those billions of people held up by his one concept. He held realm over ALL of the Barbary Wizards all the way back to WWII. I was his assistant during the Summer of Love and those years following. There is nothing to learn from those unproven.

Kenneth did go on to be a major influence in film. None of this is about less. There is tremendous power in it. It is easy enough to spot the real thing.

It can be dangerous, just as everyone else said. Using poisonous plants, knifes, fire, playing with your psyche... Whatever your path is. It can also make you delusional, you can start to think you are Somebody, higher than others, the One who Knows the Truth, special, better. You can truly get your head filled with golden piss.

Friend whether or not you have some form of insight or knowledge aside, might I just make the observation that you aren't expressing yourself in the best fashion (coming across a bit preachy and self righteous if I do say myself) If you don't mind my asking is your intention here to help people or tell stories? I must say some of those stories have been mighty interesting but how any help the OP in many of the threads you have posted on is beyond me. Still if you feel like it call me whatever you like to validate your methods I just thought I'd add my piece. *EDIT- Referring to zard in case there was confusion -Peace

Seems like zard has left the forum.

Just know trial and error is not the way to go. You could be creating with a dark non/never been-human entities that could drive you insane, harm you physically, emotionally, and most of all spiritually and even kill you

Have knowledge about something, like a seance will really piss spirits off if your intent isnt to help them, luring other maybe not so nice spirits back to you, and they may even follow you. If you think something is cursed DONT BURN IT without a blessing or some ritual, that could release a spirit in your house and it knows you just tried to kill it (not gonna be happy). Those are common mistakes that people do and shows that doing something incorrect which can lead to tragic outcomes out of seemingly innocent actions. We are into this seriously and if you plan on doing it just because it sounds fun, dont. If you want to help people through it then you should. I have my "gift" forced upon me and wished it didnt, but I cant deny it.

If my intention is self-improvement (neutral, not harming others or have others as an expense) does it make it more dangerous than helping others..?

Mjjs wrote:If my intention is self-improvement (neutral, not harming others or have others as an expense) does it make it more dangerous than helping others..?

I can tell you from first hand experience, it depends on the energy of whatever system you are using. I worked with a certain black magic tradition for a couple of years and at times it would certainly put you into a pretty dark state of mind. If you were somehow a person who was prone to violence, depressed, somehow "not all there" in the head, it could have been a serious situation. Depending on the type of magic you do will then give you an idea of if there are any dangers to yourself. Systems like wicca are pretty safe, the branches of satanism (from firsthand experience) give you a HUGE ego which could get you into trouble, things like candle magic (or other low magic methods) are safe but you have to expect to get EXACTLY what you ask for. Systems of ceremonial magic are where things start to get tricky. In ceremonial magic you are undergoing a transformation, a spiritual evolution, far quicker than the normal non-occultist would. This can lead to a lot of psychological issues if not careful. I have one friend who I was teaching some pretty simple ceremonial methods to and he seemed to lose his fucking mind. Not as if he ended up in a hospital or anything, but his life drastically changed and started putting himself into, well, dangerous and highly stupid situautions. Regardless of what anyone would tell him, he thought he was acting just fine and keep doing it. So, you do have to be careful with magic. You have to keep your feet on the group and your head out of your ass.

Fr. N.'. T.'.

zard wrote:If you do not have scars from it you are not even close to discovering what it is. I have several scars that required hundreds of stitches. Some I stitched myself. But, entire neighborhoods will never be the same. International affairs have been critically impacted several times. Nothing about the REAL thing is minor. Part of discovering what it is is to DARE at any cost.

In most accounts given there are elements not written. One is the use of entheogen. Oh, the kids all jump on the popular and relatively safe herbs. In most it is NOT at all safe. In fact the Astral was discovered through the use of "flashing" in conjunction with doses of belladonna certain to do permanent liver damage. Thanks to modern computer graphics and some Jungian insights, this is no longer necessary but it is in fact the origins of it.

what international afairs have you changed? where are the entireeighbourhoods you speak of