I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant - Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is evil Human acts of evil Effects of encounters with evil
Like all other words in the English language,
we use the word evil to communicate about a human concept. It is our society's attempt to define certain experiences, or
acts, or behaviors as absolutely unacceptable and intolerable.
Some members of Western society define evil as human-perpetrated acts that are "over the line", "beyond the pale", or "at the far end of the bell curve".
These links will take you to our society's most common definitions of evil: Google Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary Wikipedia
Unfortunately, the word evil is often misused - especially political and religious leaders - to attack and socially isolate their opponents.
In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush declared that three small countries (Iran, Iraq and North Korea) were members of an Axis of Evil. Ironically, in 2004, the same label of "evil" was applied towards the Bush Administration after a U.S. Army soldier helped shine the light on morally reprehensible abuses being perpetrated against war prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and other military and CIA prisons.
Most perpetrators
whose actions are defined by society as evil, are not apprehended until after they've made a series of mistakes
leading to their arrest. It is rare for the public to be aware of the existence
of such crimes until after the authorities provide photos and other
documentation that force the public to redefine human "evil".
Unfortunately, in most cases, the perpetrators are never arrested...let alone prosecuted. In general, perpetrators do not leave physical evidence that could prove their crimes. Most perpetrators also choose to intimidate, blackmail and coerce victims into remaining silent and cooperative.
A common experience among victims of encounters with evil, is that they will remain silent to ensure the physical safety of their loved ones.
Until one has lived inside the body of a victim who has encountered evil, one cannot fully comprehend the mental and emotional effects of such encounters. All other forms of abuse and trauma pale in comparison.
Some victims of chronic abuse and terrorization become so desensitized to encounters with evil that the encounters become their new normal. As trauma and abuse survivors, they may have the greatest difficulty, after becoming free from perpetrators, in adjusting to living a safe life among people who genuinely care.
Freezing During the encounter many victims become nauseous. Some breathe so fast that they hyperventilate. Some go into a state of mental, emotional and physical shock. Some find that their hearts beat so hard that they wonder if they are going to have a heart attack. A lot of survivors feel a need to run, but if it's not safe to try to escape, they may freeze instead. Some victims become so overwhelmed by the experience that they stop feeling anything at all; they simply become numb.
The
Scream - painted in 1893 - demonstrates additional ways that an
encounter with evil can affect a human victim. Some survivors say that painting
represents
their need to scream the feeling of horror out of their bodies. Others say that
it represents the terror they felt during the
experience. For many survivors, the colors and patterns surrounding the screaming figure
depict the sensation of surreality that often is part of an encounter with evil. Other survivors
say that the flaming sky and black water remind them of how the experience was
"like being in hell".
When a person encounters evil in human form, the experience can be so shocking and abnormal that it feels surreal. During the event, some victims have thoughts like, "This is impossible. This can't be happening. I am not really here. This isn't real. This is a dream; I'll wake up soon."
An encounter with evil can feel extremely dangerous because the person(s) committing the evil may seem so insane or deadly that the survivor becomes convinced that he/she is about to die. Even if a victim is being forced to watch what a perpetrator physically does to another victim - human or animal - the witness may believe that he/she will experience the same harm or worse.
As experienced by most mammals, the human brain has a mechanism that mercifully prepares the body to experience painful physical death. The mechanism also protects the victim from becoming psychotic. In trauma psychology, this altered state is known as numbing or freezing. It occurs in the mind and body when death appears to be imminent. The brain responds instinctively by releasing powerful chemicals that literally numb the mind and body to protect the self from intense pain - physical, mental, and emotional - that would otherwise be fully experienced.
Therefore, when a victim believes that an excruciating or terrifying experience may be imminent, the victim's brain will release chemicals that protect the victim from feeling pain...causing the rest of the terrifying experience to feel surreal or other-worldly. If the victim survives and later remembers the horrific experience, including the sensation of surreality, the memory of that drug-like sensation may reinforce the survivor's belief that he/she had been in the presence of a spiritually evil presence.
Finally, if the victim experiences a period of safety after
the encounter with evil, the victim will often experiencing a period of neurogenic
tremoring. This is the body's natural, instinctive way of shaking off unused
fight-or-flight energy from the terrifying experience. Unfortunately, if a
victim doesn't become safe enough to shake off the excess energy, he/she may
find it difficult to modulate his/her increased energy level. Although some
survivors benefit from psychotropic medications that are often used to treat ADHD
or bipolar
disorder, it may be more helpful - in the long run - to tap-into and dispel
the suppressed trauma energy. Reportedly, the best ways to permanently dispel
the energy are Bioenergetic
therapy, Trauma
Release Exercises, and belly
dancing.
Bottom line: most - if not all - survivors of encounters with evil will need specialized help to really heal from their traumatic experiences.
Disclaimer
No part of the Healing Journey recovery website is to be used as a substitute for professional therapy. If you need professional support, please contact a qualified ministerial or mental health professional. Materials in this website may be printed or copied for personal use only. Readers are welcome to agree or disagree with any statements made in this website, and may benefit from sharing and discussing them with support persons.