Bonus: Demonology Glossary

BONUS: DEMONOLOGY GLOSSARY

THESE AREN’T HOLLYWOOD terms.
These are the actual words the Warrens used. Handed down from religious texts, field experience, and spiritual tradition.

Infestation

The beginning phase of demonic activity.
Signs include:

• Cold spots
• Unexplained footsteps
• Moving objects
• Nightmares

Think of it like spiritual baiting.
The demon is testing boundaries.

Oppression

The demon begins to break the will of the person or family.
Symptoms include:

• Sudden illness
• Depression, anxiety, or paranoia
• Voices or inner compulsions
• Objects breaking, crosses flipping, pets dying

This is where the personality fractures.

Possession

The will is no longer in control.
The demon now occupies the body. Not the soul, but the vessel.

• The victim may speak languages they’ve never learned
• Exhibit unnatural strength
• Speak in voices not their own
• React violently to prayer or sacred symbols

Possession isn’t constant, it comes in waves.

Obsession

Pre-possession state of mental spiraling.
The victim cannot stop thinking about the spirit, the haunting, the idea of being cursed.

The Warrens believed obsession opens doors.

Discarnate Entity

A spirit with no physical form.
Not a ghost of a human.
Not a demon.
Something in between.

These were believed to attach to places, not people. Like parasites on old trauma.

Diabolical Manipulation

The strategy demons use to mimic humans or deceased loved ones.

• They pretend to be innocent spirits
• Appear as children or helpful presences
• Build trust before striking

Ed said:

“They lie with charm until they have your soul.”

Elemental Spirit

A rare term used only in the Warrens’ oldest files.
These are described as primordial forces, tied to nature. Neither good nor evil, but capable of destruction.

Some cultures call them djinn, fae, or nature spirits.
The Church avoids this topic.

Deliverance

A non-sanctioned exorcism.
Used in urgent cases where Church approval takes too long.

Performed by laypeople, sometimes with a priest present, sometimes not.
Ed did these regularly, always at risk.