Dybbuks and Dybbuk Possession - Jewish Demons and Malicious Spirits of the Dead

Dybbuks are supposedly the souls of the dead who are malicious. They have a distinct agenda and purpose. To accomplish their purpose, they must possess the bodies of people. The possession doesn't seem to be the goal, but instead seems to be the vehicle to accomplish whatever their actual goal is. (** Anyone more 'up' on the Kabbal, please feel free to correct any information I post .. no problem)

Jewish Encyclopedia - Dybbuk Possession

The concept of possession by and exorcism of deceased souls (dibukim; dybbuks) who inhabited the bodies of unwilling hosts is based on the kabbalistic concept of gilgul (transmigration), found in the Zohar and other medieval sources. ‘Ibur neshamah (soul impregnation) is a related concept also found in kabbalistic sources; it refers to the penetration of a kabbalist’s soul by the additional soul of an ancient sage who aids him in a spiritual quest. ‘Ibur neshamah was valued as a positive, highly prized form of possession.

A dybbuk, on the other hand, had committed a sin that needed to be expiated before the soul could go either to heaven or Gehenna. The person being possessed sometimes had a connection to the dybbuk and at other times was just an individual whose body the dybbuk was able to enter. The dybbuk could only be exorcised (forced to relinquish control over the victim and depart) by a great rabbi, usually a kabbalist. This ability to exorcise dybbuks and to deal in general with possession was first found among the kabbalists of Safed (in the Land of Israel) and was disseminated through hagiographical story collections and kabbalistic texts published in the seventeenth century.

Dybbuk

In Jewish mythology, a dybbuk (Yiddish: דיבוק, from Hebrew adhere or cling[1]) is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person.[2][3] It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being helped

There is folklore attached to the dybbuks that if you do not perform Jewish rituals correctly, or if you doubt the truth of Jewish folklore - like Moses exodus story - then you are inviting dybbuks to possess you to accomplish some nefarious goal.

Jewish Library - Dybbuks

In Jewish folklore and popular belief an evil spirit which enters into a living person, cleaves to his soul, causes mental illness, talks through his mouth, and represents a separate and alien personality is called a dibbuk. The term appears neither in talmudic literature nor in the Kabbalah, where this phenomenon is always called "evil spirit." (In talmudic literature it is sometimes called ru'aḥ tezazit, and in the New Testament "unclean spirit.") The term was introduced into literature only in the 17th century from the spoken language of German and Polish Jews. It is an abbreviation of dibbuk me-ru'aḥ ra'ah ("a cleavage of an evil spirit"), or dibbuk min ḥa-hiẓonim ("dibbuk from the outside"), which is found in man. The act of attachment of the spirit to the body became the name of the spirit itself. However, the verb davok ("cleave") is found throughout kabbalistic literature where it denotes the relations between the evil spirit and the body, mitdabbeket bo ("it cleaves itself to him").

Stories about dibbukim are common in the time of the Second Temple and the talmudic periods, particularly in the Gospels; they are not as prominent in medieval literature. At first, the dibbuk was considered to be a devil or a demon which entered the body of a sick person. Later, an explanation common among other peoples was added, namely that some of the dibbukim are the spirits of dead persons who were not laid to rest and thus became *demons. This idea (also common in medieval Christianity) combined with the doctrine of *gilgul ("transmigration of the soul") in the 16th century and became widespread and accepted by large segments of the Jewish population, together with the belief in dibbukim. They were generally considered to be souls which, on account of the enormity of their sins, were not even allowed to transmigrate and as "denuded spirits" they sought refuge in the bodies of living persons. The entry of a dibbuk into a person was a sign of his having committed a secret sin which opened a door for the dibbuk. A combination of beliefs current in the non-Jewish environment and popular Jewish beliefs influenced by the Kabbalah form these conceptions. The kabbalistic literature of *Luria's disciples contains many stories and "protocols" about the exorcism of dibbukim. Numerous manuscripts present detailed instructions on how to exorcise them. The power to exorcise dibbukim was given to ba'alei shem or accomplished Ḥasidim. They exorcised the dibbuk from the body which was bound by it and simultaneously redeemed the soul by providing a tikkun ("restoration") for him, either by transmigration or by causing the dibbuk to enter hell. Moses *Cordovero defined the dibbuk as an "evil pregnancy."

