There are many consequences of involvement or exposure to the occult. Here are some significant groups:

• Gaining the ability to communicate with the dead or spirits as a medium
• Drastic changes in your character
• Disturbance of your mental equilibrium
• Risk of developing mental illness
• Strain on the family
• Suicidal tendencies
• Appearance of ghostly phenomena
• Increase in illness and accidents
• Aversion to all that is divine

1. Mediumship: Contacting spirits and the dead

People who spend time studying magic and sorcery may develop mediumistic tendencies. If you are attracted to the occult, you may become a medium yourself and develop these abilities. This could include, for example, clairvoyance, astral projection, the ability to go into a trance, or the ability to use the pendulum and rod in dowsing and water divining.

It could be argued that these abilities can really help people.

At what cost? Engaging in occult practices has consequences that don’t just affect you. Bringing these methods into your life can affect your family and your children. We should all be careful.

People may be unaware of their psychic abilities for some time. They may have acquired them through ancestral inheritance, transmission from a medium, or personal involvement with magic and sorcery. These abilities do not remain hidden forever and can be recognised through the occurrence of certain experiences.

It is important to know that dowsing and water divining are not gifts from God. A simple proof of this is that they can be stopped by prayer.

2. Aversion to the Christian faith

It is one of the main characteristics of mediumship that the bearer of it is repelled by the working of the Holy Spirit. Having rejected the true Christian faith, the person struggles to find peace and assurance of salvation. In cases of strong mediumship, there is nausea to the point of vomiting when one comes under clear biblical proclamation. Anyone who has previously practised divination, magic or spiritism may find it extremely difficult to convert to Christ.

If they were already Christians, a spell is cast over their spiritual life. They may lose the desire to pray and read the Bible, becoming lukewarm and sluggish. Others may develop pharisaical, self-righteous and hypocritical hearts.

Example (from Occult Bondage and Deliverance):

“A man who had been prayed over several times in his youth married a believing girl. He himself went to church, but had no personal connection with God. The young woman soon realised that her husband wanted nothing to do with praying together or following Jesus. So she started a prayer group and prayed for her husband for years. Finally, during an evangelistic crusade, the husband was awakened and came to me for counselling. From then on, terrible struggles began that almost drove him mad. Day and night he could not rest. He attempted suicide and took a large dose of poison, enough for three men. He survived and went back to pastoral care. Then he said: “I want to give my life to Jesus, why can’t I do it? Investigation revealed that he had been “magically treated” as a child.”

You can see how the occultly burdened are left alone by Satan, while they are captured by the world. It is only when they want to convert that the circus begins. It is a simple truth: the devil leaves everyone alone as long as they are in his service. Only when his victim wants to escape does the battle begin. You can see how the occultly burdened are left alone as long as they are captured by the world. Only when they want to convert does the circus begin. It is a very simple law: the devil leaves everyone alone as long as they serve him. Only when his victim wants to run away from him does the resistance begin. Some of these occultly burdened people almost lose their minds when the fighting starts. Kurt Koch has been told several times of people who are open to the Gospel, but who fall into a total stupor every time they try to read the Bible or pray. Some are even urged to curse God during church services.

3. Mental instability

Participation in occult activities can lead lead to a distortion of character Dr Kurt Koch, after many decades of pastoral work, discovered a link between magical practices and psychological conflicts in those affected. He observed a tendency towards addiction and unsustainable lifestyles (nicotine and alcohol use and sexual derailment), as well as extreme quarrelsomeness, hot tempers, egotism and profanity.

4. Increased mental illness

In families afflicted with visions, an accumulation of nervous disorders, psychopathic or hysterical manifestations, paralysis, depression and sleep disorders can be observed. Obsessive compulsive disorders and even skin diseases are not uncommon. The well-known psychotherapist and former chief physician of the “Hohe Mark” mental hospital, Dr Alfred Lechler, confirmed that 50% of obsessive-compulsive neurotics had occultly burdened ancestors. His study lasted 15 years.

Occultism is also the breeding ground for mood and mental illness. Many people who seek help report hallucinations and hauntings: they hear voices, footsteps and knocks, especially at night. Doors and windows open and close without any natural explanation. Objects move – driving some to madness or suicide.

Example (from „Between Christ and Satan“):

A woman often visited a fortune-teller and was also in the habit of consulting a pendulum-practitioner. Since she started doing this, it was as if her house was haunted. She heard scratching and knocking and saw shadowy ghostly figures. These experiences frightened her and she sought the advice and help of a pastor who was able to lead her to Christ. After becoming a Christian, the hauntings stopped.

NB: Not all mental illnesses such as depression and psychological disorders have occult roots. It is often difficult to distinguish between the two, to see whether the problem is spiritual or medical. We must not look at all illnesses through an occult lens or we will fall into occult obsession.

But if phenomena can be stopped by prayer or the areas in the name of Jesus, then one knows where the origin lies. Then it is not about imagination or delusion of sick people, but about dark powers.

The good news is that liberation from all burdens and bondage is possible through Jesus Christ. See → Liberation

We can find evidence of this in the thousands of case studies from Dr Kurt E. Koch’s personal counselling, which can be found in his books.
„Seelsorge und Okkultismus“, „Okkultes ABC“, „Christus oder Satan“, „Heilung und Befreiung“

These books on occultism may be of interest to you: