Possession

You have said that there is no devil but only god. In the west there was a lot of talk about devil possession when I was there, particularly because of the film 'the exorcist'. What happens to a person who believes himself possessed? Is this some form of obsession or is it really a spirit? Is this a danger or all in the imagination?

You just watch your mind. You can always feel that you are almost always on the verge. Any moment you can move into the territory of the devil. He is just sitting on the fence watching for you, inviting you. You just sit down, close your doors and windows and write down whatsoever comes into your mind for fifteen minutes, and you will see that it is as if it is a scripture written by the devil. Just be true, nobody is going to see it. You just be true and honest and just write whatsoever is going. You will feel almost madness oozing out of you. This madness can any day become devilish. ... WHEN I WAS THERE PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE FILM, 'THE EXORCIST'.... Films, stories, incidents, create their own atmosphere. When Marilyn Monroe committed suicide in 1962, the suicide rate in many cities of America went very…

I am not saying that the mind has to be destroyed; it has only to be put aside so when you need to you can use it. It is like your car parked in the garage: when you want to use it you can take it out of the garage, then you are the master. But ordinarily the situation has become just the reverse: the car insists on not going into the garage. The car says "I am not going to stop," the car says "You have to run with me," and it goes on running twenty-four hours a day. Even while you are asleep the mind goes on and on. Ordinarily once it starts in childhood it never stops before death, unless somebody starts moving into meditation. Those are the very fortunate few people who enter into meditation.

A friend has asked: Osho, during the stages of meditation, it often looks as though the movements are like those seen when exorcists drive out spirits.

Do not remain in the delusion that you have no ghosts and spirits within. That they haven’t yet been shaken out—this may be. That the time for shaking them out has not yet come—this may be. But we all have our own ghosts. And within all of us are states that should be released. If you don’t bring them out yourself, then some other “ghost” has to enter you and force them out. There’s no real difference. Certainly, what happens in a state of possession is almost the same as what happens in meditation. But there is a difference. From the outside the processes may look similar; inside there is a very fundamental difference. A person afflicted by possession is out of control, under another’s power; whatever happens within him is as if someone else is making it happen. In your case, whatever is happening, you are doing it; no…

Osho, my wise shiatsu teacher at home told us, "you cannot fight against the devil, you can only play with him." I feel that this could help me but I do not understand it completely. Would you speak about it?

But this is not what is ordinarily understood by a religious person. A religious person becomes very, very serious. He looks at you as if you are sinners condemned to go to hell, doomed. He walks erect, with great pride. You can see in his eyes that he knows that he is 'holier than thou', higher than thou, that he is saved and you are condemned. And of course he becomes very serious; his going to the church, to the temple, his prayer, his ritual, all are very serious affairs. He does not take it non-seriously, playfully. And you cannot know what prayer is if you don't know what playfulness is. Real religion teaches you playfulness -- sincerity of course, but seriousness no, authenticity of course, but seriousness no. You have come to the right place, Christiane, that's what we are doing here. This whole space that is being created…