Judaism - How to be rid of a Dybbuk

Often the first step in the exorcism is interviewing the dybbuk. The purpose of this is to determine why the spirit has not moved on. This information will help the person performing the ritual to convince the dybbuk to leave. It is also important to discover the dybbuk's name because, according to Jewish folklore, knowing the name of an otherworldly being allows a knowledgeable person to command it. In many stories, dybbuks are more than happy to share their woes with anyone who will listen.

After the interview, the steps in exorcising a dybbuk vary greatly from story to story. According to author Howard Chajes, a combination of adjurations and various props are common. For instance, in one example the exorcist may hold an empty flask and a white candle. He will then recite a formulaic adjuration commanding the spirit to reveal its name (if it hasn't done so already). A second adjuration commands the dybbuk to leave the person and fill the flask, whereupon the flask will glow red.

Dybbuk or Demon: Knowing Your Jewish Ghosts and Ghouls
This is an interesting link. It talks about Dybbuks, but also Ibbur (a good version of a Dybbuk), Mazzikin (destructive spirit of the dead) , Shedim (descended from 'Lillith'), Ruhot (who actually sound kind of useful), and The Golem (created by Rabbis).

Jewish Journal - Dybbuks, demons and exorcism in Judaism
Surrounded by invisible forces - stories of Dybbuk possession - some old stories and some modern.

Dybbuk Box Video
There is a famous box known to be possessed by a Dybbuk. This contains some video footage of the box as well as some claims of supernatural experiences. The Dybbuk inside the box is basically 'homeless' and when the box is opened, the homeless Dybbuk goes out and about looking for a human host. Dybbuks need a human host - because they were once humans - to accomplish whatever their agendas are.

sandf for interest
IMHO...I feel my experiences favor this definition in some ways because it allows for the two way interaction and the potential for good and bad and just plain neutral intent

The jinn (also djinn or genies, Arabic: الجن‎ al-jinn, singular الجني al-jinnī) are supernatural creatures in Islamic and Arabic folklore. They are mentioned frequently in the Qur'an (the 72nd sura is titled Sūrat al-Jinn) and other Islamic texts and inhabit an unseen world in dimensions beyond the visible universe of humans. The Qur'an mentions that the jinn are made of a smokeless and "scorching fire",[1] but are also physical in nature, being able to interact physically with people and objects and likewise be acted upon.[2][clarification needed]
Together, the jinn, humans and angels make up the three sapient creations of God. Like human beings, the jinn can be good, evil, or neutrally benevolent and hence have free will like humans and unlike angels.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by FlyersFan


The movie "the possession" was about the Dybbuk...

Interesting topic S&F

Someone has been watching H2 today...

I like your research better, though, FF

Not that it is a bad thing...it's been in the background all day as I've worked. Fun stuff.
I remember when the Dybbuk Box story broke so many years ago during the days of dial-up...then, ghost jars and haunted paintings, dolls, etc. Popped up on eBay overnight.

the owlbear
Someone has been watching H2 today...

Yep. I still have the History channel on now. Kingsbury Run murders is on. Later - The Lincoln Assassination. Then Pawn stars. They always have stuff that tickles the brain and is really interesting.

They had the show on about the haunted box. I decided to investigate Dybbuks in general.
Interesting stuff. All the different levels and types of demons and malicious spirits of dead humans.
The Ruhot sound interesting. I'm thinking ... interesting enough for a thread of their own.

It is certainly curious, that in MANY cultures, possession exist at all.

Buddhism, Judaism which brings Christianity and Muslims with it, Tribal cultures, Shamanic tradition.

Just to name some, Have this belief in malevolent spirits seeking to harm.

Certainly strange that If a myth, it would be so universal.

The Guts thread on Dalai Lama and "oracles"

As an example, IN Buddhism, these people actually recognize each other in their states, AND even call out false ones, very strange.

reply to post by benrl


The thread you referenced is fantastic. If people have the time, they should watch the entire video.
Demonic possession in Buddhism. It's considered a gift of some kind. 'Gods' from other realms talking
through 'gifted' Buddhist mystics. The demonic talking is intense .. and it really wipes out the mystics.

