Describing the creation of man, the Scriptures say: “Man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7, King James Version) Note that there is not the slightest hint here that man was given a soul as one of the components of his being. Rather, the soul clearly is the man himself. So, what happens when man dies?

Of Jesus Christ, the Bible prophesied: “He hath poured out his soul unto death.” (Isaiah 53:12, KJ) And of humankind generally, the Scriptures say: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4, 20, KJ) All human souls die because they have all inherited sin from the first man, Adam, who became a sinner by disobeying God. And the Bible says: “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 5:12; 6:23, KJ) So at death, the soul, the sense-possessing person, dies.a

Is it possible, therefore, for the dead to communicate with the living? The Bible says: “[Man] breathes his last breath, he returns to the dust; and in that same hour all his thinking ends.” The Bible also says: “It is not the dead who praise the LORD, not those who go down into silence; but we, the living, bless the LORD.”​—Psalm 146:4; 115:17, The New English Bible.

Since the dead cannot praise God because their ‘thinking has ended,’ they certainly cannot communicate with the living nor be responsible for any paranormal phenomena. Then who are responsible?

The Mystery Solved

Humans are not the highest form of life. The Bible reveals that long before God created man and woman, he created a multitude of spirit sons, invisible angels. (Job 38:4, 7) Later, one of these began to oppose God, even slandering him, thus becoming Satan (opposer) and the Devil (slanderer). In time, other spirit creatures joined Satan the Devil in his rebellion, forming an organization of rebellious angels, or demons. Are these demons the ones responsible for the paranormal phenomena of occultism?

Yes, they are! In pre-Flood days these spirit “sons of the true God” were able to materialize fleshly bodies and live on earth. (Genesis 6:1, 2; Jude 6) But since returning to the spirit realm, their contacts with humans have been limited to causing the paranormal phenomena that have been so common throughout the history of mankind.

The demons have particularly communicated with living relatives and friends of the dead, causing these persons to believe the lie that the dead are still living somewhere in the spirit world. To impersonate the dead is no problem for the demons, since they can closely observe people while they are alive. Thus, the intimate details of a person’s life, including sound of voice and manner of expression, can then be accurately impersonated.

But, you may ask, what about the loyal angels? Perhaps they communicate with humans today. It is true that God used angels to communicate with humans in earlier times. Today, however, we have the completed Bible as God’s direct and adequate communication to us humans. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) In it Jehovah God specifically forbids humans to attempt communication with the spirits.

Through his prophet Isaiah, God says: “But people will tell you to ask for messages from fortunetellers and mediums, who chirp and mutter. They will say, ‘After all, people should ask for messages from the spirits and consult the dead on behalf of the living.’ You are to answer them, ‘Listen to what the LORD is teaching you! Don’t listen to mediums​—what they tell you will do you no good.’”​—Isaiah 8:19, 20, Today’s English Version.

No wonder that God gave detailed instructions to the nation of Israel on avoiding occult practices. On entering the Promised Land, he warned them not to get involved with the Canaanites’ “detestable customs.” (Leviticus 18:3, 30) Details of these customs or practices are listed in Deuteronomy 18:10, 11. They include employing divination, practicing magic, looking for omens, sorcery, binding with spells, consulting professional foretellers of events, and inquiring of the dead.

God’s command to Israel of old highlights a still more important reason to shun the occult. “For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah.” (Deuteronomy 18:12) The inspired Christian Bible writers agree with this fundamental truth. The apostle Paul lists the “practice of spiritism” as one of the “works of the [fallen] flesh.” (Galatians 5:19, 20) And the apostle John penned God’s warning that the portion for “those practicing spiritism . . . will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second death.”​—Revelation 21:8.

So even if you think you are not unduly fascinated by the occult, beware! Heed the Scriptural advice: “Keep your senses, be watchful.” Remember who is behind the occult. “Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.” (1 Peter 5:8) Do not let that “someone” be you!