Are you there?

Yes, we are here.

It seems appropriate somehow, after our recent conversation on the subject of angels, that we should also have a conversation about Satan, the Devil. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized what an enormous topic this would be and I wasn’t at all sure where we should start.

As you say, the subject of Satan is a large one, and we could focus our attention on any number of different aspects. However, we suggest that you start the conversation with whatever first enters your mind and then let us see where our conversation leads us.

Well, I suppose we could start with the fact that everyone knows, or thinks they know, who Satan is, right? I mean, the image of Satan, the thought of Satan, of the Devil, is such a ubiquitous part of our culture, of our lives as humans, imprinted onto our collective subconscious at a very early age, thanks mostly to our religious institutions, which still, after all of these years, insist on using the idea of Satan as a way to instill fear over what we might face if we do something bad or sinful or evil. At the same time, he’s also someone we can blame for all the bad things that happen to us while we’re still alive. “The Devil made me do it” was for many years a very popular phrase, and although it’s now fallen into disuse, it’s still a part of the way we sometimes explain to ourselves why things happen the way they do, especially unpleasant, hurtful, what we might call “evil” things. In other words, that a force outside of ourselves must be creating all of this misery and pain.

Indeed. The idea of the Devil, of Satan, is almost as much a part of the human experience as the idea of God. Both of these ideas, God and Satan, are intrinsically joined in the minds of many human persons, each one challenging the other in terms of energy and influence, a relationship created and supported by the narrative written by the human race over the course of many thousands of years. This alone has made Satan, the idea of Satan, one of the most far-reaching, most complex, versatile creations ever devised by the human mind.

Is that your way of saying that the Devil does not exist? As an actual being, I mean, as an actual living thing?

Satan – also known as the Devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles and various other appellations depending upon one’s religious education and culture – is not an actual living being. No. Satan, the Devil, is a projection of the human mind, and as such, does not exist in any real form other than in the human imagination. It is an idea held to be real, in some cases VERY firmly, by those who have been fervently taught from an early age to believe in its existence or by those who have chosen, for whatever reason, to believe in its existence at some point along their journey on the physical plane. In truth, the figure of the Devil was imagined by humans in an attempt to remove from their collective consciousness what they judged to be their own evil nature, their own corrupt impulses. Rather than take responsibility for such impulses, the human race created an external personification of all of those elements that on the physical plane are considered bad, amoral, thoroughly and completely wicked, and established it as a force of sinful temptation. In other words, the complete opposite of an angel. Ironically, this Devil figure, this image of evil that has been created by the human mind, is also the being whose primary responsibility is the punishment of those who find themselves inclined to emulate or practice evil, to one degree or another, during the course of their lives. Interesting that the human race created a figure who acts not only as a seducer, but as a castigator and tormenter as well.

I never thought about Satan in quite that way, but you’re right. According to what we’re been taught, Satan tempts us to do wrong, to violate our own moral code, and then, once we’re dead, punishes us for doing the very things he’s tempted us to do.

Indeed. In earthly mythology, Satan is the one who encourages wrong-doing, but then he is also the one who tends the fires of Hell, his domain, and makes sure that anyone who has done wrong receives the punishment they deserve in the form of endless pain and torture. This includes barring them from ever seeing the face of God once they have left their human form.

That’s the idea that always struck me as perverse, not just the pain and torture, but that we could find ourselves in a place like Hell after we are dead, a place completely and utterly cut off from God. As a child, I found that idea very frightening. As an adult, I find it reprehensible that we were taught such things, and that children are still taught such things by those who believe they are looking out for our welfare.

These ideas, these fictions, have been written down and taught to others, sometimes with a stern degree of pressure, chiefly by individuals who have been chosen to oversee the moral tenor, the moral climate, the good-versus-evil nature of life that shapes the lives of most human persons.

I guess because of our collective upbringing, as adults we’re all just used to the idea of Satan, and even though consciously we may no longer believe in something like the Devil, and may even understand that the idea of the Devil was actually created by other humans and is therefore not a real person, not a real thing, the idea was ingrained so early in our development that it’s very hard to let go of. And yet this kind of idea, because we have become so habituated to it, really does affect us in ways that maybe we don’t even realize or recognize.

Indeed.

If I’m remembering correctly the story of Satan and how he fell from grace, he was a favorite of God’s – I believe the name Lucifer means “Shining One” – who became so infatuated with all of the many gifts that had God bestowed upon him that he was filled with an overwhelming pride. That pride led him to challenge the authority of God as the one and only supreme deity and the result was his downfall and his banishment to Hell, which in turn became his kingdom. His rebellion against God was only possible because he was endowed, as all creatures are, with the gift of free will, which he abused by attempting to place himself ABOVE God. A less-than-subtle warning to the rest of us that, yes, we are endowed with free will, but we’d better not ever think too highly of ourselves or love ourselves more than we fear God, otherwise we’ll end up just like Satan, banished for all eternity.

As we said earlier, the idea of Satan is one of the most complex creations ever devised by the human mind. And yet, despite this complexity, this idea grew over the years to form the basis of a rather simple, straightforward intent: to control the “bad” behavior of the general population while making sure that everything and everyone remains under the control of those in charge, of those in authority. The permeation of this idea has been engineered in such a way that, over time, through early education, each individual incorporates this idea into their own consciousness. To varying degrees, this approach has worked, and, in some cases, is still working. Individuals throughout the history of your planet and even until today have internalized the idea of the Devil and used it, almost unconsciously, to control their own behavior. Given that you were taught about the Devil when you were a very young person, it is quite possible that even now you stop yourself from engaging in what you would consider “bad” behavior because deep down in your subconscious mind you still fear the punishment that might be inflicted by the Devil upon you following your death.

I’m sure you’re right. Those teachings were ingrained in me at such an early age that even though it now seems almost ridiculous that I would fear the afterlife tortures of the Devil, I couldn’t really say for sure that they don’t still affect my behavior in some way. But I’m coming to understand, through my conversations with all of you, that even an idea like the Devil, which might seem to conflict with a more enlightened view of the world, could actually have some benefit. Does the idea of Satan serve a purpose, a good purpose, of any kind?

All things created by human persons during the course of their history on the physical plane ultimately have a beneficial purpose, beneficial in the sense that they lead, despite outward appearances, to the very heart of the awakening process. The idea of Satan, of the Devil, is no exception.

Are you saying that even an idea as dark, extreme and far-reaching as the Devil can eventually lead us to an understanding of who we really are and why we have come?

That is what we are saying. After all, the idea of Satan, of the Devil, is a part of the earthly contrast just like everything else in the physical world, and as such, provides you the opportunity to make your own choice as to what you prefer to identify with and experience – that which you really are or that which you are not. We would characterize the idea of Satan as representing that which you are NOT, that side of the human personality that is inclined to see the worst in others, to see the worst in themselves, to see only forces of evil at work in the world. And yet, by virtue of its very existence, and its stark contrast to the side of you that sees what is good in others, what is kind, considerate and loving, this idea presents you with a choice. How you utilize this idea in making your choice is up to you, but in the end, it all comes down to your own personal preferences. Which shall it be? Which do you prefer? The awakening process hinges upon the free choices that each of you make with regard to the contrast, the juxtaposition of light and dark, positive and negative, connection and disconnection. Which do you want to experience? The light or the dark? How do you want to feel? Connected or disconnected? That is your choice in each and every moment of your journey towards remembrance.

There’s certainly a lot more we could say on this topic, but I think we’ll stop there for today.

We would be more than happy to return to this subject whenever you wish. Until next time then.

Thank you all.

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