The last few minutes is chilling ... at least to me.

screw the possession, that was a poorly made hollywood adaptation from the real story.

my recommendation for anyone seeking the best all around telling of the true stories that inspired that movie is to watch a show called Paranormal Witness Season 2 Episode 4.

You can watch the full length episode for free here. It's a must watch for anyone interested in this.

Paranormal Witness Dybbuk Box Full Episode

In my opinion Paranormal Witness as a show in general has some of the best legit stories from families who have experienced some of the most intense paranormal trauma.

This episode in particular goes through interviewing and reenacting all of the several owners experiences with the box concluding with how the final owner took action to have the box resealed and stowed away in non-disclosed location.

The story is particularly interesting to me because I remember when the original box was listed on ebay and the listing was gaining quite a bit of attention.

reply to post by FlyersFan


The part that struck me in the Vid, is where the Dalai Lama says where Christianity has gone this stops, that it tends to exist in the deepest regions, where Missionaries have yet to visit.

That was a bit odd.

The correlation at least.

Dybbuks are HUMAN souls that are malicious in the afterlife.
However, the Jewish demons and demonology (different species from human) is interesting.
Here is some more information on them -

Jewish Library - Demons and Demonology

The terms shedim and mazzikim were often used as synonyms, but in some sources there is a certain differentiation between them. In the Zohar it is thought that the spirits of evil men become mazzikim after their death. However, there are also good-natured devils who are prepared to help and do favors to men. This is supposed to be particularly true of those demons who are ruled by Ashmedai ( Asmodeus ) who accept the Torah and are considered "Jewish demons." Their existence is mentioned by the Hasidei Ashkenaz as well as in the Zohar. According to legend, Cain and Abel, who contain some of the impurity of the serpent which had sexual relations with Eve, possess a certain demonic element and various demons came from them.

LOTS more info at that link.

reply to post by Danbones


Star and flag for the post. Most informative, Flyer's Fan. Thanks!


(Might make a good story line for the next novel.)

i find aspergers episodes are similar to possessions at times...
and things result from those incidents
like being possessed to just stop and dig up a self sharpening skin scraper in the middle of a field of random rocks
or resulting in a complete original song...
"what ever possessed you to do that?"

and IMHO christianity only blinds people to the other side
it doesn't do anything else but prevent the flow of energy and wisdom by closing minds to that realm


when the asperger temper seizures flairs though id swear it has all the earmarks of a demonic possession...
it feels like evil spirits are making things go wrong....
sometimes they seem to completely gibble my computer which seems to return to normal when i do
( thanks be to chrome and its recovery cache )

Danbones


when the asperger temper seizures flairs though id swear it has all the earmarks of a demonic possession...
it feels like evil spirits are making things go wrong....
sometimes they seem to completely gibble my computer which seems to return to normal when i do
( thanks be to chrome and its recovery cache )

Mental illness of some kind could also be a player in this, it has existed in humanity since the beginning.

It could certainly be chalked up to some kind of neurological or psychological disorder.

I had a friend who worked a Psych ward for several years, some of the stories he told did sound like that could be possible.

What I question is the cases where, they are Malevolent, and seem to (as in the Bhuddist case in the post I mentioned) Recognize others, and in the vid (I highly recommend) the possed even "fought" each other, one urging its converts to attack anothers sect.

It just strikes me as odd, they would recognize each other, thats one thing, add to that the Malice, and that becomes interesting at the very least.

Very interesting subject. I love the net....I just read many articles on the good spirits and these bad spirits that can inhabit people. I guess it is possible that this could have some basis, but I don't think these beings were ever human. They may have inhabited humans in the past but I think they are different types of beings all together.

So why would anyone want to have one of these crabby beings sharing their body anyway, you usually need to do something to let them in. Now, the good beings are different, they can be teachers to help you find the path to righteousness. Sounds almost like something off of Stargate SG1....the Gau'ld. strange that the name is similar to G-d

Oh well, off to discuss what to make for supper with my spiritual guide. Daughters back from New York, she has a sore throat...probably some medicinal quality chicken soup.

Tune in Here

CdT

This topic came up on another thread so I"m going to bump it up for folks to see. Maybe folks who haven't seen this thread can add some of their own information ...